5-2 Updates ~ 01/25

Hello 5-2 Parents ~

Well, that winter weather just doesn't seem to be letting up these days!!  As we've discussed the polar ice caps melting in science and reading over the past weeks, it's been difficult to convince the kids that we are experiencing global warming!!  Certainly doesn't feel like it here in the Midwest :)  Looking ahead at the temperatures for Monday and Tuesday, we have especially cold temperatures predicted once again.  Hoping they will be warm enough to be in school, but please watch for possible closings.

Important Dates

Everybody Counts ~ Tuesday, February 4th ~ Everybody Counts is an organization dedicated to the empowerment and independence of people with disabilities.  Volunteers take the time to come into classrooms to help the students understand life with a disability in a powerful and engaging way.  THANK YOU to all the parents who volunteer in bringing this valuable program to our school  Our presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, 2/4 at 1:15.

Water Reclamation Treatment Facility ~ Friday, February 7th ~ In line with our science curriculum on Watery Earth, we have a Community Education Specialist  from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago coming in on 2/7 at 9:00 to teach students about how water is cleaned and pumped to homes and business in the area, as well as how wastewater is treated and cleaned after it leaves our homes.  This is a free in-school field trip, so you won't need to send in anything!

Math

We have finally reached the end of Unit 6.  With all the breaks, it's taken us an exceptionally long time!  Our last day of instruction for this unit will be on Monday as we continue to focus on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.  Tuesday will be our review day, and we will be taking the unit assessment on Wednesday, 1/29.  Our review session for the test will be on Monday this week - please encourage your child to attend if they have struggled with the concepts in this unit.  Of course, if we do have "cold" days this week, the schedule will be pushed forward according to the number of days we miss.

Science

We finished our discussion of the Earth's Water Model this week in science, learning more about groundwater, frozen water, and water in the air.  Our discussion included the amount of fresh water available to us on this planet which launched a discussion on our need to conserve.  We will continue these discussion in the next few weeks.

This week, students will build a model of the water cycle, and we will engage in some common core lessons on the water cycle using complex text.  They will have the opportunity to integrate information from a couple of non-fiction texts and a poem, and synthesize their learning into a poster on the water cycle.

Reading

Hopefully, we will have a 5-day week in reading so we can get back on our typical literacy schedule!  If not, I will help the students understand the change in schedule and remind them daily when their homework is due.  We will be focusing on elements of science fiction this week as we compare a number of different science fiction stories.

Writing

We were only able to spend a couple of days this week in The Liberation of Gabriel King, but we did look at how dialogue and the actions of a character help us to get to know those characters better in text.  We will continue to read and develop our understanding of character traits as we move through this unit.

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. 
If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” 

― Albert Einstein

Stay Warm!