Achievement Test week

Welcome to Achievement test week.  Help your child to do their best this week, by providing them with good nutrition and lots of sleep (no staying up late to watch the Blues and Cardinals)!

Children will need a supply of #2 pencils, a ruler and calculator.  They should have a water bottle that closes, and a healthy snack for each morning.  Please don't send bags of chips and donuts, but find something with protein or nutrition.  They may have a small bag of mints of some kind, but they don't need to bring a giant bag.

If you feel your child needs a stress distraction, please send me note, as these have become a huge disruption in class and most are used as toys.  They won't be allowed in the room after testing week, but if your child needs to use one this week, I will need a note.

5th Grade Language Arts:  No Spelling this week.  I have collected their books and will record the past two weeks and any missing weeks' pages.  There will only be one more week of spelling and so any missing pages must be completed.
Grammar:  We will review and do last week's assessment this week.  Otherwise in grammar, we will be writing this week.  We are working on individual fairy tales.  Story maps have been turned in, and so we will begin stories this week.

Literature:  Students have been assigned to one last novel to read.  They are reading this book with a group of 4-6 other students.  All work for these books will be on Google classroom.  Each book has its own class on Google classroom, so look for the book title to find the correct assignments.
Also on classroom for each book, will be posted the calendar of chapters due and assignments.  Please refer to that to make sure your student is completing the work.

Social Studies: We will be working hard this week on our chapter about the US Constitution.  The workbook pages that we are taking notes on is due on Monday.  Most students had 1-2 sections left, but they are due Monday.  We will watch a great video, play a wonderful simulation game, and in groups students will be writing a constitution for a settlement on Mars.
We will move directly into the next chapter on The Bill of Rights.  This will be a combined test, most likely at the end of next week (Friday, May 12).

6th Grade Literature:  Please check Educate at the end of the weekend, for the five grades that have been assigned for our Holocaust unit.  Missing or incomplete work can be turned in still, but will not receive full credit.
We are going to finish our short mythology unit this week.  We have read 3 myths and completed 2 assignments on Google classroom.  Many students didn't complete the homework assignment and will receive a 0 grade unless it is completed and turned in for late credit. This week we will do a comparison on Hercules with a story and the movie.
Students have also chosen a last novel to read.  They had many choices and could choose something of their own as well as long as there were at least 2 people reading the story. Each group is deciding the pace at which they will read the book, but the book must be completed by May 12.  There will be 2 journals and a question set for each book.  They should be able to tell you which book they are reading and show you their progress.

Our experience last Monday to the Jewish Community School was awesome.  I will send a separate email this week about it with some pictures.  Ask your child about it.

****Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:  It has come to my attention that several 6th grade girls have read this book.  It is a relatively controversial book as well as Netflix series.  I don't believe the content is appropriate for 5th or 6th graders, but that is up to parent discretion.  I am including the review of this book from Common Sense Media for you to look at if your student is interested in reading the book.  I do not have it on my shelves.  It is certainly worth reading together or reading it first before allowing your child to read it.
Common Sense Media review of Thirteen Reasons Why

Make sure your student gets lots of rest this week and good nutrition for testing.  Continue to check for missing work, and strive to get it turned in for late credit.
Blessings on your week,
Mrs. Brown