G5 Weekly Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter Grade 5
Dates: 27-31 Jan. 2019             

Dear Parents,

Curriculum Information for this Week:

Literacy:
This week the students will continue their reading unit on the Fantasy genre. They will also continue working in their fantasy book clubs where they will discuss elements of fantasy, keep track of characters’ development and problems and identify internal and external character conflicts and themes that run through their fantasy books. Questions which you can ask your fifth grader,
What book are you reading in book club?
Tell me about who has the power in the book and why?
How has your character changed throughout the book?
What theme do you see emerging in this book?
Students will begin writing fantasy stories this week. The focus of this unit is for students to be able to elaborate their thoughts (while keeping a focus!), use transitions to move from one idea to another and writing with precise language.  Although, not fantasy check out the 5th grade expectation for fiction writing.

Math:
The students will continue Unit 4: Place Value and Decimal Operations. Last week, the students reviewed adding and subtracting decimals and towards the end of the week they moved into multiplying decimals (whole number X decimal) using the area model and the standard algorithm for multiplication. This week they will continue to work on multiplying decimals, using the above strategies and including showing their thinking on decimal grids. 

Unit of Study:
The students will continue their second science unit: Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food from the Amplify Science program. During the unit, the students are involved in a simulation, where they take on the role of food scientists working in a lab for a large food-production company: Good Food Production Inc. The students will continue to work in their classrooms and conduct hands-on experiments in the science labs, investigating the different properties of matter.
Lessons completed so far:
Lesson 1.1 Pre-assessment - classroom
Lesson 1.2: Introducing Food Science - science lab
Lesson 1.3: Made of Matter
1.4 Separating a Food Color Mixture
1.5  Exploring Chromatography
1.6 Nanovision Models (of molecules)

For more information and ways to support your child please visit the
Parent Learning Connection page.

Parents, please also check out the SERVICE CHANNEL, which is a forum for the ISKL community to share ideas and information about how we can contribute to our community and planet.

Important Reminders/Information: (also see GLC Updates)
NO SCHOOL Fri. Feb. 1 (Federal Territory Day), Mon. Feb 4 (ISKL Holiday), Tues. Feb 5-6 (CNY)
Author Visit - Matt Holmes: Fri. Feb. 8

Highlight from last week:
On Thurs. January 24 we welcomed author and explorer Matt Dickinson. Fifth graders were enthralled by his storytelling and some of them now may want to climb Everest!

Newsletter no. 22 Mon. 28 Jan. 2019

NEWSLETTER NO. 22
MON. 28 JAN. 2019

Dear Parents,

REMINDERS FOR THIS WEEK & EARLY NEXT WEEK:
Mon. 28 Jan. - day 3: Semester 2 Swimming Program starts. It’s a day 3.
Semester 2 ASA confirmations will be available in PowerSchool.

Tues. 29 Jan; - day 4:

Wed. 30 Jan. - day 5:

Thurs. 31 Jan. - day 6:

Fri. 1 Feb: Start of 6-day break with Federal Territory Day holiday - no school

Mon. 4 Feb: ISKL holiday - no school

Tues. 5 & Wed. 6 Feb: Chinese New Year holiday (CNY) - no school

Thurs. 7 Feb. - day 7: School resumes following the CNY break

CLASS WORK LAST WEEK
Language Arts: Reading, writing, speaking & listening:
Last week for reading, the students continued their reading unit titled, ‘Fantasy Book Clubs’. The students continued working in their fantasy book clubs reading and discussing their current fantasy books. For writing, the students also continued their year-long ‘Free Choice Writing Project’ where they continued the process of writing and publishing their own realistic or fantasy story on their laptops using a Google doc. They also completed a fantasy writing unit pre-assessment before they launched into the unit proper. I also continued reading a fantasy read aloud titled, ‘Rowan of Rin’ by Emily Rodda. The students also continued daily typing practice from 7:50 - 8:10am using the www.typing.com program.

Math:
Last week, the students continued Unit 4: Place Value and Decimal Operations. They completed the following lessons:
Lesson 12: Using an area model to multiply decimals
Lesson 13: Multiply whole numbers by decimals
Lesson 14: Estimating decimal products
Lesson 15: Modeling decimal multiplication

Science:
Last week, the students continued their Amplify Science unit titled, ‘Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food’. The students continued their simulation where they are in the role of food scientists who work for a fictitious company titled, ‘Good Food Production Inc’. We are conducting lessons in the science labs and classrooms. The students completed the following lessons last week:
Lesson 1.4: Separating food color mixture (intro. to chromatography)  - in science lab 3
Lesson 1.5: Exploring another model of chromatography - in science lab 3
Lesson 1.6: Nanovision models (of molecules) - in the classroom

COUNSELING LESSONS
Our G4&5 Counselor - Stephanie Stone - conducted her regular lesson last Tues. morning.  Stephanie’s next lesson will be on Thurs. 2 Feb. - the next day 7, from 8:30-9:00am

UPCOMING JAN. FEB. & MAR. 2019 CLASS & SCHOOL EVENTS
Thurs. 7 Feb. - day 7: School resumes following the CNY break

Fri. 8 Feb: 100th day of school

Mon. 11 Feb: Semester 2 ASAs to begin.

Thur. 14 Feb: Valentine’s Day & ES Red Hat’s Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.

Tues. 19 Feb: 5DH students start the ES morning announcements

Thurs. 21 Feb: ISKL Ampang Hilir Campus Grand Opening. More details - TBA.

Fri. 22 Feb: ES Chinese New Year Cultural Day. CNY Assembly in the Melawati Theatre from 11:00-11:40am. More details TBA

Sat. 23 Feb: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am

Mon. 25 Feb: All Semester 2 ASA fees are due. ES Book Week begins.

Thurs. 7 & Fri. 8 March: ES Parent-Teacher Conferences. G5 students will be doing Student-Led Conferences.

Fri. 15 Mar: ES Red Hats Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.

Sat. 16 Mar: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am

Mon. 18 Mar: Faculty Inservice Day - no school for students

Sat. 23 - Sun. 31 Mar: Mid-semester break

Mon. 1 Apr: School resumes

Until next week,

Best regards,         

David

Newsletter no. 21 Mon. 21 Jan. 2019

NEWSLETTER NO. 21
MON. 21 JAN. 2019

Dear Parents,

REMINDERS FOR THIS WEEK & EARLY NEXT WEEK:
Mon. 21 Jan. - day 6: While its a public holiday for Thaipusam, it’s a school day at ISKL

Tues. 22 Jan. - day 7:

Wed. 23 Jan. - day 8: ES Parent Workshop: Learning in the ES, 8:15-9:45am in the ES Community Room.
Semester 2 ASA registrations will close in PowerSchool at 10:00am.
‘Welcome Back to Semester 2 Assembly’ for G3-5 in the Melawati Theatre from 2:00-2:30pm

Thurs. 24 Jan. - day 1: ES Parent Workshop in the ES Community Room from 8:15-9:45am.
Visiting Author Presentation by Matt Dickinson in MPR4 from 1:45-2:30pm

Fri. 25 Jan. - day 2: Red Hats Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.
ES PTA New Parent Reception in MPR1 from 9:30-11:30am

Sat. 26 Jan: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am

G5 HOSPITAL VISITS POSTPONED
Parents, I was contacted recently by our contact person at the KL Children's Hospital Cancer Ward and she said they are going to begin moving slowly to the new hospital building at the beginning of February 2019, so they won't be able to honour our semester 2 Sunday morning student visits until further notice. I will let you know when our visits can resume. Once our visits resume, please know that we will give priority to any students who were not able to visit the hospital during semester 1.

CLASS WORK LAST WEEK
Language Arts: Reading, writing, speaking & listening:
Last week, the students began our next reading unit titled, ‘Fantasy Book Clubs’. The students completed a unit pre-assessment, a fantasy tuning in slideshow and they began working in their fantasy book clubs reading and discussing new fantasy books. For writing, the students also continued their year-long ‘Free Choice Writing Project’ where they continued the process of writing and publishing their own realistic or fantasy story on their laptops using a Google doc. I also began reading a new fantasy read aloud titled, ‘Rowan of Rin’ by Emily Rodda. This Mon. the students will complete a fantasy writing unit pre-assessment before they launch into the unit proper. The students also continued daily typing practice from 7:50 - 8:10am using the www.typing.com program.

Math:
Last week, the students continued Unit 4: Place Value and Decimal Operations. They completed the following lessons:
Lesson 9: Adding Decimals
Lesson 10: Subtracting Decimals
Lesson 11: Decimal Adding & Subtracting Centers
Checkpoint 2
Lesson 12: Using an Area Model to Multiply Decimals

Science:
Last week, the students began a brand new science unit from Amplify Science titled, ‘Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food’. The students began a simulation where they were placed in the role of food scientists who work for a fictitious company titled, ‘Good Food Production Inc’. We are conducting lessons in the science labs and classrooms. The students completed the following lessons last week:
Lesson 1.1: Pre-assessment - in the classroom
Lesson 1.2: Introducing Food Science - science lab 3
Lesson 1.3: Made of Matter - in the classroom
Click on 'Photos' on the class blog to see some pics of the students working on the matter unit in science lab 3.

COUNSELING LESSONS
Stephanie Stone’s next lesson will be this Tues. 22 Jan. - the next day 7, from 8:30-9:00am

UPCOMING JAN. FEB. & MAR. 2019 CLASS & SCHOOL EVENTS
Mon. 28 Jan: Semester 2 Swimming Program starts. It’s a day 3.
Semester 2 ASA confirmations will be available in PowerSchool.

Fri. 1 Feb: Start of 6-day break with Federal Territory Day holiday - no school

Mon. 4 Feb: ISKL holiday - no school

Tues. 5 & Wed. 6 Feb: Chinese New Year holiday - no school.

Fri. 8 Feb: 100th day of school

Mon. 11 Feb: Semester 2 ASAs to begin.

Thur. 14 Feb: Valentine’s Day & ES Red Hat’s Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.

Tues. 19 Feb: 5DH students start the ES morning announcements

Thurs. 21 Feb: ISKL Ampang Hilir Campus Grand Opening. More details - TBA.

Fri. 22 Feb: ES Chinese New Year Cultural Day. CNY Assembly in the Melawati Theatre from 11:00-11:40am. More details TBA

Sat. 23 Feb: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am

Mon. 25 Feb: All Semester 2 ASA fees are due. ES Book Week begins.

Thurs. 7 & Fri. 8 March: ES Parent-Teacher Conferences. G5 students will be doing Student-Led Conferences.

Fri. 15 Mar: ES Red Hats Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.

Sat. 16 Mar: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am

Mon. 18 Mar: Faculty Inservice Day - no school for students

Sat. 23 - Sun. 31 Mar: Mid-semester break

Mon. 1 Apr: School resumes

Until next week,

Best regards,         

David

Newsletter no. 20 Mon. 14 Jan. 2019

NEWSLETTER NO. 20

MON. 14 JAN. 2019

REMINDERS FOR THIS WEEK & EARLY NEXT WEEK:

Mon. 14 Jan. 2019 - day 1: First day of semester 2

ES New Parent & Student Orientation from 9:00-11:00am

Tues. 15 Jan. - day 2:

Wed. 16 Jan. - day 3: Semester 2 ASA registrations will open in PowerSchool at 10:00am

Thurs. 17 Jan. - day 4: ES Open Day for prospective new families. Some Red Hat Helpers from each class will be needed to help with part of the day.

Fri. 18 Jan. - day 5:

NEW G5 CLASS

The ES Admin. has informed the G5 Team that a new G5 class will start on 28 Jan. 2019. The new class teacher has been appointed and her name is Mrs. Karien (Karen) Hoogenboezem. Karien is originally from The Netherlands. She also has children who attend ISKL. The new class will be placed in the spare room next to 5JV and will initially comprise approx. 8 students. As new students begin in G5 after 28 Jan, they will be added to this new class. On behalf of the G5 team, I’d like to welcome Karien to the grade level. We’ll be doing our best in the coming weeks to help Karien and her new students settle into the grade level and school as quickly as possible.    

NEW SCIENCE UNIT

This week the students will begin a brand new science unit titled, ‘Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food’. The students will be involved in a simulation where they will be placed in the role of food scientists who work for a fictitious company titled, ‘Good Food Production Inc’. Students and teachers will conduct lessons in the science labs and classrooms. Here are the brief unit details:

Enduring Understanding: Matter can change.

Essential Question: How does matter change?

Unit Question: What happens when two substances are mixed together?

Unit vocabulary: atom, attract, dissolve, evidence, explain, inference, matter, mixture, model, molecule, property, observe, soluble, substance

NEW LITERACY (READING & WRITING) UNITS

This week the students will also begin a new reading unit titled: ‘Unit 3 Fantasy Book Clubs’. Here are the unit details:

Enduring Understandings:

1. Effective readers use a variety of appropriate critical thinking and comprehension strategies to construct meaning.

2. Making connections between realistic and fantastic elements helps us to examine and pose questions about our world.

Essential Question:

How do readers construct meaning from a fantasy text?

Unit Questions:

1. What strategies can we use to follow our characters through the book?

2. How do certain fantastical elements represent themes in history and present life?

3. What are the types of craft moves fantasy authors use and how do they create meaning?

Our new writing unit is titled: ‘Unit 3: Fantasy Writing’. We will begin this unit at the beginning of  the second week - Mon. 21 Jan. Here are the details of the unit:

Enduring Understanding: Fantasy stories use imaginative characters and plots to teach a moral or lesson.

Essential Question: How does the writer’s purpose influence the structure and development of his/her writing?

Unit Questions:

1. How do I generate ideas for fantasy writing?

2. What strategies can I use to write a compelling fantasy story?

3. What are some useful author’s craft techniques fantasy writers use and how can I apply them to my own writing?

CLASS WORK LAST WEEK

Language Arts: Reading, writing, speaking & listening:

In the week prior to the break, the students completed their information reading and writing units. They worked on preparing for their sustainable energy prototype share, which was conducted on Fri. 21 Dec. from 1:30-2:30pm, by creating and practicing an ‘elevator speech’ to explain their prototype. The students also continued their year-long ‘Free Choice Writing Project’ where they continued the process of writing and publishing their own realistic or fantasy story on their laptops using a Google doc. I also completed reading our current read aloud titled, ‘Refugee’ by Alan Gratz. The students also continued daily typing practice from 7:50 - 8:10am using the www.typing.com program. To conclude our information writing unit, the students also completed an information writing on-demand essay on a Google doc, where they had the opportunity to showcase their information essay writing skills learning during the unit.

Math:

In the week prior to the break, the students continued Unit 4: Place Value and Decimal Operations. They completed the following lessons:

Lesson 5: Decimal Clue Conundrums

Lesson 6: Decimal Gardens

Lesson 7: Rounding Decimals 1

Checkpoint 1 

Science:

In the week prior to the break, the students completed our science unit titled, ‘Sustainable Energy’. The students worked hard on their Design Thinking Challenge, which was to create a prototype (model) of an invention to reimagine sustainable energy and work on the problem of climate change. The students used the design thinking process and Google draw to create a prototype. We used the spare ‘shell & core’ classroom opposite our classroom to build their prototype from recycled materials brought from home and tools from the MakerSpace and classroom. The students’ prototype building culminated in a whole G5 share on Fri. 21 Dec. from 1:30-2:30pm. 

COUNSELING LESSONS

In the week prior to the break, Stephanie Stone conducted her final counseling lesson for this semester on Fri. 21 Dec. from 8:00-8:30am. Stephanie’s next lesson will be on Tues. 22 Jan. - the next day 7.

UPCOMING JAN. FEB. & MAR. 2019 CLASS & SCHOOL EVENTS

Wed. 23 Jan: ES Parent Workshop: Learning in the ES, 8:15-9:45am in the ES Community Room.

Semester 2 ASA registrations will close in PowerSchool at 10:00am.

Thurs. 24 Jan: ES Parent Workshop in the ES Community Room from 8:15-9:45am. 

Fri. 25 Jan: Red Hats Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.

ES PTA New Parent Reception in MPR1 from 9:30-11:30am

Sat. 26 Jan: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am

Mon. 28 Jan: Semester 2 ASA confirmation will be available in PowerSchool.

Fri. 1 Feb: Federal Territory Day holiday - no school

Mon. 4 Feb: ISKL holiday - no school

Tues. 5 & Wed. 6 Feb: Chinese New Year holiday - no school.

Fri. 8 Feb: 100th day of school

Mon. 11 Feb: Semester 2 ASAs to begin.

Thur. 14 Feb: Valentine’s Day & ES Red Hat’s Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.

Thurs. 21 Feb: ISKL Ampang Hilir Campus Grand Opening. More details - TBA.

Fri. 22 Feb: ES Chinese New Year Cultural Day. CNY Assembly in the Melawati Theatre from 11:00-11:40am. More details TBA

Sat. 23 Feb: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am 

Mon. 25 Feb: All Semester 2 ASA fees are due. ES Book Week begins.

Thurs. 7 & Fri. 8 March: ES Parent-Teacher Conferences. G5 students will be doing Student-Led Conferences.

Fri. 15 Mar: ES Red Hats Free Dress Day - suggested donation RM5.

Sat. 16 Mar: Community Recycling Program in the Cell Phone Car Park from 9:30-11:30am

Mon. 18 Mar: Faculty Inservice Day - no school for students

Sat. 23 - Sun. 31 Mar: Mid-semester break

Mon. 1 Apr: School resumes 

Until next week,

Best regards,         

David