Week of January 20-24

Hi Families,
   Our short week was busy. The chill had us inside for recess most days, but students seemed to prefer it. 
  New safety star assignments have been assigned. Please check in with your child to hear about their new assignment and the days they are assigned. We are thankful for all of their help and support for Barrows School.
   Please see the linked flyer for the 5th grade yearbook information from the Yearbook Committee: Fifth Grade Yearbook

   Here is what we’ve been up to this past week.

Math 
Unit 4: Multiplication and Division of Multi-digit Numbers
    We continued to practice long division using the partial quotients method. Students are doing very well with it! They make a “multiplication menu” and use it to help them widdle down the dividend. This week we looked at what to do with remainders to division problems. We also explored estimating quotients by rounding the dividend and divisor to friendly numbers.

   Please keep practicing basic multiplication facts with your child to build automaticity!

English Language Arts
Unit 3: Adventure and Survival: Narrative and Literary Analysis
    Students are very invested in our read aloud of Storm Runners by Roland Smith. We’ve been discussing how the setting influences the plot of the story, character traits and motivations, and plot development and conflict. Along the way, we’ve been building vocabulary and background knowledge. Some words we’ve learned this week are: frantically, erratic, premature, and efficient. To help us better understand the setting and plot of the story, we’ve learned about hurricanes, storm surge, levees, and big vehicles. 

• Ask your child to summarize Storm Runners so far.

Science
Unit 3: Water on Earth
     This week we learned about how the oceans influence climates. We learned about the Gulf Stream, ocean currents, and how they transport heat. We also reviewed the difference between weather and climate.

Community Building
    We revisited student skills this week. I lectured a bit about the purpose of school and how students need to understand the reason they are in the classroom. I discussed my three favorite words related to student skills: purpose, focus, and effort. I’m hoping to inspire students to see the importance of school, even when it's hard and/or perceived to be boring or irrelevant. There were definitely many students who showed up every day ready to learn and work hard. Thank you!

Homework
   We had math, grammar, and reading homework this past week. Also, Barrows continues its ReadBowl challenge. Last week as a class we totaled over 13, 000 minutes of reading –in class and at home.
   Please review your child’s work before they return it to school and use this interaction as an opportunity to teach them the importance of work quality, personal responsibility, and independent practice.
   You can stay on top of your child’s homework with my Homework Assignment Log. 

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, January 28: Science From Scientists
• Wednesday, January 29: All School Assembly -wear blue and yellow!
• Wednesday, February 5: Global School Play Day
• Friday, February 14: Valentine’s Day (in-class celebration, more to come)
• February 16-23: No school, February Break

Pictures
   Below are a few pictures from math games and recess.

Have a wonderful weekend!
​

---