Mrs.

Stonehouse’s
Peek at the Week
December 2009
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
21 22 23 24 25
Day 3 - Media Day 1 – Phy Ed Day 2 – Music

IB Planner: NO SCHOOL
Agents of Change Spanish Winter Break
Read-a-thon
Pajama Day December 24 – January 3
Art Enrichment
First Grade Buddies 2:00-3:00 pm

HOMEWORK
Homework expectations over winter
break went home with students today
(Friday, December 18). Students need
to write a rough draft for their Agents
of Change summative assessment
report over break. They are also
expected to fill out the reading log and
complete a journal page. Look for more
information on the class website.
IMPORTANT DATES:
 12/23 – 5th Grade Read-a-thon (Pajama Day)
 12/24 – Winter Break Begins
CLASSROOM WISHLIST
 1/4 – School Resumes
 1/6 – Rough draft and notes due Our classroom is getting low on a few
Agents of Change Summative Assessment supplies. If you are able to donate any
 1/11 – Final draft due of these items to our classroom, we
 1/11 – Art Enrichment 2:00-3:00pm would really appreciate it! We are in
 1/13 – DARE starts! need of the following items:
Pencils
Packages of Lined Paper
CLASS WEBSITE: Kleenex
We have set up a website for all the 5th grade
classes this year. Please check it out!
http://www.fifthgradeteam.weebly.com
 WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?
In math this week, we discussed different CLASS NEWS
strategies to use for adding and subtracting large
decimal numbers. We learned that the reason we
have to align the decimal points carefully when WEATHER
adding and subtracting is so that we can be sure we Please make sure your child has
are comparing like amounts (adding tenths to appropriate clothing for winter –
tenths or subtracting thousandths from coat, hat, and mittens are a must!
thousandths). Please continue to check out links on Don’t forget boots and snow pants
our class web site for more practice with decimals when needed. Many students have
and place value. Patrol Duty outside and need to be
In our current IB planner, students are prepared for any and all types of
focusing their inquiry on Agents of Change. The weather.
central idea of this planner is that individuals have
made contributions through language and the arts.
This week students began researching and taking
notes for their report. We spent time discussing
reliable websites and learned how to take good
notes. We will continue our research and get ready
to write our rough drafts.
In literacy, we finished reading our
biographies in book clubs. Each group will work
together to make a timeline of their subject’s life
and present it to the class next week.
Next week we will have a mini-
Our spelling words this week focused on
the endings –ed, -ing, -er, and -est.
Unit of Inquiry on Celebrations
We learned about different countries in and Traditions from Around the
Spanish as students presented their mobiles to the World. If your family has a
class. Patrols also went bowling for their first holiday or cultural tradition that
reward trip. your son or daughter would like
We are continuing to work on to share, have them discuss this
demonstrating the IB learner profiles and attitudes. with me by Monday. Thanks!
Students were risk-takers when they presented their
Spanish reports. We have also continued working
on being respectful listeners. Keep it up! CONTACT
INFORMATION:
Julie Stonehouse
Country presentations in Spanish
Room 115
(651) 407-7600 x1609
jlston@wbl.whitebear.k12.mn.us