Keeping Tabs On Hawley’s 5th Grade

By Julie Landin and Chris Tomascak

Mr Bird’s class is creating two books in school. First the class is making a book about Vikings. Then each child is also making a book about an animal. Margaret Riley is making a book about porcupines, Mike Tibbits is doing the tiger shark, Whitney Allison is doing the sea otter, and Kelsey Cantore is doing penguins. So far each student has learned a lot about their animals. Tim Shepard learned that dingoes can’t bark. Catrina Morgan learned that the sand cat is one of the smallest cats in the world. Mr Bird’s class is also developing ecosystems with Mrs Cowden, the school science teacher. They just finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. They are also finishing their millennium time capsule. They are putting a strand of each student’s hair and a picture of themselves in the capsule. Each child also created a millennium book. Now they need to decide when the capsule will be opened.

Mrs Cunningham’s class has been doing a lot these days. In math they are working on fraction books and graphing on the computer. They just finished the book, Bridge to Terabithia. In science they are talking about pollution and in social studies they are working on Vikings. “The class won the 2000 celebration and read 142 books,” Mrs Cunningham says. Ethan Brietling has a birthday in February and so does Alexa Faeth. They are writing about memories and they just finished an Appleworks slide show of the constellations. They have computer buddies with Mrs Lefa’s first grade class. They help them write long sentences. In gym they are doing basketball. In art they are doing paper mache, and in music they just finished studying Handel.

Mr Roodhuyzen’s class is staring a new reading program called book clubs. In book clubs you get in groups and discuss observations and reflections. They just shared their writer’s workshop memoirs in class and are starting the nonfiction genre. Jessica Orama turned 11 January 5th. They continue doing spelling stories. “We are very excited about the new millennium. The first half of our year has been awesome and we are looking forward to an even better second half of the year,” Mr Roodhuyzen says. They are doing multiplication in math and are studying Native American Indians in social studies.

Mr Wilkinson’s class has been talking a lot about the Civil War. They are reading a biography The Little Bugler. This is about a 12-year-old drummer boy and all the experiences he shared. He was in eight major battles and friends with Tad Lincoln. He stayed at the White House two times. The class is doing a project with Mr LaRicco’a eighth grade homeroom. They are exchanging Civil War letters and photos as they read the book together and other activities. They will be working together on this project for about eight weeks. And that is what is happening with Hawley’s fifth grade classes!