Updates-
Wow! What a busy week! We have been busy sorting clothing donations for Crespo this week and we are tackling 5th grade learning objectives with vigor. Reminder- Fall Holiday is Thursday this week and there will be no school on Thursday. There will be school as usual on Friday.
As most of you know, 5th grade has been conducting a clothing drive for families in need at Crespo Elementary in HISD. Mr. Sarabia is the new principal at Crespo. We will be taking a field trip to deliver the donations on Friday. We had so many students interested in helping that we arranged for the whole grade level to go in shifts. Our class will be leaving campus at 10:30, staying one hour at Crespo and we will eat lunch when we return to Roberts at 12:30. Permission slips went home in today's Tuesday folder.
Progress Reports and more graded work were sent in the Tuesday folders today. Many students took opportunities to correct some work for a higher grade if grades were not passing. The 5th Grade team has been easing into our grading policy and here it is:
5th Grade Grading Policy
We have been giving students many opportunities for a “redo” and taking the higher grade in the grade book. Now that we are half way through the first grading period, it is time to adhere to the policies as outlined in our school wide Assessment Policy. The policy is as follows:
• A student shall be allowed a reasonable opportunity to make-up or redo a class assignment or assessment for which the student received a failing grade (less than 70%) after re-teaching occurs.
• Assignments that are a redo assignment are to be done at home as to not interfere with current class work.
• The redo assignment will be sent home in the Tuesday folder. It will have a note on it indicating that the student has the option to redo it. It is the student’s/parent’s choice to redo the assignment.
• The grade for the redo assignment will not exceed a 75% in the grade book. If the redo assignment earns a failing grade, the higher of the two grades will be recorded.
Thank you for being flexible during this transition time.
Parent Conferences- I am starting to schedule parent conferences. Some of you have already contacted me. I will be available Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:45-1:00 and 1:00-1:15. I will also be meeting with parents the day of the International Festival, October 14th starting at 12:45 and setting up times every 15 minutes until 3:15. Please e-mail me and I will keep everyone posted as to what is still available. criversi@houstonisd.org
Math-
With the field trip on Friday and no school on Thursday, we will be switching for Math 2 times this week. I will continue to have students complete Math practice in our class. If you are ever looking for Math reinforcement at home, all the students have a username and password for First in Math. Their password page that went home at the beginning of the year has the student information needed. This website has great Math games. The Everyday Math website also has games.
Reading-
DRAs are complete and we have started reading strategies. Strategies practiced include, writing key words next to paragraphs that tell what the paragraph is about for easy reference. Another important skill is retelling what has been read in student's own words. This is a cross curriculum skill and I am asking students to write/answer in the form of an open response and not in multiple choice questions. This is a new skill for many students and I am modeling and walking through.
Language Arts-
Independent Investigation Method ("double IM" or IIM) has started. Our Unit of Inquiry has been that our understanding of the universe is ever changing and we specifically focused our research on the center of our solar system and how our understanding of it has changed over time. We used 3 web sources to learn how to highlight/underline and restate in own words. We did this as a whole class. We took notes, organized our notes and wrote a paragraph. We studied the views of Ptolemy, Aristotle, Copernicus and Galileo. Our next IIM research topic will be on The Boston Tea Party. The research baton will be passed to students so they can practice determining what information has to do with our subject and taking notes in own words.
Unit of Inquiry-
We are wrapping up Earth and Its Neighbors and will start Response to Conflict next week. The guiding questions in this unit will be What events lead to conflict? Can conflicts be resolved without violence? What are the results of a conflict? This will overlay with The American Revolution and American History.
In addition to conflict, we will begin discussing Exhibition within the next couple of weeks.
Science- Matter will start next week. Students need to know the states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) and the properties of matter. More information will come next week.
Social Studies-
We have started the reasons for the American Revolution. Students will need to know the causes and effects, time lines and important Revolutionary figures. More information to come.....
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Blog Updates
Math-
I am sure that you are all wondering what happened to Math homework this week. Well, we have not started our Unit 2 yet. We projected to be ready to start switching students for Math classes and are not ready as soon as we thought we would be. We will be sending home a 5th grade parent letter explaining the switching of Math classes either tomorrow (Friday) or on Monday. Once Unit 2 starts on Monday, we will be focusing on estimation strategies to check for reasonableness, addition, subtraction and multiplication with whole numbers and decimals, problem solving strategies, comparing decimals, probability, partial products to solve Multiplication problems and comparing millions, billions and trillions.
Reading-
I have been meeting with students individually, listening to their reading, checking for comprehension and setting reading goals for the year. While students are working with me, the class is working on writing and/or Reading silently. We are working on finding books that are just right and not too hard and not too easy, but just right. We have a full class of avid readers and it is great to watch them read with such enthusiasm. NOTE- I talked with students this week because they were thinking that the time they were reading in class counted for their homework reading. It does not count and reading for 30 minutes a night (or 120min a week) is for homework.
Language Arts-
Students are working on writing in their Writers Notebook. Today, we worked on writing a friendly letter by taking on the persona of either a Native American or English Colonist. Students worked on rough drafts, we will then edit and rewrite.
We continue to work on editing and revising through DLR and work on spelling rules. We will be starting a whole class research project on Monday.
Social Studies-
We are up to Colonial Life in America and have completed the first Thanksgiving and King Philip's War. By the end of next week, we will be up to the French and Indian War. Students need to know the characteristics of each region, trade routes, compair and contrast city, town and plantation life, slavery in the colonies and important contributions of the people.
Science-
Earth and it's neighbors continues for about 2 weeks.
Needed
We still need a room parent for our classroom. If you are willing and able (I know how busy all of your schedules are!), we would love to have you and it would be truly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
I am sure that you are all wondering what happened to Math homework this week. Well, we have not started our Unit 2 yet. We projected to be ready to start switching students for Math classes and are not ready as soon as we thought we would be. We will be sending home a 5th grade parent letter explaining the switching of Math classes either tomorrow (Friday) or on Monday. Once Unit 2 starts on Monday, we will be focusing on estimation strategies to check for reasonableness, addition, subtraction and multiplication with whole numbers and decimals, problem solving strategies, comparing decimals, probability, partial products to solve Multiplication problems and comparing millions, billions and trillions.
Reading-
I have been meeting with students individually, listening to their reading, checking for comprehension and setting reading goals for the year. While students are working with me, the class is working on writing and/or Reading silently. We are working on finding books that are just right and not too hard and not too easy, but just right. We have a full class of avid readers and it is great to watch them read with such enthusiasm. NOTE- I talked with students this week because they were thinking that the time they were reading in class counted for their homework reading. It does not count and reading for 30 minutes a night (or 120min a week) is for homework.
Language Arts-
Students are working on writing in their Writers Notebook. Today, we worked on writing a friendly letter by taking on the persona of either a Native American or English Colonist. Students worked on rough drafts, we will then edit and rewrite.
We continue to work on editing and revising through DLR and work on spelling rules. We will be starting a whole class research project on Monday.
Social Studies-
We are up to Colonial Life in America and have completed the first Thanksgiving and King Philip's War. By the end of next week, we will be up to the French and Indian War. Students need to know the characteristics of each region, trade routes, compair and contrast city, town and plantation life, slavery in the colonies and important contributions of the people.
Science-
Earth and it's neighbors continues for about 2 weeks.
Needed
We still need a room parent for our classroom. If you are willing and able (I know how busy all of your schedules are!), we would love to have you and it would be truly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Welcome To Ms. Rivers 5th Grade Class!
We have started off to a great year and all of the students are settling into the academic year and diving into curriculum.
We have already started-
Math-
We have already started with a lot of new vocabulary and concepts, including factors, factor pairs, prime, composite, exponents, square numbers and exponential notation. Along with these new concepts, we are practicing multiplication facts for increased automaticity. We practice every day in class. Feel free to encourage your children to practice at home. There will be a Test on Unit 1 next week.
Social Studies-
We are setting the stage for Colonial America with a review of exploration and with learning colonization. Much of Social Studies in the 5th grade is learning the vocabulary related to the topic studied, cause and effect, sequencing events, categorizing, distinguish between primary sources and secondary sources. We have been covering Cortez and the conquer of the Aztecs and New Spain. Jamestown and colonial America will start next week.
Science-Lab safety and The Scientific Process have been the focus thus far. We will soon delve into the solar system. This will include: rotation and revolution in relation to time, causes of day and night, causes of tides, understanding of months and years, properties of the planets, understanding of orbiting, inertia and gravity, and finally, how our understanding of the solar system has changed over time. Earth and It's Neighbors is also our first IB Planner. We will be conducting research as a class and model the research process so that by the time the 5th grade Exhibition comes, students are ready to be independent.
Reading-
Establishing routines for working independently and in small groups is being established. We are practicing silent reading, working on writing, and listening. I will be meeting with small groups and individuals throughout the year and have started working with students one-on-one so that we can determine reading goals for the year. I will be meeting with students to develop writing goals as well.
Spelling/Vocabulary-
Wordly Wise is one of vocabulary development resources. Vocabulary development will also come from reading, writing and spelling. We will be alternating Spelling and Wordly Wise for a few months.
Thank you all for sharing your children. Each and every student brings something special to class and I am thoroughly enjoying them!!!
We have already started-
Math-
We have already started with a lot of new vocabulary and concepts, including factors, factor pairs, prime, composite, exponents, square numbers and exponential notation. Along with these new concepts, we are practicing multiplication facts for increased automaticity. We practice every day in class. Feel free to encourage your children to practice at home. There will be a Test on Unit 1 next week.
Social Studies-
We are setting the stage for Colonial America with a review of exploration and with learning colonization. Much of Social Studies in the 5th grade is learning the vocabulary related to the topic studied, cause and effect, sequencing events, categorizing, distinguish between primary sources and secondary sources. We have been covering Cortez and the conquer of the Aztecs and New Spain. Jamestown and colonial America will start next week.
Science-Lab safety and The Scientific Process have been the focus thus far. We will soon delve into the solar system. This will include: rotation and revolution in relation to time, causes of day and night, causes of tides, understanding of months and years, properties of the planets, understanding of orbiting, inertia and gravity, and finally, how our understanding of the solar system has changed over time. Earth and It's Neighbors is also our first IB Planner. We will be conducting research as a class and model the research process so that by the time the 5th grade Exhibition comes, students are ready to be independent.
Reading-
Establishing routines for working independently and in small groups is being established. We are practicing silent reading, working on writing, and listening. I will be meeting with small groups and individuals throughout the year and have started working with students one-on-one so that we can determine reading goals for the year. I will be meeting with students to develop writing goals as well.
Spelling/Vocabulary-
Wordly Wise is one of vocabulary development resources. Vocabulary development will also come from reading, writing and spelling. We will be alternating Spelling and Wordly Wise for a few months.
Thank you all for sharing your children. Each and every student brings something special to class and I am thoroughly enjoying them!!!
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