Newsletter Feb. 25-March 1st

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: February 25-March 1             

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: Grade 5 students have chosen an idea for their fantasy story. They are including all the elements of a fantasy story including: themes, life lessons, quests, magical creatures, metaphorical and literary dragons.

Here are some questions you can ask your son or daughter about their story: Who are your main characters?

Describe the setting of your story.

Is there a quest in your story?

How is your story connected to real life problems?

What is the life lesson?

What are the struggles your character is facing?

What will come of the protagonist? How will s/he change?

Math: The students are beginning Unit 5 in Math - multiplying and dividing fractions using a variety of manipulatives to show their thinking.

Unit of Study: Matter

The students explored the concept and explanation of sediments and how it applies to our food as salad dressing.

This week 5CC will be preparing to share their Lights Off Project with first grade!  Students will be preparing a slideshow and presentation of the of data and research that they have collected about the energy waste made by keeping the lights on in the classroom and how we can be better. Ask your child what he/she has learned about energy consumption and how we can cut down on our electricity usage!

Students will be further exploring solubility in the coming weeks, to find and read information about how properties of the molecules in sugar and citric acid affect the properties that are observable in a substance. The students will then explore why liquids stay mixed or separate.

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

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)

• Next week we start on Day 3
• Student Led Conference sign up 25th (through PowerSchool)

Highlights last week:

• Grand Opening: 21st February marked our Grand Opening of the new campus. The students were surprised with a mini concert featuring a band and student dancers performing for us. #ISKLUnited
• Author visit: On Monday we had a photojournalist named Richard Sobol visiting us, sharing his story about his four-day trek to meet a silverback gorilla. We enjoyed his story telling and sharing of his experiences with us. Thank you Ms. Suji for organizing this event.
• CNY Assembly: It was great fun watching the Lion Dance in the gym. Thank you, parents, for coming along to watch the amazing acrobatic moves of the lion. The hallway activities offered fun and delicious kiosks for all to enjoy.

Newsletter - February 18-22

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: February 18-22              

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: Grade 5 students continue to work on their fantasy stories. This week we focus on making our stories believable by adding details to our settings, internal and external character traits and making sure to show not tell throughout our stories.  Fantasy book clubs continue as students analyze their books through the focus on metaphors, symbolism and thinking about how fantasy helps us understand the real world.

Math: The students will conclude Unit 4: Place Value and Decimal Operations. Students have explored multiplying and dividing decimals using a variety of manipulatives to show their thinking. The assessment will be giving this week.

(See last week’s news letter for helpful video links.)

Unit of Study:  

Students will continue their second science unit: Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food from the Amplify Science program. During the unit, the students are involved in a simulation, where they take on the role of food scientists working in a lab for a large food-production company: Good Food Production Inc. The students will continue to work in their classrooms and conduct hands-on experiments in the science labs, investigating the different properties of matter. This week we will be finishing up understanding how to model molecules and their properties.  Next up, Chapter 2 which focuses on why some mixtures have sediments and others do not.

These lessons include:

2.1 Investigating Flavor Ingredients

2.2 Investigating Dissolving

2.3 Reading about Dissolving

2.4 Models of Solubility

2.5 Making Sense of Solubility

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: (also see GLC Updates)

• WIDA testing for G5 EAL students (letters have gone home)
• Monday, February 18-Richard Sobol, traveling photographer and photojournalist will talk about informational writing
• Wednesday,  February 20- Faculty Appreciation Lunch
• Thursday, February 21-Grand Opening Ceremony-many activities are planned throughout the day (including photobooths, popsicles at lunch, and music and dance performance at Zurich field)
• Friday, February 22:  ES CNY Cultural Day and ES CNY Dress Up Day as well as the Lion Dance in the ES Gym

Highlight from last week:

On Thursday, February, 14th at the Red Hats Valentine’s Free Dress Day, we raised over RM2000. This will be presented to Siti Kasim, one of our Social Change Makers. She and her team of lawyers advocate for the rights of Malaysia’s indigenous people - the Orang Asli.

Newsletter Feb. 11-1

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5

Dates: 11-15  Feb. 2019               

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy: This week the students will continue their reading unit on the Fantasy genre. They will also continue working in their fantasy book clubs where they will discuss elements of fantasy, keep track of characters’ development and problems and identify internal and external character conflicts and themes that run through their fantasy books. Questions which you can ask your fifth grader,

• How can you relate to the character?
• What character traits the character have and how do you know?
• Can you compare the character or theme to another story you have read?

Students will continue to work on their Fantasy writing. As we navigate the Fantasy writing, a few key concepts we will focus on are how the setting impacts the story, power in the story as well as identifying a deeper social issues that the character has to navigate throughout the story.

Math: The students will continue Unit 4: Place Value and Decimal Operations. Last week, the students reviewed multiplying decimals (whole number X decimal) using the area model and the standard algorithm for multiplication. This week they will continue to work on multiplying decimals and begin to practice and master division of decimals.

Check out these videos to help you understand how students show their thinking with models.

• Multiply a Decimal by a Whole Number Using Grids
• Multiply a Decimal by a Decimal Using an Area Model
• Divide a Decimal by a Whole Number Using Grids
• Divide a Decimal by a Whole Number Using Base Ten Blocks
• Divide a Whole Number by a Decimal Using Base Ten Blocks
• Divide a Whole Number by a Decimal Using Grids
• Divide a Decimal by a Decimal Using Grids
• Dividing Whole Numbers Using Partial Quotients

Unit of Study:  Students will continue their second science unit: Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food from the Amplify Science program. During the unit, the students are involved in a simulation, where they take on the role of food scientists working in a lab for a large food-production company: Good Food Production Inc. The students will continue to work in their classrooms and conduct hands-on experiments in the science labs, investigating the different properties of matter.

Lessons that will be completed by the end of the week:

Lesson 1.1 Pre-assessment - classroom

Lesson 1.2: Introducing Food Science - science lab

Lesson 1.3: Made of Matter

1.4 Separating a Food Color Mixture

1.5  Exploring Chromatography

1.6 Nanovision Models (of molecules)

1.7 Break it down (making inferences in Science)

1.8 Evaluating Chromatography Models

1.9 Revising Chromatography Models

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: (also see GLC Updates)

· Mon Feb 11: ES ASAs start, check your ISKL inbox for an email from Gail Smith

· Thur Feb 14: Red Hat Free Dress Friday! Dress in Valentine's Colors! Suggested donation 5 RM to charity

Highlight from last week:

On Friday, February 8th we welcomed illustrator and co-author of the Babymouse and Squish series books - Matthew Holm. Fifth graders were excited about his new books coming out soon and inspired by the amount of time and dedication it takes to be an author and illustrator!