4/1-4/5 News Letter

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Date April 1 - 5

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: Students begin to learn about Social Issues and Human Rights through historical fiction, biography and autobiography texts. We will focus on Informational text throughout this unit.  Students will revisit informational and opinion writing in this unit.

Math: The students will begin the unit titled Order of Operations. We have been practicing this skill using daily warm ups, so they are familiar with these skills. Students will evaluate how to use numerical expressions with parentheses, brackets and braces.  They will explain how to use these symbols in order to identify, write and describe simple numerical expressions.

Unit of Study: We are beginning our unit on Social Change. This will conclude with the famous “Night of the Notables” in May.
This week we will:

• Start a historical fiction read aloud
• Begin reading historical fiction and social issue picture books
• Tune in to ‘Social Change’ learning about the ‘Human Rights’ UDHR and the Global Goals
• Review the presenters from our ‘Social Change Makers Conference’ in semester 1

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)
First week of April - Inclusion week-April 1 is a day 6
April 1-5, 2019,  Inclusive Schools Week. ##kaleidoscopeoffriends. The ISKL Community Schoolwide will celebrate the progress that we have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population. The week will also provide an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that ISKL continues to successfully educate all children. Events will be planned to engage the students, teachers, and parents.

April 1, 2019- Coffee Chat & Resource Fair. To kick off Inclusive Schools Week there will be a Coffee Chat and Resource Fair in the Community Room from 8:15 - 9:45 am.  This is a great opportunity for your parents to learn about the resources that the Student Resource Team (SRT) offers to support students in their learning and development at ISKL. In addition to learning about speech and language therapy, educational psychology, and counseling available at ISKL, parents will also have the opportunity to learn about additional supports that can be accessed outside of school to support their child and family.  Coffee and snacks will be provided. Please RSVP - Click Here.

April 2, 2019-Autism Awareness Day is World Autism Awareness Day. #LightItUpBlue The ISKL ES community is encouraged to support the Autism Speaks Light it up Blue Campaign by wearing blue to increase understanding and acceptance of Autism.

April 4-10:30-12:30-Social Change Makers Conference (part 2)
April 5, 2019- Diversity Day As Inclusive Schools Week wraps up, ES students are encouraged to dress in clothes that highlight them as unique individuals. #kaleidoscopeoffriends

Highlight of the week:
Students celebrated end of Writing unit by sharing their stories with other Grade 5 students.
It was great to meet and listen to Aisha sharing her story about Down Syndrome, and how she is growing and learning at ISKL.

3/19-3/22 News Letter

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: March 19-22         

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: Grade 5 students conclude the fantasy unit. They will be finishing up their fantasy book clubs and taking end of unit reading and writing assessment. Students will also be celebrating their writing by sharing it with other classes.  This will be an opportunity to share what we have covered during this unit, including wonderful examples of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, GREAT BEGINNINGS, INSPIRING DIALOGUE, LOTS OF FANTASY ELEMENTS, and an ENDING THAT WILL HAVE US WANTING MORE!

Math: The students continue working on Unit 5: Multiplying & Dividing Fractions. The focus continues to be on conceptual understanding of these skills using a variety of manipulatives and also drawing models to show their thinking. The assessment will be at the end of this week. After the break, the students will begin the unit titled Order of Operations. We have been practicing this skill using daily warm ups, so they are familiar with these skills. Students will evaluate how to use numerical expressions with parentheses, brackets and braces.  They will explain how to use these symbols in order to identify, write and describe simple numerical expressions.

Unit of Study: We are starting our Social Change unit by tuning in to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as looking at the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Classes will be researching a social issue to be presented at Night of the Notables on April 30th.


For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)
Monday, March 18-No school for students (teacher work day)
Tuesday, March 19-School reconvenes (Day 2)
Math, Science, Reading and Writing assessments will be conducted this week
Friday, March 22-Writers’ Celebration
March 24-28-No School-Spring Break
Monday, April 1-School reconvenes (Day 6)
Thursday, April 4 (10:30-12:30)-Part 2 of Social Change Makers’ Conference (parents welcome)


Highlight last week:
The middle school counselor and peer helpers presented information to our grade 5 students about next year....and we are all excited about our course selections! (Due Tuesday, March 19th).

3/11-3/15 News Letter

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: March 11-15           

Dear Parents,

Conferences- Our Highlight from LAST Week
Parents, thank you for the time and celebrating your student’s continued learning in 5th grade. The students were certainly the stars of the show. As teachers we are certainly proud when our kids can share their growth with you. Always feel free to contact your child’s teacher if there are questions or celebrations!

Curriculum Information for this Week:
Literacy: Grade 5 students are wrapping up their fantasy stories. This can be an intense process. The revising (adjusting content and structure) and editing (cleaning up grammar and spelling) process is a vital part of the writing process.

Here are some questions you can ask your son or daughter about revising their story: 

• What details can you add?
• What words or sentences can you remove?
• What words or sentences can you move to a different section?
• What words can you change from bland words to vivid words? 
• Do you have a combination of short, medium and long sentences?
• How are your details connected to the theme?

Math: The students are beginning Unit 5 in Math - multiplying and dividing fractions using a variety of manipulatives to show their thinking. This is unit is about developing a BIG idea understanding. Words that your child will be using in this unit are...
fraction, numerator, denominator, operations, multiplication/multiply, division/divide, mixed numbers, product, quotient, partition, equal parts, equivalent, factor, unit fraction, area, side lengths, fractional side lengths, scaling, comparing.


Unit of Study: Matter
The students explored the concept and explanation of sediments and how it applies to our food as salad dressing. They will be further exploring solubility in the coming week, to find and read information about how properties of the molecules in sugar and citric acid affect the properties that are observable in a substance. The students will then explore why liquids stay mixed or separate.



For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page
Slice of Life
Many classes are participating in the Slice of Life blogging challenge. 5th graders are tasked with writing every day in the month of March. Checkout our 5th grade blog which links many of these young author’s blogs.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)
Monday March 11 is day 5
Monday 11 March: ES Book week begins.
Monday 11 March: G6 Parent Orientation Night in the MS, 7-8pm (for parents of current G5 students)
Wednesday 13 March: ES Book Swap
Wednesday 13 March: G6 Peer Helpers will present to G5, from 10:30-11:15 am, with a Q&A
Friday 15 March: ES Book Character Dress-up Day-Suggested donation 5myr

3/4-3/6 Weekly News Letter

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: March 4-8           

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Information for this Week:

G5 students will be spending much classroom time on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week preparing for their student-led conference (SLC) on Thursday, March 7 or Friday, 8 March. Students will be reflecting on their reading, writing, math and science work and preparing work samples to share with you that show learning growth. They will also be reflecting on their learning behaviors, work habits and attitude in a variety of areas and will prepare and share their learning goals to address areas of need. Learning in our reading, writing, math and science units may be temporarily suspended in the early part of this week, while teachers prepare their students for success at the SLCs.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page..

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)
Monday. 4 March is Day 8
Wednesday, March 6-Friday, March 8- Book Sale. Students and parents can buy books on sale before or after their SLC.
Thursday, March 7 & Friday, March 8: G5 students and parents will attend Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)
Monday, March 11: ES Book week begins.
Monday, March 11: G6 Parent Orientation Night in the MS, 7-8pm (for parents of current G5 students)
Wednesday, March 13: ES Book Swap. Classroom teachers will/have communicated organizational details with parents.
Wednesday, March 13:G6 Peer Helpers will present to G5, from 10:30-11:15 am, with a Q&A
Friday, March 15: ES Book Character Dress-up Day

Highlight last week:

Thursday, February 28: ‘Always Changing’ - G5 puberty presentations from 1:30-2:30pm