Newsletter 20 – 2/12/17

Voices of 5/6

Here is your Voice of 5/6 update.  A small group of students met during lunch on Friday to comment on the events of the week and share highlights with families. The contributors for this week are Sydney, Zadyn, Sam and Surya.

• In writers we have been working on drafts for our first fantasy story.  Fantasy stories are based in real world.  Then the reality is twisted with fantastical elements that are beyond reality.  Writers often use people that they know as a base for their characters.  Writers give little hints about bigger things that happen at the end of the story.  The first story draft is due next Wednesday (2/15).
• In Arts we are working on Honk set design, blocking the play and working on lines.  We have a lot of the set design done but we still have a lot to do.  Everyone should have their lines memorized by now.  Feel free to question your kids about their lines.
• In Readers today we had our last meeting for book clubs.  We record what has happened in the meeting We start project work next week.  
• We are learning outlining.  It is a skill we are practicing for for our testing genre.  We play “quick thinking” games and do 6 minute planning on writing prompts.  The prompts have been about Honk.
• In Legal Literacy we have been talking about the Constitution.  Today we learned about the 14th Amendment and what it has to do with immigration.  We are going to be getting ready for the mock trial.
• We have started using agenda books.  Not everyone likes the agenda books.  
• On a 1-10 scale, the group thought this week was a 7.2.

Announcements

Agenda books are up and running. Thank you for your support at home!

We added a new piece to our schedule – Perspectives Workshop. This week we listened and watched some pieces that were about food waste.

Questions to Ask Your Child at Home

• How has working with the agenda book been a help or hinderance to your responsibility?
• What is your fantasy piece about – what work have you been doing with showing, not just telling?
• How has the process of developing outlines been?