We all have so much to be grateful for this time of season. I thought I would share some of the special things in life…


“I am grateful for rugs, water, and air particles”- Sloane Bradley
“The children I get to work with five days out of the week…and cottage cheese!”- Mr. Kevin
“Olive Garden Pasta”- JJ Grant
“I am grateful for my friends!” -Zoe Raymer
“People….As much as they get on my nerves, I need human interaction!” -Devon Porter
“Caffeine, chocolate, my kids, and a break!”-Ms. Lindsay
“My dog, Ollie.”- Caroline Couey
“Family, because why not !?!”- Ellen Swafford
“Taylor Swift”- Peyton Woodward
“Family”- Ms. Allison
“My life”- Landon Taylor
“Family and The Cooper School”- Morrison Hawes
“The Earth”- Griffin Sills
“Animals”- Eva Cain Boudolf
“Everything pumpkin flavored”- Ms. Maggie




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


What’s going on in Science?
Fifth graders learned about food chains and adaptations this week! They compared and contrasted physical and behavioral adaptations. They also learned about the different parts of a food chain and how energy transfers from the sun up to the apex predators. The fifth graders also shared their lessons on “Animals that changed history.” When they return after the break, the fifth graders will start an engineering project to learn more about biomimicry.


What’s happening in Math?
This week, students did a TON of practice with the standard algorithm and multi-digit multiplication problems. Then, they began exploring division with multi-digit dividends and divisors. When we return from Thanksgiving, students will learn to relate multiplication and division, and solve partial quotients.


What’s happening in ELA?
5th graders completed a flash draft of an essay based on their viewing of a short documentary this week. Writers reviewed the parts of a literary essay and made sure to closely follow traditional essay conventions and patterns as they supported a claim about the film with evidence and elaboration. We then looked ahead to our focus \-essay of the unit, brainstorming original thesis ideas for an essay on The Witches.


Following Thanksgiving break, 5th grade essayists will return to develop, draft, rewrite, and edit their final literary essays. They’ll pay special attention to topics on character and theme while honing their quoting and evidence incorporation skills in their work.


What’s happening in Social Studies?
The fifth graders dove deep into Ancient Greece with excitement! Students took a day to learn about Athens before spending another day focusing on Sparta after learning some general information about Ancient Greece as a whole! Students then progressed with excitement into their creation of a Greek God/Goddess projects! Students are taking what they have learned and using historic facts to create a Greek God/Goddess with a mythological story to correspond with them!


Upon arriving back to school, the students will finish and present their Greek God/Goddess to their peers. Students will then progress into the Roman and Byzantine Empires before being asked to create a TV advertisement on one of these early European Empires.


Important Dates:
November 17th – Harvest Feast (11:30 Dismissal)
November 20th-24th – Thanksgiving Break