Author: msbinclass

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Curriculum

In math this week, students worked through finding and graphing ordered pairs on the coordinate plane. They will assess that standard on Tuesday when they return. You may remember that I mentioned that we move through content more quickly in the spring, and that is so true. Next week, when we return from our field trip, students will begin a unit on finding the volume of a rectangular prism and irregular shapes.

In science, we drafted a claim with evidence regarding how matter cycles through organisms in an ecosystem. Next week, we’ll work on food webs and work to have a better understanding of how matter moves through them.

The division of fractions summative rubric and student’s Proud Moments and Areas for Growth will go home with students this week as well. Please review those with your student and celebrate their successes.

We were able to purchase 5th grade shirts for every student. To ensure proper sizing for everyone, please try on your child’s shirt this weekend, and let us know if you need a size change as soon as possible. Exchanges for a different size will be on a first come first serve basis and cannot be guaranteed due to a limited quantity. We tried our best to order sizes for your children that would be a good fit. Unless otherwise stated by you, upon request, we simply just estimated sizing.

Upcoming Events

• 2/19 No School, Presidents Day
• 2/21 Field Trip
• 2/22 Spring Picture Day
• 2/28 Johnson 6th Grade Showcase
• 3/2 Orff Festival
• 3/10 Math League Competition at Ober

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Curriculum

Last week, students worked to understand what happens when we divide a unit fraction by a whole number and vice versa using models to determine exactly what is happening with the division of a fraction. If your student is struggling, I’ve posted some videos to help below. It is a big concept, and students find their way to mastery at their own pace. I have found that if they use models and think about what is actually happening in the problem, they develop a concrete understanding. 

This week, we’ll work through thinking and reasoning with the division of fractions and take our Summative Fraction Division Assessment on Tuesday. For the rest of the week, we will jump to unit 14, where students will work to understand graphing on the coordinate plane and extend that thinking to problem solving with coordinate pairs. 

In science, we’ll continue to study our ecosystems and begin to model food webs. Students will craft arguments about animals in the ecosystem whole group and work to crafting a similar argument independently as an assessment. 

Upcoming Events

• 2/19 No School, Presidents Day
• 2/21 Field Trip
• 2/22 Spring Picture Day
• 2/28 Johnson 6th Grade Showcase
• 3/2 Orff Festival
• 3/10 Math League Competition at Ober

Accountability and Integrity

We are reaching out globally as 5th grade teachers. Recently, we’ve seen a global shift in accountability and integrity in our 5th grade classrooms, especially regarding classroom and schoolwide expectations. We are refocusing on those skills with intention for the next month. We would love your support with this reinforcement.

Math Videos

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Curriculum

Last week, we finished our unit on multiplying fractions and started dividing fractions off with a fun filled day of Jeopardy. This week, students will move through that unit quickly. We will complete our summative assessment on dividing fractions on Friday. I’ve shared with your students that this second semester of 5th grade moves much more quickly through content. We’ve worked through those big standards, fractions and multiplying and dividing whole numbers with an understanding of place value. The rest of the year will be compact and focused units on measurement and data, plotting and graphing, conversion, customary units of weight and capacity, and numerical patterns. We will move through most of these units in week’s time frame with a summative assessment at the conclusion of the unit. Attendance is so important as we continue to move through this curriculum. 

In science, we started to create our own ecosystems which will monitor daily as we progress through this unit. If you have any lawn clippings, flower clippings, or plant clippings at home and would like to share it with 5th grade, Mrs. Akin and I would love to have it. If you could put them in a sealed bag and send them in with your student, that would be amazing!

Upcoming Events

• Voting Day - Tuesday, 2/6 – important arrival information shared here: https://www.smore.com/038hm
• The Las Vegas Philharmonic Field Trip paperwork is due by Friday, 2/12/2024. Please return those ASAP!
• If your student received a Fertitta field trip form, please return it ASAP. Thank you so much!
• 2/21 LV Philharmonic Field Trip
• 3/2 Orff Music Festival
• Mark your calendars for the week of March 25. We will host – Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader – specific date and time to come.
• If your student is zoned for JG Johnson Elementary, they will not have a field trip this year, but are hosting a 6th grade night. Details in the flyer below: 

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Curriculum

Students had an eventful short week last week. In the AM class, we were able to meet and ask our scientist questions through Skype a Scientist. The kids were amazing. For our PM class, this will happen this week or next. I am ironing out that schedule with your scientist now.

In math, students worked on conceptual understanding and the most efficient way to multiply fractions, fractions and whole numbers, and whole numbers by fractions. This week, we will finish this unit and test summatively on Wednesday and Thursday. We will review on Tuesday. 

In science, we will continue to explore ecosystems through some hands on activities. On Friday, we’ll work on coding by completing our first unit capstone in which students code a virtual pet.

The Adding and Subtracting Summative rubric and Proud Moments and came home in their Friday folders. Please review these with your student and celebrate their successes. 

Thanks so much for sending such awesome kids to us every week. This week will be awesome!

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Reminder

• No School – Staff Development Day 1/22

Curriculum

This week, students will continue to work on understanding what happens with whole numbers and fractions when we multiply them by another fraction. Rubrics and scores for the adding and subtracting summative will also come home this week. I’ll make sure to post a Dojo so you know when you can expect to see those in your student’s Friday folder. 

In the next two weeks, each class will have the opportunity to Skype a Scientist. Additionally, in our in-class curriculum, we’ll continue to work on understanding ecosystems and habitats. 

Thanks for your continued support in getting your students to school. Attendance makes such a difference, especially in this second semester where our curriculum moves quickly!

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Upcoming Events

• Nevada Peace Week – (see spirit days below)
• No School – Dr. Martin Luther King Day 1/15
• In N’ Out Restaurant Night-1/17
• No School – Staff Development Day 1/22

Curriculum

Last week, we concluded our unit on adding and subtracting fractions, including mixed numbers. Some students have requested a little more time with that assessment, so I have carved out that time on Tuesday of next week. This week, students will start new curriculum where they will work to understand what is happening with whole numbers, and then fractions, when we multiply them by a fraction. The most important piece of this unit is that students visually understand what is happening with a whole when we multiply it by a fraction. We will build on our prior understanding of adding fractions and tie repeated addition of fractions to multiplying fractions. A model of that conceptual understanding can be found below.

In science, we’ll start a unit on ecosystems. Earlier in the year, students jump started their understanding of what happens in ecosystems by participating in a Code.org unit where they engineered their own ecosystem. We will again build on that prior knowledge and dig deeper into that understanding.

We wrapped up our SEL unit on inclusion last week, and students are creating slides in Canva to showcase what inclusion means to them. This ties right into our spirit week for next week, which is Nevada Peace Week. Please see the spirit days below. We have a different dress day each day of the week.

Nevada Peace Week

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Upcoming Events

• X-59 Live from NASA X-59 Launch Watch – 1/12
• No School – Dr. Martin Luther King Day 1/15
• In N’ Out Restaurant Night-1/17
• No School – Staff Development Day 1/22

Curriculum

This week students will complete Unit 7 in math, adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with unlike denominators. On Thursday and Friday, students will take that summative assessment. In science, we’ll close out our unit on mixtures and solutions, but we will revisit this unit toward the end of the year again. We started to answer our scientific explanation question on understanding mixtures on Friday and we will continue to finalize that this week. Both the math summative and that scientific explanation will go into the gradebook. 

On Thursday, students will get to take part in their 5th Grade SOARemonies. Please make sure they are turning those Apple Core Bookmarks in! They are a requirement and are directly tied to their homework grade. They must complete two bookmarks each semester. 

We’re off to a great start. I can’t wait to see what we will do in 2024!

On Friday, we have our X-59 Live from NASA Launch Watch. We are excited to see what NASA has in store for the sound barrier. 

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Upcoming Events

• Volunteer Trainings: 1/2
• X-59 Live from NASA X-59 Launch Watch – 1/12
• No School – Dr. Martin Luther King Day 1/15
• In N’ Out Restaurant Night-1/17
• No School – Staff Development Day 1/22

Curriculum

Welcome back! 

This week, your students will jump right back into curriculum. As we progress throughout the week, we will reinforce our expectations in all areas of the classroom and school, as students have been away from the classroom for a couple of weeks. Please check in with your students as they will self assess throughout the week. 

In math, we’ll review adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators before moving into fractions that are greater than a whole, or mixed numbers. Students will complete a CYU daily (Check Your Understanding), another way in which they can self assess so they know what they need to learn. If students do not finish those in class, they’re welcome to finish them at home if they have Google account access. If you have a home computer on which you’d like help setting up Google access, please reach out and I can help with that. 

In science, we’ll continue to work through mixtures and solutions. We will dive a little deeper into molecular structure and breaking down atoms. We have more science adventure as well! Our classrooms have been matched with scientists from Yale and the Netherlands Heart Institute and through the Skype a Scientist program. One of our scientist’s work focuses on heart rhythm disorders and how mathematics and computer science can help in finding out-of-the-box solutions to treat them. We will firm up dates with these scientists this week, and your students will have the opportunity to ask these scientists all kinds of questions. My favorite part of this program is seeing students find a passion in science and as mathematics as the scientists explain what they do. 

We have even more exciting science based opportunities this month as well! We’ve been selected by NASA as one of the classrooms which gets to host an X-59 watching party. More information about the X-59 can be found here https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/ and in the video below:

Check In

Before break, students completed their winter MAP test and report cards were sent home via Infinite Campus. If you have any questions about their performance, please reach out. I am looking forward to fostering continued growth this semester and making sure your child is prepared for 6th grade. Our 5th grade curriculum picks up pretty quickly as we moved into February, and students sometimes experience a little anxiety with that adjusted pace. Please reach out if you feel we need to connect as we progress through second semester.

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Upcoming Events

• Winter Spirit Week: December 11-15
• 12/13 Jump Rope Team Assemblies
• 12/14 Winter House Challenge
• Winter Break 12/16-1/2
• Volunteer Trainings: 1/2
• In N’ Out Restaurant Night-1/17

Curriculum

This week, we will engage in some some winter themed curriculum. We will also work through our unit on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. If your student will be out at all this week, please let me know so that I can make sure they have the work they need. On Wednesday and Thursday, we’ll put our geometric skills to the test and engage in some engineering.

Thank you for getting your students to school so we could finish that MAP testing. All students have completed their MAP testing. I’ve sent home goal sheets with each student so you know where they are in terms of those goals as well.

Report cards will be released by CCSD via Infinite Campus on Friday. Please remember that as we learn, content is best measured by end of year mastery. Students may not have mastered the content YET, and that is to be expected. We’ve only had them for half a year.

As we close in on these first 90 days, know that I’ve cherished each day I’ve had with your students. They are unique and genuine. I know how fortunate I am to work with these amazing young minds AND the support of the best grown ups a teacher could ask for. Thank you again for trusting me with your student’s education.

Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): Boelter Caskie Digital Planner

Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student starts their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): Caskie Boelter Digital Planner

Please see the school Newsletter to keep up with all that is happening in our building this week: Newsletter

Upcoming Events

• Ober Winter Choir Concert 12/5, 5:3o PM
• McTeacher Night – 12/6
• Volunteer Training January 2 – sign up here

Curriculum

In your student’s Friday folder, you will find their MAP goals and scores if they completed MAP testing. Please review them with your students. They love to share their progress.

Last week, we closed out division with decimals and whole numbers and our unit assessment. This week, we’ll start a unit 7 on fractions. I’d love your support with finding real world examples of fractions, how they relate to decimals, and we partial numbers add up to wholes. You can find these in cooking, eating food like pizza or pie, and in nearly everything we do. We will introduce this concept on Tuesday with a clothesline of benchmark fractions. Students will be asked to find which benchmark fractions each identified fraction is closest to. You can do this activity at home as well. We will start with 0, 1/2, and 1, and then jump into more complex fractions including whole numbers.

In science last week, we worked with chromatography strips to determine whether or not a liquid contained more than one substance and was a mixture. Our big concept in this unit is identifying multiple substances within a mixture and understanding that substances are made up of molecules and matter. This week, we will expand that knowledge scientifically.

Your students may have shared that we had an elf pop into our classroom on Friday. His first act was to have us spread some cheer by sharing. I am looking forward to seeing what other tasks he finds for us as we make our way toward our winter break.

We have a lot of fun activities at Ober this week. Please see the Upcoming Events section to make sure you don’t miss anything.

If your student was absent for MAP testing, we will be making up those tests during this week. Please let us know in advance if your student will be absent as we are doing our best to coordinate multiple schedules to get these completed.

Thank you so much. We are going to have an awesome week!