Fifth Grade Newsletter October 2009

The Anne Sullivan School

P.S. 238

1633 East 8th Street Brooklyn, NY 11209 October 2009 Volume 1, Issue 1

5th Grade Newsletter October Events at P.S. 238 Welcome back students and parents! I would like to thank all of the parents who came to our Parent Tea on September 22. This month, our third grade will perform for us on October 21st. There will be no school on Monday, October 12th in observance of Columbus Day. Please make sure your child is doing his/her homework. Your signature is required on all homework that is assigned. Our next letter is due on October 16, 2009. Please make sure your child is following the proper format which was given out in class.

Reader’s Workshop In October, the fifth grade will be reading realistic fiction chapter books as well as social studies and science informational books. We will practice reading for stamina during independent reading. The fifth grade will be focusing on important reading strategies and skills during Reader’s Workshop to increase their literacy and fluency skills which will be applied during guided reading. Encourage your child to select good books on his/her “Just Right” reading level. Ensure that your child reads for a minimum of 30 minutes and completes his/her Reading Log entry every night. Your signature is required on the Reading Log. Children must answer one question each night from the sheet titled “50 Sentence Leads for Reading Responses.”

Writer’s Workshop

In October, the fifth grade will write a Report of Information on a creature of the sea. The report of information will be in conjunction with the fifth grade’s theme this year which will be featured in our show in February. The students will be learning how to engage the reader, develop a controlling idea, create an organized report which includes appropriate facts and details and provide a sense of closure in their writing. Please make sure your child goes to the library and selects appropriate books, magazines, and websites to help them write a great writing piece!

Mathematics In October, the fifth grade will cover Unit 2 of Everyday Math which focuses on Estimation and Computation. The students will learn how to devise an estimation strategy to solve a problem, subtract multidigit numbers using the tradefirst and partial-differences methods, review and apply vocabulary associated with chance events, and review and practice the lattice method for multiplication of numbers. Please make sure you read the Parent Letter for Unit 2 in your child’s Study Link book.

Science and Social Studies

In October, the fifth grade will learn about Earth Science. The students will learn what minerals are, how rocks are formed and how rocks are changed. They will also learn about the earth’s landforms and what causes changes in them. In October, the fifth grade will be preparing for the Social Studies State Exam which will be held on November 16th and 17th. Day 1 consists of 35 multiple choice questions and several short answer questions. Day 2 consists of several document based questions that the students must read and answer. The students will also be given a question they must answer using several of these documents in a well thought out essay.