-Sunday, January 29, Open House after the 9:30 Mass, 10:30-12:30

-Monday, Januray 30, report cards are given to the students.

-Tuesday, January 31, Catholic Schools Week School Mass, 10:30.

-Wednesday, February 1, Student Appreciation   Day!  Wear your PJ’s to school and no homework.

-Friday, February 3, the Red and White Game.  Please check with your student to see the color they are to wear.

-February 16, Parent-Teacher Conferences.

-February 28, 5th grade music performance, The Granny Awards.  Time to be announced.

The fifth grade has been very busy the last three weeks!  The students have completed their invention project, and as always, have been very creative and clever. 

 Room 116 is reading, The Magic Thief.  Some of the students thoroughly enjoyed reading a fantasy; others have voiced it’s not their favorite genre. Room 117 is in Literature Circles and are reading:   Crash, by Jerry Spinelli, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry,  and Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech. They are very busy reading their novels, and working on the individual projects for the  their novel .

The students are completing their graphing unit and reviewing basic computation skills in math.  Our Chapter 7 test will be Friday.We will begin our division unit the following week.

In social studies, the students wrote intriguing, first person journals about Native American Tribes, and are blogging their journals in the TLC . 

Our focus in science is on energy conservation.  We will be doing experiments in lab on ways of conserving energy.  To culminate the unit we  will make energy conservation posters for submission to the National Energy Foundation to participate in their Energy by Design Poster Contest.  The  posters will be due February 10.  More information  can be found at www.energybydesign.org.

The students have studied the sacrament of Baptism this month.  We have shared symbols of the sacrament.  Next,we will begin our study of the sacrament of Confirmation. 

On Monday, January 30th the students will bring home their report cards.  Please read and discuss your child’s report card with your child.  Please sign the envelope and have your child return it the following day.  Remember, conferences will be held on February 16th.  You have received a form to fill- out for the winter conference time.  Please return so we can honor your time/schedule.  We look forward to discussing your child’s progress at that time.

Please mark February 28th on your calendar.  On this day in the morning, your child will be performing in The Granny Awards.  Mrs. Gomez will send more information as it becomes available.  Please note this is a music presentation and will be in the morning in Morrissey Hall.   There will not be an evening  performance.

As always, thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Mrs. Clancy and Mrs. Kensek

Please mark your calenday for the 5th grade musical, The Granny Awards!  The musical will be presented the morning of February 28.  Time to be announced soon!

The New Year is a time to look back and reflect.  We make resolutions and start new programs.   School is no different.  January is a clean slate on which we begin anew.  Check with your student to make sure he/she has all the needed school supplies!

                 We have begun our third novel in Room 116, The Magic Thief .  The novel is a fantasy and may be difficult to comprehend.   It may be beneficial to read or discuss it with your child each evening. In Room 117, the students are reading one of five different novels that have been introduced, based on their preference.  Each class will have a project due on January 27.  These projects are completed in class.  In language arts, the students have been working on their January poem.  It is “A Year in Review” using rhyming couplets.

In social studies, the students are beginning to  write intriguing, first person journals  about Native American Tribes they studied.  They completed an independent study of the chapter, will use a graphic organizer for their chosen tribe, and their journal in the TLC.  The journal will be  the final assessment of the chapter.

Our student inventions are due Wednesday,  January 25.  Packet outlines were passed out before Christmas and need to be completed, as well as, the diagram and explanation page.  The diagram and the written page are to be completed by the student and need to be neat and legible.  You may come in to view the inventions on Friday, January 27 at 2 P.M.  They will also be on display for Open House Sunday, January 29. Don’t forget there are 2 take home experiment write-ups due this tuesday, January 17.

We will be studying about natural resources and their conservation.  We will use our text, videos, and internet resources to study and gather information and learn about natural cycles on Earth such as the water, nitrogen, and oxygen cycles. All students will be participating in several contest opportunities regarding  the importance of natural resource conservation.

We have started our  reading and constructing graphs.  There is a graph booklet due next Wednesday, January 20. We will also use our skills to make graphs based on our school community.  We will then continue studying how data is displayed using methods such as mean, median, and mode, and stem and leaf plots.  We are also working on division facts and continue to review math concepts studied earlier in the year

  As discussed in religion, they are preparing, hoping, celebrating, and waiting during the Advent Season.  They are also completing Bible studies reading verses from the gospel about Mary, Jesus, the Angel, just to name a few.

In reading, Room 117 read The Magic Thief and  are creating Can Characters with character descriptions and character relationships inside each can.  Room 116 read three different novels:  Walk Two Moons, Number the Stars, and Crash.  They worked in literature circles and are creating various projects for their novel.  These will be available to see in the 5th grade rooms . During Writing Workshop, the students created clever poems.  Ask all about Alliteration!  We have definitely found a calling for some students!

In math,   we are finishing our work on multipication.  We will have a test on Tuesday, December 20.  When we return we will be working on division.  OVer break it is recommended that students practise their math facts.  Several parents have requested internet sites useful for math reinforcement and/or enrichment.  Some recommendations are:www.eduplace.com/math

www.factmonster.com/math/flashcards.html

mathplayground.com/index.html

Our simple machine unit is completed.  We worked in teams during our science lab time constructing different types of simple machines.  We also spent time in the computer lab reviewing simple machines using the Edheads.org web site.   Our final assessment will be Wednesday, December 21.   Please refer to the information packet that was sent home regarding our up coming invention project due  Wednesday, January 25.  The inventions will be displayed during our Catholic School’s Week open house.  The students are very enthusiastic and excited about the project.  Also, remember 2 science take home projects are due by January 23.

Officer Gill finished his classroom visits this week, has picked the DARE essay winners, and prepared them for their graduation.  The date for graduation  is Monday, December 12, at 9:00 AM.

In social studies, the students have been studying  Native Americans throughout the United States.  They will be tested on Chapter 1 on Thursday, December 8th.   They will be allowed to use their notes on the test, since note taking was the focus of this Chapter.

In reading, Room 117 is reading The Magic Thief and will  create Can Characters with character descriptions and relationships inside each can.  Room 116 is reading Crash, Walk Two Moons, or Number the Stars in Literature Circles and created various projects for their novel.  During Writing Workshop, the students will work on their December poems.   They will be introduced to alliteration!

In Math, we are working on multiplication.  Our problem solving skill is using logical thinking and solving with a chart.  We are having a 5 minute 100 problem multiplication test December 9. 

In science we moved on to our review of simple machines.  We are creating different simple machines and using the Edheads.org web site to review simple machines.  We are also disassembling toasters to find the simple machines and mechanics of this invention.  Please refer to the information packet that was sent home regarding the up coming invention project due Wednesday, January  25.

Please mark your calendar, D.A.R.E. Graduation will be Monday, December 12, at 9:00am.  The ceremony will last 45-60  minutes.

As the holiday season quickly approaches, the children have been busy creating a holiday gift in class and are anxious to share it with you!

The Sign of the Beaver is finished!  The students are completing their first in-class project.  They will begin Literature Circles after Thanksgiving with a book of their choice.  Their concrete poems for November are very creative.  Next week, the students will present their power point they created in TLC.  We are excited to hear about each other.

We are culminating our study of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems with our assessment on Tuesday, November 22.   Information concerning the invention project is being introduced and sent home before Thanksgiving.  We will have a short review of simple machines to help with the invention projects when we return from our Thanksgiving break.  You will receive a letter explaining the project next week.  The inventions will be due Wednesday, January 27. 

 In math, we will have a quiz on single digit division and divisibility rules Monday, November 21.   We will continue our work using single digit divisors after the break.

Thursday, November 10, parent-teacher conferences are scheduled.  This year the students are required to attend the conference with you.  It is a 1/2  day of school, followed by conferences.   We look forward to speaking with your child  and you on that day.

In social studies, we are beginning the study of the early civilizations in America.  The focus will be on taking notes from a non-fiction source.

In religion the students have focused on Mary and the rosary.  The month of October has passed, but we continue to study Mary, her many names, and ways we honor her.

This week in DARE, Officer Gill discussed advertisements and drugs, and marijuana and its effects.

In Language Arts, it’s a new month, which means a new form of poetry.  The students will be writing concrete poems for November.  These poems are created in the shape of the topic they are writing about.  In spelling, we are reviewing prefixes and suffixes once again.  We are also focusing on the letters that make the K sound.  We continue to read The Sign of the Beaver and are learning our last Lit .Circle role; the Literary Luminary.

In Math we are beginning our study of addition and subtraction focusing on algebraic expressions, addition properties and using decimals.  We continue to use models to comprehend word problems.  Word problems either having missing, or unneeded  information are the focus.  We are also reviewing and practising our multipication facts.

In Science, our “bone” test is Friday 11/4.  We will culminate our study of body systems next week and as an assessment will make a life model of a system in class.  We will then be introduced to our “big” fifth grade project, our inventions.  Guidelines, including due dates, will be discussed and given to the students before Thanksgiving Break.  After break, we will have our simple machine review.

Dates to note:

Next week is Red Ribbon Week:  Monday, wear sunglasses, Tues., bring in a red food pantry item, Wed., punch will be served Thurs., crazy sock day, Fri., bring a banana for a banana split!

Monday, October 24 Science Takehome Experiment write-ups due

Friday, Oct. 28 is the end of the 1st quarter

Monday, Oct. 31….Halloween Party last period at 2:00.  Please do not send candy for distribution.  We want to focus on healthy fun foods.

   In language arts, the students have written their October poems using a graphic organizer which pulls out the topic sentence.  Those topic sentences became the repetitive sentence in their poem.  We will begin writing our spooky stories stressing word choice (adjectives), one of our writing traits.  We have begun The Sign of the Beaver learning literature circle roles using the novel.  In spelling our focus is on s,k and l sounds in words.

We completed Chapter 1 in math.  We will now review addition skills and learn how to add decimals.    We are also drilling our multiplication facts daily.  Our goal is 100 facts in 5 minutes or less.

After studying about the cell structure we are now learning about tissues, organs and organ systems.  We will have a general review of all organ systems but focus on the skeletal as an indepth study.

In social studies , Room 116, has completed a 2 week unit on economics.   We have reviewed how to save, spend, donate, and invest.  Room 117 just finished the Overview and will be beginning their economics study next week.

In religion the students will focus on Mary, the blessed virgin.  The month of October is traditionally the time we remember Mary and the rosary.  They will also continue the study of the sacraments.

Science Cell Test, Wednesday, October 12.

In social studies, we  finished the Overview, and are excited to begin Unit 1.  We will begin our study of early civilizations in America after a two week study of economics.

In religion,  the students will focus on the sacrament of Baptism and the Rosary.  Don’t be surprised if they ask you to discuss  their Baptismal Day, their godparents, or even want to relive the day looking through photos.  Officer Gill is our D.A.R.E. officer this year.    He will be working  with our students each Friday morning.

In language arts, the students are focusing on word choice and descriptive writing for the month of October.  We will write poems using repetition and Spooky Stories with descriptive words.  In reading, we will begin The Sign of the Beaver novel, and  the students will learn literature circle roles while reading the novel.

We completed our geometry unit.  We are now reviewing multiplication skills.  We are currently working on place value and will begin discovering decimals – what are they; how do we read them; how do we write them?.    We continue to use model drawings along with the who/what and sentence to solve story problems.

We made our cell models with much success.  Our cell identification test will be Wednesday.  We will then continue learning about cells and how they form tissues and organ systems. Our focus in lab will center on our seasonal change.  Our big question will be “Why do trees change colors?”  Have you ever wondered how this happens?  We will perform investigations working with pigmentation and to see if we can stop this phenomenon from occurring.  Also, remember home investigations are due October 24.

We have great expectations that it will be a year of growth and new experiences. The fifth grade students are very capable with lots of potential.    They like to be challenged and work with enthusiasm.  We want this enthusiasm to be kindled, not stifled.  We have many exciting and interactive projects planned for them.  With this in mind, we are beginning our Take Home Projects in Science.  Students are expected to complete four projects each quarter, except second.  Take Home Science projects are due October 27, January 17, March 19, and May 21.  Each project needs to be written up using the scientific method.  A copy of the write-up is attached.

We will continue practicing our geography skills by assigning a weekly map.  The students will receive the map at the beginning of the week, and it will be due on Friday of the same week.  Weekly maps will continue to be assigned periodically through the year.  This is an independent activity using the skills that we learned the first few weeks of school.  As always, if there are questions or concerns please let us know.

You may have noticed that the students have completed a couple of tests. Our policy with tests is the following:

1)      Please sign and return the test the following day.

2)    In most cases, the test can be corrected and the corrections will be accepted if they are returned the following day.

3)    The students do have two days to return the test with a signature, but if it is returned the second day, the corrections will not be counted into the grade.

4)    If they have not returned the test after two days, a note will be sent home requiring your signature.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation,

Mrs. Clancy and Mrs. Kensek

Scince Experiment Write-up:              

You are given an opportunity to discover different aspects of science.  What really is science? You might think that science is limited to cool guys in lab coats mixing weird bubbling chemicals, and although chemistry is a science, it is not all of science. Science comes from the Latin word scire that means "to know." Science is anything that we can know and study! From the planets to bugs to machines, there are many different types of sciences.  Although there are endless things that we can know, and endless types of science, all scientists observe and learn the same way. They follow what is known as the scientific method, or simply, how to think like a scientist. With so many things to discover in the world, it makes it much easier to "know" if we all learn the same way.

Learning to think like a scientist and following these steps will be an important skill you will use for the rest of your life. You’ll be thinking the exact way that grown ups think when they are learning. Remember, you’re never too young or too old to learn and be a scientist!                                                                

You are expected to complete a minimum of 4 activities each quarter.  New activities will be passed out each Wednesday.  You may keep each for a maximum of two weeks.  In order for you to receive credit you must write up your experiment using the following guidelines.  Work needs to be complete and legible.  Remember your proper heading.

  #1) Question - Purpose

  The first thing that scientists need to know is what they are doing. They ask a question, "What am I trying to figure out?" or sometimes "What am I testing?" or maybe "what is this?"

   #2) Research

  Each experiment includes an introduction and background facts for the activity.  Summarize the information given to you.

  #3) Hypothesis

  A hypothesis is a guess to what you think will happen. It doesn’t need to be correct because you are just guessing. More often than not, scientists guess wrong to begin, and then change their guess when they see their results. Being wrong is perfectly fine in this step. A great way to guess, or hypothesize, is to ask an "if_, then_" question, that is "If I do this…then I think this will happen".

  #4) Experiment (Procedure and Materials)

  Experimenting is the fun part, but it’s important to record HOW you performed the experiment with a little bit of detail. How much of each material did you use? How did you combine materials? The most important part is to be FAIR to everything you are testing. What you do for one material, you must do for them all. It is also important for scientists to record what materials they used so other scientists could repeat the experiment if they wanted

  #5) Results and Data

  Results and Data are the most important part of the experiment because they tell what happened. Record what really happened in the chart below.

  #6) Conclusions

  A conclusion is a statement supported by your data and results. Here, you answer the question you first asked in the beginning. Turn to the first question and see if you can answer it. Comment on what you found, and decide if your hypothesis was correct or not. There are often times when you have problems with the experiment and you should note those here too.

Answer your question:

Do your results agree with your hypothesis?

Did you have any problems?

Due Dates:

1^st Quarter (4 Experiments )  October 24

2^nd Quarter (2 Experiments) January 17

3^rd Quarter (4 Experiments) March 19

4^th Quarter (4 Experiments) May 21

Your child needs to have a water bottle in school, as well as a HEALTHY snack each day.  Just a reminder, the children may enter the school at 7:50a.m. the door will close at 8:00.  If your child arrives and the door is closed, they are tardy and need to enter through the Apple Door at the front of the school.

Language Arts:  We are working with Mrs. Flickenger to create a powerpoint titled, “All About Me”.  We have completed the necessary drafting in class, and the writing will be the power point slides.  Students will present theirs to the class.

Social Studies:  Room 116 and 117 are completing a review of Geography skills.  They have discussed the 5 themes of geography, and will move on to a review of the states, continents and oceans, creating maps, recognizing the 4 main hemispheres, and working with latitude and longitude coordinates.  Room 116&117 will have a quiz on Map and Globe Skills on Tuesday, September 13( give or take a day).

Religion:  Students are discussing God’s love and how they can follow in Jesus’ mission.  We have also reviewed the Trinity.  We prepare for Sunday’s Gospel readings by completing the “Children’s Worship Bulletin” each week.

Math:  We are starting the year with addition, subraction, multiplication and division computation reviews.  Students are expected to be able to complete 100 problems in 3 minutes or less.  We had our addition review quiz today and will have our subtraction quiz next Friday.  Our multiplication quiz will be the last Friday in September.  We are also working on Geometry as our first unit of study. We are learning how to use protractors and about the classification of angles and polygons.   Extra help is available on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3:00-3:30 or any morning, except Thursday, at 7:30.

Science:  We begin our year with a focus on using the Scientific Method and tools used in science lab.  We will then continue with Life Science, our main focus in fifth grade.  Students are expected to complete 4 science labs at home with write-ups each quarter.  They are due the Monday of the last week of each quarter.  Students will be given exact guidelines and due dates.  Labs are available in class for sign out or can be found at several websites given to the students.