Newsletter Jan. 8

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: 8-12 Jan. 2018               

Happy New Year and welcome back to semester 2 in G5! We hope you had a relaxing holiday with your family and friends.

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: This week the students will start new reading and writing units. The reading unit is titled, U3R: Fantasy Book Clubs and the writing unit is titled, U3W: Fantasy Writing. The students will begin by doing a tuning-in to the fantasy unit by identifying the elements of fantasy.  In the first part of the reading unit, readers will read alongside the characters keeping track of problems, identifying internal and external character conflicts and themes that run through fantasy books and history. Our daily read alouds will also be fantasy books.The students will begin their writing fantasy unit next week by completing a writing pre-assessment.

Math: The students will continue Unit 4: Place Value and Decimal Operations. They will begin the week reviewing adding and subtracting decimals, before they move into multiplying decimals.

Unit of Study: The students will begin their second science unit: Human Body Systems. The main idea of the unit is that body systems are interconnected. Tuning-in to the unit rotations around the G5 classrooms will happen on Tues. 9 Jan. from 11:30am-1:00pm.

Here is a quick description of what the students will experience in each teacher’s classroom:

JV - Jumping Rope (observation of what your body is doing)

LT - What is system?

MM - Hand in a Bag (touch and hearing - senses)

DH - Muscular & Skeletal systems. Observe what your body is doing when performing some simple yoga moves.

CC - Heart Rate

AS (Amy Schneider) - Germs

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

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

Mon. 8 Jan. - day 5: First day of semester 2. New parent & student orientation from 9:00-11:00 am in the Studio

Mon. 15 Jan: G5 Human Body Systems science unit lab lessons begin: observing and sketching human tissue samples using traditional microscopes. Observing & sketching human skin using a USB digital microscope.

ES semester 2 ASA registration opens in PowerSchool

Mon. 15 Jan: Parent Workshop - Service and Sustainability

Mon. 22 Jan: ES semester 2 ASA registration closes in PowerSchool

Highlights in the week prior to the semester break:

The students completed their first science unit titled, ‘Sustainable Energy’. They completed their sustainable energy PSAs (Public Service Announcement) using iMovie, OR a podcast using GarageBand on the sustainable form of energy they wrote about in their information essay. A G5 ‘gallery walk’ was also held on Tues. 12 Dec. in the G5 classrooms from 12:00-12:45 pm, which was a  celebration of learning where students and teachers experienced the variety of presentations outside their own classroom.