Some Fun Before Vacation!

Mismatch Day is Coming!!
Wednesday, December 23 is our last day before winter vacation. The entire fifth grade is celebrating their creativity by participating in what has become a greatly anticipated tradition- Mismatch Day.  A flyer was sent home Friday with the necessary information, but basically your child may feel free to wear the most mismatched clothes possible (without you having to buy anything!) At the end of the day there will be music and dancing and staff members will judge students' outfits.
Small prizes will be given for the most creative, colorful, and mismatched outfits.  This will be a fun way to say goodbye to 2015 and creatively welcome 2016!  Happy New Year!

People Helping People

Greetings Families:

During the joy and excitement of the holiday season, we remind ourselves that even in our own community there are families in need. In addition to our Cradles to Crayons fundraiser, the Kindness Committee of the Student Council voted to help a Burlington family in need. Through the nonprofit organization, People Helping People, students have organized a coin drive for the fifth grade. Please talk with your child about this need, and send in loose change or dollar bills. The money will be used for Christmas gift cards.

Thank you so much for your support.

Student Council Kindness Committee Fundraiser

Families:

The Kindness Committee of the Fifth Grade Student Council is taking on TWO fundraisers this holiday season. The first -- a school-wide effort -- will kick off on Wednesday and supports the nonprofit organization, Cradles to Crayons. This organization provides much-needed support for poverty stricken Massachusetts children up to age 12. The organization accepts donations of new or nearly new clothing (including coats, boots, etc.); toys, games, and stuffed animals; and, school supplies (including backpacks). You can also send coins or dollar bills to contribute to the coin drive students have set up.

Please talk with your child about this fundraiser. It is a wonderful way to involve kids in giving to those in need.

I will also keep you informed about the Student Council's second fundraiser for People Helping People. This fundraiser is specific to fifth grade.

Thanks for your support.

December News

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends! As we move into the next term there are several exciting things to come.

As we move forward in Social Studies we are learning about early settlements: Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth. We will learn about the cooperation and conflict between Native people and English settlers. One focus will be King Philip's War. In addition, students have done their research and are beginning to write their explorer books. To support this effort, each teacher continues to conduct ELA lessons on research, note taking, turning notes into text, citing sources, etc. Mr. Murphy is supporting our work with lessons on how to use the i pad for research and to enhance our presentations.  
We had a great opportunity to see a master teacher, Kelly Boswell, teach a model lesson to my ELA students. Ms. Boswell complimented our Fox Hill students who were very cooperative and engaged during her writing lesson. I was extremely proud of my class! This month in ELA in addition to informational reading I am planning to begin our third core book, Number the Stars. Students will participate in literature circles to discuss this great WWII story.

In Math we continue with long division and as problems become more complex I encourage students to use the problem solving template and strategies we practice every day. Reflex Math is a great resource to help students practice math facts. They should be using Reflex for 10-15 minutes per day.
That's just the beginning! Winter is almost upon us, and our winter concert is right around the corner, so watch the blog for updates!