Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

This past week we completed our block on Ancient Egypt with a summary writing of the Treachery of Set. The students enjoyed this block, hearing the creation myths and stories of the gods while at the same time learning factual information about this period in time. As the class moves from the early grades into the middle school years, blocks about cultures and places begin to focus more on historical facts and timelines. This meets students developing interests in the world at large and all that it holds for them.

On Thursday, we began our Geometry II block. We began by reviewing our main lesson books, remembering all we learned about points, lines, angles, and triangles. The class was next introduced to quadrilaterals with drawings, using both freehand and help from a straight-edge to create colorful designs. This week, we will continue exploring these four-sided figures artistically, review how to find the perimeter of a shape, and begin to focus on the properties of squares, rectangles, and other quadrilaterals. Alongside this, the class is working extra hours with Ki Ieva, sewing small animal forms for their coming Chinese New Year puppet show, which they will present to the students at our school.

This Saturday, February 4, is our All School Meeting (adults only, please)! Following our community workday, we ask you to please join us at 12:00 for a faculty-sponsored, complimentary soup bar before we join together to hear about the “State of the School” at 12:30. As an added incentive, each family represented receives 2 volunteer hours.

Reminders:

2/4: Community Work Day / All-School Meeting–A Community Event (adults only, please)

2/15-2/17: Half Days and Parent Conferences: Please sign up for your slot here.

2/20-2/24: Mid-Winter Break (No School)

2/27: Teacher In-Service (No School)

3/11: Community Work Day

With gratitude,

Melissa