Week of March 10-14

Hi Families,
    The mild weather has been such a delight. Welcome Spring!
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Read-A-Thon 
   Please keep logging your child’s reading minutes at home. I will log the minutes we read at school. 

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

Math 
Unit 5: Place Value Patterns and Decimal Operations
    This week we learned how to multiply decimals and whole numbers, and decimals times decimals. We explored how to use both place value strategies and estimation to determine products. For example, 3 x 1.2 can be written as 3 x 12 x 0.1, and students can multiply 3 x 12 to get 36, then insert the decimal so that the product is in the tenths (0.1) place. Alternatively, students could remove the decimal, multiply 3 x 12 to get 36. Then, when determining the answer, go back and estimate: round 1.2 to 1,   3 x 1 = 3, so the answer needs to be near 3, therefore 3.6.

English Language Arts
Unit 3: Adventure and Survival: Narrative and Literary Analysis
    We continue our novel study of Esperanza Rising. We analyzed how characters change in response to challenges and explored some of the “big metaphors” of the novel, which will later become the foundation of the themes in the story. We learned some new vocabulary words, such as: accost, meek, ridicule, gingerly, and vigorously. We studied the suffix -ness, in words such as sleepiness, forgiveness, and fitness, learning how it frequently turns adjectives into nouns. Students practiced using suffix -ness words in a short paragraph. Lastly, we explored an MCAS reading comprehension task. 

Science
Unit 4: Matter and Energy Cycles
     This week we began two experiments that we will monitor for a couple of weeks. In the first, we explore the question: Can plants grow and survive without soil? We “planted” corn seed in cups of soil and cups of cotton and we will compare which ones thrive better. In the second experiment, we created composters in bags. Students will test which composter will decompose a chunk of carrots best, one that is dry, wet, or with a moderate amount of moisture. We also began an MCAS performance task in science, which asks students to explore a real-world situation in a lake ecosystem, recognize the core ideas involved, and apply their scientific skills and knowledge to make sense of the situation.

Community Building
    In our Second Step lesson this week, we learned about managing frustration. We also engaged in a fun detective work to help solve our school-wide mystery of “Who took the books?” 

Homework
   This week we had a daily math sheet and independent reading, for homework. Some student survey forms went home for information about them to be included in the 5th grade yearbook. Please review your child’s responses for appropriateness.
   You can stay on top of your child’s homework with my Homework Assignment Log. 

Upcoming Events

• Friday, March 21:  Report cards emailed home; all school assembly 
• Friday, March 28: End of Read-a-thon, dress like a book character day.
• April 7 & 8:  5th grade ELA MCAS
• May 13 & 14:  5th grade Math MCAS
• May 19 & 20:  5th grade Science MCAS 

Pictures
   Whoops! Didn’t take any pictures this week. But below is a picture of our door decoration for Women’s History Month
I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

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