Notes from room A111

Curriculum Notes:

5th grade: Belle

March 8, 2014

Math: We are working on o erations and ro!lem sol"ing with decimals# $t%dents are %sing n%m!er lines to show a!o%t ro%nding decimals, adding and s%!tracting decimals, and m%lti l&ing decimals# We ha"e also !een learning to change fractions into decimals !& di"iding the n%merator !& the denominator, and to ro%nd an answer in di"ision to a certain n%m!er of decimal laces# 'hinking a!o%t mone& with ones !eing dollars, tenths !eing dimes, h%ndredths !eing ennies, and tho%sandths !eing a art 1(10 of a enn& can hel make sense of the n%m!ers# We ha"e !een ha"ing gro% s and rotations for most skills, so there are "ideos on the we!site for st%dents to "iew again for re"iew at home# $ocial $t%dies: We ha"e !een watching "ideos, ha"ing g%est s eakers, %sing interacti"e we!sites and reading to e) lore the Ma&a c%lt%re# *or this ro%nd of rotations st%dents will st%d& three different +re,-ol%m!ian c%lt%res: the Ma&a with Ms# Belle, the .nca with Mr# /an0order, and the A1tec with Mr# Anderson# 2%r % coming field tri 3 look for the ermission form in *rida& folders, will enhance o%r st%dies# 45A: We ha"e !een working on increasing the "ol%me and so histication of o%r writing# 4ach da& we ha"e a fl%enc& writing time, where we write from a gi"en to ic or o%r own choice# 4ach week we ha"e !een writing for a min%te longer 3 this week we are % to 6 min%tes# 'his time is mostl& to ractice getting tho%ghts from o%r heads onto a er, and to strengthen the m%scles we %se to write so as to make the h&sical act of writing easier# We ha"e !een foc%sing on the str%ct%re of o%r 5 aragra h essa&s# $t%dents are !eing re7%ired to write lans !efore writing an essa&, and to ha"e lent& of e"idence to !ack % and e) lain the oints we make# We ha"e foc%sed on !log osts a!o%t .thaca laces and acti"ities, and o%r 8A94 essa&s# 2%r !logs now ha"e a wider a%dience# $o%th :ill ;rd grade st%dents ha"e read o%r !logs as models for their own !logging ro<ect# 2ne of o%r 7%ad,!logging schools has !een reading and making comments on o%r !logs this week as well# 'here will !e s elling this coming week, e"en tho%gh it is a 4 da& week for st%dents# We will !e setting % a calendar for sharing o%r in"entor(scientist ro<ects on Monda&, and will en<o& a co% le each da& %ntil o%r ro<ects are shared# Next at-home book project: Most st%dents ha"e chosen award,winning fiction !ooks for their ne)t at,home writing ro<ect, which will !e a written re ort that we will share on o%r !log# +ro<ect arameters and d%e dates will !e osted to o%r we!site and sent home with st%dents earl& this week# Book *air: 2%r time at the +'A !ook fair is ne)t 'h%rsda&, March 14## Be s%re to gi"e &o%r child g%idelines a!o%t what s(he sho%ld %rchase# 'here will !e small to& items and osters and school s% lies in addition to !ooks# +arent('eacher -onferences# Man& of &o% still need to sign % # 'ime slots on 'h%rsda& e"ening ha"e !een filled# +lease follow these ste s# .f the& do not work, lease email me and we can arrange a time that wa&# Please sign up for 3/13 and 3/14 Parent/Teacher/Student - here's how it works in 3 easy steps: 1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/HrxYG8 2. nter your e!ail address: (You will NO nee! to register an a""ount on VolunteerSpot# $. Sign up" %hoose &our spots ' VolunteerSpot will sen! &ou an auto(ate! "on)ir(ation an! re(in!ers. *%ndraising: +lease look for the f%ndraising acket from 0ertr%de :awk -hocolates that sho%ld come home earl& this coming week# We will ha"e 11 da&s to sell, incl%ding getting on,line orders that can !e sent directl& to c%stomers# 'he cand& sho%ld !e deli"ered !efore the 4aster(+asso"er holida&s# 'hanks for &o%r s% ort= We are learning, la%ghing and growing e"er& da&=