Jeffrey/Mead Team Blog
May 3 - 13
Math
Each day students participate in a Number Talk which are designed to help students become flexible, accurate and efficient when making calculations. The strategies we are teaching help students solve problems across all four operations. We are working on subtraction and multiplication strategies as well as fraction strategies.
This month students are revisiting coordinate planes and using a compass to create a map of a mole's den. The month will end with a treasure that they have put to the clues together to find.
Mrs. Mead's class started Unit 4 and have been focusing on multiplication strategies. We have worked a lot on seeing the relationship between different problems to see if one can help solve the other. Ms. Jeffrey''s class continued unit 4 with a focus on the multiplication algorithm.
Math Stars
Students can work on their math stars worksheets independently at school and home. Worksheets should be handed in Thursday morning for double stars. They will have the opportunity to ask questions and get help on Thursday and resubmit their math stars for single stars. We hope kids have fun with this extra math opportunity!
Math Stars will wrap up by the end of May. Students should submit orders by Friday, June 3.
Read Aloud
Mrs. Mead's class finished reading When You Reach Me. This is a Newberry Award winner from a few years ago. A lot happens in this pretty short book! In the end the laughing man saves Sal by kicking him out of the way of a moving vehicle. Miranda also figures out that he was the person who had been leaving her all those notes. Right at the end she realizes that the laughing man is really Marcus from the future and starts to write the note that will eventually lead back to all the events that already happened.
Writing
Ms. Jeffrey's students began the planning process for narrative writing. They learned about story arcs and story boards and created their own based on a story idea. By the end of the week they began drafting their own story.
Mrs. Mead's class is beginning narrative writing. We have done some short prompts and are starting to brainstorm ideas for personal narratives. We are connecting our writing to our reading by working on writing using figurative language.
Reading
Ms. Jeffrey's class continued learning about figurative language. Last week they learned about similes and metaphors and this week personification was the focus. They are reading picture books as well as Poppy, a chapter book. They are looking for examples of figurative language and discussing how it impacts the reading.
Mrs. Mead's class wrapped up our nonfiction unit and have moved on to figurative language. Students will also be reading Chomp as a whole class. Through picture books, our read aloud books, and our common book group we will discuss different types of figurative language. We will discuss how they affect their experience as a reader, as well as what they mean.
Social Studies/Science
Ms. Jeffrey's class continued learning about food chains and food webs. Next week they will learn about soil and its importance to living organisms.
Mrs. Mead's class is focusing on water and how to make sure we are taking care of the water available to us. This past week we discussed where water that comes out of the faucet comes from. Students are completing an activity where they use clues to choose a site to build a new town based on where they think an aquifer is.
5th to 6th Grade Parent Night
Student Technology Tools
The following is a list of online programs students may use this year. Others could be added as the year progresses. Individual student password documents will be shared with students. We will be send home a permission form regarding student technology programs in the first weeks of school.
Safari Montage
Scholastic News
eSpark
BrainPop
Spelling City
Book Creator
Typing Club
IXL
Khan Academy
Prodigy
Masks
Masks are now optional at school. We will still have masks available in classrooms if students decide they want them during the day. In our classrooms we have talked about what it looks like and sounds like to be respectful of other decisions around masking.
FMS Newsletter
Celebrations
Early Dismissal Procedure
IMPORTANT! Procedure for Early Dismissal
In the event that your child needs to be dismissed early, the following protocol must be followed:
On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday - you must pick up by 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday- you must pick up by 1:00pm.
Send your child’s teacher and Kim Kedzierski (kkedzierski@ewsd.org) an email first thing in the morning letting them know what time your child needs to be dismissed, the reason why and the name of the person picking them up. Or, you can also call the attendance line at 879-6326 and leave a message stating your child’s name, time leaving, the name of the teacher, the reason why, and the name of the person picking them up.
When you arrive to pick up your child, please pull up to the front of the building and call Kim at 879-6326 to let her know you’re here
Important Dates
May 17 Arbor Day Tree Planting
May 19 FMS Open House
May 30 Memorial Day - no school
June 16 Last Day of School (report cards go home)
Contact Us
Karen Jeffrey: kjeffrey@ewsd.org
Kelsey Mead: kmead@ewsd.org
Website: https://www.ewsd.org/Domain/379
Location: Founders Memorial School, Founders Road, Essex Junction, VT, USA
Phone: 802-879-6326