Getting to Know You

We had our first weekly collaboration with our fifth grade social studies buddies on Thursday. During this time, Mr. Kayumba and I hope to explore the many nuances of cultures and diversity with our students. There will also be a weekly literature collaboration with the other section of the fifth grade class. We spent this first meeting getting to know each other. The fifth graders were asked to interview their kindergarten buddies and find out basic information like their names and hobbies as well as tell them about themselves. Then we challenged them to also share more personal information like fears and things they struggle with. It was a great opportunity to learn things we never knew about each other and break the ice. Some buddies found that despite the age difference they had lots in common. I even learned things about my former kindergartners who are now in fifth grade that were totally surprises to me!

Phenomenal Fifth Grade Storytellers

47 days

Over 52,300 minutes

406 typed pages

102 illustrations

16 published authors

For the past 35 days, the fifth graders have worked tirelessly to craft incredible stories for their end-of-year capstone project in our Writing Seminar. The students spun tales of space exploration and deep sea adventures, unexpected romance and evil villains set on global domination, shipwrecked explorers and globe trekkers, complex family dynamics and pet rescue, haunted houses and intrepid competitors, and the triumph over adversity – both real and virtual. Not only did our students create beautiful works of fiction, but they also designed gorgeous illustrations and learned how to bind their books. We meticulously glued, stitched, and taped each tale by hand; our authors are now able to add their very own stories to their bookshelves.

To celebrate all of this hard work, we invited families to attend our Authors & Artists Capstone Event on May 29. We sipped on lemonade and nibbled on treats as fifth graders shared excerpts from their books to a beaming and engaged audience. It was a very special morning filled with pride and accomplishment. Our year together may be coming to a close, but the skills and joy we found together will be treasured for many years to come.

Inspiration, Even in Despair

In our literature course, the fifth graders have explored themes of personal responsibility, family, courage, and the process of dealing with hardship through their novel study of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. This account, written by Eleanor Corr, details the story of a brave Japanese girl after the drop of the atomic bomb. Our class explored the importance of family and the need for healthy coping mechanisms in the face of challenges. Working with Ms. Ponden in Visual Arts, the students created small emblems/totems that are unique to them. These items will serve as a source of strength and comfort during challenging times, similar to the paper cranes that offered Corr’s protagonist faith and hope while dealing with a debilitating illness. This experience allowed for our author-artists to reflect upon the ways our families and loved ones support us during life’s trials and tribulations, and how we can endeavor to be more in touch with ourselves.

Many Mumbling Mice!

In fifth grade performing arts we always start with a vocal warm up. One of the class favorites is the tongue twisting melody of Many Mumbling Mice. Students always end up putting their own movement to this bouncy song and are full of laughter and smiles! What a great way to start start class!

Ogden House Bulletin Replica Museum

After an extremely productive trip to the historic Fairfield Museum’s Ogden House & Colonial Garden, which was built in 1750, the fifth grade scholars were paired up and given the task to research different aspects of both the Ogden family and colonial times. The research included analyzing the demands of life and how labor was a cornerstone to the social structure and the relationships of parents and their children. Scholars wrote informative excerpts which were displayed in our bulletin replica museum. A special presentation was also made for several school faculty and staff.

The Wild, Wild…Spanish Classroom?

WANTED: fifth graders

ALIAS: The “Unquowans”

AGE: ten-ish

DESCRIPTION: these fifth graders are creative, daring, and hardworking! They have a strong working knowledge of Spanish adjectives. Approach with caution, lest they begin to chant the conjugations of “estar” at you. Do not engage in a battle of wits or puns.

REWARD: one million DeAngelis Dólares (equivalent to $0.05 USD).