Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving with your families! It's hard to believe, but we only have 3 weeks before winter break. Let's work together to ensure our students finish strong.

Lang. Arts - We are reading Black Cowboy Wild Horses A True Story this week. Please be sure your child reads this story at home (preferably with an adult). The comprehension skill for this week is making inferences; paying attention to the details of the story will help your child answer the comprehension questions correctly. Vocabulary Words are: vastness, enthusiasm, horizon, ravine, presence, swerved, flickered, and suspended. The spelling skill is the VCCV pattern (vowel, consonant, consonant, vowel). The grammar skill is also difficult - identifying and correctly spelling plurals and possessives. No new RIT words this week. We will be reviewing assonance and figurative language.

Math - We will be finishing Unit 6 tomorrow. The test will be on Thursday, Dec. 3. Homework for today: Journal pages 201-204 and SL 6.9.

Thanks to all who were able to attend the D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony this morning! We are very proud of our 5th graders. Our Homeroom essay winner was Allie Mason. Congratulations!

Lang. Arts - We met with our 1st grade Reading Buddies today and began working on a musical we hope to (informally) perform in December. Look for information about this fun event soon. Students should continue studying spelling words and RIT words, plus completing the weekly packet.

Math - We finished our sampling activity today and concluded that completing a sample survey of a large population really does work. Homework - Journal pages 186 and 187. S.L. 6.5

Social Studies - We are finishing Chapter 3 quickly. Today we concluded our discussion on the Age of Exploration and the Reformation periods. A study guide will come home Thurs. or Fri. Chapter 3's test will be on Monday, Nov. 23.

Tuesday, Nov. 18

I've been really giving the talk about doing your personal best in everything you do in Language Arts this week. Remind your student of the importance to always write neatly, always read directions and follow them (especially when taking a test), and to not settle for less than their best. They were shown an example of a flip book like the one they are to complete for their next reading project. When they are ready to begin their project, they are to ask for a flip book from me.
This week's vocabulary words: forbidden, hesitation, elegant, reluctant, blared, irrestible, mischieveous, gossiped
RIT words: conflict, protagonist, falling action, resolution, rising action
Grammar skill: possessive nouns

Math - No homework today!
D.A.R.E. - the 4th and 5th graders raised over $900 for the D.A.R.E. program!! Thanks so much for your support! Graduation is on Wed. morning at 8:15 am. All are welcome.

Students should prepare for the end of the week assessments in Lang. Arts tomorrow: Spelling Test, Grammar Test, Selection Assessment (Maya Lin) and RIT word Test.

Math - Complete Journal pages 179 and 180, plus S.L. 6.2 and 6.3.

Social Studies - Ask your 5th grader about diving for sunken treasure! Reminder: D.A.R.E. essays are due Monday. 3 paragraphs long (7-10 sentences per paragraph).

I got to see Mrs. Woods and Baby Reilly yesterday afternoon. Both are doing very well, and Reilly is definitely cute! Sure was nice to see her as "mommy."

In Lang. Arts today, students began researching a monument of their choice. The information collected will be used for a writing activity. Keep working on Weekly Homework Packet and study spelling words. Just a reminder that book orders are due Friday.

For Math we measured different ancient units of measurement (like a fathom and a cubit) in inches, centimeters and millimeters. Homework for today is SL 6.1 and Math Box 6.2.

We had D.A.R.E. today. Students are to be working on their personal essays to be handed in on Monday. Look for more information about Graduation Day (Wed. Nov. 18) soon!

Today in Lang. Arts, we practiced writing plurals and read more about monuments. Some of the students are having trouble finding information about monuments in our community. I mentioned that they could include statues/monuments at Notre Dame and/or downtown South Bend on their Weekly Homework Packet.

Math - Homework - Math Box 6.1 and Journal pages 170-172

Social Studies - Test will be handed back tomorrow. We began Chapter 4 today. No homework.

Monday's News and Notes
I hope everyone enjoyed the summer weather over the weekend!
Language Arts - We were very busy today. We warmed up by reviewing several language arts skills. Including titles, moods, and homophones. Next we had our spelling pretest. (Spelling City has been updated for the week.) We reviewed how to make nouns that end in f or fe plural. We dont' have new RIT words this week. Instead we are reviewing last week's words. Our reading story for the week is "Maya Lin: Architect of Memory." It is a nonfiction article that tells about the architect who made the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as well as the Civil Rights Memorial. Our vocabulary words for the week are dedicated, artifacts, site, exhibits and equality. Our comprehension skill is Main Ideas and Details. Our writing focus for the week is research. We are researching monuments.

Math - We took the Unit 5 test today - no homework!
Social Studies - No homework, as well - students completed Unit 3 test today.

Due to Double Specials and Mrs. Slater's presentation on bullies, we had very little Language Arts time today. The Weekly Packet is due tomorrow. Study for the spelling and story test!

In Math, students are to complete the Unit 5 Checking Progress to get ready for the test on Monday. Math Box 5.13 was also assigned.

We finished all Chapter 3's activities in Social Studies today. Tomorrow we will help each other study for the test on Monday. No additional homework was assigned.

"D.A.R.E. is fun!" Those were the words I heard today after students came back from their weekly D.A.R.E. class. This program has helped so many kids over the years, and we want to see it continue. A few days ago students brought home information about a read-a-thon that we're holding to try to raise money for the D.A.R.E. program. Be sure to look it over, and if you're able, make a donation. Any amount would be appreciated!

In Language Arts today, we met with our Reading Buddies and made cards for Mrs. Woods and Reilly. Students received back their Maniac Magee tests, which we went over in class, along with two quizzes. Homework for today: Spelling worksheet pgs. 41-42 and Grammar worksheet pgs. 39-40.

In Math today, we learned what school was like back in the 1900s. We practiced reading and interpreting different kinds of graphs. Homework: Journal pages 162 - 163 and S.L. 5.12.

Friendly Reminder ~
This is our first week back to doing the weekly reading packets for Language Arts after our novel study. So it's important the students get back into the habit of working on them throughout the week. The packets are due Friday. We're back to having spelling words, too! Students should remember to study for the test on Friday.
Math - We completed two journal pages in class together creating our own circle graphs from collected information. Homework for today: Math Box 5.11, Study Link 5.11 and WorkSheet (WS), pg. 80.
Social Studies - a Study Guide was handed out today. Chapter 3's test will be next Monday, November 9.

Have a great evening!

Welcome back ~
I hope that everyone had a wonderful fall break!

Language Arts - Today we are back to reading from our purple reader! Our story of the week is Rattlers. It is a nonfiction story about rattlesnakes. Our comprehension skill is identifying the main idea and details of paragraphs. The organization of the story is very helpful because each main idea is in the form of a question and is the heading for each section.

Our vocabulary words: species, survive, alert, vibrations, surroundings, prey, predators, and lunging. Our grammar skill is singular and plural nouns.

Here is our Rit Vocabulary and examples:
Appositives - When you are renaming someone or something. This information is often not needed. You put commas around the appositive. For example: My dog, Sadie is at the groomers. Sadie is the appositive.
Bias - A preconceived opinion about something. It is also the point of view you take in your writing. For example: Many students wrote a persuasive paper last week about drugs. Their bias was that drugs are bad.
Epiphany - A sudden moment of understanding that causes a character to change or act in a certain way. For example: After everyone sat with other people at lunch, Fred had an epiphany and decided to be nicer to his friends.
Gerund - It is a verb that functions like a noun. For example: Running is a Mr. L's favorite hobby. Running is a gerund.
Italics - A type of letter that is slightly slanted, usually used for titles and to emphasize special words. For example: We will have a test next Friday. Next is in italics to differentiate from this Friday.
Our writing focus of the week is persuasive letters. Each student is to write a letter to the editor. They need to back up their opinions with facts and may need to do a little research at home. This is due on Friday.
Weekly Homework was assigned and is due Friday.
Check out the spellingcity.com website. It's a fun and easy way to practice spelling words. Just type in your list under the "batch entry" tool and you can learn, test and play games all about your spelling words.

Math: We continued to practice using the percent circle to measure sectors of a circle graph. Homework - Journal pages 157 and 158, SL 5.9 and 5.10

Social Studies - We completed the chart that will be used as part of a study guide for the Unit 3 test coming up soon (Early next week). Look for the second part of the study guide to come home soon. No homework.