Weekly Memo (February 10-14)
Empathy & Sympathy
While we’ve been reading Fish in a Tree, we’ve had several conversations about empathy and sympathy. In the book, there are several characters our students can connect with, and it’s really interesting to hear who they connect with and why.
Today, I asked students to identify a character they felt sorry for (sympathy) and why. It was really interesting hearing students feel sorry...
- for Ally because she has a hard time reading
- for Shay because she’s mean and tears others down so she can feel better about herself)
- for Albert because he gets picked on and comes from a poor family
- for Travis because he drives a pickle-colored car
- for Jessica because she’s a follower who never shares her own opinions
- for Sukl because she doesn’t get see her grandparents or family because they live in another country
- for the bullies that pick on Albert because they are unkind and don’t know how to treat others with respect
I then asked them to think about the character they can most relate to (empathy), but we didn’t share those responses— those are personal, but they are great things to think about.
In the end, I hope that by reading this book together we all learn to be empathetic and more sympathetic in our relationships with others. I mean, don’t we all want kids who are able to understand and relate to others?
What We’re Learning This Week (if all goes as planned)
I’ll mark each thing we get finished, and you can check back each day to see what we were able to get accomplished (and what we didn’t quite make it to).
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
Pull-Outs | Computers 10:20-10:50
PE 1:25-1:55 | Computers 10:20-10:50
Music 1:25-1:55 | Computers 10:20-10:50
Music 1:25-1:55 | Art Field Trip
8:10-10:45
PE/Taekwonastics
1:25-1:55
Valentine’s Day Party | No School |
Bible | Introduction to the Judges (10.1)
Memory Verse Practice | The Judges (10.1 & 10.2)
Memory Verse Practice | The Judges
Memory Verse Practice | Memory Verse Quiz | |
English | Adverb Clauses (5.5 together in class)
IXL Practice (Adjectives & Adverbs) | Adverb Clauses (5.5 together in class)
IXL Practice (Adjectives & Adverbs) | Diagramming Adverb Clauses | No Grammar Review 😞
| |
Spelling | Spelling Review
No New Spelling List This Week (and no test!) | Spelling Review
No New Spelling List This Week (and no test!) | Spelling Review
No New Spelling List This Week (and no test!) | No Spelling Pre-Test 😞
| |
Math | Lesson 61— Naming Angles | Grade Lesson 61
Lesson 62— Estimating Numbers & Rounding | Grade Lesson 62
Lesson 63— Subtracting Fractions from Whole Numbers Greater Than 1 | No Math Set 😞
| |
Social Studies
| Declaration of Independence (part II) | Revolutionary War! | Revolutionary War! | ||
Reading | Fish in a Tree
(Chapters 25-30)
Character Discussion Questions
Independent Reading (100,000 word goal)
| Fish in a Tree (Chapters 30-37)
Independent Reading (100,000 word goal) | Fish in a Tree (Chapters 38-44)
Independent Reading (100,000 word goal) | Fish in a Tree (Chapters 45-end)
Independent Reading (100,000 word goal) | |
Writing | Prewriting: Planning a Problem-Solution Composition
(Topic: Write a composition that states a problem in your community and a possible solution.)
Writing Draft with Idea-Support Map | Writing Conferences & Finish Final Drafts
| Writing Conferences & Finish Final Drafts |
This Week’s Memory Verse
"For it Is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves— it is the gift of God."
Ephesians 2:8
This Week’s Spelling List
List 24— Review
No Spelling Test This Week
This Week’s Vocabulary List
No New Words or Quiz This Week
This Week’s Tests & Quizzes
- Thursday
- Memory Verse Quiz (Ephesians 2:8)
Upcoming Projects
- 100,000 Words AR Goal (Due Tuesday, March 10)Download PDF
- Science Fair
- Tuesday, March 3— Project Proposal Form Due
- Monday, April 27— Science Fair Projects Due (by 5:00 PM)
- Tuesday, April 28— Science Fair (in the Faith in Action room)
Chapel This Friday
- No School Friday
Safety Patrol Rotation (UPDATED)
Important Dates & Upcoming Events
- Thursday, February 13
- Art Project at Secondary Campus
- Transportation— Bus
- Departure Time— 8:10 AM
- Return Time— 10:45 AM
- Valentine’s Day Party (2:00 PM; cafeteria)
- Students are asked to create a Valentine box and bring it for judging
- Boxes will be displayed for viewing in an empty classroom.
- We will have several judges, and prizes will be awarded for the judges’ favorites.
- Students may exchange Valentines or treats with their classmates.
- Mrs. Thomey is organizing an ice cream sundae treat for our class. Send $2 with your child to help pay for expenses.
- Friday, February 14— NO SCHOOL (Teacher Workday)
- Monday, February 17— NO SCHOOL (President’s Day)
- Monday, March 16
- 5th Grade Graduation Pictures Due (Download PDF)
Resource of the Week
Helpful Links
Classroom Resource Page (for class schedule, safety patrol rotation, textbooks, etc.)
Google Classroom (students may access this from their Google drive account)
Class ShowMe Page (video tutorials)