WELCOME BACK KIDDOS

Welcome back to school on a beautiful spring day.  To catch up on things, this week we are finishing our Solar System poster and our Opinion final draft. Students are deep into the chard experiments in science.  In social studies we are taking a week to look at the US Constitution. Below is a picture of a remarkable mathmagician.  By placing in the Regional Math Contest, this humble learner won a place at the State Mathematics Contest later in April.  Way to go Isaac!

FIELD TRIPS AND FUN STUFF

This title is appropriate because it describes our week and it forecasts the Spring ahead.  Friday we are sending home a list of all known important dates and activities for the upcoming months.  You will see a general letter about our fun filled 5th grade spring and opportunities to get a head start on our fantastic 5th grade memory book.

On Wednesday, we took an educational field trip to the Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton.  Students learned a bit about the importance of this man and the trying times of WWII and the Cold War.  Pics will be posted below of kids exploring and viewing in the museum and in the oldest church in the Western Hemisphere (brought from England piece by piece)!  Finally, students witnessed a sculpture from the real Berlin Wall and reflected on the expressive contrast from both sides of the wall.

In reading, students have completed research on a solar system object for our solar system nonfiction posters.  After Spring Break, we will have one week to put together our simple poster for our topic.  We will share these posters on a solar system walk through the neighborhood and on the MKT trail.

Writers are reflecting on their opinion drafts.  We are revision for structure and precise language.  We will hand write a final copy in class due the Friday after Spring Break.

Mathematicians are learning multiplication of fraction skills.  We have spent a little time using models to support the concepts while students become proficient with the algorithm.  After Spring Break we will look at fraction division before preparing for the MAP test with some math review.

In social studies, we will finish our read aloud, My Brother Sam is Dead, about the Revolutionary War.  After Spring Break, we will discuss the Bill of Rights and the US Constitution.

Finally, in science, we have entered a new stage of our Garden as Ecosystems experiment.  Students designed an insect experiment using aphids and ladybugs to extend our soil experiment.  Scientists are making graphs in Excel, writing hypothesis and preparing a poster for the GK-12 Symposium. Check out pics of our scientists at work and a movie of a Convergent Lady Beetle feasting on a Green Peach Aphid on our Garden Ecosystem page.

Learning about the Blitz, Pearl Harbor, D-Day and aviation battles.

The oldest church on North America right in Fulton, MO!

This organ was also rebuilt by a famous organist.

Students learned how the church was rebuilt at Westminster.

This pulpit was donated by a church in England to remember the fallen in 9/11.

These shapes were cut out of an actual piece of the Berlin Wall.

Students were able to see the expressive contrast between the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc.

Our class did a super job on the field trip!

Weekly Update

Ms. Sweeny here to take a stab at the blog.  I was so happy to meet most of you at conferences, and have absolutely enjoyed getting to know each and one of your kids!  I'm looking forward to see what the rest of this year holds.

The week of March 10 was a busy week, filled with three tests!  Student's were assessed on their knowledge of the moon, of the American Revolution, and of adding and subtracting fractions.  Mr. Nies and I were very impressed with their abilities-- specifically in naming the moon phases and stating facts they learned about the American Revolution.  To study for the fraction test we used Cuisinere rods, which you can see fifth graders working with below.

Elson and Abeni hard at work!

Look at Stella, Alec, and Edward go!

I enjoyed checking out Cale and Jordan's models.

Great work Jordan R. and Sadie!

You should be able to view their excellent assessment work in this weeks Friday Folder.

Although we used a lot of time preparing for tests and taking them, we did allow time for some fun too!  Students looked at a website Mr. Nies designed about white-tail deer-- a website that would be similar to one they would be designing next week.

Christina, Stella, and Elizabeth hard at work!

Sadie, Elson, and Abeni too.

We were also able to meet up with our Kindergarten buddies at the public library.  Fifth graders picked out books and read to their buddies across the street.  We were so impressed with how well the "mini-fieldtrip" went that we want to go on more adventures to the library in the future.  Great job fifth grade!  Below you will find some very cute pictures...

ECO DIORAMA EXCELLENCE

I had the honor of viewing super great work today.  Check out the Eco Dioramas below.  These will be hanging in the hallway for all to see fiction plot connections and nonfiction setting facts.  Next in reading will be an examination of nonfiction features combined with a study of the solar system.  Speaking of the solar system: more great work on the moon phase assessment!  We will try to have these graded and in the Friday Folders this week.  Students will also have a small quiz in social studies and fraction addition/subtraction this week.  To solidify the fraction addition and subtraction concepts, students are using cuisenaire rod models along with the algorithm.  Tomorrow we will upload some photos of mathmagicians using these helpful, fun manipulatives.  Finally, fun brings me to science today where all 5th graders transplanted our chard plants to pots.  You can check out some pics of our outdoor work on the Gardens as Ecosystems link. We will start graphing our data for the soil experiment using Microsoft excel to help us craft our conclusions.

IMPORTANT DATES

Another sign of spring besides the warm weather and snow geese migration is a busy schedule!  I am updating important dates as best I can to the right.  I did want to include recognition of 2 cool science events families should try to attend.  This Saturday is the CPS/UMC Science Sleuth. There will be super fun activities this weekend at this event.  There some cool 8$ t-shirts to buy also which support CPS science programs for students. Also, April 26th is the GK-12 Science Symposium.  Our students attended this last year to display their 4th grade experiments with Mr. Franklin.  Our class will be revealing their Gardens as Ecosystem experiments and Garden Ecosystem Display at this event.  I encourage families to attend both events if they can, especially the symposium where students will be sharing their work with community scientists.  Plus, the class with the largest attendance can win a special science show and a pizza party!

RADICAL READ A THON!!

What an awesome day at Grant School!!  We raised over 11,000 dollars during our Read A Thon!!! Thank you families!!!  Our class alone raised over 2,000 dollars - the most of any class.  We chose to hang out with the MU football players as our reward.  Below are some pics from our day.  With all our guest readers and special events, kids were complaining there was not enough free reading time. So Ms. Sweeny and I offered an extended Read A Thon time (blankets and all) on Monday and Tuesday for those who have finished their Eco Diorama. Also, there will be a MOON PHASE test on Monday so kids may want to review notes and moon phases this weekend. Finally, there is a TON of stuff in the Friday Folder so please check it out!

Our first guest reader - Dr. Dewey from West Middle School.

Free reading here,

free reading there, 

free reading everywhere!

Here too!

And here!

We also had a pizza party today due to winning the Box Tops donation last month!

Students read music while playing ukuleles in music.

Mrs. Borduin! She was our second guest reader.

The cast of Edward Tulane

The cast of The Wizard of Oz

IMPRESSIVE WORK

Students impressed me with 3 major activities today.  In math, they took a Trimester math assessment which focused on variables, order of operations, and adding and subtracting fractions.  Below are snapshots of 3 different ways students used order of operations to solve a pretty tough problem.  Also, students were very cooperative and creative in writing a personal Declaration of Independence modeled after the parts of the one the forefathers of our country wrote.  We highlighted the importance of each part of the Declaration of Independence.  Our discussions led to how the colonial representatives were very sincere and believed in their actions and words so much they officially defied the King of England even knowing war may be a consequence.  Below are some more creative plans for student declarations. Finally, students were again cooperative and flexible so we could model the moon phases with Styrofoam spheres and a light bulb sun.  Tomorrow we will take a rest and enjoy reading all day.  Students will be working on their Eco Diorama, performing some book share plays, listening to guest readers, and free reading.  We may even get outside to read in the warm, spring weather!

IMPRESSIVE MATH WORK

CREATIVE DECLARATIONS (first drafts!)