News from 5th Grade

Dear Parents,

I trust your child enjoyed the first few days of school. I observed a group of kids enthusiastic about being together and jumping into new games and academic projects. We had to contend with a fair amount of rain early in the week but today was beautiful and we spent the afternoon outside engaged in games designed to promote positive group dynamics.

On Tuesday, we started reading Jean Craighead George’s story My Side of the Mountain. Students will read this book aloud in class and independently at home. The reading responses that accompany these assignments are intended to cultivate critical writing skills. You’ll notice that I ask students to build a paragraph while responding to a given topic sentence. Ultimately, each of the paragraphs will be linked together to form a complete essay tracing the main character’s development. Please feel free to discuss the questions with your child and to help him or her generate clear and specific responses.

In math, we have started reviewing basic multiplication facts through a variety of exercises and games. Today, students began working to find the factors of whole numbers using several shortcuts. For example, a number is divisible by three if the sum of its digits is divisible by three. A number is divisible by six if it is divisible by two and three. A number is divisible by nine if the sum of its digits is divisible by nine. I hope you’ll help your child commit these shortcuts to memory, as they will facilitate our work with math throughout the term.

In science, we have begun a building project in which students design and construct a small wooden cube capable of supporting a minimum of forty pounds. Students began this project on Tuesday by sketching a solid wooden block and then practiced drawing a cube by using vanishing points. On Wednesday, each student worked to generate a plan for building his or her cube including two perspectives and measurements. This activity taxes spatial reasoning, draws on math and measurement skills, and exercises the imagination. We'll culminate this project by testing each cube for strength in a hydraulic press.

The third and fifth grade classes are off to the Tunbridge Fair next Thursday. The purpose of our visit is to attend the agriculture / education day. Our students will visit Antique Hill and observe demonstrations including timber framing, wooden water pipe making, type setting, and rope making. We'll also visit the large and small animal barns. Students should pack a lunch and snack as usual. We'll be leaving TGS on the school bus at 7:30 promptly and we'll make a stop at the Westminster Heights Rd. Park and Ride (The road that leads from below the I91 North bound exit 5 to the Kurn Hattin Home. The Park and Ride is just opposite the enormous solar panels at the Green Mt. Power offices.) Teacher Linda Kosiba will be waiting at the Park and Ride until the bus leaves at 7:40. If you get to the Park and Ride and Linda is still there, the bus has not yet arrived! We'll return to TGS in time for the PM bus run.

I'll be at TGS with the door open at 7:10.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Thursday night, September 29, is our overnight camping trip at Merck Forest. Included here is a basic packing list in case you want to get a jump-start on packing. Trip details will follow. Let me know if you would like to come along.

Each student will need to bring the following items:

• a pack for equipment
• sleeping bag (and sleeping pad, if you have one)
• WATER BOTTLE(S)
• flashlight (optional)
• hat with brim (optional)
• sunglasses (optional)
• mess-kit or plastic bowl, plastic plate and mug
• spoon, fork and knife
• bathing suit and towel (optional)
• sturdy shoes for walking
• 1 pair long pants
• 1 pair shorts
• layers of: fleece or wool, a long sleeved shirt, vest and raincoat (It could be cold at night...Let’s be prepared)
• wool socks