Friday, November 21, 2014

5V News

Curriculum topics:
  • Division 
  • Character study in reading and writing
  • Circulatory system
  • Early colonization in North America
Ask your child about:
  • watching Jennifer Holm read aloud the last chapter of her book, The Fourteenth Goldfish
  • our blog posts on the main character of our books 
  • the debate on the lost colony of Roanoke (photos below are from the panel discussion)





Math:
Our upcoming math unit is on division and we began talking about divisibility rules today.  Many students are still not fluent with their math facts which is making multiplication, and even addition and subtraction, very difficult.  As we move to division it is increasingly important that students are fluent in their math facts.  Students should be spending time every night on their math facts to work toward fluency.  

Notes and reminders:
  • No school next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday- Happy Thanksgiving!
  • Book fair- December 2nd-5th 
Have a great weekend!  

Friday, November 14, 2014

5V News

Happy Friday!  We have been working hard in 5V.  Here's what we've been up to...

Math: We have been working on multiplying multi digit whole numbers and decimals.  Students have been using estimation as a way to check their work but many students are still having difficulty with their multiplication facts, adding errors and other careless mistakes.  Students seem to have a grasp of the steps involved but are making small errors along the way that are affecting their answer.  We've also been growing our talk in math, discussing word problems in groups and how we will solve them.  There has been a lot of focus on explaining our thinking as demonstrated in the photo below.

Reading and Writing Workshop:  Our reading and writing time has been combined to focus on a character study in the books we are reading independently.  Students have self-selected a book and are working to build theories about the main character.  Each day we spend time reading, taking notes on our thinking, talking to our reading partners and writing about our characters.  This week we have started grouping and analyzing our sticky notes to notice patterns about our characters and continue to build and refine our theories about them.



Social Studies with Ms. Valenti: We have been studying the Spanish explorers and how they were the first European country to permanently settle in North America.  Up next we will begin to look at how the British settled and the lost colony of Roanoke and then on to Jamestown and Plymouth.

Science with Ms. Hodgdon: Students have learned about the parts of the heart and the flow of blood through the heart to the rest of the body.  Mrs. Kelley brought in a deer heart and students were able to explore and examine the parts of a real heart!

Have a great weekend!