January 11- 22, 2010

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

I hope that you have been keeping warm during this freezing, cold weather.  We have had another busy and crazy week in fifth grade!  Here is what we will be doing this coming week.

Accelerated Reader:

Students are expected to ALWAYS have a book to read in class, beyond their reading group novel. Students are expected to read an Accelerated Reader book and take a quiz.  They need to pass at least three of the quizzes with a minimum of a 70% a nine weeks.  For the third quarter students are responsible for completing three Accelerated Reader tests.  Our first Accelerated Reader for this quarter must be taken and passed by this Tuesday, February 2^nd.

Language Arts:

We are continuing to practice our grammar and editing marks every morning.  We will also engage in some more intense SOL review this week and in the weeks to come up until the writing SOLs in March. As we close in on that time, the students will be given several more practice writing prompts from previous years’ tests as well as take sample multiple choice tests.  Please remind your child to take their time with their work and double check it before they hand it in.  The red group will begin reading their Civil War novel, Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt.  The green group has begun reading their next novel based on the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder and will continue to work on reading it.  The orange group has also begun and will continue reading their next novel based on the Civil War, Charley Skedaddle by Patricia Beatty.  The blue group has almost finished reading …If You Traveled On The Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine and will begin reading Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith.  The students received their spelling unit list and packet today.  There will be a spelling test on FRIDAY, January 15^th.  There will be no Spelling list or test for the week of January 21^st.   Please encourage your child to study for his/her words throughout the week.

Math:

This week we will be finishing Unit 6.  In this unit we have studied more ways to organize and interpret data through the use of line plots and stem and leaf plots.  Also we have used the line plots and stem and leaf plots to identify potential situations that describe the data.  Also we reviewed addition and subtraction of fractions as well as finding least common denominators (LCD) and quick common denominators (QCD).  Our test for Unit 6 will be on Friday, January 15^th.  Later on next week you will receive the family letter for Unit 8.  In Unit 8, we will continue with our theme of fractions and also discuss ratios.   If your child continues to struggle with math homework, please encourage him or her to take home the Student Reference book every night.

 In order for your child to be successful in math, he/she must know addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.  SO, PLEASE, review these facts with your child every night for 10 minutes until he/she knows them. By know the facts, students will find new math concepts easier to learn.

Social Studies:

This week we will begin our new unit on Reconstruction, the period of rebuilding after the Civil War, and the challenges that our country, especially the South, faced during this time in history. We will continue to discuss Reconstruction and specifically talk about the hardships faced by former slaves. Also we are still hard at work on our Civil War PowerPoint projects that we will continue to work on for several more weeks.  The students will be working with our technology coordinator, Mrs. McGee, to create a PowerPoint and Inspiration presentation on a specific battle during the Civil War. 

Fifth grade would like to invite you to come Monday, February 8th from 6:00 – 7:00 pm to see your student present their Civil War project they have been working so hard on! 

Science:

We have continued exploring our unit on Oceans.  We have identified the parts of the ocean floor, as well as our major oceans and seas of the world.  We will also be discussing waves, currents, tide, salinity, and ocean life.  Also we will be studying about the biological characteristics, in particular ecosystems.  We will have our unit test on Oceans on Thursday, January 28^th.  The vocabulary and concepts being taught in 5th grade Science are difficult.  Please encourage your student to bring home their Science book to use as a reference and review the terms nightly.

Other:
Tests/Quizzes:
As the school year progresses, grades are reflecting the amount of effort that students are putting into preparing for tests and quizzes. Studying is essential to succeeding in fifth grade, and succeeding in fifth grade is essential to passing the state-standardized SOLs in the spring. I am encouraging each student to study/review material every couple of days since the brain remembers material better over time rather than simply the night before a test or quiz. I am asking you to also encourage your child to form good study habits and to study for tests and quizzes.

Pamplin Park Field Trip

Last week you should have received a very important letter about our Pamplin Park field trip on April 23, 2010.  This letter was meant to inform you about the details of the upcoming trip, such as departure and arrival times, cost, and chances for chaperoning.  Also this letter included payment plan options.  The 5^th grade teachers are asking to please make sure that you sign and return the bottom portion of the letter indicating your payment choice by Friday, February 5^th!

Box Tops/Campbells Labels: 

Please support the BEEKS PTO by collecting Box Tops and Campbells soup labels.  These help raise money for our school and go towards lots of supplies for our school.  Also collecting these helps our class get the chance to win an ice cream party for collecting the most in the school!

Important Dates:

Tuesday, January 12 – BMS Winter Concert

Friday, January 15 – Unit 6 TEST

-       Spelling TEST

Monday – Wednesday, January 18-20 – NO SCHOOL (Holiday & Staff Workdays)

Thursday, January 21 – MBE Chili Cook Off

Thursday, January 28 – Ocean TEST

-       Talent Show Auditions (afternoon)

Friday, January 29 – Early Release

-       BEEKS Buddy Day w/ Pre-K

Tuesday, February 2 – AR # 1 due

Friday, February 5 – Pamplin Park Payment Form due

Monday, February 8 - 5^th Civil War PowerPoint Presentations (6:00-7:00 pm)

If you have any questions or concerns, please always feel free to contact me.  I am always willing to discuss any questions that you may have, you may contact me at school from 8:00-8:15 a.m. or 3:30-4:00 p.m. (951-5700). If you prefer, you can also send me a note or e-mail me at akruckow@mail.mcps.org  If you wish to speak with me in person, please contact me at school to set up an appointment.

Thanks for taking the time to read through this lengthy letter and for the support you give at home.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Allison Kruckow