Advertising in Schools

Last week the students of 5V read an article in their Time for Kids magazine about schools raising funds for clubs, programs, and supplies by allowing companies to advertise within the school. The idea would let a company buy wall space, floor space, locker, or bus space, and post their ads in or around the building. Companies like CUB foods, State Farm Insurace, and Avery Office Supplies have already gotten involved.

I asked the kids if they thought it was right for advertisers to promote and sell their products within a school. Here were the results:

YES: 54%

NO: 46%

This was our closest vote yet! Here are some of the opinions:

Supporting:

• Schools can make money and they don't need to get rid of their programs.


• Kids see commercials all the time. Who cares if it's at schools.


• Kids can choose to ignore the commercials or ads at school. They'll be happy when the school makes money from it.

Rejecting:

• Kids are forced to see advertising at all times during school. At home they can change the chanel. At school they have to see it.


• School isn't a place for advertising. What if it's inappropriate advertising?


• School is a place for learning, not selling stuff.

Curricular Update (Week of 12/6-12/10)

Hello 5V Families! Here is what we are up to this week in 5V and in 5th grade:

Reading:

• We are studying two new challenge words this week (skeptical and subtle)
• Students will practice using vocabulary in skits.
• We are going to practice searching for evidence in texts to support our answers or opinions.
• We are going to practice drawing conclusions about characters, setting, events, or action based on evidence we find in the text.
• We are going to read articles in our Time for Kids magazine and make connections, give opinions, and share thoughts about them.
• We will study a debate topic this week as well.

Writing:

• This week in writing we focus more on poetry and four different types of poems: (Limerick, Cinquain, Free Verse, and Quatrain)
• Students will write poetry to their first grade reading buddies.
• Students are going to write letters to their second grade pen pals.
• Students are going to practice using the thesaurus, writing dialogue, using the show not tell writing strategy, and elaboration in their writing.
• All students will work on some of their own student created writing and have conferences with Mr. Vaid about their work.
• We will also research at atom from the Periodic Table of Elements.

Math:

• We continue studying fractions this week.
• This week we study how to convert fractions to decimals.
• We also study how to round numbers up to the nearest hundreth or thousandth or whole number.
• One of our more challenging concepts will be converting fractions to percents.
• In addition, another challenging concept will be to find a part of a whole when given a %. For example, if 30% of May Watts children have glasses and there are 500 students in the school, how many wear glasses?
• We will study bar graphs and learn how to create bar graphs as well using six components of a bar graph.
• Weekly quiz this Friday.
• Test is anticipated to be next Wednesday, December 15th.

Social Studies:

• We wrap up our unit with the test on Tuesday.
• We will continue to study current events through out the week.

Science:

• Our goals this week in science include studying the atom.
• We want to know what an atom is.
• We want to know the parts of the atom: proton, neutron (make up the nucleus) electron shells, and electrons.
• We will study the Periodic Table of Elements and complete research on an atom of our choosing.
• There will be a quiz on Friday covering what we have studied this week about atoms.

Important Dates and Reminders

Here are some important reminders for the next week or so:

Monday, December 6th:

• Math Fact Club 3:45-4:15pm
• Musical Practice after school
• Spelling Test: "Colonies Unit"
• Orchestra Concert for 5th graders at Hill Middle School, 6:30pm.

Tuesday, December 7th:

• Social Studies test: Part I in the morning.
• Social Studies test: Part II in the afternoon.
• 2:30pm musical practice in the gym.

Wednesday, December 8th:

• 9:30am Musical Performance for families.
• 6:30pm Students should arrive in classroom 5V for the evening Musical.
• 6:45pm Students from 5V report to Music room.
• 7:00pm Students perform Musical.

Thursday, December 9th:

• Research atoms in computer lab in computer lab continues.
• Finalize poetry books for 1st grade buddies.

Friday, December 10th:

• Friday grammar quiz on adverbs
• Quiz on parts of the atom.
• Weekly Friday math quiz.

5V Poll Results (Animal Testing)

Hello 5V Families! Recently you were asked for your opinion regarding testing chemicals and substances on animals for medical or scientific purposes. Our class also was asked for their opinion in the form of the practice being right or wrong. Here are the results:

RIGHT: 1/26= 4%

WRONG: 25/26= 96%

Here were some opinions from the students:

RIGHT (Supporting practice)

• The testing can be done safely enough on the animals.
• It's possible to test them with out hurting them.

WRONG (Rejecting practice)

• Animals don't have a choice. We don't get their permission to test on them so it's not fair.
• What is tested on an animal may be not be relevant to a human because they are different from us.
• There are other ways to test chemicals or medicines, like in a special lab.

These opinions are very different from yours and I asked the kids why and some inferred that as you grow up there is more to worry about (not just animals) or as you get older you become more selfish. Interesting thoughts from our 5th grade friends.

Neat Video

Hi 5V Families,

How are you? I showed this video to the class on Thursday after school. It goes along with our "Thankful Thursday". It's about 3 or 4 minutes long and not in English, but it has subtitles and an important message about parents and family!

Important Dates and Reminders

Hello again! Please read the list below as it contains many important dates and reminders.

Monday, November 22nd:

• Kids should bring anything to class that is related to the non-fiction presentation because we'll have some work time.
• Unit 8 spelling test in the morning during reading class.
• Please have silent reading book ready for class for work time and small group reading conferences.

Tuesday, November 23rd:

• Kids should bring anything to class that is related to the non-fiction presentation because we'll have some work time.
• IMPORTANT: KIDS SHOULD TAKE HOME ANYTHING THEY NEED TO WORK ON AND FINISH UP OVER BREAK FOR THE NON-FICTION PRESENTATIONS THAT WILL OCCUR IN CLASS ON THE 29TH AND 30TH!
• Yellow folders go home! Please anticipate the following items to be in the yellow folder:

1. 5V Unit 4 Math test
2. 5V Fractions quiz
3. Unit 7 spelling test
4. Unit 8 spelling test
5. Chapter 4 Social studies test
6. Chapter 4 social studies essay
7. Most recent two minute math fact test
8. HW % update
9. Updated grade sheet with grades for reading, writing, spelling, math, and social studies

Curriculum Update for 11/22-12/3

Hello! Here is an update for the next week of classes:

Reading:

• When we get back from break, students will be presenting the information they have researched on their non-fiction readings. They will present this to the class.
• Students should make sure they have the material they need for class this Monday and Tuesday and then for over break in order to prepare for the presentations on Monday and Tuesday the 29th and 30th.
• We recently studied the word essential and will study more challenging vocabulary.
• We'll be reading a story from our anthology book. The story is an excerpt from the full length story Island of the Blue Dolphins.
• The students have shown great success in writing open ended response essays. We'll continue that next week.
• We will also continue studying how to summarize effectively.

Writing:

• The kids have been enjoying writing so much this year. They are writing a variety of compositions.
• One composition we just started was a personal expository. The work so far has been stellar.
• We will continue studying how to incorporate details and follow that up with elaboration.
• Next week, we'll also study elements of poetry, different types of poems, and more figurative language.
• Students will also continue to work on their own student created compositions. Some include letters, fictional stories, comics, and poems.
• I will conference with students on our units of study like the personal expository as well as their own workshop writing.

Math:

• We've just begun a unit on fractions. This is chapter 5 of our unit.
• Students successfully have understood how to calculate a unit or a fraction of a whole.
• Next we are studying mixed numbers and how they are a number with a fraction, and we will study how to write mixed numbers as fractions.
• We are also going to study how to compare the size of fractions using a variety of strategies.
• Further into December we will study how to add and subtract fractions as well as how to reduce them.

Social Studies:

• We've had a blast in social studies. We kick off each class with current events. The kids are SO engaged with the world around them now, wanting to know more, and bringing in articles. (I'm sure getting a pop motivates them too!)
• We'll continue studying the early English colonies in chapter 5.
• I'm teaching the kids study skills more and more and with chapter 5 it's no different.
• We're also journalling, watching videos, and studying vocabulary.

Science:

• Our science unit on magnetism and electricity will begin after chapter 5 of social studies is finished. Please anticipate this sometime during the week of December 6th.

Spelling:

• I'm teaching more and more strategies to the kids.
• Be sure to check out www.spellingcity.com
• The kids should use the strategies to study for the tests.
• Keep studying! We will start a new unit list when we get back from break.