Quarter 2 Week 5

Hello 5B Families,

I am so glad to be back and I have learned so much the past week at my Fellowship Program. I missed my class so much and it feels good to be back in the swing of things!

Here’s the info for this week:

The winter Music Concert is this Wednesday. I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Language Arts:

This week in grammar we will continue to review complex sentences and dependent clauses.  We will be taking a grammar test on Thursday covering conjunctions, independent, and dependent clauses.  We will finish the week by learning about persuasive writing with a fin Thanksgiving activity.

We are delving deeper into Where the Red Fern Grows. This week we will continue to focus on comparing and contrasting characters.  Students should have chosen their projects for the 100 Point Project and hopefully have begun working on getting some of the work completed.  This project has a TENTATIVE due date of December 9th.

Students will recite, “I Hear America Singing” next Wednesday and we have our next roots quiz this Wednesday!

Science:

To deepen our understanding of cells, we will be learning the difference between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. Then, we will begin learning about the various organelles found in eukaryotic cells. There will be a ton of brand new vocabulary so I suggest that students make flash cards of the new terms and study them daily.

History:

This week, students will learn about Michelangelo and his great works. Students will also take a look into proper etiquette as described by Machiavelli and Castiglione. Students will be taking home passages from The Courtier and The Prince to read and annotate on Tuesday for our socratic discussion on Thursday. These passages are very difficult and should be read with a parent or older sibling to ensure understanding. W e will also discuss the Renaissance in other parts of Europe and study guides will be sent home. The Renaissance test will be Tuesday, November 22nd. If you plan to be gone, please plan to have your child take the test early.

Math:

This week in math we will be learning to use our knowledge of fractions in word problems.  We will have a quiz on Tuesday. Our Unit 3 Test will be on Thursday and we will begin our new unit on Friday.

Quarter 2 Week 2

Hello 5B Families!

I hope you all have enjoyed the long weekend as much as your children have. I know it has been a treat for me!

BLOG UPDATE PROBLEM

It has come to my attention that the blog updates are not functional, so to ensure that everyone is aware of the goings on in 5th grade, I will be sending the updates via email. I appreciate your patience and support with this matter.

BOOK FAIR

The book fair begins this week! It will be open for student previews on Tuesday and open to the public by Wednesday. I encourage you to check it out, and maybe purchase your child a book to read during the Read-A-Thon on Halloween, as we will have independent reading time that day. There will be a 5B wishlist for you to peruse as well.

In other news, related to the book fair, Costo is selling awesome book sets right now at a really competitive price. The Roald Dahl, Nancy Drew, or Hardy Boys sets would make a really awesome Holiday gift to the classroom too if you feel so moved. :)

Thank you for partnering with us to encourage a love of great stories! 

SUBJECT UPDATE

• Language Arts

This week in writing we will begin our second formal writing assessment, a personal narrative.  We will start the week by discussing point of view and how to write an introductory sentence to gain the reader’s attention.  By the end of the week students will have completed their pre-writing.

In Literature we will begin Where the Red Fern Grows and will focus on point of view and using the text to describe the setting of a story.

We will also get back to Spalding, Greek and Latin roots, and poetry.

• Science

This week in science, the students will be acquiring knowledge about the classification of living things. This unit on classification will last approximately two weeks. There will be 2 take-home quizzes and one final assessment. They will receive the final assessment study guide on Tuesday and should work one it and review the material a little but every night to ensure readiness for that final assessment. A take-home quiz will be sent home Friday.

• History

This week, students will take an in-depth look into the powerful Medici family. They will work on a foldable to document their findings.

Students will also continue their geography unit by learning about the states in the New England region of the United States. They will have a short geography lesson every other Wednesday.

• Math

We will continue to build upon our knowledge of fractions.

Last Week of the Quarter!

Language Arts

This week in grammar and writing we will be reviewing conjunctions, compound parts, and compound elements.  We will have a short quiz on Thursday combining all of the parts of speech we have learned so far this quarter.  As a reminder, there will be grammar tutoring on Thursdays (instead of Math) from 3:05-3:40 pm.  

Students received a roots study guide last week, we will review in class on Monday  and will be taking a test over roots 1-25 on Wednesday, Oct. 5th.  

This week in literature we will be completing reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and are looking forward to our literature celebration on Friday.  Thank you so much to all the parents who have signed up to help and bring in supplies! To culminate our reading, we will be writing descriptive paragraphs about a character from the book using textual evidence to support their writing.  

We are currently working on our last poem of the quarter, “Narcissa,” by Gwendolyn Brooks.  Students should be prepared to recite their poem by Wednesday, October 5th.

Science

We are continuing the chemistry unit this week. We will be finishing The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking an open note quiz on Thursday.

The due date for the Science Fair Essay is quickly approaching! Please ensure that your child is working on the project such that they will be able to turn their essay in the last school day before Fall Break! Students will also be signing up for a project presentation date. They should bring in their poster board on the day they sign up to present.

History

This week, students will learn about the decline of the Aztec and Inca Civilizations. The unit test will be on Friday, October 7th. Note that this test is the day before students leave for Fall Break partaking in rest and relaxation! Students will turn in their journals on Friday as well, along with their completed study guides.

Math

We have completed Unit 2, and this week will move on to fractions.  We will spend a great deal of time focusing on factors and multiples this week and will use concrete materials to introduce fractions.  This unit relies heavily on a knowledge of both multiplication and division facts.  Please continue to review these nightly if your child is at all struggling.  Using flashcards or a math facts app in the car is a great way to practice.  The more comfortable they are with their math facts, the easier fractions will be!

Class Party

Hello!
The class party before Fall Break will be a literature celebration for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Please see the sign up genius below to volunteer time or materials! Thanks a million!

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/60B0E4EAAAF29A75-voyage

Quarter 1 Week 8

Hello Awesome Families!

Things to note:
The tutoring schedule is changing slightly. See the language arts section for details.
We are looking for responses to the homework survey. Please follow the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlchh5mKPleiDzDKA28MLJWjnPRigNTXg6PRMhTWjGmX7C8Q/viewform?c=0&w=1



Math

This week we will review all of the material in Unit 2, and will take the test on Thursday.  We will complete in class review of multiplication and division on Monday, and will then review order of operations as well as bar models on Tuesday.  During our Wednesday math groups we will complete the Unit Cumulative Review. If your student needs extra help, please be sure they attend tutoring on Monday and Wednesday!

Language Arts

Our students worked diligently on their descriptive writing paragraphs last week.  We have discussed how to use the writing process to make revisions and this week we will take our papers to publication by creating a class book.  We will also introduce compound elements and conjunctions in grammar.  We have had several requests for grammar tutoring, so beginning this week, there will be grammar tutoring on Thursdays (instead of Math) from 3:05-3:40 pm.  

We have also completed our 25 roots for the first quarter.  Students will receive a root review which they should begin working on.  We will take a test over roots 1-25 on Wednesday, Oct. 5th.  Please begin studying now!  

In Literature we are almost done reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  We will finish the book this week and are looking forward to literature celebration on Friday, October, 7th.  More details are forthcoming!

All of our students did a lovely job on their recitations last week, and we also introduced our next poem, “Narcissa,” by Gwendolyn Brooks.  Students should be prepared to recite their poem by Wednesday, October 5th.

Science

We are continuing the chemistry unit this week. We will be reading The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking notes throughout. We finally learn how the modern Periodic Table was organized.

The due date for the Science Fair Essay is quickly approaching! Please ensure that your child is working on the project such that they will be able to turn their essay in the last school day before Fall Break!

History

This week in history, we will continue learning about the Aztec culture and cover the Incas. Students will get their study guides on Thursday for their unit test. The unit test will be on Friday, October 7th. Note that this test is the day before students leave for Fall Break partaking in rest and relaxation! Students will continue journaling from the perspective of an Aztec or Inca at the end of each lesson.

Study Tip of the Week

Flashcards can contain many different types of information. Many students think we just use them for math facts, phonograms, and vocabulary words. We can also write the questions for study guides on one side and the answer on the other. For example, one side says “Which civilization developed an accurate calendar based on the sun?” and the other side says the answer, which is “Maya”. Encourage your children to make flashcards based on study guides or worksheets that are sent home. They will get to review the information while creating the flashcards, then a valuable resource to quiz themselves when they are done.

Quarter 1 Week 7

Hello Everyone,

I would like to remind you that this Wednesday is the 3rd-5th Math and Phonics night. This event is designed to educate parents on how they can help and enrich their students at home. Do you have a difficult time helping your kids with homework? Or do you want to know how to challenge them? You should consider attending. This event will actually be taught by Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Lynch, and me. Please look for the school's correspondence about this event and RSVP as soon as possible. We are looking forward to working with you!

*In other news, the September birthday bash will be on the 23rd since there is no school on the 30th. Please bring a treat to share so we can celebrate your child's September birthday together.

Language Arts

This week in writing we will begin our first formal piece of writing, a descriptive paragraph.  Students will choose a topic and will then go through the writing process to revise and edit for a final copy.  In literature we will continue to study characterization by finding textual evidence to support our inferences about the characters.  Students should be working to memorize their poems, and recitations will begin on Wednesday!

Science

We are continuing the chemistry unit this week. We will be reading The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking notes throughout. We will learn about the pitfalls and successes of the early chemists. Our Friday activity will solidify our understanding of elements, compounds and mixtures.

Students should continue be working on their project at home!

History

This week in history, we will continue learning about the Maya culture. Students will get to participate in a friendly game of pok-ta-pok and engage in a socratic discussion involving the disappearance of the Maya. Students will continue journaling from the perspective of a Maya person at the end of each lesson.

Math

All of our students did a wonderful job working through various types of word problems last week!  This week we will begin reviewing and practicing long division and multiplication and will review bar models that use these operations.  

Study Skills

Starting this week we will begin to introduce new study skills to help the students as they prepare for Prep!  This week we will focus on using flashcards to aid in studying.  Students will practice pulling seven cards to study at one time, putting the cards to the side that they show mastery with, and focusing on the cards that need more review.  They can repeat that process with the remainder of the cards until they have gained mastery of all!

Quarter 1 Week 6

Don't forget that Picture Day is this Thursday!
Also, there is math tutoring being offered on Monday (3:05-3:40), Wednesday (2:05-2:45), and Thursdays (3:05-3:25) by each of the teachers.

This week in 5th:

Language Arts:
It’s back to grammar this week as we introduce our next part of speech, pronouns.  We will also be reviewing collective nouns and the simple subject and simple predicate.  In literature we will learn how authors use different methods of characterization to help the reader understand characters in the story.  Our new poem, “A Bird Came Down the Walk,” by Emily Dickinson was introduced last week and students should begin memorizing it.  I was very impressed with all of our recitations last week!

Math:

Our focus this week will be understanding different types of bar models and how to use those models as a way to help us solve word problems.  We will also be reviewing how to use different mental math strategies.  

Science:

We are starting the chemistry unit this week. We will be reading The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking notes throughout. Furthermore, we will explore the relationship between acids and bases. In tandem with these studies, the 5th grade class will be working towards a science fair. Each should be conducting an experiment over the next four weeks at home and recording their progress in the project packet. Please contact Ms. Stapleton with any questions.

History:

This week in history, we will be reviewing for and taking our unit test on World Lakes (Tuesday). We will set up our notebooks for our new unit on Ancient Meso-American Civilizations and begin studying the Maya. Students will have the opportunity to journal from the perspective of a Mayan person.

Quarter 1 Week 5

This week we will be celebrating Grandparents Day. Make sure the grandparents RSVP to the special assembly!

Math
We will be working on mental math strategies and word problems this week. 

Science

We will be reviewing the Scientific Inquiry process. There will be a test on Friday. This will cover the vocabulary words we have learned so far and asks students to apply the to the experiments we have done together in class. Keep in mind that Science Notebooks will be collected and graded on test day. This is a big science grade! The 5th Grade Science Fair project will be assigned this week as well. Be on the look out for it, as the packet requires a parent signature.

History

This week in history, we will be continuing our new unit on World Lakes. Students will learn about the lakes of North America and Eurasia. Students will also be taking several short quizzes and creating notecards to prepare for their upcoming test. Study guides will be sent home on Thursday and their test will be on the following Tuesday.

Language Arts

In writing and grammar this week we will be taking a break from grammar and will spend the week discussing how to write paragraphs that show instead of tell.  In Literature we will continue to read Voyage of the Dawn Treader and will discuss the difference between flat and round characters..  We will continue to complete our Spalding notebook set-up and will receive new words on Monday and Tuesday, and will take the test Thursday.  Make sure to keep reviewing our newest roots for the quiz on Wednesday.  Students should have the poem, “Some Opposites” memorized by Wednesday!

Quarter 1 Week 4

This week in 5th grade:

History

This week in history, we will be continuing our new unit on World Lakes. Students will learn about the lakes of Africa and South America. Students will also be taking several short quizzes and creating postcards about a lake of their choosing. We will end the week with lakes of North America.

Science
Students will be learning about the engineering process. We will be discovering independent and dependent variables through the engineering of a “mint mobile”. There will be a short quiz on Tuesday covering the vocabulary words hypothesis, control variable, and experimental variable.

Math
Thank you so much to the parents who volunteered their time to get our math groups up and running.  They were a success thanks to you!  We will begin our next unit covering order of operations, mental math and the distributive property on Monday.

Language Arts
In writing and grammar this week we will be learning to diagram, identify, and label prepositions and prepositional phrases.  We will also be having a test over all of the parts of speech we have studied this year on Friday.  In Literature we are enjoying reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader and discussing how characters can change over time.  We will be completing the majority of our Spalding notebook set-up and will continue to receive new words on Mondays and Tuesdays, and will take a test over those words on Thursday.  Make sure to keep reviewing our newest roots for the quiz on Wednesday and to work on memorizing our poem “Some Opposites (Due next Monday).”

Quarter 1 Week 3

This Week in 5th Grade:

Science

Students will be applying their knowledge of scientific investigation, once again, in an interactive science experiment. Through this week’s lab they will learn how to share their scientific findings with others. The following week, we will be doing an engineering lab to explore dependent and independent variables. I am requesting donations of a few materials. Please follow the sign-up genius link if you are willing to donate. I need the materials by August 26th. Thanks! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f4da4ae2fa0fe3-science

History

This week, students will be preparing for their first unit test on Spacial Sense. The unit test is on Wednesday in their homerooms. We will be studying U.S. geography throughout the year. Originally, this is all supposed to be one unit in May, but we have split it up into different regions. Students will start with an introduction lesson this week, with more lessons between units. We will have periodic quizzes and a final exam toward the end of the year. We will also start their new unit, World Lakes, on Friday. We will be looking into the major lakes of Africa.

ELA

In writing and grammar this week we will be taking a break from grammar and focusing on writing summaries.  We will be reading both narrative and expository texts and will develop a well written summary of six to seven sentences.

Math

We will be working on multiplying and dividing large numbers. There will be a unit test on Friday covering everything we have learned so far in 5th grade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are cordially invited to our Curriculum Night events, taking place on Wednesday, August 24th (grades 3-5). The event starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Arete gymnasium, with opening remarks from Mr. Gillingham, Ms. Pantalena, and Mrs. Mason. 

The purpose of this event is to acquaint you with the school's curriculum and individual classroom procedures across all grade levels. Teachers will give parents an opportunity to ask questions. (Please note, this is a parent only event.) We look forward to seeing you there!

Schedule

3-5 Curriculum Night: Wednesday, August 24th

Curriculum Night Schedule

6:00-6:25	Welcome and opening remarks in gym (Mr. Gillingham, Ms. Pantalena, and Mrs. Mason)
	A-L	M-Z
6:30-7:10	Homeroom	Specials in MPR
7:15-7:55	Specials in MPR	Homeroom

Quarter 1 Week 2

Hello Wonderful 5B Parents!

It has been a wonderful start to the year in fifth grade. We have a wonderful class and I am truly excited about the adventures to come. I have just a few announcements and reminders:

1. Math tutoring will be held every Wednesday from 2:05-2:45. Please let me know if I should expect your child to stay for tutoring. Additionally, please be in the car line no later than 2:45 because I must attend the staff meeting which begins promptly at 2:50. Thank you in advance for your courtesy.

2. Curriculum night is coming up next week on Wednesday the 24th. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending that evening. Students should not be in attendance that night so please make arrangements as needed.

This week in fifth grade:

Language Arts:
This week in ELA we will be reviewing nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives in grammar, and will practice diagramming basic sentences.  In Spalding we will continue to set up our notebook and will have our first test on Thursday.  This year students will have 15 words to practice on Monday and Tuesday and we will test over the list on Thursdays.  We are already enjoying reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and will continue to read and annotate in class this week.  Wednesdays we will take a short quiz to review the last four roots we have studied in class.  Students will be responsible for knowing the meaning of the root as well as an example of a derivative.  

Science:
In science we are exploring the scientific method through experimental observations. You may have heard about our penny lab last week. This week we have another interactive project planned that will give the students insight into the importance of variables. 

History:

In History, students will be continuing their study of World Geography. Students will: 

-Plot coordinates using longitude and latitude lines 

-Discuss the time zones in relation to the International Date Line

-Create globes out of balloons, labeling the important imaginary lines of the world

-Prepare for a vocabulary quiz

We will have many short, low-stakes quizzes in history (usually two per week, lasting no more than 5 minutes) to solidify learning. Students will take their first unit test on Monday, August 22^nd.

Math:

In Mathematics we are working on place value, approximation, estimation, factors, multiples, and learning a new skill- prime factorization. Please check over your students math homework every night, if you are able, to ensure that they are taking the time to practice these skills correctly at home. 

Welcome!

Greetings 5B Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to Fifth Grade! I am so excited you are joining my class this school year. As a Great Hearts teacher my classroom culture is joyful and dedicated to virtue, and academic rigor. We will spend time reading imaginative and awe-inspiring literature, discussing deep questions, and persevering through challenges. I look forward to watching your students grow into virtuous leaders and lovers of learning who enthusiastically embrace the good, true, and beautiful. 

This will be my third year teaching at Arete. In addition to my time working with fourth graders, I received a Bachelors Degree with High Distinction from the University of Virginia. At the University, I double majored in Religious Studies, focusing on Christianity and Islam, and in Italian Studies. It was through the Religious Studies Department that I participated in the Distinguished Majors Program, in which I wrote a research thesis on pneumatology in early Syriac baptismal liturgy. At the University, I also worked closely under Dr. Vigen Guroian, a Children’s Literature consultant for Great Hearts Academies, who personally recommended me for my position at Archway. Moving to Arizona to teach at Archway Arete was the best decision of my life. It was here that I met my husband and found a wonderful community of friends and family. When I am not teaching, my husband and I love going Diamondbacks and Suns games and we are especially excited to be attending the NCAA finals next year here in Phoenix. We also love hiking when the weather is cool, visiting the Gilbert Farmer’s Market, and catching the latest blockbuster. We have a dog named Coco who loves to go on adventures with us all over town. I can’t wait to begin this school year, and to get to know all of you!

Throughout the year, I hope that we will stay in close contact in order to best care for your child. You can reach me easily through email at lprestipino@archwayarete.org. Additionally, I will maintain a classroom blog (stapleton5b.blogspot.com) where you can find information about upcoming tests and classroom events. I recommend you use the “follow my blog” widget on the right side bar so that you receive an email when the blog is updated. I look forward to getting to know you and your child at Meet the Teacher night this Thursday.

Respectfully yours,

Mrs. Stapleton

Greetings,

           

My name is Jared Holmberg and I am Mrs. Stapleton’s 5^th Grade Teaching Assistant. I am so excited to meet you this evening, as I am here to help Mrs. Stapleton give your child the best education they can receive. I am truly honored to have the privilege of investing my resources into your child’s education. I anticipate that we’ll have a marvelous year together!

           

I hope to meet you tonight, but before then, I want to provide you with a short description of who I am. For the last five years, I have been a student athlete at Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, MI). During my time at Cornerstone, I studied history and literature and competed on nationally ranked Cross Country and Track and Field teams. The last 5 years have been a period of excellent growth in my life where I have acquired a deep passion for those disciplines and athletics. During that time, I have also gained a love for recreational activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, and travelling.

           

My previous experience in teaching involves teacher-assisting College World History courses along with Children and College ministries. I can’t wait to bring my experience and passions in to the classroom to inspire your child with a sense of wonder and depth of inquiry.

My best to you,

Jared Holmberg

Last Week of Fourth Grade!

I can't even believe it! The last week of school is upon us!

Assessments this week!
History Test on Monday
Roots Test on Wednesday

We will be wrapping up things in all subjects this week for a nice and tidy finish to fourth grade.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are all 1/2 days. You do not need to send in a lunch for your child, but they might desire a snack on Wednesday since there is no party that day.

*Please send in a sturdy bag in addition to the backpack on Friday as we will be cleaning out our desks and bringing our materials home for the summer.

Our class party will be on Thursday. Please see the signup genius from our classroom Mom's to find ways to help out with that. We will play games, eat snacks, and sign memory books/ yearbooks.

The summer birthday bash will be on Friday. You can end in a party favor gift, or snack, for your child to share with the class. We will sing Happy Birthday and there will be great joy.


Please remember to complete the Family Satisfaction survey. If you missed the first email, you can find the link embedded in todays newsletter or at the following link (http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2777401/9c07fb56941a). 
Please, please complete that survey if you are able. It provides the teachers valuable feedback about their performance, and gives administration a look into our classrooms from your perspective.