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

• Math: Students have been studying multiplying and dividing whole numbers with up to 4 digits. We have been utilizing a four-step plan for problem-solving questions. We have been discovering different ways that we can show our thinking and communicate our mathematical ideas clearly. In November, we will continue to study multiplication and division and will be adding factors such as decimals and two-digit divisors. Please continue to encourage your child to practice their multiplication facts as they are very important to remember as we get into more complex questions.

• Literacy: Students have been learning how to write book reviews and focusing on the rules of using capitals and punctuation within their writing. Our reading focus has been determining themes and been describing how a narrator's point of view influences the story. In November, we will be looking at Apostrophes, quotation marks and how to use numbers in writing. We will be working on creating book review book covers and continuing with our class read aloud, 'Hatchet' by Gary Paulsen (voted on by the class).

• Science: Students have completed 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. Students have been keeping detailed notes in their science journals and will be using these notes for unit tests and performance assessments. In November, we will continue to discover experiences with mixtures, solutions of different concentrations, and also engage in engineering experiences with separation of materials. We will also be experiencing a variety of ways to represent models to explain objects, events, or systems that cannot be observed directly.

• Social Studies: With Mr. D, Students have been studying the Aztecs and have come to the end of their diorama projects. In November, students will be studying Kings and Queens and modern-day monarchies.

• Writing: Students have learned the techniques for editing and raising the level of narrative writing. They have worked their way through the writing process to write their own personal narratives and submitted them through Google Docs. Students have also been working on their inanimate object narrative stories. In November, students will begin working on Research-based argumentative writing.

UPCOMING 

October 26 - November 6 - MAP Testing
November 25 - Pie Day
November 26 - November 29 Thanksgiving Break