Welcome to our weekly newsletter update!Below you will find five sections (math updates, reading/writing updates, science/social studies updates, friendly reminders, and upcoming dates). If you have any questions or concerns, please send us an email.
Math Updates - This week we finished our Week of Inspirational Math to help students build a mathematical mindset to carry with them throughout the year. Please ask your student how they are utilizing that mindset each day in class. We began our first unit on place value and learned what Japanese Sansu math looks, sounds, and feels like, along with how to use their Bansho notebook. Please check-in with your student on how place value is going for them. If they need extra practice, please get in touch with me and I can give you some ideas for how to help at home. ST Math was introduced and has begun in class. All ST Math topics have been assigned as “homework”, which gives students the opportunity to work on the program at home. Again, this is not mandatory, but a strong recommendation. Some students also do not know their multiplication facts. Purchasing flashcards from Target, Walmart, Walgreens, or the dollar store can help. Next week, we will continue our work with place value and begin multi-digit multiplication. Reading/Writing Updates - We began our unit on the reading community this week. In our classroom reading community we will learn comprehension strategies, share our thinking, listen carefully to one another and work in a responsible way. To get started on that work, we read and reread The Lotus Seed and Something to Remember Me By as class. Scholars also read independently and built their reading stamina daily. We will continue and conclude this first unit next week. We will also launch our vocabulary work. I will share each week's words in upcoming newsletters. In writing we also launched a unit on building a community. In our classroom writing community we will write about what we are interested in, share and talk about their writing, learn what professional authors do, and become stronger writers. This week we focused specifically on the first parts of the writing process: generating ideas and drafting. We looked to the work and habits of professional writers for inspiration. We read The True Story of the Little Pigs (Scieszka), The Frog Prince Continued (Scieszka), an interview of Jon Scieszka, and select poems by Jack Prelutsky and Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Scholars began drafting their first works of the year. We will continue generating ideas and drafting next week with a focus on personal narrative. Social Studies/Science Updates - In this second week of school science class has been full of activities. Students have learned about forces on the earth’s crust, Continental drift, seafloor spreading, earthquakes, and the ring of fire. Students made models of the layers of the earth and of Pangea. While studying these topics, students learned how to use the Cornell note taking method. Our research has begun in social studies on how to heal the planet. Students are coming up with possible solutions to heal the Earth. This research will be used in their argumentative essay. Students used the Cornell note taking method while researching their topic during social studies class. Ms. Leventis Classroom Website: http://peirceroom324.weebly.com/ Friendly Reminders - 1. The Scholastic Book Club order code for room 323 is PBXW6. For classes that did not receive a paper catalog, you may still view the catalog online, use the code above, and submit an order. Please submit all orders by 9/30/18. 2. Backpacks - several students have been carrying around unnecessary supplies in their backpacks. The only items that they should have in there every day include: 2 journals (science and social studies) 2-3 folders (science/social studies and math) 1 pencil pouch Post-it notes Agenda Water bottle (optional) Any other items are not required for daily use and should be taken out and left at home. If you want to keep your extra supplies at home, that is fine. If you want your homeroom teacher to store the extra supplies, please have your student leave them at school. 3. Second Step is the social emotional curriculum we are using at Peirce along with restorative practices. Home Links are sometimes sent home to make a school to home connection about the content learned. If you are interested in utilizing strategies at home that connect to the program, please visit secondstep.org. Create a username and password and use the family activation code (SSP5 FAMI LY75) for 5th grade to create an account. 4. 5th grade has been picked for a dance performance field trip on September 28th at the Harris Theater. This trip was scheduled a bit late, please excuse our tardiness in getting this information to you. The cost of the trip is $7 per student. Please get in touch with your student’s homeroom teacher if cost is prohibitive for your student. Permission slips and trip money are due Friday September 21st. As soon as permission slips are ready, they will go home. 5. If you are interested in being a volunteer at Peirce, on a Peirce field trip, or any other school function, you must complete the new CPS volunteer process outlined below. We have several field trips coming up, so please get this done as soon as possible! For day trips, potential chaperones simply need to complete the short online Level 2 application process at cpsvolunteers.org. Upcoming Dates - September 28th Harris Theater Dance Field Trip October 29th Room 323 Bird Watching Field Trip October 30th Room 325 Bird Watching Field Trip October 31st Room 324 Bird Watching Field Trip *Volunteer chaperones must be cleared one month ahead. Please apply using the above link as soon as possible.* Yours In Education, Mrs. Berenson White, Mrs. Leventis, and Ms. Vaughn
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