Week of 5/3/10 - 5/7/10

It is now officially May and we are busy in the fifth grade. Not only are we busy here at school, but I know many of my students are involved in baseball, softball, soccer, etc., etc.... Spring is my favorite sport season, particularly baseball, but let's not lose sight of everything we are still learning at PV. Please continue to motivate your child to study and do homework before their sport, if possible. I remember my own kids coming home so tired after a game that all they wanted to do was shower, eat, and go to bed! But, I do love May!!

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Students from Project Challenge have started a fundraiser for the ASPCA, a foundation to stop animal cruelty. The kids will be selling Smencils® (scented pencils) for a 1.00 each. The pencils will be sold each morning in the grade level areas. The sales will start Friday April 30th and go through May 28th. We will track our sales on the bulletin board by the multi-purpose room. For every twenty dollars we raise, one food bowl will go up on the bulletin board. So please help save our animals. Buy Smencils.

Coming up this week:

Spelling: Lesson 31 – the prefix ex: pretest on Monday; test on Friday

English: On Monday the students will take their test on Pronouns. The rest of the week will be devoted to persuasive writing. This class did a tremendous job with their expository writing; I am curious to see how well they will be able to persuade!!

Reading: We continue to use the reading strategies and skills that we have learned throughout the year using the novel Jacob's Rescue. This week, we will particularly focus on summarizing, inferring, and predicting. Our novel takes place during the Holocaust and involves Jacob, a Jewish boy who is sent to live with a non-Jewish family in order to stay safe. I am sure the children will enjoy it.

Social Studies: This week we start Chapter 12, “Times of Change.” The United States turns 50 in Lesson 1. What a great nation we are becoming! Sadly, the Native American people are being pushed off their land in this lesson; we will read about the Trail of Tears.

Science: We have finished Lesson 1 and have begun Lesson 2 which focuses on the moon. We will specifically learn about its phases this week.

Mrs. Klacza's Math Class:

We will finish our very short perimeter lesson and take our chapter test on Wednesday. Chapter 24 which covers volume and area is up next!

Important Dates:
5/3 – Start buying smencils!
5/13 – Students visit Lakeview to see Oklahoma (dress rehearsal)
5/14 – Early Dismissal
5/31 – Memorial Day/No school

Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Klacza