Thinking About our Annual Spring Trip

Dear Parents,

I've been thinking about a spring trip for the fifth graders. For a good many years, fifth graders have gone on a rafting trip on the Deerfield River. Last year, we broke with tradition and hiked Mt. Washington instead. We spent the night at the Lakes of the Clouds hut where meals and bedding were provided. On day two, we summited Mt. Monroe and Mt Eisenhower. It was beautiful! I would like to schedule this trip again but I wanted to get a sense of parent chaperone interest.

The expense associated with the trip is covered by the activity fee you have already paid. In other words, there would be no additional expense in sending your child on this trip. Adult chaperones would need to pay $99.23 (Not bad considering you eat and sleep at New England's highest "hotel"). My budget allows me some flexibility to adjust this figure if necessary. I would like to schedule this trip for June 11th and 12th. Let me know if you would be interested in coming along as a chaperone.

Dear Parents,

On Friday, we mailed Progress Assessment letters to parents of Pre K - 5th students. These letters are intended to be a component of an ongoing dialogue and record of your child’s approach to learning and academic development. This is an opportunity for me to highlight your child’s individual strengths and to address any issues that may be pertinent to his or her transition to the next grade level. The Progress Assessment letter is a component of our conference and narrative report schedule. It is our hope that this letter will add continuity to parent and teacher communication.

We have a lot to accomplish in the weeks ahead. During the first and second weeks of April, students will take the ERB (Educational Record Bureau) standardized tests. We administer these tests for several reasons. They are a component of our accreditation with NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Collages) and the results are used by Johns Hopkins (http://cty.jhu.edu/) to select participants for their youth programs. The results of these tests have been useful to TGS faculty in evaluating, revising, and developing curriculum. They provide you and your child with one of many academic indicators. They should by no means be regarded as a whole or entirely accurate indicator of academic aptitude or ability. For fifth graders, these tests provide a good practice opportunity for the Secondary School Admission Test. Because the testing takes up a substantial amount of class time, I will not be assigning much homework. Students will have the opportunity to work with and discuss practice tests throughout the week.

Next week, in history, we'll began an investigation of Greek geography as a prelude to learning about Greek mythology and history. As the weeks progress, students will explore the geography of Greece and learn about how the geography of Greece influenced the growth of ancient Greek culture. We’ll discuss the rise of the Athenian polis and students will learn about how and why a democratic government evolved in Athens. Students will also learn about how aspects of Greek democracy were adopted by America’s founding fathers. Students will read a variety of myths and work to understand how certain myths are emblematic of ancient Greek beliefs and values. In order to broaden the class’s perspective and appreciation of the Greeks, I've scheduled a field trip to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts on Thursday, May 31st. The museum has an extraordinary collection of classical artifacts and sculpture. On the same trip, we'll visit the Museum of Science and watch an IMAX film about Ancient Greece. If you are interested in joining us as a chaperone, please let me know.

This week in science, we'll begin our human body unit. We begin by investigating the organelles within a cell. We conduct an experiment by using vinegar to dissolve the shells off of eggs. Next week, we’ll set the eggs into water or corn syrup and watch osmotic pressure in action. We’ll also study the circulatory and respiratory systems. We’ll build a model of the lungs and the muscular mechanism of breathing. As we learn more about the circulatory system, each student will have the opportunity to dissect a pig’s or a calf’s heart. As the spring progresses, we will look into the digestive, nervous, skeletal and muscular, and reproductive systems. If you have any questions about the health component of the science curriculum, please contact me at school. Later in the week, your child might be interested in checking out the following links as they pertain to our investigation of cells in the human body. I'll let you know when it's timely to have your child check out the links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NvK4PUgzmY Here is a link that shows an animation of the mitochondrion in a cell. Remember, the mitochondrion is the "organ" in a cell that turns the food we eat into the energy we need.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1_-mQS_FZ0&feature=related

http://multimedia.mcb.harvard.edu/media.html Check out the "Inner Life" button at this link. Select "High Speed " is you have a good connection. Be forewarned, the story that is being told is very complicated! You don't need to understand what is going on but you should know that you're watching a cell at work. The animation shows how a cell's behavior can be driven. The next link simply lets you watch a miracle of chemistry at work - set to music not complicated language.

It takes a bit of work to activate the video at this final link. You'll have to look around for the play video button and then press the "high" button if you have a fast connection..

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/searchlist/6850.html


In math, students have been working with the concept of scientific notation and order of operations. This week, we'll focus on an account balance. This is essentially learning to add and subtract positive and negative numbers and is ground work for basic algebra. We'll focus on drawing out counters that represent positive and negative numbers and explore the value of assorted combinations. Upcoming topics in math include working with coordinates, ordered pairs, area, and perimeter. Students will use geo-boards to derive area formulas for squares, rectangles, parallelograms, and triangles. I’ll send out a reminder urging you to review these basic base times height and base times height divided by two formulas with your child. While rote and logical to an adult, the very concept of a “formula” can be a difficult reach for some fifth graders. Your support can make a big difference.

As the curriculum progresses, students will derive pi by dividing the circumference of numerous circles by their diameters, comparing results and finding a median value (3.14). Students will also work to understand and apply the area formula for circles. I’ll emphasize the idea that 3.14 radius squares equals the area of a circle. This can be visualized by drawing a radius square inside a circle and asking how many of these squares would fit inside the circumference. As you see pertinent math assignments coming home as homework, please review area and circumference/perimeter concepts with your child. Having a solid mastery of these concepts will be essential when we begin work calculating the volume of rectangular and triangular prisms and cylinders.

This week in English, we will read Lois Burdett's adapted script of Romeo and Juliet. We'll discuss the script and Shakespeare's stage and then begin the process of assigning roles. As I mentioned in an earlier note home, we'll be bringing this play to the stage in a collaboration performance with the second grade. Toward the end of the month, we'll begin rehearsals. Juliet Avelin will direct the production. Eve McDermott and I will support her and work with Juliet to help the students prepare. I'll need and welcome parent support in preparing consumes and assisting with the production when we take it to the stage.

The pictures you see in this blog post highlight activities from the week following spring break. What a beautiful and warm week it was. We traveled to and toured Rudyard Kipling's house in Dummerston, VT. Actor Jackson Gillmann greeted us in Kipling's writing studio and proceeded to tell us about his life as Kipling. As a one man show, he told three stories from Kipling's famous Just So Stories collection. Later in the week, we attended the Windham Children Orchestra at the Latchis theater. Several pictures show students engaged in air pressure experiments. These experiments are intended to challenge what many people assume about changes in air pressure. They also serve to transition our work in science away from physical science and into an investigation of the human body.