This Monday felt extra special to me—not only because it was a snow day, but because my favorite band, Tophouse, is releasing a new song every Monday in February. This week’s release, “Morning Cup of Coffee,” felt like the perfect soundtrack for a quiet winter morning. Beyond its cozy, uplifting sound, one lyric especially stood out to me: “Day’s calling, wake on up. You will decide, are you living or alive.”
In a cheerful song about a familiar morning ritual, there’s a gentle but powerful reminder to choose how we show up each day—to live fully, intentionally, and with joy. That idea has stayed with me this week as students began preparing for their self-assessments and reflecting on the past year.
As they look back on their growth, challenges, and accomplishments, my hope is that each student carries with them that same spirit: the courage to choose to thrive, to notice the small moments, and to step into each day with purpose.
—Amanda
Upcoming Dates:
- February 13 – Valentine’s Day Bake Sale and Bingo (1:30pm)
- February 16-17 – February Break (No School)
- Please fill out this form for James Island County Parks. We will be doing PE there starting soon!
- February 27 – Middle School Dance!!
ELA: 5th grade writers were deep in research this week, finding out as much as they could about “candidates” for the greatest of all time in their chosen fields (basketball, hockey, women’s rights, video games, actors, and more!). Writer-researchers learned the art of combing through an article and recording only the “gems” that answered their guiding question: “Why might ____ be the greatest?” We ended the week comparing the merits of each candidate and finally forming our opinions of who the greatest is! 5th grade extended their grammar studies this week to learn more verb forms and took a small quiz/retake to solidify information from last week while preparing for assessment next week.
Next week, writers will begin drafting a thesis for their chosen G.O.A.T and consider what evidence they will bring with them as they outline an argumentative essay. We will test for grammar on Wednesday 2/11, so be sure to utilize study guides and make flash cards in preparation!
Science: This week in Science, 5th grade scientists reviewed their understanding of transport systems, including plant vascular systems, the cardiovascular system, and the respiratory system, culminating in their assessment. Through quick writes, games, and thoughtful class discussions, students strengthened and solidified their knowledge while reflecting on their learning.
Students also began exploring sensory systems, identifying the major parts of the human nervous system and investigating stimulus and response times. These hands-on explorations helped students connect scientific concepts to their own experiences.
Next week, students will continue testing response times and investigate what makes organisms attractive within their environments by designing organisms intended to attract specific species, encouraging creativity and systems thinking as they explore organism interactions.
Social Studies: We have finished our study on the continent of Europe! The class did a fantastic job learning about the geography, peoples and cultures as well as how the European Union operates. To go with this unit, I can announce a fantastic opportunity for this class! Thanks to Mrs. Daniels (Everett’s mother) I am in contact with a woman who is actually a member of the European Union! The class will be interviewing and talking to her this upcoming week about her role and responsibilities within her position! Looking forward to it!
Math: This week in math, the 5th graders transitioned back into fractions with addition and subtraction. In previous units, we mastered multiplying and dividing them, and we’ll use this mastery to help us find equivalent fractions to obtain a common denominator. We practiced a few different strategies for adding and subtracting fractions with uncommon denominators – specifically mixed numbers. Next week, we’ll learn how to view fractions on a number line and use those number lines as line plots to represent data. Our fraction addition and subtraction mastery will help us analyze these line plots as we begin to wrap up unit 6.
