What We Learned in September?
HMH Into Reading
In September, students began HMH Module 1: “What Makes Us Who We Are?” and explored the essential question, “How do your experiences help shape your identity?” Through informational and literary texts, students practiced identifying central ideas, asking and answering questions, determining the author’s purpose, and recognizing text and graphic features and figurative language. They also developed vocabulary related to identity and experiences, reviewed simple and complete subjects and predicates, practiced short and long vowel spelling patterns, and used strategies such as context clues and word parts to understand unfamiliar words.
Coming Up Next in HMH Reading
In the coming weeks, students will continue exploring HMH Module 1: “What Makes Us Who We Are?” and thinking about how experiences shape our identities. We will read Kitoto the Mighty, a folktale, and practice important reading skills such as retelling, identifying literary elements and theme, analyzing the author’s craft, and making connections. Students will also build new vocabulary using context clues and suffixes, review prefixes, practice short and long “i” sounds, and learn how to use quotation marks with direct speech.
Math
Our students love exploring new math topics and are excited to take on new challenges! They stay actively engaged in learning through hands-on activities and math manipulatives, which help them visualize concepts, explain their thinking, and build a deeper understanding of math.
In Grade 4 Math, students learned to apply their understanding of multiplication and area to explore factors and multiples. They practiced finding factor pairs, identifying multiples, and using multiplication strategies to solve problems.
In Grade 5 Math, students learned how to find the volume of right rectangular prisms. They also applied their understanding of volume to find the total volume of solid figures composed of two right rectangular prisms, using different strategies to solve real-world problems.
Coming Up Next in Math
In Grade 4 Math, students will begin working with fractions. They will generate and identify equivalent fractions and learn to compare and order fractions with denominators such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 100. Students will use models, number lines, and reasoning strategies to strengthen their understanding of fraction relationships.
In Grade 5 Math, students will deepen their understanding of fractions as division, recognizing that \(a \div b = \frac{a}{b}\). They will also learn to multiply whole numbers by fractions, including fractions greater than 1, and apply these skills to solve real-world word problems.
Social-emotional Learning- Building a School Community
We celebrated our first full week of school by learning about our five core values: Resilience, Integrity, Collaboration, Joy, and Intellectual Curiosity!
