Fifth Grade: March 6-10, 2023

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

The fifth-grade class has enjoyed hearing stories of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses. We heard the stories of Persephone and Hades, Pandora and her Jar of Miseries, and Zeus causing the great flood to try to eliminate mortals from the earth. This past week, each student had the opportunity to decide what gift they would wish to bring to the world if they were an immortal Greek god or goddess. Their gift could be tangible or intangible. As a class, we discussed the effects each gift could have, including positive and negative consequences, on the mortal race. The students then wrote about their preferred god or goddess and, if they were immortal, what gift they would want to bring to the human race. In Grammar, we reviewed adverbs. We ended the week learning about similes and metaphors as we began to work on each writing an ode to our preferred Greek god or goddess. 

In math, students are finishing up their Key to Decimal 2 workbooks. During our Morning Math, we are reviewing and expanding our long division skills. Students are also now applying the steps to calculate the class average of laps done each day and for the week as a whole.

Reminders:

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea (11:00-12:00)

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day

4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day  


With gratitude,

Melissa



Fifth Grade: February 27- March 3, 2023

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,


It was wonderful to be back together and enjoy some spring-like weather (and rain, of course – lol).  The class began our block on ancient Greek mythology this past week.   We first learned about the geographical features of Greece, including understanding the difference between an island and an islet.  We then heard a version of the ancient Greek creation story and met the gods and goddesses who lived on Mount Olympus.  We will continue to hear various stories from this period for the next two weeks.  We also finished our class reader, Black Ships Before Troy, and will now read The Wanderings of Odysseus, also by Rosemary Sutcliff.   

The Pentathlon is fast approaching!  Most days of the week, the students run laps right after they arrive at school or before snacktime, to help develop stamina for the relay race.  We keep track of our laps individually and as a class, including figuring out the average number of laps we collectively run each day (math!).  Students have been learning the skills needed for wrestling through various fun games.  In addition, the class helped to dig a sandpit (now well filled with sand) to practice their long jump skills, and the students are beginning to practice javelin and disk throwing.  In alignment with Greek culture, winning an event is not only based on speed or strength but also on form, behavior, and performance.  This tradition of joining other area Waldorf schools to participate together in these events is one we are excited to experience in our fifth-grade year!

Reminders:

3/11 Community Work Day 

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea 

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day 

With gratitude,

Melissa

Fifth Grade: February 13 - 17

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

It was wonderful to meet and talk together during our parent-teacher conferences.  Sharing your children’s progress and viewing their work is always inspiring!  

This past week we finished our second geometry block.  We discussed Pythagoras and his theorem, learned about square numbers, and explored some fun and exciting number concepts.  In our Grammar lesson, we reviewed verbs (action, linking, and helping) and talked more about subjects and predicates.  To celebrate Valentine’s day, the students charted points on a graph using Cartesian art, made Valentine’s cards for their families, and enjoyed brownies.  In celebration of Black history month, we have been learning about Black inventors throughout history, including Lyda Newman, who created and introduced hair care products and brushes specifically for Black hair, and Charles Drew, who figured out how to preserve blood and began the concept of blood banks both in England and in America.

When we return, we will begin our unit on Ancient Greece.  The class has been reading aloud the book Black Ships Before Troy, by Rosemary Sutcliff, based on the Iliad.  In addition to being rich with language and imagery, this story has given them an introduction to the Greek gods and an understanding of the time period and culture.  Once we finish reading the book, we will begin The Odyssey, also by Rosemary Sutcliff.  

Have a wonderful mid-winter break. Please remember, school resumes on Tuesday, February 28th.

Reminders:

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

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

3/11: Community Work Day 

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea 

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School)

With gratitude,

Melissa

Fifth Grade: February 6-10, 2023

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

The class continued to focus on geometry this past week.  Each morning they began their main lesson identifying and measuring angles with protractors. We learned about polygons as we practiced shading with coloring pencils to create the shapes of various polygons from the inside out. From straight-edge shapes, our focus moved to circles and how to measure them.  The students learned about Pi, and through hands-on activities understood the diameter of a circle is equal to approximately 3.14 of its circumference. They drew many freehand circles, creating colorful designs.  We closed the week beginning a lesson about the Sieve of Eratosthenes as the students used a hundreds chart to identify prime numbers. We will finish our second geometry block this week with an introduction to Pythagoras, have some number fun, and with a brief exploration of charts and graphs.

The Chinese New Year puppet show was a success!  The students put great effort into all aspects of the show from writing the play, learning their lines in Mandarin, sewing puppets, folding origami rabbits and firecrackers, and practicing before presenting to the early childhood and grades classes this past Wednesday.  They did an amazing job and all aspects of this experience were beneficial.  A special thank you to Ki Cerina for leading our class in this endeavor and to Ki Ieva for the many extra handwork classes to help the students sew their sweet puppets!  You can see the Chinese New Year puppet show here.

I look forward to seeing all of you at conferences this week!

Reminders:

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 

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea 

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

With gratitude,

Melissa

Fifth Grade: January 30- February 3, 2023

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

We dove into our geometry block this past week, continuing our review of the properties of triangles, discussing the dimensions of objects (0-D to 3-D), and learning seven types of quadrilaterals. We also practiced measuring flat shapes, calculating perimeter and area, and also using our protractors to measure angles. The students enjoyed drawing colorful designs using various quadrilaterals, helping solidify the content being taught through artistic renderings.  The class also is continuing to work with the four processes during morning math and to work in their Key to Decimal books several afternoons each week.  During our Grammar period, we focused on subjects and predicates. The students identified each in a given sentence and then drew a funny picture based on the sentences given. This week, we will continue learning about quadrilaterals and move on to circles. 

The students are excited to present their Chinese New Year play this Wednesday to the Early Childhood and Grades students (we are past Chinese New year’s, but the students had lots to do! :).  Each student memorized their lines in Mandarin, practiced together diligently during Mandarin class, and sewed a three-dimensional animal character.  We will have two short shows in the morning and will be sure to record and post a show in our Garden Messenger!

Thank you to all of our families who joined us this past Saturday for our All School meeting.  Coming together as a community to support our lovely school is what keeps us strong and helps us grow.  

Reminders:

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 

3/31 Half Day - Grandfriend’s Tea 

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

With gratitude,

Melissa


Fifth Grade: January 23 - 27

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

Fifth Grade: January 16-20, 2023

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

The class enjoyed a week of stories based on the Ancient Egyptian creation myths filled with the adventures of their gods.  We learned about the gods, such as Thoth, Isis and Osiris, and Set, along with learning more about how the Pharaoh ruled in those times.  We copied summaries, and painted and drew pictures as we proceeded through our school week. During our weekly grammar lesson, we added proper nouns to our book and focused on some of the various types of pronouns.  This week, we will review verbs and look more closely at the various types of verbs. Additionally, we will finish our block on Ancient Egypt, begin our Geometry II block about quadrilaterals and circles. 

We enjoyed a fun and educational visit from the Southern Train Museum last week!  The students always are enthusiastic and entranced to view the model train displays.  As fifth graders, they were able to focus more on the practical aspects of train travel and understand more readily how locomotives operated in the past and today.  Thank you, Southern Train Museum!  
Parent Conferences are right around the corner!  February 15th, 16th, and 17th will be half-days for all classes as we take an opportunity to meet with the parents of our students.  Please sign up for your slot here. I look forward to meeting with you to review your child’s progress and view their main lesson books. 

Reminders:

2/4:  Community Work Day / All-School Meeting–A Community Event

2/15-2/17:   Half Days and  Parent Conferences 

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

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


With gratitude,

Melissa




 



Fifth Grade: January 9-13, 2023

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

It was a busy and fun first whole week of the Spring semester!  The students were happy to move back to the dome for the majority of the school day.  We will continue using our indoor classroom on the more frigid mornings and move inside or outside depending on our specialty schedule.  Please send your child with layers, as it warms up nicely in the dome between the woodstove fire and the sunshine (and not as much on overcast days).  

We are enjoying learning about the land and culture of Ancient Egypt.  This past week we drew a map of Egypt during this time period.  We spent time learning about pyramids, embalming, mummification, hieroglyphics, and the Rosetta Stone, and listening to the retellings of stories of creation and the gods of Ancient Egypt.  We will continue to hear more stories from Ancient Egypt this week.  

Alongside, during our extra main lesson periods, the class is finishing work in their Key to Decimals 1 book and several students have begun book 2.  We also copied our Parts of Speech verse and are beginning to review each part of speech during another extra main lesson period.  The class is practicing for their Chinese New Year puppet show with Ki Cerina and will begin sewing their felt animal props with Ki Ieva this week.

Mark the date: February 4th is our All School meeting, please see the Main Messenger for more information . This is an event for our entire community and all families are asked to attend. We share in a soup bar, compliments of our faculty and staff, and focus on the State of the School. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us!

Reminders:

2/4:  Community Work Day / All-School Meeting–A Community Event

2/15-2/17:   Half Days and  Parent Conferences 

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

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


With gratitude,

Melissa




 



Fifth Grade: January 5-6, 2023

Welcome back, Fifth Grade Families!

I hope you all had a joyful and rejuvenating winter break!

Please send your student back to school with their rain gear, warm layers, and their usual snack, lunch, and two water bottles.  We will be sharing time between our indoor classroom, outdoor classroom, and the dome (yay!).  Please remind your child to dress for the weather! :)

Additionally, we have a new schedule this semester. Music is Monday and Fridays,  Ukulele should come to school every Monday.  

As always, please be sure your child arrives on time for the start of our school day. 

With gratitude,

Melissa 


Fifth Grade: December 12-16, 2022

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

It is hard to believe we are at the end of our Fall semester and heading into Winter break already!  Thank you all for making the first half of our fifth-grade year an amazing experience and for holding steady for our class, our students, and me!   We are looking forward to all the learning and adventure the spring semester has to offer. Additionally, “thank yous” for the lovely gifts and kind wishes over break.

We had a fun day on Wednesday at our class party/pajama day!  Thank you to all who donated goodies and supplies.  We read books, made a lovely gnome craft with Ki Ieva, and the students enjoyed having a “yes” day at school (“Can we draw on the chalkboard?” Yes!  “Can we have (more) recess?” Yes! And so on! :).  Our Assembly was also a success!  It felt good to gather together again and enjoy watching classes across the grades program sharing verses and songs!  Thank you to those who were able to attend!

We finished hearing the Epic of Gilgamesh as we ended our block on Ancient Mesopotamia.  Many students came close to completing their first Key to Decimals books, and a few will bring them home to catch up over break.  We will move into the Key to Decimals 2 booklet shortly after we return to school, dive back into Geometry, and work directly with grammar and the parts of speech.

Please enjoy this Winter break creating memories, having fun, and taking the opportunity to relax and reflect on this past year and the many lovely memories it holds.  Finally, thank you for sharing your amazing children with me! See you in the new year!

Reminders: 

  • Thursday, January 5:  Spring semester begins

  • Monday, January 16: MLK Jr. Day of Service (No School) 

  • Saturday, February 4: Community Work Day / All School Meeting 

  • February 15 - 17: Half Days & Parent Conferences 

  • February 20 - 24: Mid Winter Break (No School) 

  • Monday, February 27: Teacher In-Service (No School) 

With gratitude,

Melissa





Fifth Grade: November 29- December 2, 2022

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

We had a wonderful start to the final part of the Fall semester.  During the first part of the week, we completed the first block of North American geography with a review of Central America and talked about the Caribbean Islands as well.  Throughout this block, the students looked at the geography of various regions.  On Tuesday, we began our block of Ancient Mesopotamia, learning about the historical significance of this period.  We also started the Epic poem of Gilgamesh, the oldest known epic tale. 

Fifth grade has stayed busy with many other activities as well.  We moved from fractions to decimals in math, working in our new Key To booklets.  The class was thrilled to find that decimals were better “behaved” mathematically than fractions and got right to work!  We will continue to work in these booklets during our math periods.  In Mandarin, the students are developing a puppet show for the Chinese New Year that they will share with the other grade classes in February.  As a class, the students are responsible for writing the script, creating sewn puppets in Handwork, and making additional props in class.  In Music, the class is continuing to develop their ukulele skills and in Handwork, students are all busy knitting socks! 

Please join us at 1:30 on Thursday, December 8th to watch the fifth-grade students take their final walk through the Winter Spiral if you are able. 

Reminders: 

  • Thursday and Friday, Dec. 8&9:  Winter Spiral

  • Week of Dec. 12-15: MUST Ministry Toy Drive

  • Wednesday, Dec. 14th:  Pajama day and Class Party

  • Thursday, Dec. 15th: Grades Assembly (12:00-12:30)

  • Thursday, Dec. 15th:  Last day of Fall semester (Half day, early dismissal)

  • Friday, Dec. 16th - Wednesday, Jan. 4:  Winter Break

  • Thursday, Jan. 5th:  Spring semester begins

With gratitude,

Melissa





Fifth Grade: November 14-18, 2022

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

Thank you for joining us on Friday for our Thanksgiving Luncheon!  Our school has grown so much since our first-grade year together!  This event made for an joyous and fun-filled entrance into our Fall break week.  Fall is a busy festival time, and coming next, on December 8th, our class will participate for the final time in the Winter Spiral walk, which will be held during the school day (times TBA).  You are all welcome to join us in the pine forest across from our outdoor classroom to watch the students participate one last time in this lovely experience.

Last week, the students completed a look at Greenland, Canada and Mexico. The fifth-grade curriculum gives students an overview of North America, looking at the geographical features of an area and how this influences lifestyles and some types of goods produced.  We will learn about the regions in the United States in the spring.  As we head into the end of the semester following our Thanksgiving Break, we will end this block with a view of Central America and the Caribbean and then move into our next block about Ancient Mesopotamia.

Have a happy, safe, and fun Thanksgiving Break!

Reminders: 

  • Monday, Nov. 21 - Friday, Nov. 25:  Thanksgiving Break (No School) 

  • Thursday and Friday, Dec. 8&9:  Winter Spiral

  • Thursday, Dec. 15th:  Last day of Fall semester (Half day, early dismissal)

  • Friday, Dec. 16th - Wednesday, Jan. 4:  Winter Break

  • Monday, Dec 19th - Friday, Dec 23rd: Winter Vacation Camp

  • Thursday, Jan. 5th:  Spring semester begins

With gratitude,

Melissa

Fifth Grade: November 7-11, 2022

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

Thank you for joining us for our Lantern Walk festival (twice for many of you)! The fifth-grade class did amazingly again this year as they played a variety of lantern songs on the ukulele! Many times during the following days I heard compliments about how their music enriched the walk through the forest.

In class, we began a look at the continent of North America. We will travel through the geography of the regions of Greenland, Canada and Mexico these next two weeks and return in the spring for a view of the United States. Studying the geography of the land and how this influenced culture, animal habitats, and goods and services gives the students a valuable understanding of the various regions in North America. We will also begin to learn about the decimal system during our math periods this the week.

This Friday, we will have our class Thanksgiving luncheon. Families are invited to bring a picnic lunch and blanket, and join us in on the field for the grade’s lunch from 11:00-12:00.  We will share in a sweet treat provided by the school. We are ever so grateful to our community and look forward to visiting together before our early release this Friday.  

Reminders: 

  • Nov. 14-18: Non Perishable food drive for Never Alone food pantry

  • Nov. 18: Half Day dismissal (12:15-30) - Thanksgiving Luncheon 

  • Nov. 21-25 Thanksgiving Break (No School) 

  • Dec. 8&9: Winter Spiral

With gratitude,

Melissa

Fifth Grade: October 31- November 4, 2022

Dear Fifth-Grade Families,

We began the past week with some Halloween fun and brownies as we completed our block about Ancient Persia with the story of Zarathustra.  We then focused on completing fraction work in our Key to Fractions book and busily multiplied and divided fractions.  We also stepped back into some geometry as we painted, cut and glued together our star lanterns to light by our side as we play music at this week’s lantern walk.  This week, we will begin our block on North America by looking at the history, culture, and geographical features of Canada and Greenland.

The Lantern Walk is tonight, and we look forward to singing and playing ukulele for the kindergarten classes. Please arrive at 5:30 and dress warmly, as it will cool down quite a bit once the sun sets. And please have your child bring a blanket to sit on. The Kindergarten lantern walk will begin at 6:00 and end around 6:30. Finally, please consider supporting our first community outreach project, One Warm Coat, and donate a coat or jacket (new or gently used) for our coat drive this week.

Reminders: 

  • Nov. 8:  NO school, teacher in-service day, Kindy Lantern Walk–Fifth grade plays ukulele

  • Nov. 9:  Grades 1-3 Lantern Walk (5th-grade siblings will play the ukulele with 4th grade)

  • Nov. 7-11: Coat drive for One Warm Coat

  • Nov. 14-18: Non Perishable food drive for Never Alone food pantry

  • Nov. 18: Half Day dismissal (12:15-30) - Thanksgiving Luncheon 

  • Nov. 21-25 Thanksgiving Break (No School) 

With gratitude,

Melissa






Fifth Grade: October 25-29, 2022

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

The Kingdom of Halloween festival was a delight to experience!  Thank you all for your efforts as we brought to life our magical festival once again!!  

Our next school event is Tuesday, November 8. Our class will play ukulele for the kindergarten classes as they enjoy their lantern walk through the woods.   Please have your child at the school at 5:30 pm to tune up and warm up.  The lantern walk should last 45-60 minutes. On Wednesday, November 9th, grades 1-3 will hold their evening lantern walk at 6:30.  The 4th-grade students will play ukulele for the younger grades with the support of 5th-grade siblings (and any fifth-grader who wishes to come again). Siblings, please be on campus around 6:00 to tune up and get ready.  We are looking forward to these special evenings!  The fifth-grade class will make lanterns in class and will use them as lovely decorations around them as they play for our school.  Additionally, as part of our school's efforts to help others, we will collect gently used coats both at the lantern walk and at drop-off and pick-up that week.  The school will donate the coats to One Warm Coat, which provides coats for those who need them during the coming cold.

In class, we moved from the world of Botany to Ancient Persia.  We began this block learning about how Persia's climate and geography differed from that of India, thus affecting how the culture met and honored the spiritual and how they progressed from hunters and gatherers to becoming herders and farmers. We also continued with our morning math, weekly dictations, and fraction work and enjoyed many activities in our specialty classes along the way. 

Reminders: 

  • Nov. 8:  NO school, teacher in-service day, Kindy Lantern Walk–Fifth grade plays ukulele

  • Nov. 9:  Grades 1-3 Lantern Walk (5th-grade siblings will play the ukulele with 4th grade)

  • Nov. 7-11: Coat drive for One Warm Coat

  • Nov. 14-18: Non Perishable food drive for Never Alone food pantry

  • Nov. 18: Half Day dismissal (12:15-30) - Thanksgiving Luncheon 

  • Nov. 21-25 Thanksgiving Break (No School) 

With gratitude,

Melissa





Fifth Grade: October 17-21, 2022

Dear Fifth Grade families,

This past week, we ended our fall Botany block with a look at higher plants.  We began with the conifer tree as we looked at the life cycle of these trees and learned about the cones they produce.  The students were all easily able to picture the yellow pollen that coats our world in the spring and were impressed to learn much of that comes from the pine trees around us. We also learned the parts of a tree, including the inside of a trunk. The week ended with a close introductory look at flowering plants.  We examined a tulip and a rose and focused on what makes them different and the parts of monocotyledon plants.  This week, we begin a new block hearing stories and learning about ancient Persia!

Additionally, our fifth-grade “library” opened and the students each chose a book to read.  Book Reviews were explained and each student is asked to complete one once finished with their book of choice.  Book Reviews are a form of a book report, and are due every two weeks (or sooner, if a child finishes reading their book quickly).  There are many wonderful books to read in fifth grade and in this way students are able to enjoy many of them.  

SAVE THE DATE: On the evening of November 8th, the fifth grade class will lend a musical accompaniment to the kindergarten Lantern Walk.  Arrival for fifth grade is 5:30 pm for ukulele tuning, practice, and placement along the path.

Reminders:

  • October 29: Kingdom of Halloween

  • Nov. 1: Late Start—9:40-9:55 am arrival

  • Nov. 5:  Community Workday/Open House

  • Nov. 8:  NO school, teacher in-service day, Kindy Lantern Walk–Fifth grade plays ukulele

  • Nov. 9:  Grades 1-3 Lantern Walk (5th grade siblings will play ukulele with 4th grade)

With gratitude,

Melissa



Fifth Grade: October 10-14, 2022

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

It was wonderful meeting with parents this past week to talk about your children.  It is always exciting to have an opportunity to share your children’s work and progress. Thank you!

We had a full week of Botany lessons as we learned about specific areas in the Lower plant kingdom.  We learned about fungi, algae, lichen, and moss in relation to higher plants. Fungi, lacking leaves and blossoms were first, followed by algae, which has leaves but no stem, and then looked at lichen, an amazing combination of alga and fungus which allows the lichen to live where neither could on their own.  We finished out the week with mosses, ferns and horsetails.  On Friday, the class enjoyed a scavenger hunt, looking for varieties of Lower plants on our forest campus. They collected some smaller specimens and made a small terrarium which they took home.  Please help your child to remember to water it as needed (unless they choose to leave it covered) and indirect sunlight so they can watch it grow! 

This week we will move from ferns and horsetails to conifers and also learn the parts of trees and trunks.  We will end the week with a look at monocotyledons and grasses.  Through the week, the class will continue reviewing long division and working in our fractions workbook.  Please continue being prompt to school so your child can fully participate in math review, dictation, and pentathlon training sessions.

Our magical Kingdom of Halloween festival is just around the corner!! In addition to our beautiful fairy tale walk in our forest, we will have crafts, food and vendors set up in the field. Please invite guests from your community to attend! This is an excellent opportunity for your child to use their imagination and make their own costume to wear to our festival. Be inventive and use what you already have at home! Please remember: no masks or marketed characters. Finally, please sign up to help out that night.  Your volunteer participation and attendance is necessary for our Kingdom of Halloween festival’s success. Our class is responsible for candle dipping.  Please be on the lookout for a sign-up and more information from our class rep. Thank you. We couldn’t do it with out you all!

Reminders:

  • October 18: Parent Coffee

  • October 18: GOAL Zoom at 7:00pm

  • October 21: Parent Handwork 1:00 - 3:00pm

  • October 22: Community Work Day

  • October 29: Kingdom of Halloween

  • Nov. 1: Late Start—9:40 - 9:55am carpool

With gratitude,

Melissa




Fifth Grade: October 3-7, 2022

Dear Fifth Grade Families:

Fall is in the air and cooler temperatures now greet us each morning.  While we will start in our indoor classroom when it is chilly, it is important to send your child with needed layers for sitting at their desks in the cooler forest air.  Your child may bring a lap blanket, if desired, and should dress in layers.  A warm body is a happy body that is able to better take in lessons.

Last week, we began our first Botany block with an overview of a flower.  After looking at the flower and all that makes it special, we then moved to observe a dandelion in all its obvious and varying phases of life.  We ended the week moving into Lower plants and learned about fungi.  This week we will explore and learn about algae, lichen, ferns, and horsetails. 

Moving forward, Mr. Matan will join us many mornings a week at the start of our school day to begin a more comprehensive pentathlon training schedule. Activities and exercises are intentional to help to develop strong proprioceptive skills, build grace and stamina, and get us ready for the pentathlon in fun and meaningful ways.  Arriving on time and ready for school (8:35 is our start time) will allow your child to participate fully in these developmentally important exercises and will increase their self-confidence in their own abilities as well.

Parent-Teacher conferences are this week!  If you have not signed up, please do so now.  Please remember school will be in session half days this Wednesday-Friday with pick-up at 12:30.  I look forward to talking with each of you soon.

Reminders:

  • Oct. 12-14 Early dismissal at 12:30; Parent-Teacher conferences

  • Oct. 22 Community Workday

  • Oct. 29 Kingdom of Halloween

With gratitude,

Melissa




Fifth Grade: September 19-23

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

The Day of Courage festival was a magical experience for our grades students. This year, each grades class made something special for the second grade class as a gift, bracelets from first grade, finger-knitted crowns from third/fourth grade, and wooden shields made and painted by fifth grade during woodworking.  The second graders were each fortified with their individual gifts and then, one by one, entered a dragon’s lair to retrieve a gem of their choosing.  Coming together afterwards, games were enjoyed in mixed-aged groups, led by high school students from the Waldorf high school in Decatur, Academe of the Oaks.  It was a lovely morning.

We also finished up our Ancient India block hearing stories about the Buddha and Lord Krishna, as well as an abridged version of The Ramayana, one of the two important legends of Hinduism and one of the largest ancient epics in world literature.  Our dictation for the week focused on the Ramayana and was a perfect closing to our first block of ancient history. 

Additionally, we moved back into working on fractions using a parable from ancient India.  In this story, a peasant is given a reward of his choosing by a king for saving him.  On his way to collect his reward, he is forced to share ⅙ of it with the guard, ⅔ with a general, and finally, ½ with a minister.  The king grants his reward and it is generously shared with the others…be sure to ask your child what the peasant asked the king to give him!  When we return, in addition to fraction work, we will begin our first botany block.

The weather will be shifting back to early fall temperatures upon our return from fall break.  Please send your student to school with layers, as the forest temperatures that keep us so cool in the summer, will chill us in the mornings!  Your child may bring a small blanket to school, if desired, and will move to needing rain boots over water shoes.  Have a wonderful, restful, and safe fall break!  We will see you all on October 4th!

Reminders:

  • September 26 - 30th–Fall Break (no school)

  • October 3rd–Teacher Workday (NO SCHOOL)

  • October 12-14th–Half day, 12:30 dismissal, Parent-Teacher Conferences.  You may sign up here.

  • October 29th-Kingdom of Halloween

With gratitude,

Melissa

Fifth Grade September 12-16

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

Thank you to those who joined us for a fun and productive Community Workday this past Saturday!  If you weren’t able to join, please look for more volunteer opportunities in the Main message of The Garden Messenger.  With Kingdom of Halloween right around the corner, there will be many opportunities to fulfill your volunteer hours.

We enjoyed more stories about Ancient India this past week.  We learned about the sacred river, the Ganges, and the Indus river, through stories of the gods and descriptive passages of the geography of the country.  We created a summary about the country and climate through a daily morning dictation.  Dictation is helpful for the students in a variety of ways.  It helps teach or reinforce the spelling of common sight words and vocabulary words (such a “people”) as well as gives practice listening intently, and building memory capacity.  We will continue learning about the Buddhu and Krishna as we complete our block this week.

In Woodworking, the students are working on wooden shields for the Day of Courage.  Each student chose a shape for the shield which Mr. Matan cut out for them.  They are busy sanding their shield smooth and have worked to develop a form drawing design to add onto it.  On the Day of Courage, each student will present their handmade shield to a second grade student as a gift (it’s a surprise, please don’t tell any second graders!)!  The class is excited about this project!

Remember to send your students wearing red or gold this Friday! Please let me know if your child needs help sourcing a red or yellow/gold shirt by the end of day Tuesday. If you have extras, please let us know so we can share them with others who may not have found a source readily. Regardless of shirt color, all students will be participating in the Day of Courage activities!

Reminders:

  • Friday, September 23rd–Half-day, 12:30 dismissal, wear a red or yellow/gold shirt

  • September 26 - 30th–Fall Break (no school)

  • October 3rd–Teacher Workday (NO SCHOOL)

  • October 12-14th–Half day, 12:30 dismissal, Parent-Teacher Conferences.  You may sign up here.

With gratitude,

Melissa