Friday, May 18, 2012
Dear Families,
With Dorothy’s return, it’s wonderful to be back with the complete 4-5 team. We’re in full swing completing projects for the end of the year. Today we enjoyed a wonderful field trip to the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden. Special thanks to our parent drivers and chaperones. Students participated in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, where the actual tea got mixed reviews, but the ritual itself provided opportunity for awareness and reflection. We learned that the Japanese tea ceremony was started 400 years ago during Japan’s civil wars in order to provide a peaceful place and time. The garden was in full bloom and exquisitely beautiful, and we all learned a little bit about how fast bamboo grows, how to make a pine tree look like a dragon, and the sounds that bull frogs make on a spring day. We also enjoyed climbing a hill modeled to look like Mount Fuji. Photos coming soon!
As our 5th graders prepare for middle school, they are excited and filled with many questions. In order to ease their transition, all 5th graders will be visiting either Joe or Shirley’s homeroom in small groups next week. Groupings are random and in no way indicative of placement for next year. Please let us know if you have any questions.
SOCIAL STUDIES/ LANGUAGE ARTS
With much of their research completed, students have begun synthesizing their information and writing first drafts of their non-fiction books. It is rewarding to note the considerable progress students have made in sorting out relevant information and applying it to a central theme for their project. Many children have found great resources online and are excited to share them with their peers. We look forward to wrapping up the writing process and moving into an investigation of the way non-fiction texts are formatted.
SCIENCE
Students are building Rube Goldberg machines in small groups and their science journals have become their inventor's notebooks. These are a place to jot down ideas and make changes to their on-going sketches. Students are also working to make their teams productive and collaborative. Each day, students choose one intention to focus on for the class. Time is also set aside at the beginning of each class to share brainstorms and new ideas.
MATH
4th grade mathematicians are working on data analysis and currently looking at the stock market to provide a model for their work. Along the way, we’ll be exploring tally tables, bar and line graphs, and pie charts. Students have been very enthusiastic about the opportunity to choose stocks, become traders, and connect to a real-world model for their math learning. If looking for opportunities to extend learning at home, look at section J on IXL. 5th graders are comparing and equating fractions, decimals, and percentages.
NEWSWORTHY NOTES
Mark your calendars for THURSDAY, JUNE 7th from 5:00-7:00. The 4-5 will be hosting an event to celebrate our work this year. Students will share meaningful projects from throughout the year that represent their growth as learners and their passions as individuals.
Other important dates are…
· TUESDAY, MAY 22: Dorothy’s class hosts a bake sale at lunch and snack to raise money for their crane project.
· THURSDAY, MAY 24 & FRIDAY, MAY 25: PDS Used Book Fair·
· MONDAY, MAY 28: Memorial Day, no school
· MONDAY, JUNE 11: 5th Grade Moving-Up ceremony, followed by 4-5 picnic at the Hyman household
· WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13: Graduation; half-day of school
