5th Grade News
May Newsletter
We can’t believe it's May! Our fifth graders have begun their countdown to the last day of school and are chomping at the bit to start their summer! This will be a fun few weeks for us as we review skills through collaborative projects, share books, take field trips, and celebrate our learning. Here are a few things to keep in mind as we enter May:
Fifth grade teachers continue to stress the importance of student independence and responsibility. Please encourage your students to advocate for themselves by letting their teachers know when they need help, made a mistake, or have a question.
Please check your child’s supply bag for missing or low supplies. Our students and classrooms are running out of pencils, scissors, glue sticks and TISSUES.
We are busy planning our end-of-year activities. Our Promotion Ceremony will be Tuesday, June 18th at 9:30 in the cafeteria. Keep an eye on upcoming Find Out First emails for more information.
Fifth graders will have their End of the Year Celebration at Upward Enterprises on June 5th and June 6th. Students will participate in both team building and high adventure activities. Three classes are going each day in order to allow students to work in small groups with a guide. This will give students a more personalized experience without the wait time.
Upcoming Events
May 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 9th - PARCC Math Testing
May 10th - 2 Hour Early Dismissal
May 27th - No School
May 31st - Field Day
June 5th - Fifth Grade Celebration Field Trip (House, McNally, Pearce)
June 6th - Fifth Grade Celebration Field Trip (Fegley, Spicer, Dunkleberger)
June 18th - Fifth Grade Promotion @ 9:30
June 19th - Last Day of Elementary School (2 hour early dismissal)
Math
Reading
Students will continue to read a variety of genres in reading to wrap up the year. Much of our reading will correspond with our current Social Studies topic of American Colonization and Revolution. Students will continue to build their reading stamina and use “what good readers do” before, during, and after reading to help them comprehend as they use a variety of strategies flexibly and independently to understand more challenging text.
Students will be involved in an inquiry circle where they will be researching the events leading up the the American Revolution while focusing on key individuals within those historical events and looking at how the point of view from which an event is being told from can influence the reader’s thoughts on what happened. Students will also be participating in book clubs where they’ll read historical fiction novels that take place during the American Revolution. Please continue to encourage your child to read every night as we work hard to complete our 40 Book Challenge in the next month!
Writing
In Writing, students are wrapping up their study of opinion writing. They have worked hard to to find research that supports their opinions and then unpack that evidence in their writing. As we head into May, students will be writing speeches about what we have taken away from our time at Centerville. This will be a fun way to reflect upon our elementary school careers, and students always enjoy reminiscing.
After our speeches are finished, we will work on a variety of projects that will showcase what we have learned about narrative, informational, and persuasive writing.
Social Studies
We are starting our Social Studies unit on the American Revolution. Students will learn about the French & Indian War, taxation without representation, as well as major events that led to the start of the Revolution. Students will learn the differing perspectives of Patriots and Loyalists as well as the effects of the war against Britain. We will also focus on how to identify bias in historical primary sources and learn how to use that information when drawing conclusions about historical events.
There are many websites, books and videos available that support our study of the Revolutionary War. There are also many sites around the area that offer insight into colonial life. Some suggestions are Rose Hill Manor in Frederick, Mount Vernon or the Smithsonian’s American History Museum in DC.