Week 4 on the Wizards

It was so great to see so many of you at the Harvest Dinner and Open House.  We hope your 5th grader gave you a tour that helped you to know more about their day, our team, and our learning. 

Field Trip:

We will be going to Audubon this coming Wednesday from 8:45 - 1:30.  

• Please make sure your student filled out and returned the green paper that indicates whether or not they want a bag lunch from the school.
• This trip is entirely outside rain or shine.  Make sure your student is dressed for the weather, including light rain and cold/hot temperatures.
• There is no potable water available so students should bring a water bottle.
• We plan to leave at 8:45 so please be sure your student is here on time for school.  

Math

We are continuing our exploration of volume from last week.  Students are moving from 2-d thinking about area to understanding the how we measure volume.  Students will be working on developing their own strategies for how to group and measure cubic units in a rectangular prism.

Chuck the Chicken

Last Friday as a team-building activity we tried playing Chuck the Chicken which has traditionally been a Wizard favorite.  We had an unsuccessful first time playing this game with arguing, people refusing to participate, teams not working together, etc.  On Wizards, when something doesn't work, we brainstorm how to fix it, practice, and try again.  Friday afternoon we tried the game again and it was a huge success.  

Students participated in a circle posing problems and then solutions that would help us have a successful game. 

Chromebook Expectations 

Students have been very excited to get their brand-new Chromebooks.  We appreciate those of you who reviewed and signed the acceptable use agreement. If you have not yet had a chance to sign this, please take a moment to do so and return them as soon as possible.  This week students were given an expectation relating to Chromebooks and in a group of 3 had to create a skit to teach others about the responsibilities of having a Chromebook.  We hope you can continue some of these really important conversations about technology use.

Snack/Recess

We go outside in all types of weather.  A few students were a bit surprised by Friday's chilly temperatures and continued rain.  Please remind them to dress appropriately for the weather and bring layers. There are often wet feet so an extra pair of socks in the backpack couldn't hurt either. Despite the weather, a large group of students continues to very successfully run their own soccer game while other groups enjoy their snacks and some friend time.   

Language Arts

We've been working on strategies for both reading and writing. This week the students brainstormed a list of what they might think about while they are reading. (See poster below.) Then while they read, they recorded their thoughts.  This gets them practicing the metacognition of reading. 

We've also been working on "Feral Writing." If this wasn't explained to you during your Open House tour, maybe ask your child what it means to them and see what they say. We were also focusing on what their individual processes as writers look like, sharing those with the larger group and finding inspiration from one another.  I am so thrilled to see the level of excitement in my class around writing!    Please ask your child what their feral writing looked like this week.