The Patriot Progress
Upcoming Two Weeks: December 14 - January 8
Service Focus
Lt. Blake Green of Pike Road Fire Visits With Students
Anne Alan Jemison and Willhemina Who Volunteer with Service Dogs of Alabama
Content Areas
Math
This week we will wrap up long division. We have noticed a couple of things that many of our students are struggling with. When they divide they must remember to line up their numbers. They can use graph paper or the lines on their notebook paper to help. Another barrier has been their uncertainty of their multiplication facts. These skills are ones that our Patriots will need continuous practice with. Please encourage your children to practice this weekly. You can also encourage them to use division to solve real world problems around the house. For example, you have 100 candy canes to distribute to neighbors. Have them figure up the number of neighbors and how many candy canes each would be able to receive. Any opportunity to use division will build those skills.
English
Due to the generous use of Clue games, our classes were able to enjoy themselves while honing their observation and communication skills. We truly appreciate all the parents who allowed us to borrow their games, and we know we couldn’t do our jobs without you.
In the past two weeks we have been reading short stories. First, we read “The Red Headed League” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame). We are currently reading “The Gift of the Magi” by O Henry, which we plan to finish this week. We have paired comprehension, vocabulary, detail recognition, and story elements with these stories, and we have been truly pleased with the enthusiasm shown by our students.
Once we come back from the break we plan to start a unit in which we will study fairytales. The culmination of that study will involve our trip to the American Shakespeare Festival to see the play based on the Perrault version of the tale. We will read both the Perrault and Grimm versions prior to our trip. On that note, please remember the upcoming due dates for payment for the trip. We are excited to share this learning opportunity with you and our amazing learners!
Please encourage your learners to read/write over the break, if the opportunity presents itself. Studies have shown that reading with your kids is very beneficial, even as they grow older. Many students still struggle with recalling details from a story. By encouraging reading at home, and even conversation about what they are reading, these skills will steadily improve. We have been working on our writing skills a little each day, and we will continue to do so for this school year. Again, we appreciate your support and care so much, and we hope you have an enjoyable holiday!
Science
History
Students are currently enjoying our short break from history. We are still teaching the subject, but with a stronger emphasis on reading for understanding and annotating text. This week, students will sign up for Newsela accounts (You can check out the website here: https://newsela.com/ ). This is a great resource that gives students access to non-fiction texts on their reading level that align with our standards. Once we return from the break, we plan to begin discussing the causes of the American Revolution. If you have a chance, try to talk with your students about conflict, taxes, and democracy. These are three of the main topics that will be covered soon.
As we move into the Revolutionary War, we will discuss the founding fathers, early democratic documents, war tactics, and more. We look forward to working through this exciting time period!
Cinderella at Alabama Shakespeare Festival
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g1cVQ7Ri5O4qkaRv-P1MNOaTDbVzUXCcxZ6UdwRgAYY/edit?usp=sharing
Wednesday, Jan 27, 2016, 09:30 AM
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Festival Drive, Montgomery, AL, United States
Upcoming Event Dates
12/14/15
Basketball vs. Tuskegee
5:30 p.m. Planning Commission meeting - C5 learners will present their proposed changed for Exit 16.
12/16/15
C3 - Night at the Museum
12/18/15
C5 Holiday Party 11:30 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
Last day of school before Christmas break
1/4/16
Professional Learning Day for teachers (no school for students)
1/5/16
First day back for students.
Christmas Party
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054aaeaa22a75-holiday
Each homeroom will have their own party. We still need parents from each homeroom to help us set up the party at 11:00. If all slots are full to bring something, you are welcome to still send a tasty snack for your child's homeroom if you would like to help. Thank you to all of you who signed up so quickly! We will also be reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas and comparing it to the different movie versions. This will lead us into our next study in English focusing on the telling and retelling of stories, particularly fairy tales.
Notes
Thank you to Costco and Mr. Nichols for the donation of rice several 25 lb bags of rice.
All students need ear buds EVERYDAY.
Computers should be charged at home each night. Many students are coming to school with dead batteries. We do not have a place for them to charge at school.
- Starting January 5th students need to have sharpened pencils everyday at school.
Community 5 Lead Learners
Email: llc5@pikeroadschools.org
Website: pikeroadschools.org
Location: 500 Avenue of Learning, Pike Road, AL, United States
Phone: 334-420-5310