September 19, 2019
Dear Fifth Grade Parents and Students,
Here’s a look at the week ahead.
Math:
Mr. Schreck–Chapter 2: Multiply Whole Numbers
Friday: Students will receive usernames and passwords to log-in to Connected. This is the on-line companion to the textbook. They will also receive user names and Passwords to ALEKS.
Here is an overview of ALEKS:
Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn’t know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics she is most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained. ALEKS courses are very complete in their topic coverage and ALEKS avoids multiple-choice questions. A student who shows a high level of mastery of an ALEKS course will be successful in the actual course he or she is taking.
Monday: Lesson 1, Prime Factorization
Tuesday: Lesson 1 Review
Wednesday: Lesson 3, Powers and Exponents
Thursday: Lesson 4, Multiplication Patterns
Ms. Semandiris-Students have received their username and password to log on to Connect-ed, which is our math text e-book. Please try to log on with your child and explore the site at home this week.
9/23 Chapter Pre-Test
9/24 Chapter Test
Chapter 2, Multiply Whole Numbers
9/25 Chapter 2, Lesson 1, Prime Factorization
9/26 Chapter 2, Lesson 3, Powers and Exponents
9/27 Chapter 2,Lesson 4, Multiplication Patterns
Mrs. Heuer-This week we are concluding our first unit: Understanding Decimals. In this unit, we learned some background on decimals, which helped us to better understand how to add and subtract decimals. Next week we will begin our second unit where we will learn how to multiply and divide decimals. Next week we will also start ALEKS, which will be a supplemental online learning system that we will use in class periodically throughout the year. Students are also encouraged to work through their ALEKS path at home. If a parent or student ever needs any information on math homework, please visit my homework page @ math.holyrosaryws.org and click on the 5th homework page. Finally, I am really encouraging students to do their very best work each night. Their HW should always be neat and clear, and they need to read all directions.
Reading: 5th Reading: Students are enjoying a humorous fiction excerpt from Wayside School is Falling Down. We are focusing on Story Elements of Characters and Setting along with the basic elements of Plot: Conflict, Main Events and Resolution. The author, Louis Sachar, makes use of the literary device of Irony, which adds to the humor in the story, and tells the story from a third person omniscient point of view. On Wednesday, 9/25, the students will have a test on this lesson covering the Vocabulary and use of context clues, comprehension of the story and point of view. We will spend Monday and Tues. reviewing this in class.
Social Studies:We have been working on Chapter 1, the Geography of the United States. Today we went over all the answers to the “Handout – maps A-D” in which we have been working on in class. Students were instructed to correct their answers if their answers were incorrect. A study guide was also handed out with the information that needs to be learned for the Chapter 1, Geography of the United States test. Students should be spending 15 minutes each night to study for the Chapter 1 Test on 10/4.
Science:Students will investigate germs in depth and explore the two types of germs that are responsible for a majority of the communicable illnesses that infect humans, bacteria, and viruses. They will explore different diseases and apply their knowledge to identify a mystery illness spreading around a hypothetical school.
Religion:Students begin Ch. 2, Made to Be with God. Students will explore the sense of longing we all feel as part of the desire God put in our hearts to be truly happy with him. They will also examine the search for happiness through the Gospel account of the Woman at the well (John 4:7-29)
Language Arts:We have our Lesson 1 Spelling Quiz tomorrow, Thursday 9/19. Lesson 2 Spelling Quiz will be Friday 10/4 (Friday will be the usual Spelling Quiz day). We will be introducing opinion writing next week by exploring texts supporting a point of view with reasons and information. Students will create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Have a good weekend!