Typing/Keyboarding Resources

As the computer science curriculum continues to expand in the Lower School, we have decided to remove the keyboarding unit from classroom instructional time.  Below are recommended resources that your daughter can use at home to practice and improve her keyboarding skills.

Typing.com offers free lessons for your child.  You have the option of creating user name and password or completing the lessons without an account.  The benefit to having an account it tracking progress.

Typing Club offers touch typing for free.  Again, you can create an account or completing the lessons without one.  This site has good reviews from Common Sense Media.

The most important thing when learning how to type is repeated practice.  There are many other resources available online if you daughter is ready to go beyond these suggestions!

Award Season!

Roll out the red carpet!

No, I am not talking about the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Grammys, or the Oscars.  In the world of children's literature it is Newbery Award season.

As stated by the Association of Library Service to Children, "The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year."

The award was named for the eighteenth-century English bookseller John Newbery.   

And the winner is...

Tune in January 23rd to find out 2017's big winner!

Guest of Honor

The Fifth Grade Annual Newbery Luncheon is almost here!  All parents should have received a packet of preliminary information regarding this fabulous affair.  

Our speaker this year is Clare Vanderpool.  She is a Newbery Award winner (wow!) and a Michael Printz Award winner.  She has a long list of other literary awards.  

Coming to a classroom near you!

 The excitement up the hill is palpable and we cannot wait to get started!

Art_Gift Exchange

The girls saw a reference to R-Mode in the story, The Art of Ms. Chew by Patricia Polacco, a wonderful book about a gift exchange between a girl and her teachers. Look at the picture below and ask your daughter why the fact that the girl has trouble reading is the same thing that makes her a great artist. It is all how you see it! 

They began a unit to practice "seeing" differently. They drew with paper: black, white and gray paper, only! They "drew" these gifts (see below) while thinking about a gift exchange they had with an important grow-up in their lives.  Reflections to follow. 

Fabulous Fifth Grade Winter Happenings!

Fabulous Fifth Grade Winter Happenings!

As winter break approaches,  the fifth grade continues to work hard up the 

hill in language arts, math, and history!

What we are reading: 

        

       

Ask your daughter her opinion of the main characters in her assigned novel. 

What we are calculating:

Fractions!

Prime and composite numbers, GCF, equivalent fractions, adding and subtracting, and... COMING SOON: multiplying and dividing! 

What we are researching:

Native American Cultural Regions

Amazing diorama pictures coming soon!

(all images in this post courtesy of Google Images)

WINTER CONCERT

Come one, come all!

Please join us for the Winter Concert for students in grades 3-5 on Tuesday, December 20.  The concert begins at 8:30 am and will end by around 9:15.

Each and every student participates in this performance!  The fifth graders will be on the right side of the stage (as you are facing it).

Attire for the concert is as follows:
• Split top uniform, skort, jumper, or gray pants
• Dark green or gray tights or knee socks (no leggings or white socks)
• White long sleeve turtleneck or polo shirt (no sweaters – the girls will be warm enough under the bright lights!)

See you there!

Art_ Distorted Self-Portraits

The girls completed a self-portrait that was intentionally distorted. At first, this was an uncomfortable assignment for some of them because they like to record their best selves, however, their reflections reveal how their distortions are actually more representative of their true selves. 

They referred to a list we made of their reactions to seeing artists' distorted portraits. The questions:  What effect do the distortions have? What message does the artist convey? How are the distortions more "real"  to representing the subject than a realistic portrait?

Here are some of the results:

And, the thoughtful reflections...

French: Sports Skit

The fifth grade girls have been learning how to talk about all of the things that they love to do.  Here is a skit that they have learned about what sports they like to play.