Hello! I am here to tell you about how reading in 5th grade works! At the beginning of the year we read Esperanza Rising. while Mrs. A was reading we would follow along in our own books. Each time we would finish reading a chapter we would answer a few questions in a packet that Mrs. A gave us.

After the first trimester we took a few weeks off of reading, but got back fast to it by reading Other Words for Home. Now instead of a packet, Mrs. A asked us a question we write our answer in our notebooks after a few chapters about what has happened.The book we are reading has about twenty short chapters in a part and about six parts in the book. After a part we have a short quiz on the part. But after each part we have to learn the definitions of some of the words in the next part.

We usually read three or four times a week. But normally we only have about thirty minus to read it. But we all enjoy it when we have it! Have you read either of these books?

… or do they? Even though we have been in Middle School Mode for a few months now, I still can’t believe they will be walking out of this hallway for the last time next week and moving upstairs. I’m relishing every moment with this amazing group of kids. There has been so much growth and goodness this year from the class. We are enjoying our last full week together.

Please take some time to read through this quick update on what has been going on in our classroom and a few important reminders for the days ahead! Please read through the entire post as it is filled with important dates and information.

Social Studies

We have wrapped up our tour around the world. The class has learned so much about this beautiful world God has made for us and I hope have been inspired to explore it one day. We have our geography final on Thursday. The class has been working towards memorizing locations of all the countries, oceans, and continents we have learned about. After a check-in, I learned that they all feel pretty confident in their knowledge about global geography. They are getting plenty of class time to study and prepare, but should also take time to review at home.

To end our trip around the world, the class is working in pairs to complete a fun and adventure-filled project, “The Amazing Race!” Similar to the television show, each group will be selecting locations on each continent, creating tasks, and trivia questions to present to the other teams. They are using Google Earth to find the locations and give their classmates an up close view of the amazing locations they discovered around the world.

The class has requested a end of the year party to celebrate the amazing countries and cultures of the world. We will have this celebration in the afternoon on Wednesday, May 31st. Each student selected a continent/country to bring a dish from. They can research recipes that can easily be made at home with your help or bring in something purchased from the store. We have a microwave in our classroom available for dishes that need to be heated. I will include links to kid friendly recipes at the end of the blog.

Math

We have completed 105 lessons in math this year! The last few lessons were review of topics we have learned about throughout the year. Math Wizards were made this year and I know they will continue to thrive in math next year! We have our last math test on Wednesday, 5/24. They have completed a practice test in class and I suggest they take it home to review.

Language Arts

We have wrapped up all spelling, grammar, reading, and writing units! This week were are using our skills learned to write letters to the 8th grade class and quick opinion free writing. Handwriting books and our Tower of Books Challenged must be completed by this Friday, 5/26. They have been given a lot of time in class to work towards completing these assignments. Check in with your child to see if they need to take time at home the next day or two to complete.

Science

We are wrapping up our last lesson in our Ecosystems unit this week. We learned so much about ecosystems- we even grew out own alfalfa! (Which we threw into our compost bin after tasting it.) PLTW took a little getting used to and I applaud the class for taking on the challenge of a new way to learn and giving it their all. They were fantastic.

Our Biome Zoo was a huge success! It was a great display of our knowledge from both social studies and science. Thank you to the parents who joined us for the event, I know the class appreciated your support. I received many compliments on the creativity and information each student had. I am a very proud teacher! They worked so hard and it showed!

Coming Up

We will begin clearing our classroom out and bringing home items that we will no longer need this week. Please send your child with an extra tote bag or large durable garbage bag to make transporting items home easier.

5/24- Our Preschool Buddies are graduating!!! We will be attending their ceremony tomorrow afternoon. We have had a blast getting to spend time with them. I am so proud of this class and how well they handled the responsibility of being a buddy. They definitely made an impact on these little kids. When my boys were in PK, I loved knowing that they had a big kid in their hallway that loved and supported them during the school day. We are making cards for our buddies, but if you would like to bring a small gift for a PK student we will gift them tomorrow after the ceremony.

5/25- 5th and 8th “passing the baton” meet up. Mrs. Sheehy and I started this special tradition with the graduating class and the incoming middle schoolers. The class that is graduating middle school welcomes the incoming class upstairs and it is one of my favorite moments of the year. The students exchange letters and chat about the upcoming changes in their education. The 8th grade passes on words of wisdom about middle school and the 5th grade celebrates their accomplishments. We exchange small gifts with each other- The gifts are thoughtful items that they will need on their new journey. I took a peek at what the 5th graders were receiving and the words of wisdom alone are incredible. We are making keychains to gift to them and a small prayer card they can keep in their new lockers. If you would like to get an additional small gift for their assigned 8th grader (like a candy bar or something you think a new freshman would enjoy) you are more than welcome to.

5/25- Holy Cross Family Dinner in the Gym at 6:00.

5/26- Extra Credit Board Games due

5/26– Yearbook signing and Staff v 8th Grade volleyball game!

5/29– No School

*FYI- Choice Dress 5/30-6/2*

5/30– 8th Grade Graduation at 6:00. If your child is singing at Mass, please check your email for information from Mrs. Johnson.

5/31- Foods from Around the World- End of the year celebration. See information above! Links to easy recipes: https://kidsareatrip.com/kid-friendly-recipes-from-around-the-world/
https://www.bonvoyagewithkids.com/kid-friendly-recipes-around-the-world/
https://thegingeredwhisk.com/around-world-80-meals/

6/1- Field Day! Parents are welcome to join for lunch starting at 11:15. Don’t forget to bring a lunch, blankets, and lawn chairs. 🙂

6/2- Last Day of School!! No aftercare.

6/2- 5th Grade will have a “clap out” at the end of the school day (@ 11:20). The elementary wing will be lined with the teachers and students to clap them out and wish them well as they walk out of the elementary hallway for the last time. Parents are invited to join us for this special moment.

Have a great rest of your week! Please reach out if you have any questions!