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Spelling: We reviewed compound words today and remembered that they are formed with two words combined together, such as night + time = nighttime.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: None today due to extra time with math. We’ll have an extra reading time tomorrow.

Writing: We talked about adding visual details to show what a character looks like. Important characters should have several details or even a whole paragraph to describe them. Minor characters might just have a single visual detail.

Students also worked on revising today, and many chose to look for places to add visual details to describe characters. A personal narrative will be due Friday, October 14; your student should be finished with their draft and looking for places to revise and change words and ideas.

Math: Students completed a STAR Math test today. Homework is to practice math for at least 15 minutes using MobyMax Math or Khan Academy.

Science: We watched a live, in-flight escape test from Blue Origin. We’ve seen this reusable rocket many times on the news, sometimes landing successfully, sometimes exploding while landing. Today, we watched the launch livestreamed, and everything went almost according to plan. The capsule was supposed to land at 3 mph, but the retrorockets didn’t fire, and it landed at about 16 mph. All of this was a good reminder about how scientists need to collect evidence to prove their ideas, and how doing repeated tests is the way to collect evidence. The rocket from today’s flight had been tested four times previously. Scientists tested on an empty rocket today so that it will be safe for humans in the future, just like scientists complete clinical trials to test medicines to make sure they are safe for future users. We’ll be studying space at the end of 5th grade. Here’s a replay of the webcast:

Social Studies: None today due to our reading skills practice day using MobyMax Reading Stories.

Notes:

• Homecoming Spirit Week is October 3-7. Check our class calendar for the spirit schedule.
• Pajama Drive: our school is collecting donations of money or pajamas. Donations will be given to the Salvation Army to provide for children in need. Please consider how you can help and thank you for those that have already contribued.
• Have you set up a Daily Homework Time for your student? Consider 15 minutes of math, 15 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of something else to make a brain smarter!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View links to all the websites we use in class.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 6th grade.

Spelling: Today was a preview of upcoming spelling words.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Students completed a STAR Reading test today. You can check JupiterGrades to see how your student performed.

Writing: We reviewed the idea that complete scenes have a mix of talking, action, and visual details. It’s like a taco salad: the best salads have a mix of delicious ingredients, not just one or two. That would be exciting. Writing is the same way. It’s best as a mix of details.

Students also worked on drafting today. A personal narrative will be due Friday, October 14; your student should be finishing their draft at this point (about a page typed).

Math: We practiced mental math strategies to add and subtract. Students also worked on finishing decimal place value skills at MobyMax or Khan Academy today, and some have started our next topic of decimal rounding, addition, and subtraction. Some students have unfinished decimal place value skills; you might want to check JupiterGrades to see how your student is doing. Homework is to practice math for at least 15 minutes using MobyMax Math or Khan Academy.

Science: We discussed our class data from yesterday’s experiment about how medicines are tested on people scientifically. We learned that a placebo is something that looks like real medicine, but has no actual medicine in it. It’s used to see if a real medicine works, or if there were other factors that affected the people in the clinical trial. For example, if many people who took the actual medicine reported feeling better, but a much smaller amount in the placebo group felt better, that would seem to indicate that the medicine has a positive effect. Homework is to finish analysis questions 1-4 on pp. 14-15 if not finished in class.

Social Studies: With a guest teacher, students read about American Indian cultures. Students also worked on a digital review and MiniQuiz online. Homework is to finish the Lesson 3 key ideas, “Got it?” and quiz if not finished in class. There are several students that either aren’t completing their digital review during class or for homework, or aren’t turning it in. You might want to check JupiterGrades to see if your student has assignments marked, “not finished yet.”

Notes:

• Homecoming Spirit Week is October 3-7. Check our class calendar for the spirit schedule.
• Have you set up a Daily Homework Time for your student? Consider 15 minutes of math, 15 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of something else to make a brain smarter!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View links to all the websites we use in class.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 6th grade.

Spelling: None today due to a class meeting. I sent students a short survey about how class is going this year. The results are in the class Data Center.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was discussion day in Literature Circles.

Writing: Our writing time was shortened today due to a visit from high school football players and cheerleaders. Students did have time to work on some drafting today.

A personal narrative will be due Friday, October 14; your student should be nearing the end of their draft at this point.

Math: Students continued to work on decimal place value skills at MobyMax or Khan Academy today. This time was also shortened by our time with the high schoolers. We’ll be starting decimal rounding, addition, and subtraction later this week. So now is a good time to finish up any leftover decimal place value skills. Homework is to practice math for at least 15 minutes using MobyMax Math or Khan Academy.

Science: We used yellow and pink lemonade to complete a simulation about how medicines are tested on people scientifically. We’ll finish this experiment tomorrow.

Social Studies: We learned about how American Indians changed their land by digging irrigation canals and burned shrubs to grow grasses. Students also worked on a digital review and MiniQuiz online. Homework is to finish the Lesson 2 key ideas, “Got it?” and quiz if not finished in class.

Notes:

• Homecoming Spirit Week is October 3-7. Check our class calendar for the spirit schedule.
• Have you set up a Daily Homework Time for your student? Consider 15 minutes of math, 15 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of something else to make a brain smarter!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View links to all the websites we use in class.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 6th grade.

Spelling: We completed a spelling and skill test today.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was an informational reading skills practice day.

Writing: We talked about writing complete scenes by including some action, some talking, and some visual details. Students also worked on their draft today. By Sunday night, your student should be half done with their draft (about half a page) if your student wants to stay on schedule. A personal narrative will be due Friday, October 14.

Math: Students worked on decimal place value skills at MobyMax or Khan Academy today. Homework is to practice math for at least 15 minutes using MobyMax Math or Khan Academy.

Science: We set up our next experiment about how clinical trials test medicines scientifically.

Social Studies: We read about how American Indians in different regions had different cultures and used different naturals resources to survive; they used whatever was available to them.

Notes:

• Homecoming Spirit Week is October 3-7. Check our class calendar for the schedule.
• Have you set up a Daily Homework Time for your student? Consider 15 minutes of math, 15 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of something else to make a brain smarter!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View links to all the websites we use in class.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 6th grade.

Spelling: We learned that punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence. For example, “Oh?” would be asking a question and “Oh!” would be making an exclamation, and the only difference is the punctuation. We also reviewed the correct punctuation for dialogue.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles; some groups worked on making connections as a reading strategy.

Writing: We learned a strategy for thinking about personal narrative ideas called, “digging up buried stories.” Students drew a map of a familiar place and wrote “X’s” to mark the spot of an interesting memory. Then they selected one idea to prewriting about. Students started prewriting for characters, places, and the plot. Homework is to finish prewriting for the next piece of writing, another personal narrative, due Friday, October 14.

Math: None today due to our extra writing time. Homework is to practice math for at least 15 minutes using MobyMax Math or Khan Academy.

Science: We reviewed our last science experiment about the story of Pellagra. Students also submitted their notebooks for a grade.

Social Studies: None today due to the Fall Fundraiser kick-off assembly. Fundraiser orders are due October 12.

Notes:

• Have you set up a Daily Homework Time for your student? Consider 15 minutes of math, 15 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of something else to make a brain smarter!
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View links to all the websites we use in class.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 6th grade.