Weekly Update: 12/11

Happy, Happy Monday!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Here is what we are up to until Winter Break: 

Science: This week we will continue the study of the flow of energy, but focus on plants (absorb sun/nutrients, make food) and decomposers.

Writing: We are continuing  to draft, and then revise our memoirs. We are focusing on using figurative language to paint a picture in your audiences' mind, and using our external timeline to show how that affects the central character's feelings.

Reading: We are focusing on social issues as we bring our reading lenses to our texts and push our thinking to be more complex. The students are meeting in literature groups and continuing to bring rich discussions to their group.

Math: We will continue with Chapter 7 and focus on working backwards to solve a math problem, generating patterns, ordered pairs, and graphing ordered pairs.

Social Studies: We are  continuing  the study of the Civil War, and which events of the mid-1800's kept the nation together and which events pulled it apart. The students will be acting out several primary sources.

Upcoming Events: 

12/20: Winter Party 2 -3 PM

12/21 - 1/3: Winter Break 

Sincerely,

Meredith Holtmann

Weekly Update: 12/1

Happy Friday and Happy December!! 

This week has been very, very busy and full of all sorts of fun!

Reading: This week in reading we began discussing social issues that appear in the books we read.  Each kiddo is part of a book club that is reading a book that deals with at least one social issue.  Each night, students are required to read their assigned pages and write an entry in their notebook using the question props given to them.

Writing: This week we finished drafting our second informational pieces.  Today we recorded ourselves reading our pieces and on Monday will be creating a timeline with QR codes attached to listen to other's writing.  They have worked so hard on theses pieces and should be very proud of their writing!

Math: This week we finished up Chapter 6 (multiplying and dividing decimals).  We finished our study guide today in class and will review on Monday.  The test will be on Tuesday (12/5).  Please spend some time studying this weekend.  We began this chapter before Thanksgiving-- they may need some refreshing, especially with multiplying decimals! :)

Upcoming Events: 

12/2 (Tomorrow): Winter Festival  @ 9am

12/4 - 12/8: Last week for Helping Hands! 

12/6: 5th Grade Strings Rehearsal @ 9:15

12/8: SkyZone for Cookie Dough Fundraiser -- ONLY those who             sold enough items! 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Sincerely,

Meredith Holtmann 

Weekly Update: 11/17

Happy Friday! 

I can't believe that there is less than a week until Thanksgiving!  I love how this time of year, we are reminded of all of the blessings in our lives.  Take a few minutes this weekend and talk with your kiddo about what they are thankful for this year, they usually have some great answers! :)  I know I'm personally thankful for each of everyone of the kids in our class-- they are so fun, spunky, and sweet!

Science:  We played and game and did a project based on food chains.  We discussed why they are important for all living things to survive in an environment.  

Reading:  We worked on synthesizing information when we read and also discussed how in order to conduct meaningful research we must notice how all of the small details come together to form big ideas.

Writing: Drafting continued this week for our second informational piece.  They are coming along so well!  Some of focuses this week were including multiple perspectives in our writing and creating cohesion throughout of piece, specifically in our subheadings.

Math: This week we dove into multiplying decimals.  We learned how to multiply decimals by powers of ten.  We also practiced noticing patterns when solving word problems.

Social Studies:  We got to be lawyers during social studies this week.  We were given various court cases and had to use the Bill of Rights to decide if the ruling in these cases were fair based on the amendments.  It was a lot of fun! 

Upcoming Events: 

11/22 - 11/24 Thanksgiving Break (no school)

Please continue to send in items for Helping Hands! We are hoping to reach our next goal of 200 items!! Thank you for all you have sent in already!

Have a great weekend!

Meredith Holtmann

Tomorrow is Picture Retake Day!

Weekly Update: 11/10

Happy Weekend! 

This quote was something that we discussed this week during one of our morning meetings!  It was a great conversation -- one that I think they'd love to chat about at home this weekend, if you get the chance! :)

This week... 

Science: We discussed shadows and the rotation of the Earth.  We made models of the Earth and suns interaction which was super fun!  

Reading: We discussed different types of sources and explored primary sources.  We played a game of telephone which showed us how important it is to go to a firsthand account when researching if possible!  We also talked about organizing our notes and how that helps use understand what we are reading.

Writing:  We celebrated our first informational piece and are now researching for our second one.  The kids got to choose a topic that they were interested in and have really been enjoying the researching process.

Math: We took our Chapter 5 test on Tuesday and then began Chapter 6.  Chapter 6 is all about multiplying and dividing decimals.

Social Studies:  We finished up our law exam and had our law school graduation!  We are looking forward to being lawyers for our next activity next week.

Upcoming Events:

Ongoing -- Helping Hands! 

11/17: Picture Retakes

Helping Hands is well underway and we have set some high goals for our class.  Here's what we decided :

100 items = Free choice time!

200 items = Extra Recess!!

300 items = Karaoke Party!!!

Thank you to all who have already donated items.  Please consider sending something in so that we are able to make a wonderful holiday season for these families.  

Sincerely,

Mrs. Holtmann

Weekly Update 11/3

Happy November!

We are excited to be starting a new month and we're ready to make it the best yet! 

Here's what we've been doing this week...

Science:  We finished our discussion about the 4 spheres of Earth and completed our Sphere Project.  We presented them yesterday-- they did an awesome job!  We are looking forward to learning about food chains and webs early next week.

Reading: We have continued to learn about different strategies to use when reading nonfiction texts.  Some things we have discussed are monitoring our own comprehension, using strategies to help us with tricky vocabulary, and using text structure to help us understand the text better.  We will continue discussing strategies into next week!

Writing:  We are almost finished with our first nonfiction writing piece!  Monday will be our last publishing day and we will celebrate on Tuesday.  Some of the skills we've been working on this week are adding in a table of contents and bibliography, using formal language in our writing, and using our checklist to make sure we have included everything we need.  I am looking forward to reading their completed pieces- they have worked so hard! :)

Math: This week we wrapped up our chapter on adding and subtracting decimals.  We will have our chapter 5 test on Tuesday, November 7.  Please see my email for practice sheets to use to study.  The main topics covered in this chapter are rounding decimals to a certain place value spot, estimating answers, and adding/ subtracting decimals with models and with the normal algorithm.  Please encourage your child to study for the test! 

Social Studies:  This week in we've gone to Law School!  We are working on answering questions to pass our law exam so that we can become lawyers for our next chapter.  It has been lots of fun!

It's been a fun and exhausting week!  Spend some time getting some rest and relaxation this weekend.

Helping Hands Blurb:

We are so excited to kick off another holiday season with the Helping Hands Campaign that will begin Monday, November 6th! For those of you new to Concord, each year we organize a collection of food, cleaning supplies, personal care items, and paper products that help our very own Concord Families in need. And that is just the beginning! The Boy Scouts fill enormous gift bags as stockings, and the Girl Scouts provide socks, hats, and gloves! Each of the kiddos will also receive tickets to the Winter Festival, Spirit wear, and new books! The Giving Tree, provides much needed clothing, coats, and toys.  

Upcoming Events: 

11/7: Kick off Helping Hands w/ Jingles for Jammies! 

11/8: Early Release (wear buddy shirt!)

11/10: Veteran's Day Assembly @ 9 AM

Have a good weekend,

Meredith Holtmann

Weekly Update: 10/26

Happy Weekend!

It was a fun and busy week in 5th grade, as usual!  

Thank you to everyone for attending conferences this week-- it is so important to have the parent/ teacher relationship to help the kiddos be successful.  Thanks for all you do!

Click HERE if you would like to volunteer your time or and item to our Halloween Party! 

Click HERE to find the Pumpkin Run permission form that we need returned by Monday next week!

Science:  We are focusing on the 4 different spheres of Earth (biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere) and how they work together.  We will be completed a project where we will be creating a model of this next week!

Reading:  We are working on understanding nonfiction texts and identifying the main idea and supporting details within a text.  We have been talking about how main idea is not just a word or phrase but a complete sentence that tells use the topic and WHY it is important.

Writing:  We continued working on our nonfiction piece about a topic from Westward Expansion.  We focused on using geography and specific "expert words" to make our story sound like a historian wrote it.  We have also been adding our own thinking into our nonfiction piece so that our piece isn't just listing off facts from another source.

Math: This week we started chapter 5 (adding and subtracting decimals).  We specifically worked on rounding to a certain place value spot and using models to add/ subtract decimals.

Social Studies:  We presented our constitution projects and will be starting our branches of government chapter next week! 

Upcoming Events: 

10/27: NO SCHOOL

10/ 31: Fall Festival (Schedule below) -- no letter day! 

11/3: Adult Trivia Night  

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Meredith Holtmann

Fall Festival Schedule For Next Week! :)

Weekly Update 10/20

Happy Friday, Everyone! 

I hope you have had a great week.  

Don't forget that parent-teacher conferences are next week on Monday (10/23) and Wednesday (10/25). You can check HERE to find your conference time!  We are doing student led conferences, so please bring your child with you if possible.  We will spend the first half talking with them and then they will wait in the hall for us to finish the second half of our conference.  Looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday or Wednesday!

Also, if you would like to donate an item or volunteer your time for our Halloween party, you can sign up HERE!

Here's what we've been up to this week...

Science:  We did our first round of science stations about Earth's systems this week.  We will continue our study of this into next week!  We are having fun getting to do interactive activities about our science topics -- watching videos, having group discussions, and doing investigations.

Reading: We used our reading to research more about our topic, complete our ELA galileo test, and talk more about note taking and research strategies.

Writing:  We spent time sifting through our notes and picking out the common themes we see.   We then used those common themes to come up with subtopics for our nonfiction piece.  We wrote a flash draft and noticed we still needed to do more research.  We will continue researching at we write throughout next week.

Math:  We finished up our division lessons this week and took our division test on Thursday.  Remember to keep studying multiplication facts at home nightly!

Upcoming Events: 
Next week:

10/23: Parent- Teacher Conferences

10/25: Parent- Teacher Conferences 

10/ 27: No School!

Week after next:

10/31: Pumpkin Run/ Halloween Party

Have a great weekend! 

Sincerely,

Meredith Holtmann

Please remind your kiddo to study tonight for their math test! :)

Halloween Party

Please consider volunteering your time or donating something to help us have a successful Halloween Party-- click the link below!  Thanks so much!

Halloween Party Sign Up Genius

Field Trip 10/24!

We have a Jazz Field Trip to the Sheldon on Tuesday, 10/24! 

Please be looking for permission slips in the next day or two.

Weekly Update: 10/15 (important information about conferences included)!

Happy Sunday!  I hope everyone had a nice weekend!

As I finish up report cards this quote resonated with me!  Each kiddo has worked so hard this quarter and even if they aren't there yet, they are on their way.  

Report cards for first quarter should be emailed sometime this week.  The fifth grade team got together to discuss areas we have been working on this quarter.  In the general comments section you will find important skills listed for your child as either GLOWS (strengths) or GROWS (areas to improve for next quarter).  We will discuss these further at conferences next week!

Conferences are Monday (10/23) or Wednesday (10/25).  You are encouraged to bring your child with you to conferences so that they may discuss their progress and goals with you.  They will discuss the first half of the time, then be excused so that we may talk for the remaining half.  This is strongly encouraged and a great way for them to take ownership of their learning!

Here is what we were up to this past week and where we are headed this week...

Science:  The kids finished presenting their prototypes for the second time (after reevaluating and making changes based on feedback!  They did an amazing job on this project and I was very impressed.  This week we are starting our next chapter all about Earth Systems!

Reading/ Writing:  This past week we used a lot of our reading and writing workshop time to discuss research and note taking.  We are getting ready to start our first nonfiction piece in writing and we needed to spend time getting some background information before we could get started.  Each kiddo has been given a topic within the bigger topic of Westward Expansion.  They will work in research groups to gather their notes and then use the notes to each write their own nonfiction piece.  We will start working on that piece this week!

Math:  We started chapter four-- an extension of chapter three that was all about division.  We started looking at division problems with two-digit divisors and 3 and 4-digit dividends.  We will wrap up that chapter on Tuesday.  We will review for our test on Wednesday and then take the test on Thursday (10/ 19).  Check your email for some helpful resources for studying!

Social Studies:  We spent last week learning all about the constitution and are now working on a project creating our own constitution!  Next, we are learning about the branches of our government.

Upcoming Events:

This Week

10/19: Math Chapter 3-4 Test

Next Week

10/23 and 10/25: Parent Teacher Conferences (click link for your date/time)

10/27: No School

Sincerely,

Meredith Holtmann

Skating Permission Slip Due October 13th!

Weekly Update: 10/6

Happy Friday, everyone!  I hope you have had a great week.  

Here's what we've been up to...

Science:  We finished working on our prototypes and presented them to our class.  We gave feedback and compliments to each group and now they are working on reevaluating their prototypes.  We will present again next week!

Reading:  This week we focused on comparing and contrasting across multiple texts by looking at theme and characters.  We also wrapped up our second round of book clubs.  We are going to be starting an informational unit next week and will be working in research groups!

Writing:  We published and celebrated our second personal narrative pieces-- I was so impressed with our class' writing!  We did our pre-assessment for our information pieces today and will dive into our next unit next week.

Math:  Division, division, division!  We are combining chapters 3 and 4 which are both about division.  We will be working on practicing division over the next couple of weeks.  Please keep working at home on getting those multiplication facts memorized!

Social Studies:  We finished our discussing the Declaration of Independence chapter and are now focusing on the Constitution!  We did a fun preview activity where we all tried to decide on a radio station but in the end had to compromise to make everyone happy!

Upcoming Events:

10/6 (TONIGHT!): Family Trivia Night: 6:30 PM 

10/13: Half Day -- where buddy shirt! 

I hope you have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Meredith Holtmann  

Weekly Update: 9/29

The above quote has been something that we have been discussing as a class this week.  We are working on stopping and thinking before acting and choosing to do the right thing just because it's the right thing!  It is an ongoing conversation in our classroom and I encourage you to have those conversations with your kiddos at home as well.  Kids seem to truly benefit from the school and home connection and consistency can be the key to success!  Thank you so much for all of the support from home-- what we do at school would not be possible without the wonderful support from Y-O-U!

Here's what we've been up to...

Science:  We began our engineering chapter this week!  It has been so much fun and the kiddos are having a chance to get creative.  We are designing prosthetic arms for a character from our read aloud book, Home of the Brave, using the engineering design process.  We will present our prototypes next week and receive feedback to improve our designs.

Reading: We began our second round of book clubs this week.  We are focusing on comparing and contrasting characters for the next week.  We are practicing having thoughtful discussions with our group members and holding ourselves accountable for our group responsibilities.  Book clubs will be wrapped up on October 6th.

Writing: We are well into our second personal narrative and are approaching our celebration which will be on Thursday (October 5th).  It will be a PJs and Personal Narratives celebration AKA pajama day!  Each kiddo is working so hard and they have made so much growth since the beginning of the year.  I am one proud teacher! 

Math: We took our math chapter 2 test on Tuesday and then began our next chapter (division).  This week we reviewed the steps of division with two-digit dividends.  Next week, we will begin working with three and four-digit dividends!  We are combining chapters 3 & 4 so our test will not be for a little while.

Upcoming Events:

10/5: PJs and Personal Narrative Celebration (PJ DAY)

10/6: Book Club Books Complete!

10/6: Family Trivia Night

10/13: Half Day 

Have a wonderful weekend!  Enjoy the beautiful weather! :) 

Thanks,

Meredith Holtmann

Picture Day is TOMORROW!! (September 27th)

Weekly Update 9/25

Happy Monday!!  Here's what we are up to in 5th grade....

***Important Reminder: Tomorrow is our chapter 2 math test.  You can access the answer key to the study guide by logging into our google classroom (child's email and 10-digit code).  Please encourage them to spend at least 30 minutes studying this evening!***

Picture Day is this Wednesday, September 28th!!! 

Science:  We started our second chapter in science today.  It is all about the engineering design process.  The kids are super excited and had great discussions this morning.  We are looking forward to a fun chapter!  Also, science tests from Thursday were sent home today.  

Reading: We started our second round of book clubs today!  We will be using our book club meeting time to discuss themes and characters across two texts.  The kids are really excited about their new books!

Writing:  We are writing our second personal narrative.  We created story arcs today and will be working on drafting, editing, and revising this week.  We will celebrate our final pieces next Thursday (10/5).

Math:  We will be taking our chapter 2 math test tomorrow (9/26).  We will kick off chapter 3 on Wednesday!

A note from our fifth grade team:

As we embark on our second science unit, Engineering Design Process, we are in need of lots of recycled materials. If you have any of the following at home (and looking to get rid of it!) please send my way. I greatly appreciate any and all materials! Anything we do not use in class will be donated to our Concord Creation Station. 

Recycled Materials List

Aluminum foil 

Bottle caps
Cereal boxes/ Cookie boxes

Craft/Popsicle sticks 
Egg cartons
Empty cans
Empty soda/water bottles
Empty yogurt containers

Fishing line
Food storage containers

Jelly jars

Milk/juice cartons
Newspapers
Old cards
Old cds (appropriate for children)
Paper bags

Plastic bags

Plastic cups

Plastic utensils

Scrap wood

Straws

String Toilet Paper/ paper towel rolls

Toothpicks 

Upcoming Events: 

9/26: Math Chapter 2 Test

9/28: Picture Day & Grant's Farm Night (5-9)

10/6: Family Trivia Night (6:30)

Have a great week!

Thanks,

Meredith Holtmann

Hats Off to You, Bobby!

Science Chapter 1 Test (Thursday, September 21)

Dear Parents,

We are quickly approaching the Ch.1 Science Investigations test on Thursday, September 21. In class we will be reviewing this week. There are lots of resources to use at home to study between now and then. Check them out below.

As always, I encourage the students to develop good study habits by reviewing a little each night instead of cramming the night before a test. I will be reminding them of this every day.

Happy studying!

What can I use to study at home?
Notes from my science notebook

Science book pages 6-27

Online Text at Pearson Online Text
Username: 25firstnamelastname
Password: PASSWORD1 (all caps)

Investigation papers (paper airplane, paper towel): Glued in Science Notebook

Ch.1 Science Investigation Slides (linked here)​

Study Guide (we will work on this and review in class)

Weekly Update: 9/17

Here's what we were up to last week in 5th grade...


Science:  We wrapped up our paper towel investigation and began our paper airplane investigation.  The kiddos are testing to see which paper airplane flies the farthest (newspaper, notebook paper, or construction paper).  We are finishing up that investigation today and will begin reviewing for our first science test which will be given on Thursday, September 21.  Here is the study guide that I will be giving out tomorrow-- Science Study Guide!

Reading:  We began working in book clubs last week.  We are practicing pushing our thinking by making predictions, inferences, connections, etc with our text.  The clubs are off to a great start.  Please continue to encourage and check in with your child about their reading.  We are having a bit of trouble holding ourselves responsible for getting our reading done before our meetings.  Clubs meet everyday and each kiddo should have filled out a calendar that is kept in their reading notebook that tells them where to read to each day.  Thanks!

Writing: We worked on doing revisions and peer editing to our first personal narrative last week!  We focused on leads and endings, as well.  Today will be the last publishing day for the personal narratives and we will have a class celebration TOMORROW.  

Math:  We started chapter 2: Multiplying Whole Numbers.  We discussed multiples and prime numbers and also learning how to find the prime factorization of a number.  We also discussed powers and exponents and how we can express answers using those.  On Friday, we practiced using a table to organized information when solving word problems.

Social Studies:  We continued our study of the Declaration of Independence in Chapter 6.

Upcoming Events: 

9/21: Science Chapter 1 Test
9/22:  No School

Hope you all had a great weekend! 

Thanks,

Meredith Holtmann

eReading Resources!

I am writing to give you more information on eReading resources that are available to your child. They LOVE devices, so why not put some books on them :) We have gone over all of these sites in class, but I wanted you to be aware of them as well. 

First up is Clever (also known as MyON). Click "login as student" in the top right corner. Search Concord Elementary (be sure it is says Lindbergh Schools under it). Enter login information. Click MyON app. Students can access these books at home and school. 

Username is 25firstnamelastname 

Password is their 10 digit code

Second, is Lindbergh eLibrary. This one is set up like St. Louis County digital library powered by Overdrive. Students digitally check a book out and it is automatically returned in a couple of weeks--or sooner if they manually return it. Students can access these books at home and school.

Library card number is their 10-digit code.

Finally, Epic. Students are able to use this resource for free at school, but if they want to read at home, you must purchase a home subscription by following these directions. Each home subscription gives our classroom points that we can use to purchase books. 

Students use their 10 digit code to login to the computers almost daily, so they should have it memorized. 

All of these are incredible resources and each have unique things that I love, which is why I felt compelled to share them all. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! 

Happy Reading! :)

Math Tests are coming home today!

Please check your child's backpack for their math test today.  You are welcome to keep the tests.  However, if your child has a score below 70%-- please have them make test corrections and return it to me signed.  If they received a score between 70 - 79% they have the option of making corrections.  

Weekly Update 9/9

Happy weekend, everyone!

Important reminder: Please make sure to sign and return the early release/ half day form that I sent home with the kids yesterday.  If yours did not make it to you, it is also included in the email I sent yesterday afternoon.  We would like to have all forms returned by Monday if possible (our first early release day is on Wednesday!).

Also, PikMyKid will go live on Monday (9/11).  Please use the app to make any changes to your child's dismissal plan.  We would also like you to use the app to mark why your child is absent.  If you need more information about the app you can find it using the link below.

PiKMyKid Direction Sheet

Here's what we've been up to this week:

Science: We completed our Paper Towel Investigation where we tested out three different brands of paper towels to see which brand was the most absorbent.  We've been practicing the scientific method throughout this chapter!

Reading:  We've continued to work on the entries that we are making when writing about our reading in our reading notebooks.  We specifically discussed characters and how we can use their struggles and motivations to learn more about them as a character.  That can help us push our thinking deeply in our reading notebook rather than just summarizing the book.

Writing:  We chose the personal narrative that is going to be published and we flash-drafted (wrote the first draft in one day!).  We then talked about how famous authors often write pieces many times before it is just right.  We re-drafted our personal narrative and then worked on creating a story arc.  The story arc helped us identify the most important part of our story and we used that to zoom in on that part through our writing!

Math:  We spent this week reviewing chapter 1 (place value) and then we took our first math test on Friday.  I will have the tests graded and returned on Monday!

Upcoming Events:
Wednesday (9/13)-- Early Release 1:40 dismissal

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  

Sincerely,
Meredith Holtmann

Early Release/ Half Day Form (RETURN BY MONDAY PLEASE)! -- See email!

Hats for Harvey! Sept. 8th!

Compliment Chain!

Ask your kiddo about the Compliment Chain that we started last week!  We are trying to get compliments from the adults at Concord and once our chain reaches the floor, we will celebrate! :)

Test on Friday!

Dear Parents,

We are approaching the Ch. 1 Place Value test. We will be reviewing in class September 6-7.The test is Friday, September 8.  Below are all of the resources you can use to study for our test.

• Ch.1 Place Value
• Pages 3-66
• Review Test pg. 67-69
• Reflection pg. 70
• Old homework assignments
• Ch.1 Practice Test (in email)
• Ch. 1 Check My Progress Sheet (in email)
• Ch. 1 Study Guide (in email)
• Ch. 1 At Home Game
• Throughout this chapter, I have posted video links on the google classroom that you may use, as well.