Week 7

TWiG5: This Week in Grade 5

    Happy New Year everyone! Welcome back from the long weekend. We hope everyone had a long weekend filled with fun and family times, and is now ready to set into this short but full week of learning. 

Reminders!

After School Activities: Students, please remember to go directly to your ASA locations.

Unity Day: Unity Day was a huge success. We would especially like to thank the parents that came for the morning session. We believe that it was a record turn out! We thought that the three focusses of Unity, Leadership, and Open Mindedness were very well received by the students and parents and we would hope that we will all be able to support the three main focusses of Unity Day at school and home.

Writers Celebration: Next week the grade 5 classes will all have an individual writer's celebration. Please look out for more specific information from your respective grade 5 teachers.

MAP results

Individual Student MAP Reports for Grade 3-9 are to be distributed soon.

Library Bags 
All ES students are expected to have a cloth library bag to carry their books to and from school. The school store sells bags that are sturdy and the right size, but children may use a cloth bag from home. All cloth bags must be clearly labeled with the students name. We recommend that each child in a family has his or her own library bag.

Library bags help students:

• Develop independence, responsibility and organization
• Help carry multiple library materials at the same time
• Protect books from damage
• Keep library materials in a single, recognizable place at school and at home

Please be sure to keep library bags well away from water bottles and swim bags. Wet books are considered damaged and must be replaced.

Curriculum Corner

Reading Workshop: 

It is exciting times in reading this week. The students are not only reading with more determination and purpose, they are talking about their books to their peers and reading buddies. However, we are coming to the end of our Reading with Agency unit and transitioning into our new unit called, "Reading Like a Fan". Now that the grade five Readers are all reading with determination and consistency and pleasure we are moving on to our new unit which studies authors and the characters that they have created. The teachers can't wait to start teaching this unit!

Writing Workshop:

Now is the time for the hard work to be done by our grade 5 Writers. It is time for the revising, editing and publishing of our small moment stories. This is sometimes the hardest part of the writing process, what to add and what to take away. Every story is a writer's baby and it is hard to change what is already on the page. However, the writers in grade 5 are experts and they will do a fantastic job in this.

Math Workshop:

Module one is almost finished. The students have been doing a fantastic job. It is not an easy unit but the students are defiantly showing the foundations needed for this unit.
For any concept introduced for the first time in Eureka the students are not expected to gain mastery in that one lesson. Eureka is expertly designed for students to gain mastery over time and frequency. This means that it is a circular program and all the concepts and strategies are revisited, used, and built on throughout grade 5.

Science Inquiry:

Science has started to Ramp Up! The classes are conducting the final experiments using the ramps.
As a reminder to all after the long weekend, the two essential questions of this variables unit are:

1. How do good scientists conduct experiments?
2. How does changing parts of an experiment affect the outcome?

Investigations using the ramps have allowed students the chance to put into practice both the steps of the scientific method and investigating the outcome of changing variables. We are building to the conclusion of this unit over the next two weeks, and students will be asked to work both alone and in partners to show (without guidance) their understanding of these two essential questions through a series of open-ended activities. Precise, neat and accurate work will ensure the best results.

Your partners in education,

LeeAnn Kasal   lkasal@cacegypt.org

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

Week 6

TWiG5: This Week in Grade 5

Week of September 17th-20th

Welcome to a 4 day week culminating with Unity Day on Wednesday. Our Unity Day will take place Wednesday and will focus on  growth mindset and leadership. We are looking forward to seeing parents as it is sure to be a fun day for all. Please let us know if you can come as we are preparing some snack in the morning.

• Mid-Module Math Assessment: Students completed their first Eureka math assessment on Thursday. The rubric scores give an indication of how they are moving along the "journey" of this first unit, within the various subsets of the overall topic of place value and patterns. It can serve as a goal setting tool - seeing your strengths and areas to work on still before the end of module assessment in two weeks (Sept. 28) We ask that parents sign the test and/or rubric and return them to the teacher.

• Student Leadership Team: Congratulations to all of the students who spent time preparing speeches and were courageous enough to try out for the CAC Student Leadership Team! We were very proud of all of the students! Two students from each class were selected and will represent their peers from now until the end of December. Two new students will have the opportunity to participate for the second half of the school year. The first meeting will take place on Monday, Sept. 18th in the multipurpose room (#42) on the ground floor from 12:10-12:50. Students please bring your lunch!

5O	Jae Yoon Kim	Freya Kelly
5K	Youngseo Wang	Mariam Gamali
5G	Dohyeon Kim	Tia Botros
5J	*tba

• Peace Day: The annual Peace Day assembly will take place next week on September 19th in the gym @7:55 sharp. Students are encouraged to either wear a peace day shirt or a white shirt. Parents are welcome to attend.
• Guidance News: Digital Safety Update

This week students will learn how to manage online privacy in order to protect their personal information. They will learn what kind of information is considered personal and why it is important to protect it.  Students will learn a simple way to remember personal information that should not be shared online without talking to your parent or other trusted adult. This is called Y.A.P.P.Y =  personal information unique to YOU that should not be “yapped” about online. 

It stands for:

Y – Your full name

A – Address

P- Passwords

P- Phone Number

Y – Your Plans

Students will bring home a copy of Y.A.P.P.Y to be posted on the refrigerator as a reminder of the personal information that should not be shared online without first talking to a parent or other trusted adult.  

Mark your calendars:

• Holiday Islamic New Year Sept. 21. No school for students.

• Sept. 25 Early release day. School ends at 11:30am. 

• Sept. 28 - Student health records due. If records have not been received students cannot attend school on Sept. 28.

• Sept. 28 Newcomers Welcome Felucca 

  A great opportunity to meet other new families! Newcomers look for your invitations via email!

• October 11 - Christy Curran reading writing workshop for parents

• October 30 (repeated session from 16/17) Kg - Grade 2 reading and handwriting workshop

Curriculum Corner

Reading Workshop: 

We are heading into the last couple of weeks our Reading unit, which sets out to establish the all-important message of "reading deeper with agency and independence". As they read their independent books this week, our Grade 5 students are working to lift their reading to the next level by concentrating on reading for "subtext" as well as for text. Readers will be working really hard to "read between the lines", imagining what the details suggest or imply about the characters, plot or setting. They will be alert to shifts in time and place, and will work to envision moments in their book as if they were scenes in a movie. This requires readers to pay attention to details in the story, and filling in images with more sights, sounds and atmosphere. They will also notice that as stories get more complicated, there are more references to other parts of their book (or other books in series), and that they need to work harder to understand the references, and see meaningful connections between parts of the story. Writing about reading is a continuing goal this week, as is sharing thoughts in partnerships or group discussions.

As students read at home, please remind them to record their reading in their logs and to JOT!

Writing Workshop:


It is now time for students to "plant" their preferred personal narrative story "seed" - the one seed that is so memorable and strong in their heads (thoughts) and their hearts (emotions & feelings) that they choose to take it through the full writing process of brainstorming, drafting, revising and editing. As they write their draft, students will remember that all stories have a "way they usually go". Their "Slice of Life" story should also include characters, settings, a problem that reaches a highest point and then is resolved. They will learn to elaborate particularly important parts of their story in order to make readers slow down and pay attention. Another useful strategy of writers is to make characters travel through time and place, by adding scenes from the past and future. They will be focusing on creating the structure of their story not merely as a "newspaper reporter", but rather as a "compelling storyteller"... one who slows down parts deliberately, telling it bit by bit, stretching out the tension, in order to make it a more compelling story!

Math Workshop:

We are now heading into the last week of this place value unit. We will review briefly the concept behind multiplying decimal fractions by visualising the process on place value charts and connecting that to traditional algorithms. Then we will do the same for the process of dividing decimal fractions. This conceptual understanding is imperative, rather then merely memorizing and performing! It is also important for students to be able to realize whether their answer is "reasonable" or not. Applying these concepts to word problems will enable students to practice using the Eureka method of Read, Draw, Write. Can they show and explain their understanding?!!

Please follow this link for Tips for Parents from Eureka: Tips for Parents

Science Inquiry:
As a reminder to all, the two essential questions of this variables unit are:

1. How do good scientists conduct experiments?
2. How does changing part of an experiment (a variable) affect the outcome?

Investigations continue using the ramps this upcoming week and will allow students the chance to put into practice both the steps of the scientific method and investigating the outcome of changing variables.

This week, two of the classes (5G & 5J) will experiment with Pendulum - 'Swingers'. 5K & 5O will investigate variables with ramps.


Your partners in education,

Mrs. Kasal    lkasal@cacegypt.org
Mr. O'Sullivan josullivan@cacegypt.org
Mrs. Greene barmstronggreene@cacegypt.org
Mrs. Johnson cjohnson@cacegypt.org

TWiG5: This Week in Grade 5...
Sept. 10th-14th

Greetings and welcome to a full week of learning! We hope that you all had a nice weekend and are ready to jump back into the swing of things. Here are a few reminders about important dates coming up!

REMINDERS

* Peace Day: The annual Peace Day assembly will take place next week on September 19th. Students are encouraged to either wear a peace day shirt or a white shirt. Parents are welcome to attend.

The ES Peace Committee is planning a bake sale after school on Sunday, September 17th.  Our theme this year is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.” We are trying to build peace through meaningful actions such as raising money for the National Cancer Institute. If you are willing to participate in this Peace Bake Sale, please let your son/daughter bring their baked goodies in the morning to the ES Office on Sunday, September 17th.  If you wish to help in the sale, this would be greatly appreciated. You can contact Basma Salem bsalem@cacegypt.org  to volunteer for the sale after school by the lawn area.

We are encouraging our students to eat healthy snacks so we expect goodies to follow the same criteria. (muffins, banana cakes or bread, cup-cakes or brownies without extra chocolate and sugar icing are the best choices). Items will be sold for 15 L.E. each.

Your contribution always makes a difference.

Thanks,

The Peace Committee - PIPS (Partners in Peace)

* Unity Day: This is a special day for Grade 5 students. They will participate in fun, team-building activities for most of the day. Parents are invited to attend for the first part of the day. We will begin in the ES Hall. More details will be provided next week. The tentative date has been set for Sept. 20th.

* After School Activities: Starting this week, students will first go to the cafeteria to meet the ASA teacher before heading to the designated room. (Students in the ES Production go directly to the Drama room swimmers should go directly to the pool). Attendance is expected and taken weekly. Starting from the second session, students will go directly to their ASA locations on their own!

*MAP Testing: MAP testing takes place this week. Please support your child by encouraging them to get a good night sleep and eating a healthy breakfast.
Sept. 11: Language
Sept. 13: Reading
Sept. 14: Math
MAP testing is done at the beginning and end of the school year. It shows where the students of CAC are at compared to schools and students around the world. It also shows how much a student has grown academically throughout the the year and is a valuable assessment tool for the teachers and the school.

* Mid-Module Math Assessment: Students will write their first Eureka math assessment on Thurs. Sept. 14th. The rubric scores give an indication of how they are moving along the "journey" of this first unit, within the various subsets of the overall topic of place value and patterns. It can serve as a goal setting tool - seeing your strengths and areas to work on still before the end of module assessment in two weeks (Sept. 29th). We ask that parents sign the test and/or rubric and return them to the teacher.

* 5O Assembly will be this week (Tuesday at 7:55 in the ES Hall). Following the assembly, students will head to the ES lawn for a school photo.

*Class Photos: Class photos are taking place this week so it is time to get your shine on in Grade 5. If you are ordering photos, please send in the form with the correct change on the day of the photo. Sibling photos can be arranged by contacting the office.
*5K will have their individual and class photo on Tuesday, Sept. 12th at 1:00.
*5J on Monday at 2:00
*5G on Thursday at 2:00
*5O on Tuesday at 2:30

Curriculum Corner

Reading Workshop: 

This week students will continue to analyze themselves as readers. They are reflecting on their strengths, their goals, areas they need support in, favorite books and authors, and the work they are currently doing as readers. Students will finish their WANTED! posters as they search for the perfect reading partner. Students have also been working to balance their reading diet. Did you know that 50% of Good Fit books should be fiction and 50% of Good Fit books should be non fiction?
Students are expected to do A LOT of jotting and note-taking in Grade 5. You can support your child by encouraging them to jot at home as well as in school.

A few tips from Grade 5 students about how to build reading stamina:
* Read every day!
* Take small steps and slowly build.
* Read an author or a genre you love.
* Keep trying, don't quit!
* Try to read pass the minimum time.

Here is a strategy the students have learned to turn their jots in to longer writes to really push their thinking. It would be great to have them practice this at home.

Writing Workshop:

This week we continue to develop our narrative writing skills and write in a way that allows readers to really experience the moment along with the writer. One of the ways we can do this is "show, don't tell". Instead of writing, "the girl was sad", writers can try to show us she was sad... "the girl hunched over her broken doll and wept loudly". Writers often read great stories in order to write good stories and we will be looking at ways we can use mentor texts to get ideas.

Math Workshop:

Please follow this link for Tips for Parents from Eureka: Tips for Parents

A great video on why math is taught differently today: HERE

Our Grade 5 “Mathletes” are training this week further into the world of place value patterns, by naming, examining and comparing decimal fractions to the thousandths, as well as rounding decimal fractions to any given place (ie. nearest hundredths etc).

Naming decimal fractions in expanded, unit, and word forms in order to compare decimal fractions is the focus of Topic B.  Familiar methods of expressing expanded form are used, but students are also encouraged to apply their knowledge of exponents to expanded forms (example: 4,300.01 = 4 × 103 + 3 × 102 + 1 × 1/100).  Place value charts and disks offer a beginning for comparing decimal fractions to the thousandths but are quickly supplanted by reasoning about the meaning of the digits in each place, noticing differences in the values of like units and expressing those comparisons with symbols (>, <, and =).

Science Inquiry:

Our scientists have been experimenting and testing variables to see how changing one variable will affect the outcome of the standard experiment. This week, two of the classes (5K & 5O) will continue to experiment with our 'Swingers' before moving on to ramps. (5G & 5J have started with ramps and will switch to pendulums) 

As our pendulum work in the science lab nears full swing, students will have practice working through the scientific method process, and using all the habits of a good scientist. This includes making graphs from results, using the scientific vocabulary of the unit, thinking about variables and drawing some conclusions.

   Over the next two weeks the students will get another opportunity to deepen their precise understanding of how variables work, by beginning our investigations using ramped inclines to study the effect of variables on an object’s motion.  We have ramps and we will set up a “Grade 5 Raceway” in the Common Room for experimenting with variables such as the angle of ramp, weight and friction.

** Students are asked to bring in 1 Hot Wheel cars to be used in the lab **

** Vocabulary can be understood and reinforced through viewing these videos:

• Watch the Brainpop video on Force: http://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/force/
• Kids can take the Brainpop quiz on force after watching the video.
• Watch the Brainpop video on Gravity:http://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/gravity/
• Kids can take the Brainpop quiz on gravity after watching the video.

VOCABULARY old and new...

• inclined plane: a flat surface set at an angle, used to change the direction of a force
• pendulum: a mass hung from a fixed point, free to swing back and forth when put in motion
• push: force upon an object that moves the object away from you
• pull: force upon an object the moves the object toward you
• mass: weight of an object
• force: a push or pull
• gravity: force that attracts an object towards the Earth
• motion: movement
• speed: how fast an object travels
• distance: how far an object travels

Message from Guidance:

Gr. 5 Guidance Update –Empathy for Ourselves

 Empathy means to understand what someone else is feeling. It is strengthened when we love ourselves for our unique differences and when we embrace and appreciate the differences of others.

Students have been discussing what it means to love and appreciate themselves. They watched the following video that was created by CAC students two years ago:

Love Yourself Click on the link to see the video at home.

Students also took a personal needs inventory. The inventory gives a brief summary of personality traits they share in common with others in their class. The personal needs inventory is based on William Glasser’s theory on basic human needs. It gives a great deal of information about personal assets, fulfillment, stressors and challenges. A copy of the personal inventory as well as the summary page is available here if you wish to complete it at home. It is a great tool for everyone in the family!

Students will be bringing home their personal inventories and summary pages this week.  

Coming up in Guidance....

Digital Safety Rules

Rule #1 - I will protect myself online

1. I will ask my parent or trusted adult before sharing my Y.A.P.P.Y online

Y - Your Name

A  - Address

P - Passwords

P - Phone Number

Y- Your Plans

2. I will tell my parent or trusted adult if I see anything that makes me feel uncomfortable, sad, scared or confused.

3. If someone sends me a message that makes me feel uncomfortable, sad, scared or confused, I will

• Not respond
• Save the evidence
• Tell my parent or other trusted adult

Rule #2 - I will think before I post

1. I will not post anything that could embarrass me or damage my future, such as inappropriate texts, pictures and videos.

2. I will not post pictures or videos of anyone without asking their permission first.

Rule #3 -  I will respect other people online

1.  I will not post anything rude or mean online

2.  I will not send images or share nformation that might embarrass or hurt someone

3. I will be a helpful bystander online and will report cyber-bullying

Technology Update

At CAC grades 3-5 are in a one to one technology program. This means that each student has a laptop signed out to them for their use for the year. This computer will be one of the most valuable tools the students will use this year. However, to make sure that students, teachers, principals, parents, and the tech integrators are all in agreement as to how these devices are to be used it is very important that each student and a parent sign the user agreement in the student planner.

Once a student and her or his parent has signed the user agreement then that student will be able to use the laptop during class time. With the use of these computers the students will take another step in their preparation to become lifelong learners. One such program that will be helping the students this year is Typing Club. It is a program that is under the umbrella of Google. In this program the students can work their way through the ins and outs of touch typing. The program is designed for the students to work through at their own pace and can be accessed at home. This program will improve the students’ typing skills.

Message from the Principal

Principal's Coffee

September 11 @ 8:00 - 9:00AM

Elementary Hall

Agenda

• Welcome and beginning of year feedback
• Elementary PTO liaison 
• Challenge and Enrichment Specialist

"Come and meet Selena Gallagher, our new Challenge and Enrichment Specialist. Selena will share some information about our philosophy and approach to meeting the needs of our highly able learners, share some advice for parents about nurturing children's talents at home, and answer any questions you may have." 

Mark your calendars:

• Christy Curran reading writing workshop for parents, October 11
• Kg - Grade 2 reading and handwriting workshop, October 30 (repeated session from 16/17)

Your partners in education,

Mrs. Kasal   lkasal@cacegypt.org
Mr. O'Sullivan josullivan@cacegypt.org
Mrs. Greene barmstronggreene@cacegypt.org
Mrs. Johnson cjohnson@cacegypt.org