Grade 5

Grade Five Writer’s Workshop is a year-long interactive exploration of the 7 good traits that writers use: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions and presentation. This month, we’ve been learning about the way that authors employ voice in their pieces as a way to connect with the reader. Together, we’ve identified that voice is like a thread that weaves throughout a story, drawing the reader in, and setting a tone that varies according to the piece’s form, function and intended audience.  Our touchstone text, Voices in the Park, by Anthony Browne,  allowed us to begin to identify four voices and the emotions or attitudes conveyed by each. Next, we considered a story, or rather an anecdote, called A Rip in the Pants, in which a teacher rips his pants embarrassingly during class. Each student was assigned a unique perspective with which to re-write the story including a teacher’s pet, a colleague of the teacher, the head of the school, a person watching through a hidden camera, a student visitor and, of course, the pants themselves.  This week, students will apply a rubric to each other’s work to assess how voice is conveyed. In addition, our mini-lesson will present students with the rubric, and several anonymous (not written by BCD students) to consider. Prior to heading out for Winter Break, students will craft one additional assessment piece highlighting the trait of written voice.

Important Dates:

*Holiday Gifts (with the leaves) should be sent in this week!

*Egyptian Mythology Presentation (including costume) Monday Dec. 15 at 2:15 – Parents Welcome!

*Egypt Test: Wednesday Dec. 17

*PTR projects: Thursday Dec. 18

*Holiday Party and Secret Holiday Pals (kids have chosen these–maximum $10) on Friday Dec. 19. Please let me know if you can send in a treat for us. We could use two!

Enjoy the pictures of PTR presentation and chicken mummification. 

Thank you!

Jilly

Dear Grade Five Parents,

I just wanted to update you on what is going to be a very busy November.

1. Please join us for the Middle School Poetry Assembly next Friday at 2:10.  For this presentation, the boys will be wearing black and the girls will be wearing white. For the boys, I recommend a black t-shirt and dark jeans or pants. For the girls, a white t-shirt, or top and white leggings or a white dress/skirt. Please don’t buy anything–let’s try and share.  These items should be brought to school on Thursday so that they are ready and waiting for us on Friday. Thanks!

2. PTR projects are due on November 24. Please be sure your child finishes up his or her book this weekend so that he/she can begin working on the project. If you could check in with your student about the project he/she has selected that would be helpful.

3. As you might have heard, we have finished Where the Red Fern Grows. Next week, the students will be having a test on the book. They will get to use their book during the test. In order to prepare, I suggest they look through their book at the parts we have highlighted, read through their worksheets and quizzes, as well as their red notebooks for any assignments that involved responding to the text. I will also go over this with them.

4. PLEASE do not forget to send in your ski friday forms. I have not received any of these yet! You can download it by going to the BCD website and pulling down on “Current Families” or by clicking here

.  These forms need to be in as soon as you can manage.

5. Lastly, if you have not sent in a box of salt, we need that in order to begin mummifying the chickens. Thanks!

Have a great weekend!

Jilly