Week Four

Happy Friday to all family and friends of 5D!

Wow, we are fully into the swing of things in fifth grade!  This week your children have exemplified our Growth Mindset and have thought deeply about the way they see things.  We have worked diligently to speak/think/believe with a growth of learning.  Please ask your children all about it and how they are tweaking their talk/thoughts and behavior to reflect this mindset.  I am excited to see the metamorphosis they will all experience this year!

BEFORE I FORGET!!!

Our first early release is next Wednesday, September 28th!  Students are dismissed at 12:50.  We do serve lunch in the cafe.

Here are a few happenings from our week!

• In math we began place value of decimals, our first unit.  This week we looked at the three ways to write decimals (word, standard and expanded).  We also talked about the base ten number system following patterns where one place value to the right is TEN TIMES larger while one place value to the left is 1/10th of that digit.  We also compared and ordered decimals and finished the week off with games.
• In reading we had one of the most honest, thoughtful conversations about whether or not reading is important as well as what we, as readers, like and dislike about reading.  This conversation came as a result of a lot of students sharing that reading was not a favorite.  My hope is that talks like these will help me better understand how to help each individual with the goal of learning to like/love reading!  Some pictures below are of the students AFTER this talk. Being heard was important to them!
• In writing, the students continued to blog.  In class we made an anchor chart all about QUALITY blogs and comments.  On Wednesday, I pre-assessed the students for our first narrative unit.  On Friday, I began the unit starting with Turning Points (those emotional points in your life that make great stories).
• Our Classroom Agreement (the way we want 5D to look/sound/act like) is coming along nicely.  This week students worked in pairs and trios to take the results from a student survey to create guiding statements for the class.  It's a work in progress!

                                                           Building a Reading Life!

                                                Classroom Agreement Pairs and Trios

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