Hello 5th Grade Families,

We have so much happening at TRS this time of year. This week, students are looking forward to the band and chorus concert this Wednesday, June 4th, and our field trip to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum this Thursday, June 5th. As a reminder we will be leaving the school at 8:00 am and returning at 1:30 pm. Students should remember their lunch choice and plan accordingly. 

We will be stressing the importance of respectful behavior while at the Mills’ Museum.  This time of year students need frequent reminders to treat each other with respect. Classes have had many conversations recently about students needing to keep their hands and any negative comments to themselves. If you could find time at home to discuss the importance of continuing to be a kind and hardworking student, we would appreciate your support. 

Current Topics of Study: 

Social Studies: We have been learning about the 13 Colonies. We had colonial activity stations set up in my room. Students had the chance to make butter, learn to sew, play colonial games, write letters with a quill pen and more. This week students are working in groups to create recruitment posters for colonial skills/trades. They will be presenting next week and can bring in props or dress in costume representing their trade. Lastly, our final assessment on the 50 states will be this Friday. Students will need to know location, capitals, and abbreviations for all 50 states. We have been studying in class, but it would be helpful for them to review at home as well.

Math: Students just completed their color by math assignment to show their understanding of converting measures and multiplying fractions. We will have a final project to creatively demonstrate a skill mastered and a skill that could use refining. 

Reading and Language Arts: We are speeding through Module 3 (“A War Between Us”) of the Wit & Wisdom program! We spent time viewing short videos, as well as reading excerpts from The Boys’ War, which included first hand accounts from soldiers in the Civil War, as a means of gaining background knowledge surrounding reasons for the war. Currently, we are partway through The River Between Us by Richard Peck which is told mainly from the point of view of a young lady who grew up in Grand Tower, Illinois during the war. It’s a dense read, but the students are doing well with it. It might be a bit ambitious, but I am hopeful to end the year with one final opinion essay summative. 

Science: Students are using the Engineering Design Process to build sailboats in science. Be on the lookout for an invitation to come in and see their work. 

As always please reach out with any questions or concerns,

The 5th Grade Team