Happy New Year!  I hope your holidays were relaxing and you had an opportunity to enjoy time with friends and family.  As we enter the beginning of the year, your student will be working harder than ever as a fifth grader.  We will begin preparing our minds and bodies with ISAT preparations.  We will be working on a few projects in school and at home right away this week.  If you have any questions, please contact me via email:  agkrecik@cps.edu.

<strong>Reading</strong><strong>: </strong>This week, we will discuss the reading strategy, Making Connections. We will review the rubric for Extended-Responses this week and students will work write one in class for our shared reading book, <span style="text-decoration: underline">Maniac Magee</span>.  This is part of our ISAT preparation.  As usual, students will be responsible for completing their letters in their Reader’s journal.  <strong>Students should be reading books to accomplish their AR goal for the quarter.</strong>

<strong>Writing: </strong>We will focus on our writing project:   “Make A Menu”.  <strong>Homework this week: </strong>Write six food descriptions for group menus, and complete any other group assignments for Menu groups throughout the week.

<strong>Math:</strong> This week, we will begin Chapter 4:  Division.  In addition, this week students will begin the Daily Math Puzzler program.  This is a daily math problem that students must solve independently.  <strong>We will review the requirements of a good extended response this week.  Then, we will use a Daily Math Puzzler to write a math extended response as practice for ISATs on Friday in class. </strong>Homework:<strong> </strong>Study Links 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4

<strong>Science: </strong>I am almost finished with grading student research papers for Science Fair, and I will be giving a determining grade for Science Fair soon.  Stay tuned...

This week, we will begin our new unit: <strong> Microworlds</strong>.  This unit will have three separate phases.  This week, we will begin Phase 1.  We will sharpen our observation skills by looking at ordinary objects with a scientific mind.  Students will be introduced to hand lenses, and we will record observations in our notebooks.<strong> </strong>

<strong>Social Studies: </strong>We will complete our study of the first explorers in the New World and begin focusing on the first colony.    I did not assign the Explorer research over break (I hope that wasn't a confusion for you), but students will have time in computer lab on Monday and Wednesday to collect research on their explorer.  They will follow the guidelines and the rubric we have discussed in class to complete their Explorer Treasure Box.  This is an independent assignment that will be completed at home.  Treasure Boxes are due and will be presented on Monday, January 11.<strong> </strong>

<strong>Spelling: </strong>Students should study weekly spelling words for the week.  <strong>Our test will be Friday.</strong>