I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday on Monday.  We came back together on Tuesday & Wednesday then had a snow day on Thursday.  Luckily we were back in session on Friday.  What a crazy week!

In writing, the students were shown four pictures and were asked to choose one and develop a paragraph about that picture over the course of the week.  Students used a graphic organizer to focus their writing, wrote a rough draft, and had a peer edit their work.  Due to the snow day, we will be sharing these next week.  I know they're going to be really creative.

In writing, we are nearing the conclusion to our adding and subtracting decimals unit.  Be on the look out for a Unit 3 test next week.

In reading, we have started the novel Mr. Popper's Penguins.  I think the students are going to enjoy this humorous book over the course of the next couple of weeks.

Some exciting highlights this week included a field trip on Wednesday to the local university to see a performance by DuoPrism a performing group made of a pianist and violinist.  They played several pieces for us as well as explaining how their instruments produced sound.  We were able to get our picture taken with them after, very exciting!  (see picture below)

Once again, our class had top attendance and Ms. Asbell participated in a Minute-to-Win it game during our weekly assembly.  Sadly, she was not able to empty two Kleenex boxes faster than the 4th grade teacher she faced off with.  Maybe next time.

Hopefully Winter weather will stay at bay over the next week as we enter the last days before MAP testing in April. 

Inclement weather conditions kept us at home two days this week.  But, we made the best of our time in school.  In writing, we talked about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  We discussed the concept of BIG words.  Together, we determined that words don't have to have a lot of letters to be big, the meaning behind a word can make it big.  We listened to Dr. King's famous, "I Have a Dream" speech.  While listening, students wrote down some of the words that they considered to be BIG.  After developing the list, each student chose their top 5 BIG words from "I Have a Dream" and we developed a class wordle (see the end product below).  The students also chose lines from the speech and illustrated their meanings.  It was a powerful project, and many of the students left with a new understanding of Civil Rights and the power of BIG words.

Welcome back 5th graders! 

This week we set goals for our remaining semester of 5th grade in an activity I called "School Year's Resolutions".  Thinking about what we can do to make the most out of our remaining time is very important, I think that each goal set by the students will give them a focus and objective to take them through May. 

In math, we have continued our study of decimals.  The students are becoming proficient in adding and subtracting decimals.  We are also continuing with the Rocket Math program.  We have students who are reaching the end of the multiplication objectives and beginning to move on to their division objectives.

In social studies, we've began looking at early colonization of the United States.  We've already learned about the lost colony of Roanoke and Jamestown.

Winter weather is upon us, be on the look out for snow days in the coming weeks.  Stay warm and safe 5th graders!