Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of March 25th:
Math - We will be learning to find common denominators as well as add and subtract factions with unlike denominators.
Language Arts - We will be looking at irregular verbs. We will also start writing a personal narrative.
Social Studies - We will be looking at how the founding fathers developed a new plan for our government after it was discovered that the Articles of Confederation were not working. In world history the fifth and sixth graders will begin to write a script for an Ancient Greek myth.
Science - Mrs. Kelly is still collecting egg shells and coffee grinds for the fifth and sixth grade worm garden.
Biography Day - The students did a great job on their time lines and time capsules. This was the first step to their end of the year biography day. The directions and due dates for biography day were given out today. After seeing the time lines and time capsules I can't wait for biography day!
Other reminders:
* The auction is April 13th, we are collecting donations to purchase a Vertical Dreams gift card to auction off on the 13th. We are also excepting donations of bottles of wine for the auction.
* On Thursday the 28th we will be celebrating open day for the MLB. Details went home in Friday folders today and are also in Principal Segal's weekly update.
Have a great week!
I am so proud of all the fifth and sixth graders, they did a GREAT job with the Catherine McAuley play!
Here's what is happening in fifth grade the week of March 18th:
Language Arts - We will be studying action verbs and being verbs as well as verb phrases. We will be back to vocab this week with unit 11.
Math - We have completed the chapter on dividing decimals and will have a test on Wednesday.
Social Studies - We will look closely at the Articles of Confederation and what positive things it brought to our country and what were some of the downfalls.
Science - This Tuesday, Miss Kate will be coming in to work with the fifth and sixth graders on a worm project for the New Horizons greenhouse.
Biography Day - Time lines and time capsules are due on Friday. Directions for the rest of the project will come out this week. Biography Day will be May 23.
Other Reminders:
* Remember to buy your auction tickets. I already have my Great Gatsby outfit!
* Please remember if you have not already done so to sign the back of your child's report card and return it to school.
Have a great week!
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of March 11th:
Religion - We will be performing "The Life of Catherine McAuley" on Friday at 1:15 in the gym. All are welcome to attend.
Language Arts - Due to the play on Friday (which will be a very busy day for fifth and sixth grade) there will be no vocabulary unit this week. The students in grades 3 - 6 have begun new literacy groups. These groups will last for about four weeks. This time the students were presented three book choices and asked to list their top two choices. The students were grouped according to their choices. In grammar we will be studying action verbs, linking verbs and verb phrases. In writing we will start brain storming ideas to write a personal narrative.
Social Studies - We have begun a new chapter and will be talking about the Articles of Confederation.
Math - We are working on dividing decimals and will have a test next Wednesday, March 20.
Other reminders:
* Time lines and time capsules are due March 22.
* Second trimester report cards will go home on Wednesday.
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of March 4th:
February vacation will be the week of February 25th.
Religion: We are continuing to work on our Catherine McAuley play. We will be starting to rehearse on the stage this week.
Math - We are beginning chapter 7 on dividing decimals.
Language Arts - The students will be given some choices of books for their next literacy book. We will try our best to put them in groups according to what they are interested in. These groups will last for about four weeks. Students should have chosen a person for their biography, if they have not they must by the end of this week. Also, books are being borrowed for book reports and then not returned, if you could have your child check around the house and return any books that belong to the school I would greatly appreciate it.
Social Studies - We will be having our chapter 8 test on Wednesday, March 6th.
Other reminders -
* We will be celebrating read across america week when we return from vacation. A flyer should have come home with your child listing what is the theme for each day.
Have a great week!
Here is what is going on if fifth grade the week of February 18th:
Math - We have completed chapter 6 and will be having a test on Thursday. We will be reviewing Tuesday and Wednesday in class.
Social Studies - We have completed our chapter on the American Revolution and will be having a test next Wednesday (March 6). A study guide will be given out on Tuesday.
Language Arts - We will be having a test on adjectives on Friday. We will be completing the last few units on adjectives in our book on Thursday so the test will not be on the whole chapter. For the test students need to know descriptive adjectives, comparing with adjectives (comparative and superlative) and demonstrative adjectives. The students were given the directions for the biography book report today. This is the first step in our end of the year biography day. They need to choose a historical person (they must be not longer alive, and have not been alive for at least 20 years) to complete the project on. They are not locked into a person until they bring we a book and have it approved. People cannot be repeated and it is first come first serve, books should be approved by Friday.
Science - Miss Kate from the New Horizons greenhouse will be coming in on Thursday to speak to grades five and six.
Religion - We have continuing to work on the Catherine McAuley play. The students have been asked to have their line memorized by this week. On Feb 19, 20 and 21 the Third Grade through Sixth Grade will be watching the movie Godspell. The movie is rated G.
Here is a summary of the movie:
A modern-day version of the gospels, opening with John the Baptist calling a desperate group of young New Yorkers from their workaday lives to follow and learn from Jesus. They form a roving acting troupe that enacts the parables through song and dance, comedy, and mime. Jesus' ministry ends with a Last Supper, his Crucifixion in a junkyard, and, the following morning, his body being carried aloft by his apostles back into the world of the living on the streets of New York.
Other Reminders:
* No school on Monday in observance of Presidents' Day
* February vacation will be the week of February 25th.
Have a great week!
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of February 11th:
Language Arts - Students are continuing leveled readers in literacy groups. We are continuing adjectives and personal narratives in grammar and writing. Historical Fiction book reports and postcards are due Friday. The next book report will be a biography. Students need to put thought into who they chose for this report as the person they choose will be the same person they will be completing a larger biography day end of the year project. The directions for the end of the year project will go out after February vacation.
Religion - The students have been given their roles for The Life of Catherine McAuley play and they are excited to get started.
Math - We will be finishing our chapter on division. This week we will be dividing with two-digit divisors.
Social Studies - This week we will read about the end of the Revolutionary War. The students worked on an illustration showing how someone who is either neutral, a loyalist, or a patriot would help in the war. The finished illustrations and paragraph description are due on Wednesday.
Other Reminders:
* Our indoor soccer program has begun and will meet on Wednesdays after school.
* Our Arty Party is tonight at 6:00!
* Students are welcome to bring in valentine's for each class member to pass out during snack time on Thursday.
Have a great week!
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of February 4th:
Religion - We will be beginning to prepare for the Catherine McAuley play which will be performed for the school on March 15th during Friday Family Meeting.
Math - We are continue the chapter on division and will be getting into dividing with multiple digit divisors.
Language Arts - We are continuing to study adjectives and learning about how to write a personal narrative. We are reading short stories in reading groups. There will be a vocabulary unit this week.
Social Studies - We are continuing to look at the different sides colonists took about independence with Britain. We are continuing our study of Ancient Greece in world history.
Other reminders:
* Please return your intent to return form and parent survey if you have not already done so.
* Winterfest will be this Friday.
* Our Arty Party is this Friday, a notice went home with the details.
Have a great week!
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of January 28th, which is National Catholic Schools Week!
Language Arts - Students are still working reading groups on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In grammar we are beginning to study adjectives. In writing we are starting to look at what it takes to write a good personal narrative. Due to Catholic Schools Week and Winterfest on Friday there will not be a vocabulary unit this week.
Math - We finished chapter five and are moving on to chapter six which focuses on division.
Social Studies - We are still looking at the different view points of the colonists about independence from Britain. In world history we are finishing sharing our Greek god and goddess posters.
Other Reminders -
* Next week is National Catholic School Week. Winterfest will be on Friday, you should be receiving a permissions slip soon.
* We are collected bath towels to donate to New Horizons.
* Intent to Return forms went home yesterday.
* NWEA Reading test will be on Monday.
Have a great week!
Here is what is going on in fifth grade the week of January 14th.
Grammar - There will be a test on pronouns on Thursday the 17th.
Math - We will finish chapter 5 this week and I am moving the test to next Wednesday the 23rd.
NWEA - We will be conducting Winter NWEA testing starting this week during technology classes.
Book Reports - Students will be given the next assignment on Friday, this month is historical fiction, I will have some books available to choose from, however, if there is another historical fiction book your child is interested in just have them bring it to me for approval.
Other Reminders:
* Skiing on Friday
Have a great week!
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of January 7th.
Reading - Groups are finishing the novels they have been reading in reading groups. Book reports and math cards are due on Friday the 11th.
Math - We will be finishing up chapter 5 on multiplying decimals and will have a test on 1/16.
Grammar - We are finishing pronouns and will have a test on 1/17. Students should study singular and plural pronouns, personal pronouns and pronouns as objects.
Social Studies - The students in grades five and six have been working in class on a putting together a research poster about a Greek god or goddess. Their last class period was yesterday and the posters should have been brought home to finish by Thursday, when they will be presenting their posters.
Other reminders:
* We start skiing this week, if your child is skiing they need to be picked up at McIntyre at 3:30.
Have a great week!
Blessings at Christmas
May the blessing of joy abide within you; May the blessing of peace rest upon you; May the blessing of love flow out through you; May all the blessings of the Lord be yours at Christmas and in the new year.
— Author Unknown
I am so proud of our students, they did a great job in the Christmas Pageant last night!
Tomorrow is the last day before Christmas break! Dismissal will be at 11:30, there will be no after care. We will return to school on Wednesday, January 2.
What's happening in fifth grade the week of December 31st.
Math - We will continue working on Chapter 5, which is multiplying decimals.
Grammar - We will finish our study of pronouns and begin studying adjectives.
Writing - We will be working on paragraph format.
Science - We will have another visit from the New Horizons greenhouse, she will be checking to see how our hydroponic herbs are growing.
Literacy - We will continue novel work in our literacy groups.
Social Studies - The students will be writing and presenting commercials for the Declaration of Independence. In world history, the students should be finished researching their Greek god or goddess and be ready to start putting the poster together on Thursday.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Here's what is happening in fifth grade the week of December 17th!
Christmas and vacation are fast approaching! We have a busy week getting ready for our Christmas pageant and band concert on Wednesday evening at 6:00. Students will be wearing costumes that they will put on when they arrive at school. They should plan to arrive around 5:30. When they arrive at school they should be wearing a white polo and khaki pants or skirts, if wearing a skirt white tights should also be worn. All students should be wearing dress shoes.
In the classroom this week groups are finishing up their novels in literacy. We are beginning chapter 5 in math, which is multiplying decimals. We will also be sharing the students' Christmas stories and models, which I am looking forward to! I have been reading The Miracle on 34th Street to the class. We will be finishing the book and watching the original black and white movie.
Students are able to wear pajamas on Friday and the teachers will be presenting The Grinch at 10:00. Dismissal on Friday will be 11:30 and there will be no after care.
Have a great week!
Here's what is happening in fifth grade the week of December 3rd!
Math - We are into the fourth chapter of Big Ideas Math. This chapter is on multiplication and will be a review for most of the students. With that being said, I hope to be done with the chapter and have a test the week of the 10th, either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Science - Today the fifth and sixth graders had someone visit from the New Horizons greenhouse. We will be helping to grow some herbs for them to use in their soup kitchen.
Language Arts - Students are continuing their novels in their reading groups. In grammar we are studying pronouns. Book reports and mobiles are due on Friday. The students were assigned a Christmas creative writing story today. They are to choose an inanimate Christmas object and write a story from the object's perspective. I have also asked them to make some type of small model (a clay model, diorama, hand made ornament, etc.). They were told that they could make an edible model to share, but it is not required that the model be edible. The stories and models are due December 14 and we will be presenting during the last week of school before break. The class will have some time to work on their stories in class next week.
Social Studies - We are continuing to study the American Revolution. The fifth and sixth graders are continuing to work in their Greek god and goddess posters in world history.
Other reminders:
* Polar Express Night is on Friday the 7th
* The Christmas Pageant will be December 19th at 6:00
* The last day of school before Christmas break is the 21st and it will be an early dismissal day
Have a great week!
Week of November 19th.
This is going to be short update as we only have two days of school next week. The math test we were going to have on Tuesday is being moved to the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. We will be getting back into vocab after Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving Prayer Service will be on Tuesday at 1:00. There will be no school Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. I end this message with a Thanksgiving blessing.
Thanksgiving Prayer
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
We had a very touching Veterans Day tribute this afternoon, thank you to all that were able to attend!
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of October 12th
Math- We will be finishing chapter 3 on adding and subtracting decimals and will have a test next Tuesday (11/20)
Social Studies - We are continuing our study of the Revolutionary War. In world history the students have starting to design a poster explaining a Greek god or goddess. They are very excited about this project!
Literacy - Students are continuing novel work in their reading groups. We are working on a essay about peace, this essay was asked of us by the Sisters of Mercy and one student will be chosen to have their essay published in one of their newsletters. We have begun our next book report, it is a free choice, if your child has not had a book approved by me yet, please have them do so as soon as possible.
Other reminders:
-There is no school on Monday in observance of Veterans Day.
- Thursday there will be no school for Parent/Teacher Conference. Report cards will be given during conferences along with NWEA fall results. I look forward to meeting with all of you!
Here is what is happening in fifth grade the week of November 9, 2018!
Math - We have finished chapter two and will begin chapter three, which is on adding and subtracting decimals.
Literacy - The students are still reading novels in their reading groups. In grammar, we will have a test on nouns on Thursday. I am not assigning a vocab unit this week, instead they started a packet on sentences in class and I would like them to finish any thing they did not finish in class on the packet and it will be due Friday. Today we started talking about a composition we will be working on with sixth grade for the next few weeks. We will be writing a reflection on peace. When the compositions are finished, we will choose one that will be published in a Mercy Education newsletter in December.
Social Studies - The students have been working on a packet of primary sources about the Stamp Act, some have already finished, if they did not, I asked the class to finish it for homework and it is due Tuesday. We will be having our first American History test on Wednesday, this will be an open book test. In world history we are finishing our Ancient Greek culture packet, if a student has not finished the packet they were asked to finish it for homework due Thursday.
Other Reminders:
- A big thank you to everyone for the cakes! I hope to see many of you on Saturday at the craft fair.
- Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, November 15th (there is no school for students). Mrs. Kelly and I will be conducting conferences together for grades five and six. You will be receiving an email Tuesday afternoon with a Sign-up Genius invitation to schedule your conference.
Here is what is going on in the fifth grade for the week of October 29th!
Math - We are finishing up our second chapter in Big Ideas math and will have a chapter test on Wednesday.
Big Ideas Math provides multiple opportunities for enrichment and relearning. Please don’t hesitate to ask for more information!
We have finished NWEA Measures of Academic Progress. Reports should be ready for Parent-Teacher conferences.
Grammar and Writing - We will be finishing our study of nouns and will have a noun test next Thursday (11/8). In writing we are continuing to explore sentences, what makes a good sentence, what is a fragment and what is a run-on.
Reading - Monday through Wednesday, students continued to read their novels in literacy block. Thursday and Friday they had writing and grammar. Our report cards in grades 3-5 will reflect this change in instruction. Changes in the report cards will be explained at Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Thanks to our faculty and families for our fabulous Literacy Character Parade! We saw many main characters today including Curious George, Tom Sawyer, Madeline, Winnie-the-Pooh, Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, and the Wood Cutter, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Harry Potter and Hermione, Peter Pan, unicorns, princesses and Super Heroes. We are already looking forward to next year. Pictures will be posted on Facebook and Principal’s Blog.
Social Studies - Fifth and sixth grades are still exploring Ancient Greek culture in world history. In American History, we will discuss how the colonies united to begin their fight against Britain.
Other Reminders:
- Book reports and book sandwiches are due on Friday, November, 1.
- Our annual holiday craft fair will be on Saturday, November 3. We are asking that cakes for the cake walk be brought into school either Thursday or Friday. We will have a schedule for students to sign up to help at the cake walk next week.
Want to know what is happening in fifth grade the week of October 22?
Math - We will continue with order of operations and numerical expressions. Also, today your child received a username and temporary password for Big Ideas Math. A strip of paper with their username and password has been taped to the front cover of their assignment book. On the strip of paper, the third column is the username and the last column is the temporary password. You are free to remove the strip of paper at home, I just taped it there so it did not get lost in transit. To log on you need to go to
www.bigideasmath.com. The site contains lots of resources.
Science - Next week in science to students will be learning how to bake a cake for our Cake Walk at the Craft Fair. A letter has been put in your child's take home folder explaining the cake walk. Mrs. Kelly has asked parents to sign that you have received the letter and send it back with your child on Monday.
Social Studies - We will continue to examine the Stamp Act through primary sources. We will also continue learning about Ancient Greek culture in world history.
Literacy - Ask your student what he or she is reading in “Lit. Block.” Discussions this week included character development and details, as well as the opening events of the just right reading level novel. Grammar and writing blocks are on Thursday and Friday mornings.
Other reminders:
Character Parade - Oct. 26. Dress as a character from a book you read. Be sure to bring the book.
The craft fair is November 3rd.
Want to know what is happening in fifth grade the week of October 15?
Math - Big Ideas Math will continue to add more resources at BigIdeasMath.com. Now available through Easy Access Parent Resources, you will find information about the common core state standards for mathematics, the same standards on which the NWEA Measures of Academy Progress are aligned. There is information on a new app, created by Ron Larson, called “My Dear Aunt Sally,” for fun ways to review math grades 2-8. You can also sing along with Newton and Descartes as they review math by grade levels. We will let you know as more resources are made available.
We will be reviewing the properties of addition and multiplication and exploring order of operations.
Literacy - All students in grades 3-6 have started reading a group novel. Discussion will include main character, setting, plot, conflict, and solution. Vocabulary words are picked from each novel. Grammar and writing will continue to be taught by grade level. In grade 3 we reviewed…
In grammar we will be review singular and plural nouns. In writing we will be working on making our sentences more detailed and what is a sentence fragment and what is a run-on sentence.
In Social Studies we will be examining some primary sources about the Stamp Act. We will also be working on latitude and longitude. In world history grades five and six will continue our study of ancient Greece.
Other reminders:
Tonight is the Prince, Princess and Parent Party!
Our craft fair is coming up on November 2. The fifth and sixth grades are organizing a cake walk. In the Friday folder you will find information about the cake walk and how you can participate. If you have any questions, please let me know.
What is happening in fifth grade the week of October 8, 2018?
Literacy - We will begin our new literacy groups on Tuesday. You should have received an email from your child's reading teacher. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays the students will meet with their reading groups. On Thursdays they will have grammar with me during the literacy block and writing with me on Fridays.
Math- We are beginning the second chapter of our Big Ideas math book. This week we will be focusing on number properties, order of operations and numerical expressions.
Social Studies - We are continuing to discuss what led to the colonies deciding to break away from English rule. We will also continue our study of Ancient Greece in world history.
Other reminders:
No school on Monday, October 8.
Prince and Princess Parent Party on the 12th (a flyer went home today in their Friday folder)
We will be participating in the BOOK IT program (a letter and calendar was send home in the Friday folder)
Fifth grade students need to research and have 10 bulleted points on the artist Monica Stuart. They must have their points and be ready to present them to Sister Regina on Tuesday.
There will be a Spanish test on Friday the 12th.
Have a great week!
Week of October 1
Looking to the week ahead in fifth grade.
Math - We will be finishing chapter one and will have our first math test on Thursday.
Social Studies - We have been discussing whether or not the colonies should break free from British rule. Each student was given a side to write a paragraph on why we should be free or why we shouldn't. These paragraphs were begun in class last week and are due tomorrow (Tuesday).
Language Arts - We are on unit three of vocabulary. Literacy groups are changing a bit next week. Principal Segal will not longer have a literacy group so she can use that time to work in her principal duties. New groups will begin October 9th.
Other Reminders:
There will be no school on Monday, October 8th in observance of Columbus Day.
We have concluded fall NWEA testing. Any make-ups will take place next week.
Have a great week!
Week of September 24, 2018
The students did a great job presenting their time lines at our Mercy Day celebration on Friday!
Due to there being no school on Friday, we will have the vocabulary unit 2 test we were supposed to have on Friday tomorrow and there will be no new vocabulary unit this week.
This week in math we will exploring powers of 10 and decimal place values.
In social studies we will look at lines of longitude. We will also discuss some of the different view points people had on whether to break free from English rule or not. We will also continue our study of Ancient Greece in world history.
The class took the NWEA math test this morning and will be taking the reading next Monday during technology class.
Have a great week!
