Sandy Kriz-Herbert’s

Peek at the Week

April 2010
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
12 13 14 15 16
Day 1 – Music Day 2 – Media Day 3– PE Day 1 – Music Day 2 – Media

IB Planner Civil
Struggles MCA Math Testing
(work on summative MCA Math Testing First Grade Buddies
assessments) Spelling Test
FAD 
Spanish
ART SHOW and
Auction
6:00-8:30 p.m.

IMPORTANT DATES: HOMEWORK UPDATE

We are focusing in our Character
Counts : Independence
We are focusing in our Global Trivia:
Somalia
 MCA Testing Math 4/13 and 14
 MCA Testing Reading 4/20 and 4/21
 MCA Testing Science 4/27 and 4/28
 4/16 – Art Show 6:00-9:00 pm
 4/23 – MIS AMIGOS
 4/26 – 5th Grade Orientatation 7:00pm
(at Sunrise Park and Central)
 5/6 – Science and Geography Fair
Fifth graders will no longer be receiving
the homework packet every Friday.
Homework will be given out in
classrooms as teachers feel it is needed.
We will be reminding students to keep
track of their homework in their
agendas. (Parents Sign the Trackers)This
change will help ease them into the
homework patterns they are likely to see
in middle school. Students will have to
continue to read at home and will be
required to fill out a monthly reading
log. Math homework will also continue
on a regular basis. Check your students
math each day and sign it at the top of
the first page.
 CLASS WEBSITE: Summative Assessment with Civil
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO? th Struggles
We have set up a website for all the 5 grade classes
In math this week, we worked on our unit As you assist your fifth grader with
about Data; Mean, Median, Mode and Range. We this year. Please check it out! this assessment help them to
practiced, then reviewed for, then took a test. understand the Civil Struggle they
We continued our work with our IB Planner,
http://www.fifthgradeteam.weebly.com have chosen by these topic ideas.
Civil Struggles. The central idea of this planner is that  causes of the conflict
societies have civil conflicts due to differences. Inquiry  what the conflict/struggle is
this week focused on civil struggles that have taken  contributing factors of the
place throughout history and around the world. conflict
Students have partners and a topic. They will need to  perspectives of the people
research their topic and they will be writing their letters involved
starting Monday of next week. Ask your student to  an understanding of the sides
explain their topic and help them with research if of the conflict
needed. The students have a rubric to follow that will  history of the region/people
assist them in writing their friendly letters. that have influenced this
In literacy, we are focusing our attention on conflict.
writing friendly letters. We practiced using the If the students have a clear idea about
friendly letter format and we wrote a friendly letter to their civil struggle they will better be
our reading buddy. able to become a character from this
Students will be writing a DARE essay in April conflict and write a letter to their
to sum up what they’ve learned. They will be turning partner. They will be able to express
in their essay in May. I will collect them as they finish. their feelings and ideas about what is
It gets harder and harder to concentrate during Practicing techniques for MCA’s in math going on in this civil conflict.
Spring in fifth grade. Please remind your child to be
responsible with turning work in on time. We are trying
to instill good habits as they make the transition to
middle school next year.
One of our fifth grades biggest challenges has
been recess. Our class has decided to postpone our
regular recess and have two 10 minute breaks in our
school day. At one of our break times in the morning
we will play an organized game and at our other 10
minute break we have free time on the playground. CONTACT
It seems to be working out very well for our classroom. INFORMATION:
Sandy KH
Room 113
(651) 407-7600 x1608
skkriz@wbl.whitebear.k12.mn.us