5th Grade Weekly Update
Here's what's going on at O.C. Taylor!
Week of November 16th - 20th!
Temporary Schedule for ALL students
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Our 5th-grade Teaching Team is truly doing everything we possibly can to navigate and minimize disruptions to student learning. At this time, two teachers are still serving on campus and two are teaching remotely. We ask for your continued grace and support to get through these hurdles. We are stressing continued diligence with proper fit and wearing of masks, social distancing, and proper handwashing. We need all involved to help take care of all involved. One positive exposure can potentially impact multiple students and staff.
CogAT testing has been completed for the majority of students. Please know that the testing window has been extended to allow us to take care of any necessary makeup testing as needed.
Please see below for information regarding GT testing and Aspire Academy.
One of the perks of our daily schedule is that we get 3 of our 4 classes completed by noon each day! Whenever feasible, we ask and highly encourage families to schedule appointments or any other missed class time after 12:00 pm (noon) to minimize missed content. It is much easier for students to catch up on the one class they missed after lunch than the three they missed from the morning session. We appreciate your understanding with this! We want to keep our students from being overwhelmed and getting behind whenever possible.
Remote Families - please understand that Tiger Time (2:00-2:40) is meant for teachers to deliver small-group interventions and support. This time is not meant for 1:1 instruction/reteaching for students who did not attend the WebEx earlier in the day. We HIGHLY encourage our remote students to log in to live WebEx sessions as often as possible. We appreciate your understanding.
Please make sure student devices are being charged NIGHTLY! We are seeing an uptick in students needing to charge here at school. Students are also welcome to bring their own chargers just in case.
HEADS UP!
Visit our online Scholastic Book Fair! It runs November 6th-19th.
November 17th is PICTURE DAY for only in-person students here on campus.
OPEN NOTE quiz in Social Studies on Thursday, November 19th over History Alive ch.10 & 11.
GCISD Thanksgiving Break is scheduled for November 21-29, 2020.
The research part of the Humanities project is due November 30th.
The next Book Talk is scheduled for Friday, December 4th. The rubric and format will be the same as the first book talk.
Right now 5th grade is tentatively scheduled to participate in Hour of Code activities on Dec 4th and Dec 11th.
There is an Elementary Early-Release Day on Friday, December 18th! School will dismiss at 11:45 am!
GCISD Christmas/Winter Break begins December 19th with students returning to school on Wednesday, January 6th!
NORMS
*Families - please understand that due to the number of students returning, we are only able to space our desks roughly 2-3ft apart to accommodate our students*
Suggestion: The line to purchase lunch is VERY long. Students would have more social/downtime during their lunch if they brought items from home. We just wanted to pass along our observations.
Click HERE to view our WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE assignment listing for this week!
Please contact Mrs. Whisman (stacy.whisman@gcisd.net) with any questions/concerns about your student's instructional format/delivery.
Humanities
Reading
Students will continue to use primary research for their Revolution project. Students will learn to angle their writing so they can better explain the information they are gathering. They will be using their questions from last week to help drive their research. Students will continue using different sources of information and seeing how those texts fit together to give them more information for their research.
All research will be due Nov. 30, after the Thanksgiving break.
**Book talk #2 is due Dec. 4. This book talk needs to be told from the main character's point of view.**
Patterns of Power
This week we will be discussing collective nouns.
Writing & Social Studies
We will be reading "To Declare Independence or Not" in History Alive! Students will practice using the Cornell note-taking system, and be able to use their notes on our Chapter 10 & 11 assessment on 11/19. (All tests must be taken before Thanksgiving break. If you will be out of town on 11/19, your student must email Mrs. Watkins and plan another time to take the test earlier in the week.) Students will continue working on their Road to the Revolution research projects.
Remote students - It is imperative that you attend BOTH Fiffik's and Watkins' classes on time, and remain on for the duration of the lesson. Our Road to Revolution project will take us up through Christmas break. Students will be working with partners during both classes. We will also be moving forward in Social Studies.
Math
This week in math we will begin learning about modeling decimal division and the standard algorithm of dividing decimals with the decimal in the dividend. We will work on models at the beginning of the week and on standard algorithm later on in the week. Have your child practice their fast facts 10 minutes a night and work in IXL for extra practice if needed.
**Please have your child continue practicing their fast facts to help them be successful with these concepts!**
Science
Remember our daily slides are pushed out each morning in SeeSaw and you have daily assignments in StemScopes.
SPECIALS: 10:15-11:05am
IN-PERSON
Students will move in a 3 day, alternating Art/PE/Music schedule.
See attached calendar
Specials teachers will be sanitizing supplies and classrooms in between classes
Students will ALWAYS need Chromebooks in Music/Art.
Students will ALWAYS need to bring a pencil, art supplies, and their plexiglass divider to Art.
REMOTE
Remote learners may connect with Specials teachers one day a week through LIVE Webex meetings for the first 15-20 minutes of their Specials time. These Webex meetings are not mandatory.
Tuesdays - Mrs. Morgan (Art) https://gcisd.webex.com/meet/cristie.morgan
Wednesdays-Coach Mester(PE) https://gcisd.webex.com/meet/jason.mester
Thursdays-Mrs. Vencill(Music) https://gcisd.webex.com/meet/bethany.vencill
CONTACT INFO
- Mrs. Morgan - Art - cristie.morgan@gcisd.net
- Mrs. Vencill - Music - bethany.vencill@gcisd.net
- Coach Mester - PE - jason.mester@gcisd.net
UPCOMING GT TESTING & INFORMATION FOR ASPIRE ACADEMY
PTA Food Drive
The grade that collects the most donations each month will win an extra recess! Donation basket is in the lobby.
November - Rice & Beans (Dried or packaged rice, Dried or canned beans)
December - Holiday Toy Drive (Unwrapped toys for children ages 0-18)
January - Spaghetti Night (Dried pasta, jarred spaghetti sauce)
February - Breakfast (Cereal, oatmeal, or other hot cereals)
March - PBJ (Peanut/nut butter, jars of jelly)
April - Stock the Pantry (Canned tuna, meat, fruit, etc.)
May - Mac & Cheese(Packages of everyone's favorite!)
A FEW UPCOMING EVENTS!
WISE GUYS FUNDRAISER NIGHT! NOVEMBER 17th! Come out and support OCT!
5th Grade Grading Policy & Late Work Acceptance
*LATE-WORK* - Students will have ONE WEEK from when an assignment is assigned to complete/submit their work. After that point, a ZERO will be entered into the grade book and will NOT be changed.
Here are some tips for students that will help to develop these habits:
- Check grades and missing assignments daily in Skyward.
- Check email for reminders from your teacher(s)
- Be sure to send your teachers an email if you have any questions about your grades or assignments.
- Check on your Seesaw progress, StemScopes, Readworks, IXL accounts, weekly learning checklist, and update your student planner.
If classwork requires extra time, it will come home as unfinished classwork. Assignments scored under 70 can be corrected and returned to be a 70. Tests under 70 will be revisited in small-group with an opportunity at a later date for an improved score. Assignments turned in late will be 10 points off every day until the assignment is turned in.
Please click HERE to see how each teacher will submit grading feedback by their content area.
TELESCOPERS
All Telescoping occurs daily from 8:00 am - 9:00 am.
REMOTE TELESCOPERS are encouraged to login to MS. EPPERSON'S WEBEX at 7:40am to participate in the Morning Show and Circle Up.
6th Grade - Ms. Anjalie Gilby - anjalie.gilby@gcisd.net
7th Grade - Ms. Melissa Baker w/ iUniversity Prep - melissa.baker@gcisd.net
Student Communications - EMAIL
In case your student is not familiar with how to do this, here is a brief video!
Fifth Grade Feedback
Our Focus
Our 5th-grade teachers are so excited to work with you this year and we look forward to teaming with our wonderful 5th-grade families in order to provide the best educational experience possible for our amazing students. There will be times of joy, excitement, and growth as well as moments of frustration. It is during these rougher times that we ask for all to proceed with patience and understanding as we all learn to navigate an entirely new approach to instructional delivery. We are all learning and doing our absolute best and we are confident that all involved will grow through this experience and be ready for the challenges of middle school and beyond. We value our community and welcome all feedback to help us shape this experience into an intentional and successful model of instruction for our students and encourage open communication throughout our time together.
Teacher Contact Info
sharon.fiffik@gcisd.net - 5th-grade Humanities (Reading) and Team Leader
@OCTFiffik
morgan.epperson@gcisd.net - 5th grade Math
@OCTEpperson
amber.fields@gcisd.net - 5th grade Science
@OCTFields
michelle.watkins@gcisd.net - 5th-grade Humanities (Writing/Social Studies)
@OCTWatkins
Website: https://oct.gcisd.net/
Location: 5300 Pool Rd. Colleyville, TX, USA
Phone: 817-305-4870
Connect With Us!
Follow our campus on Twitter @OCTaylorTigers and follow #OCT4U!