As evidenced by the plethora of pictures and info on my last couple of posts, the fifth grade has been busy having fun AND learning all month long. We continued our exploration of energy last week by doing experiments with conductors by testing how long it took for slabs of butter to melt from various materials. We then tested insulators by wrapping warm water bottles with various materials and plunging them into icy water and observed how quickly the water in the bottle lost its heat energy. This week the students will be designing their own water bottle to be an ultimate insulator. I look forward to seeing which materials the students want to test!
In reading, we connected our close reading skills with our studies in energy. Students read books about Energy in the Home, Energy in the Factory, Energy in the Airport, and Energy in the Sports Arena. They identified key vocabulary, answered comprehension questions using text evidence, and identified internal text structures. They will be further using what they learning in these books as they begin important research in the LMC on renewable energy sources.
A few notes about Halloween from Mrs. Sessler:
We look forward to the fun Halloween festivities at school this Friday, October 31. Following are just a few helpful reminders:
**Send a note before Friday to notify us if your child will be going home for lunch on Halloween. Students will not need to be signed out if we have a note on file. If we do not have a note, you will need to sign your child out in the front offiice before they are allowed to leave.
**Zip Line is the only school lunch that will be provided on Halloween. There will not be a hot lunch.
**Students in grades 1-5 do not wear costumes to school. They can go home to change, or change at school during the lunch hour.
**Parade begins at 1:15. Classroom parties begin between 2:15 and 2:30.
Dont't forget:
The Department of Student Learning would like to invite you to an evening presentation on the past, present, and future of PSI (Problem-Solving Innovation), the role of the Advanced Learning Facilitator (ALF), and how these pieces of learning in District 25 benefit your children. In collaboration with Mrs. Akemi Sessler, Principal, and Mrs. Laurie Wasik, the Advanced Learning Facilitator for Dryden, we invite you to the Dryden Commons on Wednesday, November 5, 2014. We will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a 20-30 minute presentation and will provide time to answer questions regarding these topics. If you are unable to attend this particular evening, the presentation will be repeated at other opportunities this school year.
Last week we began WIN Time! The students loved switching classes and mixing things up! As a reminder, the fifth grade will be rotating students during WIN (What I Need) time. This means that students may be switching to meet with another fifth grade teacher from 2:10-2:40 Tuesday through Friday. We have combined students across the 5th grade to target areas that would be most beneficial for each student (Enrichment Reading, Math, Literature, Informational Text, and Vocabulary). These groups are flexible, and we will be reviewing which area of focus is best matched for each student as we progress through the next few weeks. Mondays, students will remain in their homerooms to work on writing and other areas of need, as they arise. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about WIN time.
I hope you all have a super week! Enjoy the last of the warm weather and have a very Happy Halloween!