November is Nascent, Nippy, and Noteworthy

November is nascent, because it has just started; nippy because we are seeing more jackets and sweaters; noteworthy because middle schoolers have completed their first three months of school…nice!

The middle schoolers handled themselves as experienced carnival hosts and a fun time was had by all during our Fall Carnival. Parents, you would have been so proud to see your children in action. The costumes were very creative!

Here is some information you may find newsworthy: 

The Center for Disease Control has approved COVID-19 vaccine for five to 11-year olds!

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on the afternoon of November 8th-9th. We will have early dismissal on those days. Please do not forget to sign up for a time to conference with your child’s advisory teacher.

I recently read the following in an online article, “Curiosity is the ability to seek and acquire new knowledge, skills, and ways of understanding the world. It is at the heart of what motivates young people to learn and what keeps them learning throughout their lives. Research shows that curiosity is one of eight core abilities that drive successful kids (Price-Mitchell, 2018).”  Families, let us keep the flames of curiosity and learning alive for the rest of our lives!

Here’s a look at what is happening in each of the classes: 

What’s happening in Science:

To wrap up Science, scientists compared renewable and non-renewable resources, then took a test to calculate their carbon footprint! You can take the quiz yourself at https://calc.zerofootprint.net/

We studied Social Studies this week as well, and started learning about the Roman Empire! Historians researched information about the Roman Empire’s greatest achievements and presented their findings for the whole class. Next, we will start exploring the cause of Rome’s fall and get into the Medieval Time that follows the Roman Empire’s decline. 

What’s up in Math?

We are continuing to practice multiplying fractions. We have introduced multiplying mixed numbers and fractions. This week, we learned that a whole number is a fraction with a denominator of one. We had a great discussion and they built some deeper understanding of fractions and how they relate to real life situations. The students continue to impress me with their excitement for learning and their commitment to mastery! 

What’s happening in ELA:

Your students have been revising and editing their final narrative this week on their individual laptops. The grading rubric for their writing was placed on the fifth grade Google Classroom platform and also emailed to parents. We will publish the students’ writing on 11/05/21. Hopefully you have enjoyed reading their narratives and helping them edit and revise their writing.

Fifth graders will start reading Holes by Louis Sachar next week. Please make sure you ask your kids to share thoughts about Holes. They will have a final book report project at the completion of the novel.

Important Dates:

November 8th & 9th: Parent Teacher Conferences (11:30 Dismissal)

November 19: Harvest Festival 11:30 Dismissal 

November 22-26: Thanksgiving Break