Happy sunny Friday! I have counted the days, and there are only 25 school days left. Wow. We are making it through this crazy year!

Academics this week have been pretty simple -- here's the rundown:

Math: We have moved from multiplication with large numbers into division strategies. Our work mostly focuses on how to "partition" the larger number into groups, always remembering to use multiples of 10 and 100 to partition large chunks at a time. I use the metaphor or moving 1,000 jellybeans from a vat into 6 bags. I could do it one at a time, or I could scoop 100 jellybeans at once, making the job more efficient and easier! This takes practice, and we are definitely not done yet.  But this is our last math unit, so we are taking our time.

Reading: The students have all chosen a new book group book, and the groups met once this week to hammer out some details. They discussed how many pages to read each day, what sorts of questions or topics they want to discuss, what expectations they have of their group members in terms of notetaking, etc. I am trying to give them a lot of space and time to take responsibility for these decisions since they are ALMOST 5th GRADERS!

Writing: I have enjoyed holding the students back this week (I say I am "torturing them" and I love hearing the collective groan...) making them do a lot of pre-planning for their final narrative piece. They are planning the plot, the problems their characters will encounter, the traits their characters have, and the way their stories will begin and end. Today we talked about the importance of a "backstory" which guides the choices our characters make. They are EAGER to get going, and I will let them start their actual drafting on Monday. They are like horses waiting to leave the gate at a rodeo!

Science: We finished up our energy unit today. The main focus here was on stored energy, whether in a rubber band that gets twisted or a hill that a marble rolls down. It was fun to see them work together (briefly) in groups to test some marbles and tracks. The concept was simple, but the learning was fun! Next week we will begin our final science unit about geology.

There is A LOT going on next week! Here's a brief schedule with some details:

Monday and Tuesday: Spring photos. The students are allowed to bring a prop that shows who they are, what hobbies they have, etc. I can't guarantee which day they will have their turn, so it would be a good idea to have the prop here on Monday and leave it here overnight if they don't get their turn that day. If you have questions about props, please contact Ms. Erica.

Monday: TAIKO Drummers will be here! We will see them perform Monday morning.Then our 2 PE periods next week will be spent learning how to drum!

Thursday: Track meet. I believe Mr. Steinman sent you all a letter about this. It should be a fun day. Think SUN!

In between, we will continue learning, reading, writing, and do 2 SBAC practice tests. We will be BUSY!

I think that's everything. Thank you all for the kind cards and gifts and flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week. I appreciate our partnerships! 

Have a wonderful weekend.