Fifth Grade with Buddies on Friday, December 4

Fifth graders read aloud, built tall structures, painted with watercolors and cut out snowflake patterns!

....Oh,what fun it is to join our buddies on Friday!

Dice, Cards and Gameboards

Dice, Cards, and Gameboards

The fifth grade were invited to test out the gameboards the fourth grade had created based on their study of the Revolutionary War. Around tables and on the rug, students gathered to answer trivia questions, play "Go to the Revolution (a 1700's take on"Go Fish") and tackle a colonial version of "Headbands"("Bonnets and Tricorns"). Not only did TCS students have a fun time, but these games would have delighted the young and old of the Revolutionary days!

 "Bonnets and Tricorns"

    "Tough Times"

"Go to the Revolution"

"Blast from the Past"

"Revolution Ride"

TIME designers in the STEAM lab

                                                             

TIME Designers
  

Fifth grade TIME designers are hard at work in the STEAM lab preparing for their October 29th event, honoring TCS's 60th anniversary!  Lots of measuring, planning and coloring went into executing the border and title layout for their magazine covers!

Hollow Hiking Highlights

Hiking the Hollow

Last Friday, the 4th and 5th graders headed to Chatfield Hollow in Killingworth to hone their hiking skills. Under the guidance of the Bushy Hill staff, they made observations while silently walking through the marshland on the boardwalk, bounded over boulders seamlessly on the white trail, learned how to identify trees by their leaves and made connections to Donn Fedler's experience from the novel, Lost On A Mountain in Maine. All done of this was done while carrying backpacks for the entire day! Building stamina was one of our goals in preparation for the more challenging outdoor adventures to come. Tour our photos to enjoy some of the highlights of day in the woods.

Fifth Grade "Firsts"

Last week was filled with introducing routines, holding our first Intermediate class meeting, visiting with our reading buddies and undertaking our first service learning project of the year- all done with energy and enthusiasm in a heat wave!

On Friday afternoon, we tackled the Kitchen garden with the fourth grade, service to our TCS community.  Many hands were weeding, hauling, digging, sweeping and best of all, observing what was growing in the garden besides crabgrass. Fourth and fifth graders shared how fun it was to "clean up" the garden and make improvements to our campus. Enjoy the photos from this project.

Summer Reading Reminder

    July 28, 2015


Hello Rising Fifth Graders,

Just checking in on my summer readers.  Don't worry, you have plenty of summer vacation left to enjoy! Dr. Seuss and my nephew, Aidan, have inspired me to write this short poem to remind you to read every day, no matter where you are.

You can read on a beach
You can read eating a peach.

You can read under the sun
You can read when you run.

You can read at dawn
You can read mowing the lawn.

You can on a boat
You can read when your afloat.

Just read, read, read
Because it is the TCS creed.

For 5,
Mrs. Kelly

P.S. I look forward to reading your postcard about one of your choice reading books. They are due to me by August 25!!!  Click on link for the attached supply list for the start of school.

Exodus out of Egypt

In celebration of the end of our Egyptian studies, fifth grade headed to the STEAM lab to design and implement plans for their funerary models, and in the faculty kitchen they baked honey cakes according to an ancient Egyptian recipe.  It is no wonder they were a favorite sweet treat of the Egyptians!!  Onto The Odyssey as we land on the shores of Troy and finally Greece for the remainder of the year!

Thematic Ideas In Egyptian Novel

As the last chapter of the Egyptian novel,The Golden Goblet, came to a close yesterday, fifth grade readers reflected on various thematic ideas that ran throughout the novel.  They came up with such ideas or topics as courage, perserverance, trust, greed, overcoming hardships, abuse/hostility, friendship and dreams. In order to prove these themes, they had to cite specific examples from the novel and post them for further class discussion. Here we are as readers and writers in action.

Magical Life After Death

Egyptian Funerary Model from the MET: A Granary

In honor of the Egyptians' belief in a magical afterlife, fifth graders are designing funerary models to place in the tombs of the deceased. It was believed that these models came to life to provide the dead with their everyday needs. After researching various models, partners chose to design such models as a garden, a butcher shop, a granary, a fishing boat, a military troop, a weaver's shop, and a bakery. Over the next few days, this design work will take place in the STEAM lab with students creating Egyptian figures and other elements out of newspaper, craft paper, glue.  The goal is to keep the models authentic and simple. Stay tuned for our exhibit!

Characteristics and their Definition for Golden Goblet Assignment

                        As you prepare to describe one character that you have met in The Golden 
                        Goblet, here is a link of characteristics for you to use for your ELA homework:
                        https://www.scribd.com/doc/21422849/Characteristic-List-Definitions (click on arrow)

Magnifique!

                The fifth grade entered Le Bistro du Country School this afternoon and were bedazzled by glimmering Eiffel tower centerpieces, le menus printed in school colors and Parisian slides projected on the screen as a backdrop.  We enjoyed a five course luncheon offering such savory selections as butternut squash soup, chicken francaise, quiche, a cheese platter and chocolate mousse. We even celebrated two birthdays with a cake that was made from dreamy ingredients!!!! Of course our impeccable manners were the highlight of the event.  I must admit we were presented with a dining challenge when we had to figure out how to eat the chocolate cups that held the mousse- cut them, break them or just pick it up with our fingers and take a bite. You can guess what a group of fifth graders did!   Thank you to all who help to stage this yearly tradition. Emily Post would give TCS students a thumbs up!  Stay tuned for pictures.

                     

Mind Your Peas and Carrots

Over the past few weeks, fifth grade diners have been practicing their dining etiquette in preparation for a formal luncheon hosted by parents on Thursday, February 26th.  We hope that you can't help but notice some of their social "savviness" with napkins placed on laps, knives and forks held properly, appropriate placement of utensils when dining has ended, and entertaining dining conversation (still working on this!!!) Mrs. Kelly's classroom will be staged as a fine restaurant where students will apply their impressive manners while enjoying a wonderful luncheon. Most importantly, we have learned that good manners has to do with being respectful and appreciative toward others, and showing that you know how to conduct yourself in a well-informed and savvy way.  Stay tuned for pictures from this dining experience!!!

Egyptian Games

I discovered this game that you might enjoy playing that will enrich your understanding of Egyptian
history. When you have free time try it out. I have included the link below. Enjoy!!!

http://www.nms.ac.uk/explore/play/discover-ancient-egypt/egyptian-tomb-adventure/

"Afterlife"

Will found this song by Ingrid Michelson called "Afterlife."  So appropriate for our Egyptian studies.
Have fun listening to it. Here is the link for you to copy and paste OR go to YouTube and type in "Afterlife."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp4v2DSekcw

Snow Pyramid Building

    Fifth graders egyptianized the campus by designing pyramids and The Sphinx out of snow after last week's blizzard!!! We ended

our construction with hot cocoa topped with peppermint marshmallows.   

In honor of FUN DAY FRIDAY. . . Because you have managed this week with a snow day of brimming with school work, tomorrow we will think outside of our normal schedule!!  We will enjoy a morning of hot cocoa and plenty of independent reading and poetry.   In the afternoon, we will put the ancient Egyptians to shame as we attempt to construct our own pyramids out of SNOW!  So be sure to your snow gear for an afternoon of engineering fun!  Can't wait!!!

See you tomorrow, 

Mrs. Kelly

Traveling with Paul Salopek

Dear Fifth Grade History Students,
You all have been introduced to Mr. Paul Salopek, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and National Geographic Fellow, who is attempting to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, following their migration out of Africa to the lowest point of South America.  He began his journey two years ago, and it will take him seven years to cover 21,000 miles, primarily on foot.

Now you will have a chance to "travel" with Mr. Salopek by keeping up with his latest posts from Turkey and beyond.  Just click on the link below. You won't believe the places he goes (some very familiar) and the people he meets. Enjoy!

http://outofedenwalk.nationalgeographic.com/