Hi All,

Thank you to everyone who had a chance to stay Tuesday afternoon and hear about our year.  It seems as though the girls are on the right track regarding the new expectations for the year.  We are definitely a busy room, but there are so many great things going on that it is completely worth it.

Important Updates:

Fees:  Please remember that book, pizza and yearbook fees are now due.  Also, at the beginning of October we will have a fall field trip fee.  Then that is it!  I know that the beginning of the year can be very expensive…

What we are up to in class: 

Math:  The sixth grade program is finishing up their first chapter by learning about prime factorization, square numbers and exponents.  The word problems in Connected Mathematics are much more sophisticated than we have seen in past curriculum.  They truly require an understanding of the concept rather than a simple knowledge of calculations.  Because of this, the girls are allowed to use calculators on certain problems.  Last, the girls are working on a review and will take their first math test by the end of the week.  The fifth grade program has begun what I consider to be one of the more challenging concepts for Investigations.  They are called cluster problems, and I suspect that a few students will understand the concept at first but that others might struggle a bit.  It is okay if your daughter does not come to a complete understanding this first time around as we will continue to see these types of problems throughout the book.

Language Arts:  I am impressed with the girls’ comprehension of The Phantom Tollbooth.  Because it is overflowing with word play, it can often get tough to read.  However, it is very obvious from the giggling when we discuss and read it aloud that they are clearly “getting it.” We have our first Spelling test this week.  This year, we are using the more challenging  “Dictation” tests.  It involves the teacher saying entire sentences out loud that the girls must write down.  We took a couple of them last year, so they are familiar with the format already.  In grammar, we are learning about personal and common nouns, pronouns and articles.  In writing, we have been utilizing a variety of different graphic organizers to answer a writing prompt.  Eventually, after reading a prompt, I would like for them to be able to quickly draw their own diagram (using the several examples that they have), fill it in and then respond to the prompt. 

Science:  Continuing with the characteristics of different Kingdoms, this week we are looking at the Plant Kingdom (as well as its Phylums) and the four remaining Kingdoms.  We looked into the Kingdom Fungi and examined yeast when it comes into contact with sugar and water.  We’ll be having our first Science test on Monday.  The girls will want to study the different graphic organizers we have used to take notes and make sure that they have a good understanding of the different Kingdoms, Phylums and Classes. The girls have a sheet telling them what to study as well as a review that they are now working to complete.

Social Studies:  As we look at the beginning of civilization in the Americas, this week we studied the Aztec, Mayan and Inca cultures.  Of course, the girls were quite fascinated by the seeming violence associated with the Aztec culture (taking over nearby communities, human sacrifices, etc.).  As you saw on Tuesday, we also tried our hand at some soap carvings (reminiscent of the carvings of these ancient communities). 

Best,

Teresa