Newsletter: Dec 17-21

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: December 17-21 2018

Curriculum Information for the Week:

Literacy: This week students will wrap up their informational writing, focusing on sustainable energy. Information paragraphs follow the same format as all good paragraph writing, starting with a topic sentence, followed by FRED’s, and concluding with a “So what?” This week students will show what they know in their Writing on Demand Assessment.

Math: As we move forward in our decimals unit, students are learning to add and subtract decimals.  We have multiple tools and strategies to help students develop conceptual understanding.  Students will show what they know about decimals by adding, subtracting, and rounding while shopping for a meal on Tesco.com

Unit of Study:  Design Thinking is in full swing. Students have started making connections to energy consumption and climate change, and have begun their designs of a prototype to help reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, in order to reduce carbon emissions that lead to greenhouse gases and global warming.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Parents, please also check out the SERVICE CHANNEL, which is a forum for the ISKL community to share ideas and information about how we can contribute to our community and planet.

Important Reminders/Information for this week: (also see GLC Updates):
Last week of school before break!


Highlights from last week:
Students have been working hard on their nonfiction writing pieces throughout the week.  Ask them to share their work with you!
Design Thinking is in full swing!  Ask your child about their idea, the prototype they will be building and HOW it will positively affect the environment!

Newsletter Dec. 3-

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: December 3-7, 2018

Curriculum Information for the Week:

Literacy: Students will continue to work on their nonfiction reading and writing units, which are integrated with our sustainable energy science unit. Students will continue to use hard copy and online texts about sustainable energy to improve their nonfiction reading and writing. This week the students will focus on choosing and researching one form of sustainable energy, including the pros and cons etc. They will begin to synthesize their research in an information essay. All of this research will guide us to use the design thinking process in order to problem solve around climate change.

Math: We are wrapping up our unit on coordinate planes. We are now bridging into understanding the decimal system. In this unit, students will grasp that the location of digits in decimal numbers determines the value of a digit. Students will also be using real-world problems in order to understand how to add, subtract, divide and multiply decimals.

Unit of Study:  The students will continue to work on our Sustainable Energy unit. Various classes have completed their electrical energy exploration labs, including building on their knowledge of circuits to create their own LED flashlights. Students will continue to read nonfiction texts to support their understanding of sustainable energy. This week, as mentioned above, the students will start making connections to energy consumption and climate change.

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the Parent Learning Connection page.

Parents, please also check out the SERVICE CHANNEL, which is a forum for the ISKL community to share ideas and information about how we can contribute to our community and planet. 


Important Reminders/Information for this week: (also see GLC Updates):
Thursday December 6, ES Holiday Concert 6pm and 7:30pm
Please send in your clean recyclables for our design thinking project. We are looking for plastic, ribbon, fabric, cartons, bottles etc.

Highlights from last week:
Thank you for the parent volunteers who helped our kids craft a unique Christmas ornament.
CONGRATULATIONS to the Aqua Panthers (swimmers) who competed in their first meet of the year.