CLASSROOM NEWS FROM MRS. DENNY'S 5TH GRADE

CURRICULUM:
Reading/Writing: We are reading short stories and determining the author’s purpose: to inform, to entertain, to persuade, etc.

Students have been sharing their train stories with the class, and next week they will give their oral book report to the class. Your child has been assigned a specific date to deliver his/her oral report next week.

A concept introduced in writing this week was persuasion. Some persuasive techniques discussed included peer pressure, loaded words, repetition, and band wagon.
Students will be using those techniques in their own writing.

Spelling: Our unit this week focused on words with Greek and Latin roots.

Math:
Saxon Math concepts this week: Finding the greatest common factor in order to reduce fractions, finding the least common multiple in order to add and subtract fractions, multiplying and dividing fractions, converting fractions, decimals and percents, and area and perimeter.

AIMS Prep: We have been reviewing concepts each day in preparation for the AIMS test.

S.S./Counseling: Mrs. Russell was absent this week. Next week she will work with students on testing strategies.

Science: Our upcoming unit will be “out of this world.” We will begin exploring the solar system.

AIMS Testing: Students will take the AIMS test the week of April 11th. Please make sure your child is at school every day and on time. We will begin testing first thing in the morning. In order to be successful, students need to get enough sleep during testing week, and they should eat healthy food to keep their brains fueled.
There will be no homework during testing week except for missing, late or absent make-up work.

Missing Book:
One of the public library books on poetry is missing. We will have to pay for it with our classroom funds 
Could you please check your child’s room to see if the book The Wishing Bone by Stephen Mitchell is possibly there? I really do not want to spend our classroom money on a lost book. Thank you!

NOTES FOR PARENTS:
Can You Help?
We are still in desperate need of more kleenex, markers and colored pencils.

Dress Code: Students need to come to school each day in the proper attire. Thank you for encouraging your child to wear a belt each day…that always seems to be a battle.
As the year has progressed, many students have grown and hence, outgrown their uniform clothes. Please make sure your child’s shirts and shorts/pants still fit. Girls’ shirts must be long enough to be tucked in and shorts and pants need to be loose enough for the shirts to be tucked in. Boy’ shirts should not be so long that it is difficult to tuck them in.

IMPORTANT DATES:
April:
1-Talent Show winners perform
6-Duds for dollars: $1.00 dress down day
8- SPIN Night/Bingo 5:30-6:30
11-15- Aims Testing
15- Glow Ball
16- Golf Tournament
18- Penny War Week Begins
20- Jump Rope for Heart
21, 22, 25-Easter Break
26- Student Council Dance

May:
2-6 Teacher Appreciation Week
and Book Fair

6- Mother/Daughter Event
13-Character Winner Movie
25- Last Day of School