Notes & News: 5th Grade in 5D

Students have been steadily progressing in their study of Boy: Tales of Childhood. Through this experience, they have strengthened their comprehension skills by asking and answering questions, tracking key events, and examining how characters and settings influence the story’s plot. A powerful theme that emerged during our exploration is how power dynamics shape individuals, particularly through challenging experiences.

In addition to deepening their reading comprehension, the students have applied their understanding by learning to summarize the text and compare and contrast characters. Currently, they are focused on writing a compare-and-contrast essay analyzing the antagonists in the story. Characters such as Mrs. Pratchett, Captain Hardcastle, Mr. Coombes, The Matron, and two headmasters posed significant challenges to Dahl during his school years, shaping his resilience in the process.

Students recently embarked on an exciting “Teach Me Something New” project as part of our informational writing unit. This project invited students to step into the role of an “expert” by choosing a topic they are passionate about or knowledgeable in, and then teaching their classmates through an engaging and interactive presentation. The project strengthened essential concepts from our current unit, empowering students to apply their informational writing skills to develop clear and comprehensive presentations.

The range of topics students selected was vast, from hobbies and historical events to scientific concepts and practical skills. Whether demonstrating how to solve a Rubik’s Cube or exploring the principles of renewable energy, each presentation allowed students to share their expertise while honing essential skills such as research and organization. Through this project, students strengthened their public speaking skills by focusing on presenting information clearly and coherently.

As the “Teach Me Something New” project comes to a close, students are well on their way to becoming confident, critical thinkers who are ready to embrace new challenges as authors and public speakers.

Consider asking your child:

• What was the most challenging part of teaching others about your topic?

• What strategies did you use to make your presentation more engaging for your classmates?

You can stay up to date on lessons and assignments by visiting our class website.

Students completed an end-of-trimester cumulative assessment covering material from Units 1 and 2 this week. Prior to the assessment, students reflected on the skills they have learned so far this year, evaluating their confidence with each standard taught to date. They identified skills they felt solid in, those requiring further review or practice, and areas where they needed additional instruction. Using these reflections, students engaged in purposeful review sessions throughout the week to prepare for the assessment, which began on Tuesday. As discussed in class, the purpose of the assessment is to evaluate each students’ ability to retain previously taught skills, apply their knowledge to similar problems in new formats (e.g., non-Bridges problems), and demonstrate extended understanding. Assessments will be sent home next week.

Next week, students will review decimal place value and how to read and write decimal numbers. Together, the class will explore what lies to the right on the "Great Wall of Base 10," discovering that each place value decreases in size by a factor of 10.

Unit 3 will pause there for the break and resume afterward with lessons on adding and subtracting decimal numbers, continuing their understanding of powers of ten (exponents), and multiplying and dividing decimals by powers of ten. This foundational work will support upcoming topics, including metric conversions and recognizing patterns later in the unit.

This week and next, students are diving into chemical reactions and states of matter through engaging hands-on experiments and observations. They are exploring how matter transitions between solid, liquid, and gas states and investigating how substances interact to form new products during chemical reactions. By examining physical changes, such as melting and dissolving, alongside chemical changes, such as rusting and combustion, students are developing a deeper understanding of the difference between reversible and irreversible changes.

These activities provide an opportunity to observe science in action while fostering critical thinking as students predict, observe, and analyze the outcomes of each experiment. Through guided reflection, they are beginning to connect these concepts to real-world experiences, recognizing examples of physical and chemical changes in their everyday lives.

As the new year approaches, encourage your child to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for their schoolwork. Whether it's improving their study habits, staying organized, or completing assignments more efficiently, breaking down larger goals into clear, actionable steps can help build essential executive functioning skills like goal-setting, time management, and self-monitoring. Setting a SMART goal helps your child stay focused and motivated throughout the year. Plus, they can track their progress and celebrate small wins along the way!

On Friday, December 20th, Middle School students will perform in the Celebrating The Season concert in Larson Hall at 10:45 am. Students are expected to wear formal attire per the dress code.

Warm Regards,

Erin DeMello