Science / Social Studies Update

We are working to wrap up our Native American reports in social studies. We are currently working on final drafts and typing up our final versions of the reports for submission. These have been a long term collaborative activity with Ms. Kavanaugh in the media center. There will be development of a PowerPoint presentation following the completion of the report for sharing research with the class. Once we have completed these reports, we will be moving into settlements and colonialism.

In science, we are in full swing with our plant growth exploration and comparison. We're investigating different mediums, different plants, and different lighting conditions to see how these factors impact plant growth and development. Student will have an option to bring their lettuce plant home at the end of our observations.

Valentine's Day

Students are allowed to bring in valentines for their homeroom only.  Please make sure that if your child chooses to bring in valentines that they have enough for everyone in the class.  Class lists went home with homerooms today.  Thank you and happy early Valentine's Day!

5th Grade Math Update: Fractions

Fractions are here!
In Topic 7 we will be learning how to estimate, add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. We will be replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions with like denominators in order to complete this task.
For example: To add 1/2 and 1/3, we will first rename 1/2 as 3/6 and 1/3 as 2/6. Then we will add the numerators (3 and 2). The sum will be 5/6.
Students will be encouraged to reason abstractly and quantitatively in this unit as they strive to estimate sums and differences, and to make sense of fractions and their meaning.

Ways you can help your student:

• Name a fraction and have your child state whether it is closest to 0, 1/2 or 1. We are doing this in class as well. 
• Monitor their homework answers very carefully
• Send your child to class each day with questions on problems that confused them. 
• Play games to practice fraction skills.  Gameboards will soon be ready for students to take home. These games can be kept for a few days and played as often as you like. When they are returned with a parent note stating that the game was played, students can earn extra points toward their math grade. 
• Use the envisionMath website! You can reach it by visiting www.hcps.org. There is a black rectangle in the upper right hand corner to click on. Your student should be able to take it from there. 
• Our Math textbook is also your friend! Use this valuable resource to review the lessons we have completed in class with your child. Please feel free to do any practice problems that we have not completed in class with your child to further review and solidify learning.  
• Continue to monitor your child's grades via Edline. Math grades are plentiful! Each week there is a homework grade, a Friday quiz grade, and often a classwork grade. 

As always, please contact me with any questions. 

Mrs. Mezan

shelley.mezan@hcps.org

More Trailers!

The Chocolate Touch (Mezan)
Mockingbird (Rost)

More Trailers!

Below are links to student-created book trailers that have been completed.  Enjoy!

• Because of Mr. Terupt (O'Neill) NEW!
• No Talking (Rost) NEW!
• Masterminds (O'Neill)
• Shipwreck (Mezan)
• Shipwreck (Rost)

Homework: 

• 30 minutes reading
• Math homework

Reminders:

• No spelling 
• Get Caught Reading:  Remember to email in pictures when you "catch" your child reading!  Hadley.ONeill@hcps.org  

Upcoming Dates:

• Early Dismissal:  Friday, February 3
• Report cards distributed this Friday
• Clip Hall of Fame Assembly will be held on Wednesday 2/15/17 at 9:30. Invitations will be sent home in report cards.
• Honor Roll Breakfast will be held on Friday 2/10/17 from 7:45 – 8:30. Invitations will be sent home in report cards.

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Book Trailer Links

Below are links to student-created book trailers that have been completed.  Enjoy!

• Masterminds (O'Neill)
• Shipwreck (Mezan)
• Shipwreck (Rost)

Homework: 

• 30 minutes reading
• Math homework

Reminders:

• No spelling 
• Get Caught Reading:  Remember to email in pictures when you "catch" your child reading!  Hadley.ONeill@hcps.org  

Upcoming Dates:

• Early Dismissal:  Friday, February 3
• Report cards distributed this Friday
• Clip Hall of Fame Assembly will be held on Wednesday 2/15/17 at 9:30. Invitations will be sent home in report cards.
• Honor Roll Breakfast will be held on Friday 2/10/17 from 7:45 – 8:30. Invitations will be sent home in report cards.

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill

Crazy Hair Tomorrow

Riverside students "filled the tube"! To celebrate, students earned a crazy hair day tomorrow! Way to go!

O'NEILL & ROST  In O'Neill and Rost reading classes, we've concluded our work on themes, however, just like with our strategies to grow ideas about characters, we will carry this learning forward into our next unit of study: "Comparing Texts".  Now that we, as readers, can think critically about characters, plots, themes, etc. we can begin comparing different texts.  To do this, we use the "comparing matrix" rather than the Venn Diagram.  The matrix focuses what we're comparing and allows us to develop more sophisticated insights and conclusions within and across texts. See examples of the matrix in "TLGs in Action". 

In O'NEILL'S homeroom, we finished our second read aloud, The Honest Truth.  To reflect on the novel, we considered what relationship stood out the most, emotionally intense scenes, symbolism, and themes. We then used color to represent our thinking and reflection about the book (see below).

Target Learning Goals:  To draw conclusions across texts, thoughtful readers compare...

• ... settings' impact on characters (internally and externally) 
• ... characters'
• traits
• motivations
• struggles
• internal and external conflicts

TLGs in Action:  Below you will also see the Shipwreck book club's book trailer (hopefully it works!).

 

MEZAN  The past few weeks we have put together everything we've learned so far about characters to develop nuanced character theories (and defend them using evidence from the text).  We now move toward comparing characters within and across texts.  To do this, we use the comparing matrix.  In place of the Venn Diagram, we use the matrix to focus what we're comparing and draw more insightful ideas about character similarities and differences. Because the matrix is new to students, we practiced using it to compare things we're more familiar with prior to applying this to texts.  See examples of the matrix below. 

Target Learning Goals (TLG):  Readers can use the matrix to compare characters'...

• ... traits
• ... motivations
• ... struggles

TLGs in Action: Below you will also see the Shipwreck book club's book trailer (hopefully it works!).

Homework: 

• 30 minutes reading
• Math homework

Reminders:

• No spelling this week (all classes)
• Get Caught Reading:  Remember to email in pictures when you "catch" your child reading!  Hadley.ONeill@hcps.org  

Upcoming Dates:

• Early Dismissal:  Friday, February 3
• Report cards distributed this Friday
• Clip Hall of Fame Assembly will be held on Wednesday 2/15/17 at 9:30. Invitations will be sent home in report cards.
• Honor Roll Breakfast will be held on Friday 2/10/17 from 7:45 – 8:30. Invitations will be sent home in report cards.

Thank you,

Mrs. O'Neill