Dear 5B families, The fifth graders put on such a marvelous show on Friday at my first ever Wax Museum! I heard from multiple teachers, administrators, and parents just how impressed they were with the quality of the speeches. Such great work! And without the lights, it just made it more dramatic and realistic for the time period! I am sure you all took your own photos (it was so hard without the lights!), but I also uploaded a bunch that I and the other teachers took to the Photos page. Algebra!!! We finished up multiplication and division of fractions this week with a full day of word problems and then a test. The class worked so well in small groups as they tackled some of the more complicated and multi-step word problems that we solved to help prepare for the test. One was even related to the Wax Museum...and almost morbid, but I took it another direction :) Luckily, so far the class is really enjoying algebra. Most of them had in their minds that it was something incredibly hard, or perhaps weren't sure what to expect. They were pleasantly surprised to discover that they already have a lot of background to support the topic. We started out with some really basic problems like 3 + __ = 5 and then we added in the variable so that it read 3 + b = 5. "Ohhhhh!" they said. "We know how to do that!" It was very fun to watch their mental progression as they learned algebra wasn't some mythical beast. The weirdest part for them is becoming comfortable with having an answer that doesn't look like an answer. For example, we did some word problems where the answer was something like 3x + 7. Leaving a problem that still looks like a problem is probably the hardest part for them because they aren't sure when they are done. But they are doing really great and plugging along, and the growth mindset that I am seeing is just fantastic! Below are the pages that we completed in our Interactive Math Notebooks (ISNs) this week. Ecosystems Terry from the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra visited us for our first lesson this week. The class got to see the ecosystem and discussed how introducing homes and fertilizer would affect the fish in the water and in turn affect the food chain. They then connected this back to music and how music would be affected if parts were removed or were over-powering. They were so engaged! One more week until Spring Break! We can do it!
Best, Rebecca Dear 5B families, We had some good times in 5B this week: the class taught me some two Morning Meetings games that they had played with Chrissy. To play Medusa, the group makes a circle and counts to 3. On 3, everyone looks up and looks at someone else in the circle. If the person you look at is also looking at you, you're both out. You keep playing until only one person is left. They laughed and laughed! And after the game was over they quickly formed a new circle to play again...while I hopped onto a chair to take photos of their antics :) The second game they taught me was Caught Red Handed. In this game one person stands in the middle of the circle and the other students sneakily pass three objects around the outside of the circle. The goal is for the person in the middle to try to catch someone passing an object. They were so silly pretending to pass or throw objects that of course I had to get up on my chair again for more photos! In math we learned how to divide fractions by a whole number and how to represent that with a model. Here we used a rectangle model since that was what I was more familiar with, but when we went to our workbooks we also practiced using bar models to show our work. The kids also worked collaboratively to solve some multi-step problems featuring multiplication and division using fractions. They were such great collaborators and listened to the ideas of their group mates! They will share their solutions on Monday when we review for our test. Their math test will be on Tuesday, but in the afternoon to accommodate some extra Wax Museum backdrop painting time. Below are some super important upcoming dates.
-Tuesday, February 27 there will be a math test on multiplying and dividing fractions. -Wednesday, February 28 Mr. Murdock has requested that all students arrive at school by 7:30am because they need to get into their Wax Museum costumes and prepare for their All School Meeting performance that morning. -Friday, March 2 is the student presentation of their Wax Museum characters. It will be in the Commons from 1:30-2:30. -Tuesday, March 6 we are taking a field trip up to Boston. -Thursday, March 8 is when the Wax Museum will go on the road and at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on their AHA night. Have a great rest of your weekend! Rebecca Dear 5B families, I received such a warm welcome on Tuesday morning! Plus cake (so delicious Jocelyn!) and cookies (such fun decorations Sidney!) on Tuesday afternoon. Thank you so much to all of you and your kids for supporting me and Chrissy while I was gone. Chrissy was the best substitute I could possibly ask for! I felt like I could be out and trust that the kids were well taken care of. The transitions out and back in both felt smooth as could be, and I loved how conferences fell where they did so that I could hear about how the kids had each been progressing. This was a pretty uneventful week. The students finished their ERB testing and prepped their portfolios for conferences. The most exciting academic event of the week was getting to start the backdrops for their Wax Museum projects. They started off by planning their backdrops on paper in class, and in art they started getting their large papers ready. The trickiest part was that the kids had to do a front or side view, instead of a top view. This definitely took some adjustment for many of them, and sometimes more than one draft. I'm so proud of them for being flexible in their thinking and doing more work when it was needed. Best,
Rebecca Hello 5B Families! Although our week was busy and productive, it wasn't a week that allows for much "product" to share. We spent a lot of time preparing for conferences, organizing research for the Wax Museum, taking ERB tests, and reading My Brother Sam is Dead. ERB Tests So far, students have taken the following sections: verbal reasoning, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing concepts and skills. Next week, the fifth graders will finish ERBs, including the following sections: quantitative reasoning, and math sections one and two. Thank you for continuing to send them to school well-rested and filled with a nourishing breakfast! Conferences Students have been working to organize their selected schoolwork and evaluate their progress in achieving the goals they set for themselves in the fall. They're excited to share their finding with you! If you haven't yet scheduled your child's conference, please be sure to email me. There are still slots available for Friday, February 16th. Rebecca and I look forward to meeting with you and your child! Wax Museum The class has been dedicating quite a bit of time and effort to researching their Wax Museum figures. They are taking notes on their historical figure in four categories:
The Wax Museum event itself will be held at school on March 2 at 1:30 in the Commons. We also are planning on having Wax Museum on the road for the third year in a row at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on AHA night. Stay tuned for more information on that. Donations for Haiti Many of the students in fifth grade decided to work with Maura Reimer to collect items to donation to impoverished children in Haiti. Maura is taking a trip there in March, and this social justice-aware group jumped at the chance to help her spread the word about what she is collecting, organize and manage the collection bins, and prepare the donations for her trip. Those who are participating will share the message with Maura next Wednesday at All School Meeting. Farewell!
Four weeks have gone by so quickly. The kids and I are very excited to welcome Rebecca back to the classroom on Tuesday! I've thoroughly enjoyed my time filling her place and fell head over heels for your kids. Thanks to all of you for embracing me as their teacher! I look forward to spending time with you during conferences and again at the Wax Museum. Can't miss that! Best, Chrissy Hello 5B Families! Our Patriot spirit was in full force last week! First, the class got a taste of what it felt like to be colonists forced to pay unjust taxes (more on that below). They also shared enthusiasm for the New England Patriots in hopes of a big Super Bowl win. Go Pats! Last week, students learned a bit of American Sign Language including their names and greetings. We used these signs in Morning Meeting and the class seemed thrilled to be able to communicate in a new language! (I recommend the website www.lifeprint.com if your child has a continued interest in ASL.) We took advantage of the newly fallen snow with a midweek sledding adventure. Be sure to check out these pictures! Beginning Tuesday, 5th graders will be taking ERB tests daily for about 40 minutes each day. Students were given practice tests last week and we talked a lot about the significance of these tests. Although we take them very seriously, individual results have no impact on students' grades and so the tests are nothing to be anxious about. ERBs serve the purpose of measuring the academics at Friends against that of other independent schools. They also give students good practice for future testing like PSATs and SATs. I encourage students to get plenty of rest and come to school fueled by a nutritious breakfast so they are able to give their best effort. Homework will be light during ERBs in order to facilitate good rest. Please let me know if you have any questions and be sure to contact Jeanne Machado after testing if you'd like schedule a time to review your child's scores. A friendly reminder that student-led conferences will take place on February 14th (after school) and February 16th (all day). If you haven't yet signed up for your child's conference, please send me an email with your preferred time. Thanks!
What a way to learn about the cause of the Revolutionary War! The day ended with a reflection about the activity and the class earned the right to enjoy what they had left of their Skittles. Multiplying Fractions We added many new pages to the ISNs this week! Multiplying fractions can seem like a simple process (multiplying straight across: numerator x numerator and denominator x denominator), yet these lessons gave the students a visual to help them understand the "why" behind the simple steps. Being accustomed to achieving a larger product when multiplying whole numbers, it can seem a bit backwards to get a smaller product when multiplying with fractions. These visuals help to explain how fractions impact the product. Students then worked in groups to solve word problems and present their solutions to the class. Also last week, the class reviewed the most common fractions and their decimal equivalents, such as 1/2 and 0.5, etc. They were quizzed on these facts and I'm so pleased to report that the entire class scored 100%!! Wahoo! My Brother Sam is Dead, historical fiction We began reading the first chapters last week, and were introduced to the main characters and the setting of the novel. We learned that the narrator's older brother, Sam, has joined the Revolution. A conflict arises when Sam's enthusiasm is met by his father's anger. We encountered a range of opinions about war and freedom in these early chapters, and took some time to discuss our own opinions too. Students were asked to formulate their opinions about statements such as "War is exciting," "Sometimes war is necessary," and "Children should obey their parents." (Side note, that last one was a unanimous yes.) Below is a snapshot of the lively debate surrounding the opinion, "The best leaders are fair." They all had solid reasoning to back up their opinions! Such a wise bunch of kids!! That's all for this week! Next week we will continue reading My Brother Sam, preparing for conferences, and researching for the Wax Museum, and we will begin taking ERB tests.
Have a wonderful weekend! Chrissy Hello 5B Families! Our week was filled with preparations for things to come: a new math unit, Revolutionary War studies, a new book of historical fiction, and student-led conferences. See below for descriptions of the ways we prepared and transitioned! Beginning next week, we will be practicing our standardized testing strategies to prepare for ERB testing. All Friends Academy 5th graders will take part in ERB testing during the weeks of February 5th and February 12th. Tests are broken up by subject and content, and are 45 minutes or less per segment. Once the testing is complete, we will submit the student answers for grading via mail. When we have the scores, parents can meet with Jamie to view their child's individual scores. *Important note: Conferences will take place in the classroom after school on Wednesday, February 14th and all day on Friday, February 16th. A sign up sheet is located outside the classroom. If you'd rather sign up via email, please send me your preferred times! Social Studies Having completed studies of the 13 colonies and the French and Indian War, we spent time last week discussing the events that led up to the Revolutionary War. Each student was assigned an historical fact or event from the Road to the Revolution and instructed to illustrate their piece. They then presented their drawings to the class using the document reader. In a mere 30 minutes, the timeline was complete! It will soon be laminated and displayed in the classroom. We visited the library twice last week to begin gathering research for our Wax Museum figures. Mrs. Griffin kindly guided students in finding books in the FA library and using their computers to search online. Look out Wax Museum, here we come! Math We wrapped up our Unit 3 studies of adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with a unit test on Wednesday. The class was given the opportunity to correct any incorrect answers over the weekend. As fifth graders, it is far more important that they solidify their understanding of these math concepts than be concerned with their test grade, yet test taking is good practice for them as soon-to-be middle schoolers. I'm proud of them for giving their best effort! To end the week, we began the next unit of multiplying fractions. We also took a break from math instruction and challenged our thinking skills in other ways by playing math games like Set, Prime Climb, and Tenzi. English Language Arts To extend the practice of note taking from last week, students were challenged to summarize during this around-the-room activity. Task cards were set up throughout the classroom and kids made their way from card to card, reading and condensing the information into 12 words or less. Not only was this good practice for their Wax Museum research, but they also learned some interesting facts along the way! Did you know that footballs used to be made from pig bladders, or that bats are the only mammals native to New Zealand?! The class worked on peer editing their Tuck Everlasting persuasive essays to answer the question, "If you were given the chance to live forever, would you take it?" Now that we have worked to understand the gap between the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary Way, reading will begin on Monday of the historical fiction story, My Brother Sam Is Dead. Conference Preparations Students began to prepare their portfolios for the upcoming student led conferences. By revisiting their completed work and the goals they set for themselves earlier in the year, they now have the opportunity to evaluate their progress and make the most of their remaining months as fifth graders. We look forward to witnessing this fulfilling process as they share their findings with you in February! Friends Fest Our annual family-friendly fundraiser, is on Friday, February 23rd. Don’t forget, the deadline to register and receive a free t-shirt for your child is Thursday, February 1st! Click here to learn more and register! Similar to last year, they will be running an online auction in tandem with FriendsFest. Some items available last year included: tickets to a Bruins game, a ski package to The Hermitage, pottery by our own Wendy Goldsmith, and an interior design consultation. If you would like to contribute something to this year’s online auction, please call Jodi Pink at 508.999.1356, or send her an email at [email protected]. Thanks for reading through this lengthy update! Rebecca has been keeping in touch with us and sharing adorable pictures of baby Joanna, and the class has enjoyed oohing and ahhing at each one. They sure do miss their Mrs. HK! :)
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Chrissy Dear 5B Families, Our week was chock full of learning and excitement! Tuesday started with the Secret Snowflake book exchange as the whole grade gathered together in the Commons to guess our mystery gift-givers before the secrets were revealed....drumroll please! Then on Wednesday, we received the news of baby Joanna Rose Hibbert-Kapler. So exciting! Fractions The class continued to practice their fraction skills by tackling word problems and presenting their methods to the group. The best way to learn is to teach! There will be a math test on Wednesday covering the following skills from Chapter 3: adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers, converting fractions to decimals, and fraction word problems. Students should be studying their ISN books as well as the chapter review sheet we completed in class together. Tuck Everlasting and Persuasive Essays Having finished Tuck Everlasting, we dove a little deeper into comparing and contrasting Winnie Foster from the beginning of the book to her at the end. The class used a Venn diagram to display their ideas of how Winnie changed from a proper young girl to a mature girl who thought for herself. We used the strategy of ORCEOS (Oreos with a C!) to organize thoughts/opinions and create a persuasive argument. We practiced this process by answering questions like, "Should schools be peanut-free?" and "Should students choose their own bedtime?" And then we read an essay written by a 7th grader titled, "Why chewing gum should be allowed at school" and extracted the author's ORCEOS components: O: Give Your Opinion R: List Some Reasons C: Address the Conflicting Point of View E: Explain or give Evidence to Back Up Your Opinion O: Restate Your Opinion S: Solution (if it applies) Students are currently working to write a persuasive essay to answer the pressing question from Tuck, "If given the chance to live forever, would you take it?" I look forward to reading their convincing arguments as to why they would or would not take the chance! After the persuasive essays are complete and we're ready to say goodbye to Tuck Everlasting, we'll move on to an historical fiction novel about the Revolutionary War called, My Brother Sam is Dead. Early American History Students took a quiz on Friday that challenged them to label an empty map of the 13 colonies and list the colonies by region. Next Tuesday there will be a short quiz on vocabulary from our 13 colonies reading. The words are listed on a study sheet and on Quizlet. As we continue our studies of the 13 colonies, the class was introduced to a method of note-taking called Cornell Notes. You can see an example of it below as the information on the left is compacted into the notes on the right. This method should prove to be useful as students begin to gather information on their Wax Museum figures in the coming days and weeks. Next week 4th and 5th graders will begin their new 4/5 activity on Friday afternoon last period.These offerings include writers workshop, tea set clay building, mindful art, wood shop, card games, Band of Friends, and random acts of kindness club. Kids are excited to get involved in new activities with some of their favorite teachers and some new friends.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Go Pats! Warmly, Chrissy Farias Dear 5B families, It has been a busy week! We have been so lucky to have Chrissy Farias with us as I get ready to transition out on maternity leave. Two teachers are better than one! It could be any day now...the baby is in control I guess! On Tuesday I had a lot of fun watching the class as they enjoyed sledding on the athletic field. We are so lucky to have such wonderful school grounds! Please check out the Photos tab for lots of great pics of them having fun in the snow! Secret Snowflakes have been great so far this week! The kids are having fun secretly giving their gifts and returning to find little surprises in their cubbies. On Tuesday students need to bring in a wrapped book. Kids should put a note INSIDE the book to their secret snowflake. They don't need to put the name on the outside of the book. I have a number of pieces of important information to pass along:
Fractions This week and next we will be wrapping up our current unit on fractions. (Next comes multiplying and dividing fractions!) There will be a math test on adding and subtracting fractions, including story problems and converting fractions to decimals, the week of the 22nd. Below are some photos of pages in the ISN that students filled out this week, so you can use the same language and strategies if you're helping your student with math homework. We also did some great collaborative work when we first started working on word problems. Students worked in groups to solve a word problem and found different ways to solve the same problem. They then presented their strategies to the class. We love communal learning in 5B, and this class works so well together, and understand more when they do it! Plus, they really seem to understand that they can learn from their peers who solve problems differently from them. Tuck Everlasting This week we finished Tuck Everlasting! The kids really enjoyed the book and had such amazing discussions about it. They are really catching on with the signposts, too, and analyzing the text on a deeper level. Some of the discussions we had included:
Early American History Fifth graders are learning about early American history, notably events that led up to the Revolution, such as the formation of the 13 colonies and the French and Indian War. In order to help them visualize the order of events, we started off the week with a timeline. Of course we had to connect this to math, and we discussed how to make the spacing on the timeline more accurate. We used pink stickies to mark every quarter of the timeline, and each pink section represents 125 years. There will be a quick quiz on the 13 colonies next Friday. The colonies are already up on Quizlet. Students will be expected to know the names and locations of the 13 colonies, and also which region they are a part of. We also practiced the strategy of Somebody Wanted But So while reading about the French and Indian War. You can see the class's ideas in the second photo. Best,
Rebecca HK and Chrissy Farias
The class has been sharing their independent study proposals. In an effort to help them think outside of the box with their ideas, I shared this video on creativity with them. The class was really shocked by how much creativity diminishes over time. I had them try out the paperclip activity and some of them did indeed get stuck after a few minutes, while others were able to stream ideas for the whole five minutes I gave them. The main take away from the video was that we are all born with creativity, but that it decreases over time. Some of them started to wonder and brainstorm about different ways that school could be organized in order to encourage more creativity. I think we do a pretty good job at Friends incorporating creative projects, but I would love for them to grow up and one day work to add more creativity into school systems! Here's an interesting article on the same subject. Working Together in Math On Monday before break we had pajama day! Also, the class worked together to solve word problems in different ways. They presented their various methods to the class. I love when they realize there are so many ways to solve a problem! Yay for flexible thinking :) On Friday Ms. Bookstein and I "tricked" the classes into doing division with an activity called Math Around the Room. The way it works is the problems are posted around the room and in the hallway. Pairs start at any problem. Once they solve that problem they have to search for the answer that is posted somewhere else. Once they find the answer they solve the problem on that paper. It gets them moving while doing math. And allows them to check their work at the same time (because if they can't find the answer anywhere they know they need to check their math...or look a little harder). Ms. Bookstein's class hasn't learned Partial Quotients, and I noticed some of the students in 5B showing them how it works. So much awesome collaboration! Best,
Rebecca HK Dear 5B families, Wow! This has been a busy week! We have enjoyed having so many guests in the classroom: Ms. Randenberg, Mr. Felix, and families! The class is looking forward to a short week next week (including a Monday pajama day!!!) and then on to vacation! Themes in History On Tuesday Ms. Randenberg was a guest lecturer in Social Studies. She taught us about maps! Students discovered that map makers make choices about their maps for a reason. For example, this map had multiple different types of words (some were capitalized, some weren't, some words were straight and some were curved). The class discovered that the map showed areas of what is now New England that were colonized by Europeans and the years they colonized those areas. In addition, they noticed that the map shows Native American groups and the areas that they lived. Taking it one step further, the class noticed that next to European settlements there were dots, but the Native American names were written in a curve. Why the difference? What do we know about how these different groups live? Well, Europeans planted roots by building houses and settling there, whereas Native American groups of the region moved with the seasons.
Tuck Everlasting On Wednesday and Thursday Mr. Felix taught the class how to use GarageBand. The kids are each making a song to represent the music box melody from Tuck Everlasting. The kids were immediately enthralled and got right to work! The room was filled with little tinkling sounds that came through the headphones. Only a couple of students have finished their songs, and they sound so amazing! I am working on a way to share the songs with you, but for now you can of course hear their songs on their computers. The class is really enjoying the book so far. It is full of places that go "dun, dun, dun!" I've had to make them promise to not read ahead :) Author Celebrations! Thank you to everyone who was able to come in to celebrate our authors! They said that it felt good to share their work with their peers and with parents! I think we got in all but a couple of families. If you didn't get a chance to come in, please reach out to me and we will find a time that you can come in next week! They also definitely enjoyed the hot chocolate and snacks :) Fractions This week in math we worked on fractions. The class reviewed how fractions and division are connected, which leads naturally into how to convert an improper fraction into a mixed number. We created a foldable showing the four steps from turning an improper fraction into a mixed number, and then we made another foldable where we practiced those steps. Then the class learned how to turn fractions into decimals by finding an equivalent fraction with a power of 10 (10, 100, 1,000) in the denominator. We will do a foldable on that next week, but for now students practiced this skill on whiteboards and their workbooks. Best,
Rebecca |