We are coming upon the home stretch and we are making sure we cherish every moment of our last full month as fifth graders at GFS! I can't believe its May already...where has the time gone?!
In language arts we are reading The View from Saturday. It is about an uproarious Florida wedding, a rain-soaked rescue of sea turtles, and a mysterious invitation to afternoon tea that draw sixth-graders Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian into a fast friendship. Master-author Konigsburg gives each of these memorable characters a turn telling how they formed an unbeatable team in their school's Academic Bowl, in this brilliant but complex novel. In alternating chapters, each one tells a different piece of the story of how they became friends. The calamitous wedding of Nadia's grandfather and Ethan's grandmother, where Noah fills in as best man, is just the beginning. Mrs. Olinski, who is paraplegic, proves to be an indomitable coach as the foursome wins one victory after another.
Together, the four band together into a group called The Souls. They are selected by Mrs. Olinski (though for a long time she doesn't know why) as her newest Quiz Bowl team and work effortlessly together in a group as friends and teammates. One of the things this book dares to say, and says so well, is how awfully mean people can be. That's a pretty loaded idea. Books today enjoy showing a mean person and then revealing the back story to their crimes. Here, we understand that sometimes a person's just mean to be mean, and it makes them unsuitable as friends as a result. This idea is a great conversation starter with your child as they prepare to "leave this friendly place" and continue their educational journey into middle school.
Our final unit in science is on the human body. In this unit, students learn about the structure and function of the respiratory system and excretory system. Students also learn about the causes, spread, and prevention of communicable diseases. Students identify noncommunicable diseases and how they can be treated. Finally, students learn how to achieve a healthy lifestyle through nutrition; exercise; and not using alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
In math, fifth graders are adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike demoninators; renaming and regrouping to add and subtract mixed numbers; and learning to measure length and to change among feet, yards, and miles. Towards the end of the month students will multiply whole numbers by fractions, fractions by fractions, and explore division of fractions.
In true fifth grade tradition, the graduates are diligently working on their graduation speeches and song. Their words are heartfelt, full of individual character and speak to the experiences our students have here at Goshen. You do not want to miss their delivery at Graduation!
In friendship,
Tr. Devon
It's been a great year!
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Hamlet in 10 minutes. |
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