Our Teachers Assistant, Hannah, presented her longboard that she made in woodshop class when she was a high school student at OCSI. Students learned about the process that it takes to make a project that they are passionate about! 

Dear 5th-grade families,
Here is a recap of the things we did in August and a look ahead to what we will be doing in September:

• Math: Students have set up their new Reveal Math accounts along with their extra practice online games, Prodigy and Sumdog. Please have them log in at home for extra practice if you would like. Students are finishing up their 'Get to Know You' math posters and will hang them up in the classroom later next week. Beginning in September, we will be working on the problem-solving processes involved in finding patterns and relationships among quantities and values. Later on in the month, we will be focusing on volume. Beginning next week, homework will be assigned 3-4 times per week.
  
• Literacy: Students have been introduced to their classroom reading folders, homework folders, and weekly expectations. This year, students will be expected to read at home for 30 minutes a night while completing weekly tasks such as a spelling test, 4 pages of grammar homework, and completing AR tests. In September, we will be working on tracking interesting words throughout our reading and beginning our class read-aloud, Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate.
  
• Science: Students have created an interactive science notebook and are beginning to learn how to utilize them in class. Students have been learning the importance of note-taking and reflection in science. In September, students will complete hands-on investigations that have to do with the phenomena of matter and its interactions in our everyday life—mixtures, solutions, solubility, concentration, and chemical reactions. The driving question of our investigations will be: what is matter and what happens when samples of matter interact?
  
• Social Studies: With Mrs. Serjeant, Students have started studying the Mayan Civilization. In September, students will be comparing the Incan, Aztec and Mayan Civilizations through project-based learning.
  
• Bible: Students have been discovering the ways in which God shows Himself through Creation, design in nature, and in people’s consciences through worksheets, discussions, and small group activities. In September, students will begin a chronological survey of the Old Testament that focuses on a number of Bible characters, starting with Cain and Abel.
  
• SEL: Students have been introduced to our new SEL workbook called Friendzy. This month, the unit's catchphrase is "Better Together." Students will learn that God designed and hardwired us to function better together, instead of alone. In September, students will focus on a unit entitled "I can do it”. Students will be reminded that by being open-minded and hopeful, they can accomplish many things.
  
• Writing: With Mrs. Serjeant, students have begun to learn techniques for editing and raising the level of narrative writing. In September, they will be working their way through the writing process to write their own personal narratives. Students will complete their narratives by typing them and submitting them through Google Docs.
  
• Makerspace: Students have been introduced to the concept of a makerspace (or passion project) and have been shown sample projects from students in previous years. In September, they will be working on exploring and developing an idea for a hands-on project where they will have to solve a real-world problem and demonstrate mastery. Later in the month, students will be introduced to the basics of Scratch block coding.
  

UPCOMING 

September 5: No School - Labour Day
September 23: No School -  Respect for the Aged Day (Teacher Work Day)
September 26 - 30: MAP Testing
September 28 - 29: Picture day
October 10: No School - Sports Day