Dear Intermediate School Families,
Below is a look at what has been happening and what's coming up! We hope you have had a wonderful fall weekend as we welcome the beautiful month of November!
Facilities:
We need your help. Our wonderful custodial and maintenance staff do a terrific job of keeping our building and grounds neat, clean, and looking great, as well as with everything in working order. Unfortunately, this year we have seen several instances of bathrooms being vandalized and intentionally littered. Although we have addressed these issues in small groups and as a whole school community, we continue to see mistreatment of the faucets, soap dispensers, and toilets. With the camera system in the halls throughout the building and the keeping of sign-in/sign-out logs in every classroom, it is only a matter of time until we learn who is causing the messes and damage. In the meantime, we ask that you have a conversation with your child about reporting when he/she knows or sees something to the nearest adult.
Library Classes:
We are very excited about our Tournament of Books Reading Challenge this year. We've reached the halfway point of the first round. With four weeks left in this round, there is still plenty of time for students to read and vote for their favorite books. In addition to doing the reading and voting, all of the students filled out brackets predicting what the winning books will be. This gave students the opportunity to practice using the online library catalog to read summaries of the books, as well as exercising their critical thinking skills as they considered what makes a good book and what makes a book popular. More information about the reading challenge can be found on the school library website: https://sites.google.com/freelake.org/grais-library/tournament-of-books
Grade Four Math and Science:
Students have begun our second unit in math class. Students will be using multiplication and division facts in word problems, identifying prime versus composite numbers, and learning about factors versus multiples of a given number. All students should continue to practice those basic multiplication and division facts, as they are so important!
Fourth graders have all been busy reviewing for the science test on plant and animal structures. We are beginning our unit on rock patterns and changing land next week.
Grade Four ELA and Social Studies:
Students are continuing to read Because of WInn-Dixie, while reviewing fiction skills and strategies. We look forward to finishing the book!
In social studies classes, we have completed our look at the continents and oceans, and are now focusing on North America and its different regions and inhabitants.
Grade Five Math and Science:
We are finishing up our unit on place value with rounding and comparing decimals.
In science, we are wrapping up our unit on matter. Students have learned that matter can be described and identified using their physical properties. The mass/weight is conserved when substances combine, go through a change in the state of matter, or go through a chemical change.
Grade Five ELA and Social Studies:
We are preparing for and taking our first unit test in our new reading program, Wonders. Students are learning how to write expository essays with a focus on the revision process.
In social studies, students are learning about daily life, governments, and economic opportunities in the original 13 colonies.
Nature’s Classroom:
The one-time informational session about the optional grade four overnight field trip to Nature’s Classroom is at 6 p.m. on November 14th in our cafeteria and is for adults only. Mrs. Snyder (snyder@freelake.org) is the program coordinator.
Sensory and Inclusive Holiday Events in Massachusetts:
https://www.spedchildmass.com/...
PTO:
Our next virtual PTO meeting is on November 21st at 6:30 p.m.
Spring MCAS Dates:
April 02 & 03–Grade Five ELA
April 04 & 05–Grade Four ELA
May 13 & 14–Grade Five Math
May 15 & 16–Grade Four Math
May 20 & 21–Grade Five Science
*These are subject to change.
Dates to Remember:
No School for Students/ PD Day - November 7th
Veterans Day/No School - November 10th
Nature’s Classroom Session - November 14th at 6 p.m.
Letters on Teacher Conferences Go Home - November 14th
Picture Retakes - November 15th
Thanksgiving Recess - November 22nd at 11:30 a.m - November 24th
First Trimester Grades Close - November 27th
Evening Teacher Conferences - December 5th
Afternoon Teacher Conferences - December 7th