* I am encouraging both parents and students to read the weekly blog posts. If you see your student’s name in the middle of a sentence, it is there for a reason! Have your student tell me that they found their name in the blog and they will receive Cougar Cash. 🙂
3rd Trimester Grading Policy
During the 1st trimester, the 5th grade team eased students into the new work load and allowed students to complete revisions on homework assignments for full credit, and complete test corrections for half credit. During the 2nd trimester, the 5th grade teachers allowed students with only failing grades to complete revisions on homework assignments and complete test corrections for half credit. For the final trimester, the 5th grade team agreed that it is time to start preparing the 5th graders for middle school. The new policy for the 3rd trimester is as follows: students with failing grades (anything below a 70%) on homework assignments will be allowed to revise their work and earn half credit, and test corrections will be completed for extra practice and must include a parent signature, however no points will be given for the corrections. Points will be taken off when assignments are turned in later than one day past the due date (if an assignment is due on Monday and a student turns it in on Tuesday, no points will be taken off. However, if an assignment is due on Monday and a student turns it in on Wednesday, or any day after, a point will be taken off). We are hoping students will show even more responsibility with grades and assignments this trimester! Middle school will be here before we know it! 🙂
March Is Reading Month
This year to celebrate March is Reading Month, our entire school will be reading “Spring According to Humphrey”. A packet was sent home with your child on Friday outlining the activities for the month of March. I have also attached the document below.
March is Reading Month Parents 2020
Week of March 9:
Read Chapters 5-8Â in “Spring According to Humphrey”
Monday: Penny Wars – Bring in pennies for our class bucket and other bills and coins to negatively impact other classrooms’ buckets.
Tuesday: Unplugged Night – Turn off your technology and spend some quality time with your family.
Wednesday: Wear it Wednesday – Wear a T-Shirt with words.
Thursday: DEAR time in class
Friday: Flashlight Friday
If you are interested in being a Mystery Reader in our class, please email me to set up a day and time! We would love to have you. 🙂
*Thank you to Mr. Leavitt for being our first Mystery Reader!
Check out these super cool book characters from Wear It Wednesday!
Scholastic Book Orders
Scholastic Book orders will come home with your child on Monday, January 13th. If you are interested in buying, you can do so 1 of 2 ways.
- Write the order on the paper and send in your cash/check payment in your envelope.
- Order online and pay with credit card using our class code: VYD6H
Orders are due on or before Monday, March 16, 2020.Â
Daddy Daughter Dance
Daddy Daughter Dance forms were sent home with your student last week.
The theme for the dance this year is “Boots and Bling” and will be held on Friday, April 17 from 6-9 pm at Crystal Gardens in Southgate. Tickets are $35 per couple and $10 per each additional daughter. Tickets include dinner, music, and a professional photo. *Only CURRENT Arno students are able to attend.
You can sign up online by visiting https://arnopta.memberhub.store/shopping/categories/12516?fbclid=IwAR29TabD7CVszLyzEnUAnhkAaeZ1J4prPdEex5O5iIiQ5EPAoJmjlkVWtMg
You can also send the bottom half of the flyer to school with cash or a check payable to Arno PTA.
*Payment is due by April 1st. We will be at 5th Grade Camp the day of the due date. Please send in your payment prior to April 1st to ensure your spot!
M-Step Vocabulary Packets
Another round of M-Step vocabulary packets were sent home on Friday. The 5th graders will bring home 10 M-Step vocabulary words to study at home and an extra credit crossword puzzle. If students complete and return the extra credit crossword puzzle, they will earn 1 extra credit point on the quiz. On Fridays, the students will be quizzed on these words. When your child earns an 80% or better on Friday’s quiz, he/she will earn a charm for his/her M-Step charm necklace. Every Friday your child will bring home M-Step vocabulary words and he/she will be quizzed on the following Friday.
M-Step Homework Packets
The first round of M-Step homework packets were sent home on Thursday. The 5th graders will bring home homework packets that cover a variety of topics very similar to the M-Step. Like the vocabulary packets, when your child earns an 80% or better on the homework packet, he/she will earn a charm for his/her M-Step charm necklace. These packets will be coming home on Thursdays and will be due the following Thursday. Students will be receiving credit in the grade book for completing these packets!
5th Grade Camp Health FormsÂ
Health forms are available on the school website (Click here for the Camp Health Form). Once at this website, you can click on the code for the google doc and fill it out about your students. These health forms will go directly to the camp. Health forms have to be completed before we attend camp.
APHS NHS Tutoring
While the public library is under construction, APHS National Honor Society will be offering tutoring at the high school
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 3 – 5 pm
Reading
Every week your child will read an anchor text as well as a paired text. The anchor text is used to work on fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary skills and strategies. The paired text may be similar in theme and or genre. This text will reinforce vocabulary usage. Student understanding of the Elizabeth Winter anchor text will be assessed on Wednesdays and vocabulary will be assessed on Fridays.
Students will also work on grammar and spelling throughout the week with Mrs. Garza. Assigned spelling words will be assessed on Fridays.
* Instead of spending one week on each new anchor text, we will now be spending two weeks on each anchor text.
Unit 4 Lesson 19 – “Darnell Rock Reporting”
Spelling Words
Our spelling test for this lesson will be Monday, March 16, 2020.
* Please make sure you are studying spelling words with your student every day to prepare for our spelling tests!
Math
We are Louis Gonzalez moving along in Chapter 9 where we are practicing multiplying and dividing decimals.
This week, we will be learning how to:
- Divide tenths and hundredths by 10, 100, or 1,000
- Divide tenths and hundredths by multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000
- Estimate decimal sums, differences, products, and quotients
- Convert from a larger metric unit to a smaller metric unit
- Convert from a smaller metric unit to a larger metric unit
- Solve real-world problems using decimals
Check out a video that explains how to divide decimals here!
In Chapter 9, we will be learning how to:
- Multiply tenths and hundredths by a 1-digit whole number
- Multiply tenths and hundredths by 10, 100, or 1,000
- Multiply tenths and hundredths by powers of 10
- Multiply tenths and hundredths by multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000
- Divide tenths and hundredths by a 1-digit whole number
- Round quotients to the nearest tenth or hundredth
- Divide tenths and hundredths by 10, 100, or 1,000
- Divide tenths and hundredths by multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000
- Estimate decimal sums, differences, products, and quotients
- Convert from a larger metric unit to a smaller metric unit
- Convert from a smaller metric unit to a larger metric unit
- Solve real-world problems using decimals
Science







Writing
The 5th graders ROCKED their animal research! This week, we will continue with United States research.
When we are writing, it is important that we make sure we are including all of the points on our informative writing checklist. This week, we will be continuing an informational writing Fiona Fogarty piece on a student-chosen state. The students will research a certain state to find facts and information.Â
Informative Writing Checklist
- Introduce your topic in the topic sentence
- Give 3 supporting details using facts, examples, and definitions
- Include a closing sentence that restates your topic/draw a conclusionÂ
- Use complete sentences
- Use linking works to connect your ideas (such as: another, for examples, because, also, in addition)
- Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
When rough and final drafts are sent home, please feel free to work with your student to revise their work! This will make it easier when it comes time to complete the finished piece of writing. 🙂
We will be editing and revising rough drafts this week and starting on writing final drafts to complete the state research lapbooks.
Social Studies
This week with Ms. Higgins, students will be:
- Learning about the Southern Colonies, why they were settled, and their economy.
Grammar
This week with Mrs. Garza, students will be:
- Completing their final drafts of their Snow Globe writing, where they will practicing using a variety of grammar strategies they have learned.
- Learning about transitions words.Â