Monday -PE | Tuesday -O&A to Library for presentation on Braceros | Wednesday -ART | Thursday Geek Out! | Friday ASM -Draft of historical fiction due |
Important Upcoming Dates February 9th -- All School Meeting --dress to support your favorite state February 14th -- Kids are welcome to bring Valentines for the entire class. We will pass them out at the end of the day. Click here to see a list of names. February 15th -- Celebrations of Learning 5-6:30 February 19th-- No School, Presidents' Day | Volunteer with Level 3 Click here to sign up:
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Don't miss your chance to order the 2017-18 FGCS Yearbook! Click here to order and pay for yearbooks online with credit/debit. If you prefer to pay with cash or check, you may download a paper form here or pick one up in the school office. Deadline for orders is 4 p.m. Thurs., March 22.
Homework:
Reading: Read the newsletter as a family on Monday. Read a book of your choice the other nights.
Math: Daily math homework - check your child's agenda or contact teacher
Writing: Spelling assignment each night
Due dates: Due Friday-- Goal reflection, spelling homework & rough draft of the historical fiction
Project
A major highlight from this week was going to the Oregon Symphony. It feels good being able to give students experience with music. And, to have it connect with our project, in terms of immigration, is even better. We heard...
Gould: American Salute
Márquez: Danzón No. 2
Bernstein: West Side Story Overture
Copland: Variations on a Shaker Melody
Dvořák: Largo from Symphony No. 9 in E Minor
Sam Hyken: Tocatta y Fuga in D Minor
Fernández: Batuque
John Williams: Hedwig’s Theme
For our simulation, the Merlins continued to face trials and tribulations as they tried to create a successful colony. The room has energy as kids discuss what’s happened and what they plan to not only survive, but succeed. I wonder what type of music their colonial group would pick to represent their definition of "home" in the New World.
Ask, what were the highs and lows your colony faced this week?
Talk about their experience in Portland and attending the Symphony.
Extend the learning by thinking how music applies to your definition of “home”.
Literacy
We’re loving literacy right now! Our historical fiction stories are taking shape and we’re busy reading historical fiction dealing with colonial America or stories on immigration. One aspect of writing stories that I have always found hard for this age group is making sure students have a “theme”. However, the theme should be at the heart of the story and the drama (which is easier for kids to write) helps show the theme. But, many kids struggle to identify their theme even when they’ve taken time to chose one. Keep in mind the rough draft is due this Friday the 9th and the final is due the 16th.
Ask what is happening in the historical fiction book you are reading?
Talk about how theme needs to play a central role in the story your kiddo is writing.
Extend the learning by reading a historical fiction together.
6th Grade Math
Some of our conversations this week centered on the question, what does multiplication and division of fractions mean? Can we picture what’s happening in these situations? Please make sure your kiddos has turned in their permission form to help our student teacher, Kailey do the work she needs to do.
Ask what is 4/5 divided by 1/8? How can you picture what's happening?
Talk about what lesson your kiddo is on and what’s hard about it.
Extend the learning by finding ways to show your kiddo how fractions are in our everyday life.
5th Grade Math
This week we reviewed some tricky math skills from earlier in the year, like subtracting decimals and multiplication -- some of us were surprised by how much easier they had become with practice! The challenge group became our teachers on Wednesday as they broke down the steps for doing the lattice method - another strategy for solving multi-digit multiplication. Parents, if you aren't familiar with this method, there are resources online, like this. On Friday, students started to puzzle their way through multiplication of decimals. I was impressed with the way they proposed different theories, tested them out, and communicated their thinking with class.
Ask how does the lattice method work?
Talk about why should you choose different multiplication methods depending on the problem?
Extend the learning by teaching someone new!