Testing is over and the children seemed focused and dedicated to doing their best. Let me thank you all for your support in getting the children to school each day and on time. A special note of thanks to Mrs. Tiffany who thoughtfully brought cupcakes and juice pouches to celebrate the end of testing. I also appreciate the return of Mrs. Boyle's forms as she completes her Guidance curriculum with a lesson on "Child Lures." Our congratulations goes out to our own Ms. Mansfied as she will be the new principal of Teasley Elementary. Our loss will be their gain most definitely. Hope that my wonderful parent volunteers were able to attend the Volunteer Brunch this past Friday. it is such a small token of my sincere thanks for all you have done for me and the classroom throughout the year.
Although the covers of her books appear as if they are written for younger readers, the children have come to realize that Gail Gibbons provides a great deal of information about each topic. This past week we have used the elements of nonfiction to chart what we have learned about Nature's Green Umbrella, the Rain Forest. In the process we began to see how the author views this area as necessary to the survival of many plants and animals With her book, Sunken Treasure we will review the strategy of cause and effect this week and continue to analyze nonfiction elements. With her book, The Honeymakers, the children will review the strategy of questioning before, during, and after to ensure that they understand the text they have read. The children are currently working on a biography book report in which they will "dress" a paper character and complete a written component as well. It is due May 16th.
For this last nine weeks, the children are required to write a persuasive essay that will engage the reader, make a "thesis" statement about what they believe, and provide relevant evidence to support their three reasons. As we begin to analyze the standards for this paper, the children will quickly see that many of the same requirements are necessary. This week we will finish our final drafts of our informational essay on colonial life and then look closely at organization of this final writing assignment. We will begin to analyze how to develop evidence to support our arguments. In order to integrate this with our health curriculum, we will begin to study the effects of smoking physically and socially.
Multiplication and division have been our focus of late. We will practice and review these facts as we begin to work with these operations with decimals. Using arrays, calculators, and standard algorithms, the children have colored in, displayed, and computed these problems. Knowing how and why the decimal point moves was a huge part of the concept. Next up! Geometry and solid figures! This week we will review the vocabulary of faces, edges, vertices, parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting. The children will make models of solid figures and use the "nets" of these figures to determine the relationship of their faces.
Mrs. Gagnon will complete this year with the Life Science concepts of ecosystems and factors that affect animal survival and extinction. I hope that the children shared their visit into the traveling Star Lab this past week. Mrs. Jackson did a fabulous job of pointing out the various constellations in our night sky. I was so impressed with their prior knowledge and their respectful behavior and relevant questions.
These next few weeks the students will use their health book and other resources to recognize the relationship between health behavior and disease prevention and the use of tobacco products. A persuasive essay has to be based on evidence to support their opinions and this unit of study will help them do just that. Be looking for some assignments coming home in health.
Dates to remember:
May 4 Stargazing
May 11th PTA Board
May 12 Nurse Appreciation Day!
May 13 Field Day, 2011
May 16-18 Book Swap (Details coming)
May 23 Laughing Matters
May 24 5th Grade Awards and BBQ
May 24th and 25th (1/2 days) Last Day of School
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
NOAH MAY 1ST
TONY MAY 10TH
JOVAN MAY 11TH
MACKENZIE MAY 25TH
JENNIFER W. JULY 7TH