CAN IT BE?

TODAY is the first day of Spring.  However, I'm not totally convinced.  It's been a long winter.  We have two more weeks of school before we take a week off and there is so much to accomplish.  We've been actively engaged in the beginning of our third and final trimester in fifth grade.

Micah and Willie share a laptop to access an online tutorial for social studies.

WORD PROBLEMS always provide a challenge in applying mathematical concepts. We just started a unit in math class dedicated to solving word problems with various situation and solution equations.  This will be a challenging unit, particularly for students who may struggle understanding informational text and the logic involved in mathematical application.  I am convinced, however, that our class will continue to progress in the exceptional style they have maintained this year.

NEW TO SOCIAL STUDIES this year is "understanding literacy" in relationship to history.  In our recent study of colonial America, we focused our attention on an article about The Great Awakening, a religious renewal that swept the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s.  Click HERE if you would like to read more about this movement.

THE 2014 TALENT SHOW is coming to White Pines.  Be sure to visit this LINK for all the information about the May 15 show.  Students may sign up between April 1 and April 18.  They will also need to attend an audition and a dress rehearsal.

Brooke, Owen, and Myla discuss character traits and events in relationship to their reading.

HISTORICAL FICTION remains our focus in language arts this trimester.  Students are "writing" their final test for Number the Stars and will submit a literary essay on March 31.  Our team will soon focus attention on another award-winning novel, Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson. Mattie discovers that the sickness is everywhere in Philadelphia, and she must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease.

GRAND HAVEN AREA PUBLIC SCHOOLS will have three proposals on the May 6 ballot: the annual Non-Principal Residence Renewal, and two bond proposals asking for support for technology, safety and security, and facility improvements.   Click HERE for information about these important proposals.

Seth and Amelia play Chess during a recent Lunch Bunch while Owen checks some math work.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

OUR HOLIDAY WALL is the result of four teams working together in design and construction to create a festive backdrop in our classroom.  Students worked before school, during their lunch period, and free time to decorate the stage for the holidays.

SARDINES ON CRACKERS were a featured snack in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  We wish to apologize to our adjacent classrooms who tolerated the odor of this delicacy last week.  Not everyone was brave enough to try them.  I think most of us are waiting for an afternoon treat of Turkish Delight instead.

THE CHRISTMAS POTLUCK at the Chittenden Home was a special opportunity for students to "deck the halls" with fancy clothing and share in an evening of good friends, great food, and holiday entertainment. We want to thank all the parents for the amazing salads, main dishes, and desserts for our potluck.

The Great Room looked very festive at the class party.

Decisions on food choice were the most difficult part of the evening.

Brooke and others shared their musical talent for our entertainment.

MATHEMATICS is often very challenging for fifth grade learners.  Over the years, we have witnessed a multitude of methods on how best to teach young learners not only the basic skills but mathematical concepts and logic.  Although our first unit in the our new math series was a big challenge, I am beginning to see some outstanding progress in class.  Most recently we scored 10 percentage points higher than the district average on the first trimester common assessment.  We are currently learning the number theory behind multiplying and dividing fractions.  Determining which functions to use in real-world situations is the most recent challenge we have faced.  It's always a good day, however, when we get to use our "sandbox" to experiment with these challenges.

Brooke, Owen, Lauren, and Owen work in Mangahigh Math in the media center.

MANGAHIGH.COM is one of the world's first games-based learning sites, where students learn Mathematics via purpose-built games that balance fun and learning.  White Pines recently secured access for all our fifth and sixth grade students to this Mangahigh site.  The assigned "challenges" relate to specific concepts we encounter in mathematics.  The games provide contexts that often bring out the "real world" application of these concepts, increasing student engagement in the content and encouraging them to explore further.  Thank you to those who have sent a contribution into the school to help defray the expense of this project.