Another literary celebration for the books! I won’t go into major detail, but the time, energy, and guts your kiddos put into “Spread the Word” brought them to another level of maturation! There are of course a handful of natural speakers who can stand up on the stage and present without an inkling of anxiety, however, for most of the students, they were overcoming their fears. Fears of messing up and embarrassing themselves in front of their family, teachers, and most importantly, their friends.

At this pivotal age of adolescents, when peers are so influential to self-identity, it makes sense why Riley, Ev, Ali (drama teacher), and I were providing words of affirmation, advice, and just a shoulder to cry on as we practiced for this monumental event. Practice usually makes perfect, except when your nerves make you forget everything you worked so hard for and all you want is for it to be over. Your kiddos truly persisted this week! They also provided words of encouragement to help friends feel they wouldn’t be judged and to feel like it’s completely normal to feel nervous. I was so proud of every single one of your sons and daughters yesterday! Witnessing them prepare, practice, and choose their path of performance yesterday reminded me why I love being with your kiddos here at TCS everyday.
-LD

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

What’s happening in Social Studies:
Fifth Graders began their research project about influential artists, explorers, scientists, and philosophers of the Renaissance period this week. DaVinci, Galileo, Copernicus, Magellan, and Columbus are just some of the influencers that will be presented in class next week as we wrap up. They studied how the Protestant Reformation caused a split in the Catholic church and contemplated its impact on society today. Fifth Graders also learned about the Age of Exploration, paving the way for Colonial America. They also investigated the Enlightenment, its thinkers, its influence on modern day society, and specifically its impact on our own government. We will wrap up the Renaissance next week to get ready for GRP!
What’s up in Math?
This week, students were introduced to the coordinate plane. Students worked together to describe points and figures on the coordinate plane. They practiced a few explaining and drawing exercises in which one student had to describe where a figure was positioned on a coordinate plane and the other student had to draw it from the description. Students were introduced to all four quadrants of the coordinate plane on Thursday and they used their knowledge of plotting points and created spring themed pictures! Next week, we will work on using order of operations and get a lot of practice with those skills!

What’s happening in ELA:
Parents, I hope you were as proud of your kids as the middle school teachers were for “Spread the Word.” Your students did a fantastic job! We have completed our fantasy novels and we are starting on “The Literary Essay” unit. We have also begun working on figurative language and students have been reviewing metaphors and similes. Students now have the opportunity to choose any fiction book that they would like to read. Please encourage your students to pick a book they have not read already. Your students should read for 20 minutes each day.

Important Dates:
May 30: Memorial Day- No School
June 3: Last Day of School/ Field Day