Newsletter Dec. 12

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: December 12-14               

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: This week the students will be bringing home their graded informational writing. You will see their assessed writing that he or she completed INDEPENDENTLY. Students were given some time to do research on the Internet or books. Then, they used their writing folders, anchor charts, writing checklists and other tools to help them plan, draft, revise, and publish their piece. The scores on the rubric are: not yet meeting, approaching, meeting, and extending. Please note that “Meeting” scores are the expectations for the END of fifth grade.

While reading them, I learned a lot about a variety of topics!

Math: As we move forward in our decimals unit, students are learning to add and subtract decimals.  We have multiple tools and strategies to help students develop conceptual understanding.  As the week continues, they will choose ways that are most efficient for them.

Unit of Study:

Students will be finishing their PSA’s and Podcasts this week for a 5th grade share on Wednesday. Ask your child about their project. They have worked hard on the products are going to be great. In addition, some of the classes have put together a Brochure on their renewable energy source. Look out for those as well.

***NO HOME LEARNING THIS WEEK***

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

Friday Dec. 15...last day of semester 1

Monday Jan. 8, 2018...first day of semester 2

Enjoy your three week break and don’t forget...as Dory always says, “Just keep reading, just keep reading…”

Highlights - Last Week:

Christmas Around the World and the wonderful band concert...well done students and Ms. Endel

Photos from S1

Buddies Maker Space Project Photos

Sustainable Energy MakerSpace Photos

Weekly Newsletter Dec. 4

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: December 4 - 8               

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: The students will be taking the NonFiction OnDemand Post Assessment this week.  This assessment will help us see the students' growth through the unit and what our goals will be next semester to continue developing as writers.  Following on with our science integration, students will also be working on turning their energy writing into PSAs or podcasts.

Math: As we move forward in our decimals unit, students are learning to add and subtract decimals.  We have multiple tools and strategies to help students develop conceptual understanding.  As the week continues, they will choose ways that are most efficient for them.

Unit of Study: Students will be finishing up their innovative energy making prototypes.  They will be sharing their ideas with other classes on Thursday as an end of project celebration.  The students have some great design ideas!

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

Monday, December 4 - Christmas Around the World

Thursday, December 7 - Band Concert at 7pm.  (We will be live streaming this event so please share the live stream link with families and/or friends so they can also join us in celebrating your child's musical learning. https://livestream.com/iskl)

Friday, December 8 - Swim Carnival

Monday, December 11 - NO SCHOOL

Highlights - Last Week:

Students have been working hard on their nonfiction writing pieces throughout the week.  Ask them to share their work with you!

Weekly Newsletter Nov. 27

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: November 27-30               

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: The students have combined efforts between Science and Literacy. As they have finished their research, students have begun writing an informational piece of writing on the sustainable energy topic of their choice.  As the week progresses, students will complete their informational writing piece and look forward to creating either a Public Service Announcement (PSA) or podcast in the weeks to come.

Math: As we move forward in our decimals unit, students are beginning to round up to the thousandths place, as well as continuing to practice the appropriate vocabulary for these difficult numbers.  Rather than saying, “One point 3”....practice saying, “One and Three-tenths!”. This week we will also begin to move into the adding and subtracting of decimals.

Unit of Study: 5LT will continue to work on their innovative idea prototypes in the Science Lab/Maker Space. The students have come up with some unique and ideas, so it will be interesting to see how the prototypes take form. Check out the photos here - more will be added throughout the week.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

No school December 1-Prophet’s birthday

Highlights - Last Week:

Another great speaker last Friday, Mr. Hector, who spoke about wind energy and fast grass for biomass.

Thank you again to the parents involved in the Xmas Ornament making. We look forward to getting them on the tree!

Weekly Newsletter Nov 20

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: November 20-24, 2017                

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: Students will continue their nonfiction reading and writing units. Reading and writing are integrated with our science unit: Sustainable Energy. Students have chosen a topic and are doing in-depth research in preparation for their writing.

Math: This week we will continue with our math unit entitled, Unit 4: Decimal Place Value & Decimal Operations. This week students will name decimals in expanded, unit, and word forms by applying place value reasoning. They will also be comparing decimal fractions to the thousandths using like units, and express comparisons with >, <,  =. As we learn about decimals, we will be using our knowledge to help us discuss the "Economics of Healthy Eating."

Unit of Study: The students will continue their inquiry into Sustainable Energy. This week, students will begin designing their creative idea for sustainability. We will be drawing and explaining our ideas before heading to the MakerSpace to build them. This week students will also hear from Hector Ingram on Friday, November 24th from 10:30-11:15am. He will present on wind energy and ‘fast grass’ - a fast growing grass used as a biofuel. All are welcome to attend this presentation as it will be most informative.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

Hector Ingram on Friday, November 24th at 10:30 in the grade 5 common area. Come hear about Wind Energy and ‘Fast Grass’.

Highlights - Last Week:

Last week, we had the pleasure of having special guests Dave Perrau and Brad Knowles who reviewed Sustainable Practices at the new ISKL campus. They discussed the plans for the new school and talked about how simple ideas like light reflecting off shelves will help to make a school more sustainable, keep areas cool and will also help lower electricity bills.  

Mr. Andy Baker has also been a guest speaker. He had many fun activities for students to help them understand the various aspects of the oil business.

Weekly Newsletter Nov 13

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: November 13-17, 2017

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: Students will continue their nonfiction reading and writing units. Reading and writing are integrated with our science unit: Sustainable Energy, so students will be using texts about sustainable energy to improve their nonfiction reading and writing. Last week students got to hear a visiting author presentation by Bryn Barnard, who spoke about the challenges of being an author along with climate change and the ocean, the topic of one of his books, The New Ocean: The Fate of Life in a Changing Sea.

Math: This week we will be begin our new math unit entitled, Unit 4: Decimal Place Value & Decimal Operations. This week we will explore the value of decimals by representing them in various ways and reviewing their relationship in our base 10 number system. This unit runs through to Semester 2 as it encompasses place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Unit of Study: The students will continue their inquiry into Sustainable Energy. This week, students will be answering questions through lab work and research. Last week, we had the pleasure of having Andy Baker, Mrs. Schneider’s husband, come to speak about petroleum. It was a great day and the students even got to dig for oil using a cake and gummy dinosaurs! This week on Monday Nov. 13th we will have special guests Dave Perrau and Brad Knowles who will present about Sustainable Practices at the new ISKL campus.  This will take place in the common area from 2:00-2:45.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

-This week on Monday Nov. 13th we will have special guests Dave Perrau and Brad Knowles who will present about Sustainable Practices at the new ISKL campus.  This will take place in the common area from 2:00-2:45.

Highlight - Last Week:

The International Day Parade was a hit as usual.  We also enjoyed the cultural presentations and were excited to represent our countries. There were also two excellent guest speakers. Please see photos of these event and other pictures from our Instagram account.  

Weekly Newsletter Nov 6

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: November 6-10, 2017

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: Students will be continue their nonfiction reading and writing units. This is integrated with our science unit: Sustainable Energy, so students will be using texts about sustainable energy to improve their nonfiction reading and writing. In addition, the students will attend a visiting author presentation by Bryn Barnard, who will feature his nonfiction books. Bryn will present to our students on Thurs. 9 Nov. from 10:30-11:15am in the G5 common area.

Math: Students will review and complete Unit 3: The Coordinate Plane. Midweek they will complete a written summative assessment. Our next math unit is titled, Unit 4: Decimal Place Value & Decimal Operations. It’s quite a lengthy unit - 40 school days - so the unit will take us into early second semester.

Unit of Study: The students will continue to work on the Sustainable Energy unit. This week, they will continue to work in the science labs exploring sustainable energy: solar, wind and hydro power. Amy Schneider’s husband, Andy Baker, who is an engineer with Schlumberger, will conduct a presentation on ‘Fossil Fuels’ this Fri. 10 Nov. in the G5 common area from 10:30-11:30am.   

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

This Friday 10 Nov. is our annual International Fest. Flag Parade at Melawati from 8:15-9:15am. Students should come dressed in their national costume, clothing comprising colors of their country’s flag, etc. Parents are invited to join us for the Flag Parade and the Parade of Nations Assembly in the Studio. Don’t forget to attend the PTA’s International Fest at the Ampang Campus this Sat. 11 Nov. from 11:00am-3:00pm.

This Monday, parents are reminded to look out for your child’s two opinion writing samples with rubrics and an accompanying parent letter, which your child will bring home to share with you.

Highlight - Last Week:

Our Deepavali Cultural Day last Friday 3 Nov. was definitely the highlight of last week! Nalini Krishnan and her organizing team organized another wonderful day of activities for our students, especially the assembly from 11:00-11:45am and the various hallway demonstrations and workshops.

Weekly Newsletter Oct. 30

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: October 30 - November 3

Curriculum Information for the Week:

Literacy: Students will be reading texts about sustainable energy. We will be exploring the text structures that authors use and how they can help us understand the text. Note taking strategies will also be reviewed to ensure our learning is recorded. Students will also be writing non-fiction paragraphs based on their reading and science labs.

Math: Students will continue their work with coordinate planes.  They will be seeing the real world use of coordinate planes, including looking at our schools paper and water use line graphs.  Students will continue to review our learning from Unit 1 and Unit 2 in the daily warm ups.

Unit of Study:  Students will be solidifying their knowledge of circuits and how they work. They will then begin an exploration of sustainable energy options in the lab, including solar, wind and hydro. They will formulate questions which they will be answering throughout the unit through reading, experimenting and our guest speakers.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

Red Hats KL Children’s Hospital visits: Please click on this link  There are a few more spaces available and a link to a folder of photos from our last visit.

Halloween Dress Up Day on Tuesday, October 31st. Please ensure costumes are appropriate and will not hinder learning. Also, students will still have PE/swimming.

Deepavali Cultural Day on Friday, November 3rd. There will be an assembly, hallway activities and a cooking class for students to learn about this special day. Students may wear culture dress.

Highlight - Last Week:

Students had a great time tuning in to the new Science lab - making reflective light options, building circuits, exploring kinetic/potential energy with balloons, etc. They are now curious to learn more about energy.

Weekly Newsletter Oct. 24

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: October 24 - 27

Curriculum Information for the Week:

Literacy: Students will be starting their Nonfiction reading and writing unit, including taking a writing pre-assessment.  This unit will be integrated with our science unit, so students will be using texts about sustainable energy to improve their nonfiction reading.

Math: Students will continue their work with coordinate planes.  They will be plotting ordered pairs, as well as reading and interpreting data on coordinate planes.  Students will continue to review our learning from Unit 1 and Unit 2 in the daily warm ups.

Unit of Study:  We will get started with our Sustainable Energy unit.  Classes will begin tuning in activities to spark curiosity.  Students will also do the lab safety lesson and do their first science lab exploration.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

Red Hats KL Children’s Hospital visits: Please click on this link  There are a few more spaces available and a link to a folder of photos from our last visit.

Highlight - Last Week:

We have completed our literary essay unit.  Students worked hard to show their learning on the on-demand assessment.

Weekly Newsletter Oct. 16

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: October 16 & 17, 2017

Curriculum Information for the Week:

Literacy: Students will demonstrate their learning and understanding of the literary essay during our “on-demand” assessment.  Students will examine a text, then independently write their opinion essay stating the thesis, appropriate reasons and support these reasons with relevant evidence.

Math: Tuning in to coordinate planes will take place this Monday and Tuesday. We will introduce important vocabulary, focusing on quadrant one of the coordinate plane.

Goals: Students will look at the goals they created last week after conferences. We will display them in different ways to keep them in the forefront of our minds.

Unit of Study:  Our next unit will be Sustainable Energy.  Classes will begin tuning in activities over the next  couple of weeks, starting with electricity and circuits.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

October Break-October 18-22....See you Tuesday, October 24....Day 4!

Red Hats KL Children’s Hospital visits: Please click on this link  There are a few more spaces available and a link to a folder of photos from our last visit.

Be a Globally Responsible Citizen this Halloween - Encourage your family to be sustainable as you plan your halloween celebrations (suggestions here from our ESD team).

Highlight - This Week:

Thank you for attending the 3-way conferences. What a beautiful way to celebrate our children’s learning!

Weekly Newsletter Oct. 9

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: October 9-13, 2017

Curriculum Information for the Week:

Literacy: Students will continue to work on their literary essays focusing on strong introductions and conclusion as well as revising and editing.  Students will also continue to read articles online, learning about children around the world who are making a difference. They will continue to take notes to determine how children solve problems.

Math: Adding and Subtracting fractions finishes this week. Students will review the concepts learned using manipulatives and models to show their thinking. They will take the assessment at the end of the week. In addition to the current unit, students are continuing to practice two and three digit multiplication and division from unit 1 to consolidate their learning.

Unit of Study:  Students will be showing their learning as they summarise their knowledge about government, the role of government and the role of a responsible citizens. They will be sharing a virtual museum that highlights the main concepts in the unit.  

Student three-way conferences are Mon. 9 and Tues. 10 Oct:

This week, students will be busy sharing and reflecting their work, work habits, behaviour and setting learning goals.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

Mon. 9 & Tues. 10 Oct: Three-way Conferences involving students, parents and teacher(s).

Red Hats KL Children’s Hospital visits: Please click on this link  There are a few more spaces available and a link to a folder of photos from our last visit.

Social Change Makers Conference report has been posted our News section of the ISKL website and on the Official ISKL Facebook page.

Highlight - This Week:

Student three-way conferences!