September 8 - 11, 2015

General Announcements:

• All money for Camp McDowell is due by Friday, September 11th.  The total cost for the trip is $173.00.  
• Procedure for medication at Camp: 

1. NO medication will be sent to camp from the health room.
2. All medication will have to be brought from home with the attached Parent/Provider authorization completed by the parent and signed by the MD for ALL prescription medications
3. Over the counter medications have to be in a sealed new bottled with the Parent/Provider authorization to be signed by the parent only.  
4. All medications have to be brought the morning of camp and given to the school nurse.
5. Only an adult can bring medication

• Sell those magazines!!!  This is our major fundraiser!  Our turn in days are on Wednesdays.  Thank you for your support of Brock’s Gap!
• Don’t forget to check your child’s grades from time to time on INOW.  
• Brock's Gap will have its hearing and vision screening clinic on September 15, 2015.  All 5th grade students will be screened.  If your child wears glasses please make sure they bring them that day.  If you have any questions email the school nurse at tywalker@hoover.k12.al.us

Important Dates for This Week

Wednesday 9/9:  Turn-in Day for Magazines

Thursday 9/10:  Fall Picture Day

Friday 9/11:  DOL Test, Week 3

Friday 9/11:  Final payment for Camp due ($69)

Upcoming Important Dates

9/14-9/16:  Camp McDowell

Curriculum News:

Math News:

We are starting a new unit on division. We will start this unit by understanding what division means. Then, we will learn ho to use multiplication to help us solve it. In fifth-grade, the goal in division is to master the use of the "partial quotient" method. This will connect to traditional "long division" in sixth-grade. Developmentally, most students are ready for this repeated subtraction method, but cannot make the connection to "long division". I know it is tempting, but please try to refrain from throwing your hands in the air and telling your kids to,"just do it like I was taught!" I promise that this will pay off in the end, because they will have a much deeper understanding of division- as compared to us. We will continue to work with double digit multiplication. 
Homework: Math Computation , IXL contract, and Unit #1 page 57.
Test: Next Friday 9/18 on Division

  Science News:

In science, we are wrapping up our discussion of observations, and how those lead us to an inference, and the general Scientific Method. We will soon begin to look at the many different spheres of the Earth- Litho, Hydro, Atmos, and Bio.
Test: 

Language Arts News:

**Reading: This week is a review week of the three passages we have read.  Our focus will be determining a common theme between the three.  There will be no reading or vocabulary tests this week.  We will be reviewing all three sets of vocabulary words and we like to call this “Word Wizard Week.”  On Friday, students will take a “cold read assessment.”  This means they will read a passage they have not read before and answer questions.  I will be checking on mastery of the standards thus far.

*Crossword puzzle on all vocabulary words due Thursday

**Reading Log-These came home today.  I check each day to make sure the students are completing these, then I collect on Friday's for a grade.

**Language/Language IXL-  Our focus will be singular and plural possessive nouns. Students have time to work on IXL during class each day, and we complete and review DOL each day, as well. We will have a DOL quiz on Friday.

Social Studies:

Topics of Study – We have begun a new unit in our online techbook.  The chapter will be Unit 1, Section 1.5 in Discovery Education.  We will be discussing European Exploration of the Americas.  Remind your child about the importance of staying organized, especially in this subject.

                   

We hope everyone has a great week!