A Week in Review 10/22-10/26

A Week in Review

October 22 - 26

We have worked tirelessly in all subjects, pushing ourselves each day to be the best learners that we can be! The Pacific Northwest weather has returned, but students didn't let that dampen their motivation and focus on learning!

 

Shout outs for Virtues Awards:

 

Elizabeth C. has earned a Virtues Award for showing FRIENDLINESS and JOYFULNESS. She makes our classroom a happier place with her positive attitude!

Jack Dev. has earned a Virtues Award for showing ENTHUSIASM and SELF-DISCIPLINE! He is excited about GRC and has already started reading his first book selection. Jack understands the importance of teamwork!

 

 

Reading:

Our target skill this week was "sequence of events". We used a flow chart graphic organizer to track the order of events in reading. This skill is important because it helps readers monitor their understanding and can help clarify a reader's questions. We also had many opportunities to read independently and with Mr. K where our thinking was stretched as we talked about our reading.

Writing:
After our first Cocoa and Current Events assignment, it was clear that students needed a few key ideas of summary retaught. Our work in writing this week focused on using the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, why) to extrapolate the important information from text and write concise summaries in our own words. The students used our read aloud, The Watson's go to Birmingham, and two Time for Kids news articles, Sleep Tight and A Playbook for Stopping Bullies. Mr. K modeled writing a summary and the students worked in pairs to write their own.

Math:
Our decimal unit continues! We worked this week on reviewing place value (on both sides of the decimal) as well as adding and subtracting decimals. We also emphasized the importance of correctly and neatly lining up our place values when adding. Students were given math problems that were written horizontally and their job was to neatly stack them, line up the place values, solve and double check their work! We solved problems like this:

124,675,378.943 + 114, 732, 921.7539

Science:
We have concluded our Deposition investigation. Students conducted another stream table experiment learning: what happens to earth materials that have been eroded by a river, which earth materials are deposited first as the water in a river slows down, and what happens to water flowing in a river. We used food coloring to more clearly observe the water's flow.

Social Studies:
There are many famous explorers that came to the Americas. Students used a grid to organize their learning. They learned who the explorers were, their motivations, the countries that sponsored them, the land they explored, and the impact they had. We also began talking about perspective, something that is extremely important in our country's history - the perspective of the Native Americans and the impact the explorers had on their way of life. These grids will become a study sheet for the Chapter 5 test.

Today is Mr. K's last day of teaching in our classroom! He has brought enthusiasm and excitement for the students and he will be missed. We wish him luck as he continues his student teaching adventure in 3rd grade! Good luck, Mr. K!!

Thank you for a great week,

~Mrs. Hatlestad

Upcoming Events:

 

29-Oct - Book fair begins

1-Nov - Book fair Family Night

1-Nov - Reflections art show at school

6-Nov - PTA General Assembly meeting

9-Nov - Professional day - NO SCHOOL

12-Nov - Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL

13-Nov - BSF Phonathon begins

14-Nov - Veteran's Day Assembly

16-Nov - SPIRIT DAY!



A Week in Review 10/15 - 10/19

A Week in Review

October 15 - 19

 

 

 

Happy Friday! The students deserve a weekend of relaxation - we worked hard this week!! I'm proud of the respect and responsibility that I see so often. Our class is so eager to help and eager to learn, they amaze me daily with their excitement and respect for learning.

 

 

Virtue Awards:

 

Cindy F. has earned a Virtues Award for showing the virtues of RESPONSIBILITY and SELF-DISCIPLINE. Cindy always makes sure to have her assignments turned in on time and with quality work!

 

Jack Don. has earned a Virtues Award for showing the virtues of JOYFULNESS and RELIABILITY. Jack participates in all classroom discussions, completes his assignments with quality work, and is always willing to try new things. He is an excellent example of 5th grade leadership!

 

Reading:

Off and Running by Gary Soto was our main reading selection this week from our Journeys curriculum. Students read the selection and used a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two characters. Digging deeper into text with strategies like this, help us as readers to think critically about the text and have more thoughtful and thought provoking discussions.

 

Writing:
We were busily immersed in our Writing Workshop and this week found time to 'free write'. Free writing allows us as writers to choose our own topics and write about what is important to us. It helps us generate ideas for when we have specific topics to write about. Free writing also builds our confidence! The students are always eager to share their writing during author’s chair. Next week, we’ll continue our focus on memoirs, with specific lessons geared to helping students grow in their understanding of good writing and incorporating specific writing techniques to strengthen their writing.

 

Math:

Decimals, decimals, everywhere! We have started our 3rd Math Unit of 5th grade! Our beginning lessons focused on reviewing what decimals are, place value, and relating decimals to fractions We use "secret code cards" to aid us visually in understanding the 'size' of a decimal. This unit lays an important foundation for upcoming content in 5th grade.
 

 

Social Studies:

Why did explorers come to the "New World"? Why did they call it the "New World"? What did they find here? What did they bring with them? These are some of the questions we answered in Chapter 4 of our History Alive! curriculum. We turned our classroom into a sunken ship, students 'dove in' to find artifacts, they analyzed the artifacts and took notes in their Social Studies notebooks. We discussed what these artifacts were and how they were used by explores, and why there were important. Students looked to answer whether the artifact was: new technology that encouraged exploration, a motive for exploration, or new products from the Americas. Below is a snapshot of our 'sunken ship', inside each grid was an artifact waiting to be investigated.

Science:

We went back to our stream tables this week, but instead of focusing on erosion, this experiment introduced us to the concept of deposition. We learned that deposition is the process by which eroded earth materials settle out in another place. We learned that earth materials eroded by rivers are deposited as sediments and that heavier sediments (like sand) are deposited before lighter sediments (like clay). This experiment connected to real life because we analyzed how the Colorado River might have eroded the earth materials that make up the Colorado Plateau.

 

Cocoa and Current Events:

Three cheers for our first and successful Cocoa and Current Events! We obviously enjoyed our hot cocoa but also we were enriched and enlightened by the discussions. There is a lot going on in our world, this is one way for us to talk about the news, expand our vocabulary, and even begin analyzing writers as we look for hidden bias or point-of-view.

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

~Mrs. Hatlestad

 

Upcoming Events:

29-Oct - Book fair begins

1-Nov - Book fair Family Night

1-Nov - Reflections art show at school

6-Nov - PTA General Assembly meeting

9-Nov - Professional day - NO SCHOOL

12-Nov - Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL

13-Nov - BSF Phonathon begins

16-Nov - SPIRIT DAY!



 



A Week in Review Oct 8 - 12

A Week in Review

October 8^th – October 12^th

 

WOW!  The Walk-A-Thon was a HUGE success J  I’m very proud of all the virtues displayed this Wednesday when our 5^th graders took to the field; whether they were showing integrity by honestly counting their laps, friendliness by helping the younger students not get run over in the “jogging” lane or perseverance by collectively walking over 150 laps!  Amazing! 

 

Virtue Awards:

Kate O. for showing the virtues of RELIABILITY and RESPONSIBILITY by completing ALL of her assignments on time and with quality work! Thank you Kate for modeling excellence EVERY DAY!

Declan R. for showing the virtues of JOYFULNESS and RESPONSIBILITY by consistently being willing to help keep our classroom clean and organized! And he does it all with a smile!

  

Literacy: 

We were busy in literacy this week, but the highlight was when we viewed a live webcast of an interview with the talented and popular author, JK ROWLING. Scholastic hosted to the interview and invited classrooms worldwide to participate. Mrs. Bethel's class joined us as we learned more about JK Rowling, her new website Pottermore, and my favorite part - we listened to her read a scene from the first book in the series, The Sorcerer's Stone. Listening to the author talk about how she wrote the series fit nicely with our Writing Workshop as student use the writing process (brainstorm, rough draft, revise, edit, publish) on a daily basis. Hearing Rowling talk about different drafts and where she kept her ideas was a perfect example of how what we're doing in the classroom matches what a published author does!

 

Math:

Hurrah!!  We’ve made it through our second Math Unit – Perimeter and Area; students worked diligently to convert from inches to feet, feet to yards and much more.  5^th grade brains were put to the test this week as they were asked to solve a story problem, much like this:

“Mrs. Hatlestad wanted to build a fence around her organic veggie garden.  Her garden box is 3 feet wide and 8 feet long.  Mr. Hatlestad helped her carry 8 yards of mesh wire fencing home.  Do they have enough?”  Yikes!  In this story problem, students would need to solve the following:

·         Am I solving for perimeter or area?

·         What is the perimeter?

·         Convert from feet into yards

·         Compare the yardage

·         Do I have enough?  Why or why not?

Students will take the end-of-unit math assessment on MONDAY! Have them study, study, study over the weekend!!

 

Science:

Students worked with their teammates to conduct an experiment that simulated how the Grand Canyon was formed. We investigated water flow over earth materials in a stream table. We observed the process of erosion and knew that the 1-liter of water used in our experiment, simulated at least 1 million years of water flowing over the Colorado plateau.

 

Social Studies:

We started Chapter 4 and began investigating why Europeans left for the new world. Our first focus was on the Social Studies terms that we will use throughout this Chapter. We also watched a BrainPop! video on Christopher Columbus (on Monday, October 8th - Columbus Day).

 

In addition, to Social Studies, we also had a lesson from our two Virtues Parents, Karyn O. (Kate) and Gina M. (Katie). They showed an awesome 'wordless' video that demonstrated October's Virtue, "Responsibility". Students were also given a "Virtues Passport Book" to complete throughout the year, this booklet provides a place for them to reflect on how they are using the District wide Virtue of the Month in their daily lives.

 

Reading Buddies
Our 5th grade leaders have been paired up with students in Miss Muller's second grade class. We started our first Reading Buddy meeting by interviewing our little buddies as a way to get to know them. Since we met downstairs in their second grade classroom, we also received a tour of their room. Then, we read with our buddies. The second graders were so excited to show off their classroom and read with us! This is such a great way for our 5th grades to model excellence and leadership for the younger students in our school. I was so impressed with their focus and caring attitudes! We can't wait until next time!

Cocoa and Current Events: 
Don't forget to send in a COFFEE MUG with your student! We will be starting Cocoa and Current Events next week! Look for the information and assignment to come home with your student on Monday!

 

Thanks again for another fabulous week!

 

~Mrs. Hatlestad

 

Important Dates:

Wednesday, October 17^th:  GRC (Global Reading Challenge forms due)

Monday October 22^nd – Friday, October 25^th:  Fall Conferences

Friday, October 25^th:  Picture RE-Take Day

Monday October 28^th - Friday, November 2^nd:  Scholastic Book Fair

Wednesday, October 31^st:  Halloween (Celebration 10:30)

A Week in Review

September 29 - October 5

 

 

Another busy week has zoomed by! We were focused, hardworking, and full of enthusiasm for learning! The Leadership Field Trip to Camp Terry was a PERFECT way to end the week! This is an amazing group of 5th graders and they showed RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, HONESTY, and COURAGE on our outing. I was extremely PROUD watching these students represent our school and community.

 

 

Virtues Awards:

Rose H. for showing the virtues of JOYFULNESS and RESPONSIBILITY! Rose is always working to keep our classroom organized and running smoothly and she does all with a smile and a positive attitude.

Gabi W. for showing the virtues of DILIGENCE and RESPONSIBILITY! Gabi consistently challenges herself to go above and beyond the expectations on all of her assignments, she is a wonderful example of what it means to be a 5^th grade leader.

 

Reading:

We started work in our Journeys literacy curriculum. We focused on the target vocabulary, worked in groups to make predictions of the meaning of these words and then talk about their actual meanings. We used context clues to guide our thinking. We also read the main selection, A Package for Mrs. Jewels by Louis Sachar. We used a new strategy called "Team Talk" to answer higher level thinking questions and really dig deep into analyzing the text and the author's craft. We discussed foreshadowing and the elements that made this book fall in the category of humorous fiction.

 

Writing:

Using our timeline of important events in our lives, we began writing our memoirs. Students listened to my memoir, the last summer I spent with my grandpa, and then worked diligently to begin their own writing. We discussed voice and the techniques I attempted to use in my writing to add voice. I look forward to reading each student's memoir!

 

Math:

Our brains were challenged this week as we looked at converting measurements within the Metric system, calculated perimeter and area of triangles and parallelograms. The important learning was not just the formulas that help us solve these perimeter and area problems, but WHY the formulas work. Ask your student, "Why do you find the area of a triangle with (l x w)÷2?"

 

Social Studies:

Mrs. Brown, our ITCL (Instructional Technology Curriculum Leader) borrowed our class to try out a new teaching technique she had learned. Students were given a statement, "Archaeologist Investigate Sunken Ships" and challenged with the task of coming up with questions that this statement sparked. They worked in teams to categorize their questions into "closed and open-ended questions". Then they chose the questions from their groups brainstorm that they felt were the most important. We will use these questions in our Chapter 4 lesson, "Why Europeans Left for the New World" as we begin to study European exploration of the Americas and artifacts that the explorers encountered and used.

 

Science:

Students used their playground models to create maps of the playground. They took a transparency with a grid and 'traced' over the model from a birds-eye-view. Then they used the transparency to create a map (on paper) with a key. The maps are not quite complete, but we're almost done!

 

Field Trip:

Camp Terry was a HUGE success! A special THANK YOU to Ms. Andrea Keenan for being the coordinator for this field trip and to the Curriculum Enhancement Committee for picking up the tab. The field trip focus was on leadership and what it means to be a leader. Ask your student about their favorite part, but also ask them what leadership means to them. Challenge them to think about how they will use what they learned about leadership here at school.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

~Mrs. Hatlestad

 

Important Dates:

9-Oct - third money/pledge collection for the Walkathon

10-Oct - Walkathon/Spirit Day + Crazy Hair Day - 12:00-3:00 PM

11-Oct - All-School Pajama Day