Hello Families!
Considering this is the first newsletter, it is LONG, but please take the time to read it all.
IMPORTANT
Monday, 8/21 and Tuesday, 8/22- Volleyball Tryouts 3:30-4:30
*Must have permission slip signed
Friday, 8/25 - Boy Scouts Lunch Discussion (for interested boys)
Monday, 8/28 - Fundraiser Forms & Money Due
Tuesday, 8/29 - PTA Meeting 6:30pm
Tuesday, 8/29 - Boy Scout Registration
FEES & FORMS
If you have any fees or forms that have not been submitted, please send them in as soon as
possible. If you need more time before you are able to pay the fees, please just let us know so
we dont keep asking your child for it.
RDS
Your child received RDS login information this week. Some received TWO papers. They are so
that your child has his/her own login information to see grades, and the other is for parents to
see grade information for all of their children. We do not have any grades entered just yet, so
there will not be much to see. However, please go ahead and sign on to make sure it all works. I
do NOT have your login information, nor can I reset anything. You will have to go through the
EVSC Parent Access section to ask questions and request help.
LUNCH MONEY
As a 5th grader, your child has the option to buy additional snacks at lunch. You have two
options for them to pay: cash or their school account. In order to pay using their account, a
parent MUST send in a written note saying that their child is allowed to use their account.
Otherwise, they will NOT be allowed to.
EZSchoolPay - This site will allow you to check your child's account balance, check their
purchase history, and add money to your child's lunch account online using a credit card. You
will need to enter the school's ZIP code (47712), your child's 7-digit Student ID Number, and
their last name. Your child knows their 7-digit ID number...it is their password for their school
computer! Remember that this is optional, and you may always send a check or cash to school
with your child instead. (Just please remember to write your child's PIN number on any checks
that are sent for lunch money!)
PTA
If you have not already joined PTA, PLEASE consider it! Forms were available at Open House
and were sent home last week. I still have extras if you would like another copy. PTA does so
much for our students, teachers, staff, and building, and your support would be greatly
appreciated.
WEBSITES
Plan to visit our class website, www.NanceNinjas.com (also www.NanceNinjas.weebly.com)
regularly. I keep it updated with important dates & events, helpful links for parents, pictures, and
details about what our classes are working on in math, science, and social studies classes. Mrs.
Schefer also keeps a website: www.wtshockwave.weebly.com . It will have more detailed
information about reading and language arts classes. Please note that we do not necessarily
update them daily, and we do not have specific homework assignments posted (since they will
rarely have assigned homework). We typically update them weekly and at the start of each unit.
My site has also been updated with some pictures from the first week of school (at the top, go to
More > Pictures ).
MATH
In Math, the focus of our current unit is multiplying multi-digit numbers. By the end of this
section, students will be expected to:
Multiply a one-digit number by up to a four-digit number (6 x 8735)
Multiply a two-digit number by a three digit number (34 x 96)
Multiply any number by a multiple of 10 or 100 (5 x 300 or 40 x 60)
Evaluate (solve) equations involving parentheses or brackets using the properties of
multiplication. (Zero, Identity, Associative, Commutative, Distributive)
Solve word problems involving multiplication using these skills and strategies
Students can use the textbook and workbook for extra practice at home. Most of the
multiplication properties can be found in section 3-1. Distributive property can be found in
section 3-5. Multiplication using the standard algorithm can be found in sections 3-7 and 3-8.
Students are allowed to use a variety of strategies to solve these problems. These skills are the
foundation of fifth grade math. It is critical that students know the basic multiplication facts
through the 12s. Division is the next unit, which will use these same skills.
The students will have the assessment for this section on Friday, August 25.
SCIENCE
In Science, we spent the first few days discussing observations and inferences, which are
important when communicating scientific information. We then spent some time discussing the
solar eclipse that will take place Monday afternoon.
Starting Tuesday, we will move on to the rest of our Earth Science unit, starting with the earths
rotation and day/night, then covering shadows and movement of the sun across the sky,
seasons, stars & constellations, and planets later in the grading period.
SOCIAL STUDIES
In Social Studies, we are currently covering Map Skills. Students need to be able to identify and
use lines of latitude and longitude, use a compass rose and cardinal directions, and identify
physical & cultural regions on US (such as Midwest, Northeast, etc.), some states, major cities,
landmarks, rivers, lakes, the continental divide, and mountain ranges using a map. More than
anything, they will need to be able to DESCRIBE the physical and cultural regions of the US, as
well as DESCRIBE the impact of access to sources of fresh water on local and regional
communities.
READING
So far, students are digging into great books and getting into the routine of not just reading,
but also discussing, analyzing, and thinking deeply about the text they are reading.
One thing you can do at home is ask about strategies they are learning or texts they
are reading in class.
Tests will include a text they havent read before, and they will need to apply the skills
and strategies we are learning in order to answer questions (both mc and written
response).
Next week, we will send home some of their work so that you can see what type of
text we use, and how you can support their effort at home.
In the future, most of our tests and other work happens on line, so you wont see tons
of papers coming home throughout the year.
Binders come home occasionally for you to review with your child! Your student will
present to you what they are learning and explain where they need to grow and where
they have strengths!
Students will be tested at the end of the unit (September 1st) on the following
standards:
-Determine theme of a story
-Quote accurately when referring to what a text says explicitly
-Select and apply context clues and text features to determine the
meaning of unknown words
-Use specific details to describe two or more characters, settings, or
events in a story or play
-Determine how words and phrases provide meaning to works of
literature, including imagery, symbolism, and figurative language
(e.g., similes, metaphors, hyperbole, or allusion).
WRITING
Our first unit in writing is all about narratives (both fictional and personal), and writing effectively
to describe the plot. The following standards will be used to assess their writing:
-Develop the exposition
-Develop an event sequence that unfolds naturally with transitions
-Provide an ending that follows the narrated experiences or events
- Use descriptions to develop experiences or events / shows the
reaction of characters to situations
-Apply correct use of capitalization in writing
-Apply correct spelling patterns in writing
**They will also have a short quiz on apostrophes and quotation marks this unit.
NOTES FROM MRS. SCHEFER
General Info:
We are starting to work on Thinkpads. Students are not allowed to try to finish work early so
they can play games. We are working with them to slow down and do their best work before
they turn it in.
Seating:
Students who do not follow class rules will not be able to use our flex seating options. Safety
always comes first, and if they arent taking care of furniture, or using furniture in an unsafe way,
they may not be eligible for flex usage.
Site:
Wtshockwave.weebly.com has info about grading, reading and writing standards, photos of
students, and links to important sites!
Questions:
Any questions, please email any time!
