TGS Grade 5 2011-2012

Dear Parents,

Last week, fifth graders worked through the language component of the ERB tests. Students seemed prepared to sit for the tests. As a counterpoint to the testing environment, we set out for the rope course on Thursday and Friday. Each child had the opportunity to fly on the giant swing and to work as a cog in the well oiled machine that kept the activity moving. I was impressed by the enthusiasm and cooperation demonstrated by this class.

In science, we began to look at the respiratory system. Students identified structures in the respiratory system and built a model that illustrated the muscular process of respiration. Next week, we'll look at the cardiovascular system. Late in the week or early in the following week, each student will have the opportunity to dissect a pig or calf heart.

In English, students are learning lines for our Romeo and Juliet production. Each student wrote a note, in character, to a second grader. They were hilarious and truly highlighted conceptual understanding of the central themes in the play. Next week, students with smaller roles will begin to learn lines from famous soliloquies in Romeo and Juliet. These will be acted out on stage, in costume, at all school meeting and serve as theatrical trailers for the coming performance.

The TGS faculty will have an inservice day on Monday, April 9. We will visit various schools in the area as part of our professional development. Friday, April 20 is a half day of school (8:20-12:00). The second half of the day is set aside for parent-teacher conferences with regard to the recent Progress Assessments. These conferences are typically scheduled by parent or teacher request and are intended to address specific concerns and/or the transition into the next grade level. Please contact Tammy if you wish to reserve a time slot. We will have our all-school work day on Saturday, April 28. Show up with gloves, rakes, and a strong desire to have fun working. The work will run from 9 am - noon.

Finally, I would like to send out a special thank you to Stephen Brooks. Stephen met with students in 4th, 5th, and 7th grade and led a discussion and demonstration of a remarkable 3D Optical Surface Profiler. Students were intrigued by the device and I was excited to see the students intelligently interpret the scientific notation we had recently learned about in math. Stephen demonstrated measurements being made within a 22 nanometer range of height. A nanometer is one one-thousandth of a micron (µm). There are about 80 microns (80,000 nm) in the thickness of a human hair.

Charlie