Mrs. Mohammed's Message

    In Math, we have started our geometry unit. The kids have learned how to find the area of squares, parallelograms, rectangles and triangles. We will continue our study of circles next week.

    In writing, we have been busy preparing for the 5th gtrade Writing Assesment. It will be on March 7th. The kids are working on organizing their writing with topic sentences and transition words.

In Reading, we are reading Loser by Jerry Spinelli. We are using this novel to study the different types of figurative language-- similes, metaphors, hyperboles, and personification.

Please encourage your child to read for at least 20 minutes every day!

Welcome Back!!

Welcome Back. I hope that everyone had a restful winter break. The kids all seemed excited about being back. We got right to work. This week, we will continue our study of fractions with the multiplication and division of fractions.

This week, I have also started daily started giving the kids daily reading comprehension homework. This homework is given at the students' instructional reading level. The passages will get increasingly longer and more difficult. This will help to build reading stamina in preparation for the CRCT. I will be working with students on 5th grade level passages in class.

With the cold weather, please remember to dress your children warmly.

Happy Holidays

The kids have worked very hard these past few weeks with fractions. I am amazed that they are able to articulate the steps they need to solve different types of fractions! I am enjoying watching them gain confidence in their mathematical ability. Please continue to work with them on mastering their multiplication facts. This will help them a great deal with simplifying fractions.

The kids have also completed their five paragraph essays. It took them a long time to understand the format, but they are really beginning to understand how form and structure helps them to organize their writing. We will begin responding to daily writing prompts when we return.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday filled with the warmth of family, faith and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

    The kids are very excited about their week off. I wish everyone a safe and blessed holiday. Please encourage your kids to read over the break. Remind your kids to pack a book if you are heading out of town. What better way to fight the "are we there yet" blues than losing yourself in a good book?

    Upon our return, we will continue working with fractions in Math. The kids think that converting from a mixed number to an inproper fraction and back is actually fun!! We will start adding and subtracting fractions after the break. Please work with your child on their Math facts. Again, car rides, long or short are a perfect time to quiz your kids. Rememeber to pack Math flashcards if you are traveling over the break.

    We started a new Vocabulary activity this week, which the kids are very excited about> they can't believe that they are able to read such big words and figure out the meanings of the wrods based on context clues. We will be doing our Vocabulary activity every Monday. The kids will then choose the three words that they like the best and add them to their Vocabulary Journal. The kids are enjoying palying with words and I am so impressed with all the rich voscabulary that I hear the students using!! Ask your kids about the new words they learned.  The best way to internalize a new word is to use it and share it with others.

This weeks words are:

deserted, dilapidated, inhabited, apprehensive, foolhardy, eerie, rustle, interior, startled, and trembling

 

    We have started working with fractions in Math. We will cover topics such as adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with like and unlike denominators. Please continue working with your child on thier multiplication facts as this will help them a great deal with reducing fractions and finding the least common denominator.

    In Reading, we added to our classroom library with several series. Ready Freddy, Ricky Ricotta and Franny K. Stein have become class favorties. Graphic novels are also gaining popularity in our classroom. We have been working on increasing our overall reading fluency with repeated readings of the same passage. The kids are rising to the challenge of beating their personal best.

    In Writing, we are working on writing a paragraph with a topic sentence, three supporting details and a closing sentence using the four- square graphic organizer. Ask your kids what they have been writing about.  

Welcome to Fall! The cooler weather feels good, but please remember to have your kids bring a coat or jacket with them for outdoor reccess and PE.

We will not have Spelling homework this week due to early release. Students will be dismissed at 2:10.

Please continue working with your kids on recall of multiplication and division facts. We are taking daily timed tests. This week we will be working on our 6s and doubles--2x2, 3x3, 4x4, etc.

Please remind your child to read and record in their reading logs every night.  I look forward to meeting with you at conferences!!

Another Full Week

    In Math, the kids have learned the rules of divisibilty. We are coming up with songs, chants, and raps to help us to remember all of those rules! We have also used our understanding of divisibility to determine the factors of a number and to classify numbers as prime or composite. The kids have become well versed in using their new vocabulary words. I am very proud of all the hard work they are doing!

    This week, we also launched our Reading CAFE. CAFE  is an acronymn-- C is for Comprehension, A is for Accuracy, F is for Fluency, and E is for Expanding Vocabulary. We talked about each of these elements and what strategies we can use to strengthen each. We also discussed how strengthening each can contribute to our overall reading ability. We toasted to our reading success with Starbucks vanilla latte. YUM!!

    The kids are continuing to work on their naratives. We have a few kids working on co--authoring some stories. We also have our first "leaf" on our POET-TREE. 

    We will be taking the ITBS Test the week of October 10th.

    Please continue working with your kids on their Math Facts!!

    We are continuing our exploration of decimals by comparing and ordering decimals. The kids are all feeling confident with this skill. I often hear in class that "... this is so easy!" Please continue working with your kids on reading numbers with decimal places up to the ten thousandths place. Next we will discuss characteristics of numbers. New vocabulary words that will be introduced are: odd, even, prime, composite, factors and multiples.

                We have established our routines for Reader’s Workshop and the kids are doing well building their reading stamina during independent reading time. Please note that the kids have an in-class reading log where they record the books they read during independent reading time.  Their homework reading log is for the 20 minutes of reading that they do at home. We have explored different genres in literature and the kids are getting better at identifying the genres of the various books they read.

                Spelling homework will start this week. Look for spelling lists in your student’s agenda.

Welcome to Fifth Grade!!

    Welcome to fifth grade!! I am looking forward to an exciting adventure with your child. We spent the first few days getting acquainted with our classroom procedures and expectations and have now settled into a predictable routine.

    Our morning begins with math. We have been studying place value of whole numbers. We have also been practicing reading large numbers, and we have had several exciting rounds of musical math--our math version of musical chairs. It has really helped the kids to understand how the value of a digit changes depending on its place in a number. 

Please have your child complete his/her Math Masters, which is the timed multiplication and division drill sheet they bring home in a red folder. They are only required to complete one sheet per week. Please record the number correct on their recording sheet which is in the middle of their folder. 

Your child will have a daily worksheet for math homework. This sheet will reinforce concepts taught that day. It will not be graded, but will serve as a tool to help me understand how well your student has internalized the newly introduced Math concept.

    We have some very good writers in our class. All the students have finished the rough drafts of their first stories and we have four students who have published their pieces and are the first members of 'The Young Authors Club.'    

       During our Reading block, I have been sharing some of my favorite authors and books. Please send in your child's favorite book to share with their classmates.  Also, please encourage your child to read at least 20 minutes every night and record it in their reading log. A new reading log will come home every two weeks.