5th Grade

Jeffers Journal

Week of December 16th – December 20th

“Advent is a time of waiting for our Lord, who will visit us all in our own hearts.  The Lord is coming! Let us wait for him!”-Pope Francis                   

Are you ready to board the learning train for another week of excitement and adventure? Please come to school each day with an open mind, positive “I can” attitude, a friendly smile, and eager to be a member of our team! 

Important Dates to Remember:

December 16^th: Third Week of Advent Mass with Father Ennis @ 8:50AM

December 17^th: Santa’s Secret Shop

December 17^th: Christmas Concert @ 6:00PM

December 20^th: Half Day of School-Dismissal at 11:30AM

December 23^rd – December 31^st: Christmas Break

January 1^st: Happy 2025!

January 6^th: Mass with Father Ennis @ 8:50AM

January 10^th: Penny War Fundraiser

January 20^th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observed-No School

Here’s a breakdown of our learning:

1. Math: Its important children learn math facts for addition/subtraction and multiplication/division with the goal of automatic recall. For the upcoming week, we are going to continue to explore our Division topic. The key vocabulary words we will focus on throughout the topic are: estimate, divisor, dividend, quotient, remainder, partial quotient, and box method. To begin the week, students will review how to solve division problems using partial quotients. Next, we will learn how to use sharing to divide greater dividends. They will also have the opportunity to use box method to help them divide.  Another lesson, will give them the opportunity to choose a strategy to help them divide.  Each day the students will complete an Exit ticket as a way to check their understanding of the lesson. It is a great way for me to check and see who is ready for the next lesson and who could use a re-teach of the material.  Students will also continue to work on their independent lessons in I-Ready Math each day. This is a great way to practice their skills.
2. English Language Arts:
   1. Grammar: Students will learn how to proofread their writing for subject-verb agreement, capital letters, and punctuation using the proofreading symbols.  We have been learning about different types of nouns (singular, plural, common, proper, and possessive). Students will complete a Noun Test on Wednesday, December 18^th. We will also continue to review complete subject, complete predicate, simple subject, simple predicate, and the different kinds of sentences.
   2. Vocabulary: Each week students have 12 new vocabulary words and complete different activities each day (sentence completion, synonym/antonym, matching, word meaning, and context clues).
   3. Reading: An important skill we will be practicing is reading articles or passages and answering comprehension questions.
   4. Spelling:  Each week the students will be given a list of words that contain a certain spelling pattern. They will complete activities each day using the words. They will also learn some commonly misspelled words and mnemonic devices to help them remember how to spell them.
3. Writing: The Personal Narrative Writing train will be focusing on the Middle, End, and Conclusion. The Middle is everyone’s favorite part to write because it contains the events of the narrative. If you think about your favorite sandwich, the middle is all the toppings that you put on it. The End and Conclusion are also extremely important and have a different purpose. The end of the narrative is where the author gives a resolution to the story. However, the conclusion is a reflection of the whole narrative. This part is important because you want to keep the reader thinking! Think about your favorite book or movie, how does it end? Does it keep you looking for more? When we return from Christmas break, we will be focusing on revising, editing, and publishing our narratives.
4. Social Studies: We are going to dive into life in Colonial America. Would you have like to have lived back then? We are going to read the story If You Lived in Colonial America by Ann McGovern.  We are also going to create history pockets which will focus on different themes. The first theme is an introduction into Colonial America. The second theme is first settlements.  There are lots of activities that will be included in or history pockets.
5. Religion: The theme of the third week of Advent is Joy. This week is often called “Gaudete Sunday,” which is Latin for rejoice. We are celebrating the announcement of Christ’s birth to the shepherds and the nearness of his arrival. We will also talk about the true meaning of Christmas.
6. Google Classroom: Students have been using my Google Classroom to complete assignments and quizzes in English/Language Arts, Math, Religion, Science, and Social Studies. Please check with your son/daughter to show you what they have been doing.  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to send me an email.
7. Third Week of Advent Mass: Our next Mass with Father Ennis will be held on Monday, December 16^th at 8:50. Students will have the opportunity to volunteer to be an altar server and/or a lector for future Masses. If your child signs up to be a lector, he/she will receive their reading in advance to have time to practice both in school and at home.
8. Penny War Fundraiser: We will have a jar to drop pennies or bills in for positive points! The class with the most positive points wins a prize! The next day to bring in pennies and/or bills is Friday, January 10th!!! Start collecting your change and help our class win a prize!