Sunday, November 26, 2017

Week 16

                 TWiG5This Week iGrade 5

We had a wonderful Kids Day last Wednesday. Thank you to those who helped make the day successful and a a fun filled day for us all. 







Look at what's new and important in Grade 5 this week!


Sunday, Nov. 26 - Thursday Schedule 
Monday, Nov. 27 - Parent Teacher Conferences, holiday for students
Tuesday, Nov 28- Conferences continued, after school
Tuesday, Dec. 5 - 5G assembly. Save the date!
Field Trip coming up! Information will be sent home through your homeroom teacher




Curriculum Corner
Reading Workshop & Writing Workshop:
We are continuing important work in our nonfiction unit for reading and writing. It is important for parents to realize that teachers have now asked their students always to be reading a non-fiction informational book as they do their daily home and school reading, in order to be able to practice the skills and strategies learned within the classroom. In order to maintain previous volume of reading, children may also have a fiction book to continue once they have read their daily non-fiction and made their jot notes. The unit's Guiding Question is: "How can I read and write in a way that allows me to dig deeper in understanding a topic for myself and an audience? As an overview to how this unit will unfold over the next month, we will be looking at the following understandings:
  • Jotting within Information Reading
  • Reading for a Wide View of a Topic
  • How to Navigate an Expository Text
This week we will look at summarizing and synthesizing to get the gist of our reading. In writing we will be narrowing down our topic and developing questions to ask as we research our topic. 

Math Workshop:
Sunday we will have our Module 3 Mid-module assessment. We will then continue the week with lessons 8 & 9. In lesson 8 we will be using number lines to add and subtract fractions from whole numbers. In lesson 9 we will be finding common denominators to add fractions.

 
Science:
This week we will look at behavioral and structural adaptations in plants and animals. It is a short week for science.

Circles: 
In circles we continue to grow as a community and individuals. Classes are looking at growth mindset through a variety of activities.

Image result for growth mindset

Have a great week everyone!

LeeAnn Kasal  lkasal@cacegypt.org
Bonnie Greene barmstronggreene@cacegypt.org
Jonathan O'Sullivan josullivan@cacegypt.org

Caitlin Johnson cjohnson@cacegypt.org




Sunday, November 19, 2017

Week 15



TWiG5This Week iGrade 5

Wow! What a fantastic ES Production! The Grade 5 Team has heard nothing but positives about the production. A huge congratulations must be given to all the students who participated, and especially our wonderfully talented grade 5 students. 


Look at what's new and important in Grade 5 this week!


Sunday, Nov. 19th - ES Production Cast Party (3:15 pm - 4:00 pm, ES Hall)

Monday, Nov. 20th - General Services Staff Appreciation Lunch
Math Workshop for Parents 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm


Wednesday, Nov. 22 -  KID'S DAY

Thursday, Nov. 23 - HOLIDAY


Sunday, Nov. 26 - Thursday Schedule 


Monday, Nov. 27 - HOLIDAY for students due to Parent interviews.

Tuesday, Dec. 5 - 5G assembly. Save the date!



Kid's Day
This year's Kids' Day will be held on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017 from 8:00am to 11:30am. Students will then be dismissed at 11:30am for a long Thanksgiving weekend. This is a half day for CAC and Pre K-5 will be participating at the same time. For new parents to the school Kids’ Day is a fun-filled day in which they can show off their house spirit, participate in a wide variety of physical activities, and enjoy each other!

General Services Staff Appreciation Lunch
Monday, November 20, 2017
Every year the Elementary, Middle School, and High School Student Councils give thanks to the amazing general services staff at our school by hosting a special lunch. This staff includes: security guards, janitors, gardeners, drivers, bus monitors ,car washers, painters, carpenters, and maintenance.  The hard work they do every day really makes our school a better place.
We are grateful to all the general services staff and will be having an appreciation lunch for them.
Date: Monday, November 20, 2017
Location: Middle School Field
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm


We can’t do this alone, we need your help!  We are requesting that all students and families show their appreciation for our general service staff by donating the following:


  • PreK & KG  : Dessert
  • 1 & 2: Pasta Dish/Rice or Rice Dish/Bread
  • 3 - 5: Meat Dishes
  • Grade 6: Meat Dishes
  • Grade 7: Meat Dishes
  • Grade 8: Vegetables/Side Dish/Salad
  • Grade 9-12: Goodie Bags (more information will be sent out from your High School Student Council)

Please bring food donations in a disposable container. Students & parents can drop off their dishes the morning of November 20 in the MS/HS Faculty Lounge. Those who would like to volunteer during the day, please fill in this link. We thank you for your continued support and for giving thanks to all of those who help make CAC the place to be! ES/MS/HS Student Leadership Teams


Math Workshop for Parents
Interested in learning more about the math models used at school? November 20, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm is a K-5 Workshop for parents where we will explore number bonds and the area model; math models we use to teach for understanding. We will all meet in the first floor common room, then K-2 parents will move next door.

We hope you can join us!


Curriculum Corner
Reading Workshop & Writing Workshop:
Because of Kids' Day, students will have three days to dig into our integrated Reading and Writing unit based on non-fiction reading for research-based writing! It is important for parents to realise that teachers have now asked their students always to be reading a non-fiction informational book as they do their daily home and school reading, in order to be able to practice the skills and strategies learned within the classroom. In order to maintain previous volume of reading, children may also have a fiction book to continue once they have read their daily non-fiction and made their jot notes. The unit's Guiding Question is: "How can I read and write in a way that allows me to dig deeper in understanding a topic for myself and an audience? As an overview to how this unit will unfold over the next month, we will be looking at the following understandings:
  • Jotting within Information Reading
  • Reading for a Wide View of a Topic
  • How to Navigate an Expository Text
Math Workshop:

 Math Workshop

This week we will work on solving multi-step, real-world problems involving the addition and subtraction of fractions using visual models to support our thinking.  Teachers are happy to answer any questions and offer help during class and recess times- please encourage your children to seek help and ask questions when they need. After the break, we will continue with Module 3. Please see a detailed description of the next topic below:

Students will use the number line when adding and subtracting fractions greater than or equal to 1.  The number line helps students see that fractions are analogous to whole numbers.  The number line makes it clear that numbers on the left are smaller than numbers on the right, which leads to an understanding of integers in Grade 6.  Using this tool, students recognize and manipulate fractions in relation to larger whole numbers and to each other.  For example, “Between which two whole numbers does the sum of 
 and  lie?”


___<  +  <___

This leads to an understanding of and skill with solving more complex problems often embedded within multi-step word problems:
Cristina and Matt’s goal is to collect a total of  gallons of sap from the maple trees. Cristina collected  gallons. Matt collected  gallons. By how much did they beat their goal?
  
  
Cristina and Matt beat their goal by  gallons.
Eureka Support: please click on the link below to read through this Parent Tip Sheet for the new unit.



Science: 
Great news everyone! We have moved into our new science unit all about... Adaptations!

Living things have bodies that are adapted for the places they live and the things they do. Fish have gills so that they can remove oxygen that is dissolved in water. Most plants have green leaves which contain chlorophyll so that they can make food. Jellyfish have stinging cells to capture prey. Birds have hollow spongy bones so that they will be light enough to fly. Arctic animals have layers of fat and thick coats of fur to keep warm in the frigid Arctic climate. There are hundreds of examples of ways that organisms are adapted for a successful lifestyle. Humans, too, are adapted for the things they do. One of our adaptations is our hand. Humans, as well as monkeys, gorillas, and other primates, have a hand that can grasp objects. We are able to grasp objects because of our opposable thumb.


Have a great week everyone!


LeeAnn Kasal  lkasal@cacegypt.org
Bonnie Greene barmstronggreene@cacegypt.org
Jonathan O'Sullivan josullivan@cacegypt.org
Caitlin Johnson cjohnson@cacegypt.org