For the Week of
Whitlow Elementary School
3655 Castleberry Road
Cumming, GA 30040
678-965-5090
January 17 – 20
FIFTH GRADE NEWSFLASH
Current Units of Study
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Math: Geometry (Congruence, Area of a
Parallelogram and Triangle)
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Reading: Figurative Language (idioms, similes,
metaphors, personification, hyperbole, etc.)

Grammar: Sentence Variety (simple, complex,
compound, compound-complex)
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Writing: Persuasive Writing (structure of a
persuasive text)
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Reminders
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Please check/sign your child’s agenda and
conduct folder weekly, if not daily, to stay
abreast of your child’s work and conduct
habits.

Please return your child’s report card
envelope (SIGNED) to his/her teacher.
You may keep the actual report card.
Dates to Remember
Social Studies: The 1920s and 1930s (post-war
economic boom, The Jazz Age, The Great
Depression, The New Deal)
Reading Selection Vocabulary: Wings for the King
1. permit
2. subject
3. worthless
4. scoundrel
5. admiringly
Social Studies Vocabulary: Chapter 10
1. boom
2. assembly line
3. division of labor
4. stock
5. stock market
6. broadcast
7. aviator
8. prohibition
9. unemployment
10. debt
11. depression
12. charity
13. hydroelectricity
14. Social Security
15. regulation
16. minimum wage
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Saturday, 1/21: Mother & Son Event
Thursday, 1/26: Session 5 Specials Schedule
begins
Friday, 1/27: Deadline for Payment 2 for 5 th
Grade Field Trip
Friday, 1/27: Classroom Oratorical
Contests (Students need to be
ready to deliver their 2-3
minute speeches.)
Saturday, 1/28: Regional Technology Fair
Upcoming Assessments
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Friday, 1/20: Sentence Types Summative
Friday, 1/20: Congruence & Area Math
Summative
Technology Fair Concession Sales
Oratorical Contest
Each year, our fifth grade students are given the
opportunity to showcase their speaking skills in the
Oratorical Contest. The contest, sponsored by the
local Optimist Clubs, is a way for students to gain
valuable oratorical experience. Across Forsyth
County, students are all given one universal topic.
The challenge is to write a speech on the assigned
topic and deliver it in front of several judges.
This year at Whitlow, all of our fifth grade students
will participate in the classroom oratorical
experience; however, they will be given a choice of
two topics. Students who want to participate in
and be eligible to win the classroom and school
oratorical contests will need to write and recite
their speech on the county topic: “How Optimism
Helps Me Overcome Obstacles”. Students who do
not want to participate in the contest will still have
to deliver a speech in their classes; however, they
will have the choice to speak on one of two topics.
They may speak on the universal theme above, or
they may write and recite a persuasive speech
directed to Dr. Castleberry about something they
would like her to change at Whitlow.
Students were given time in class last week to begin
brainstorming ideas for their speeches. They will
need to work on one of the two topics provided
above and be prepared to present their speeches on
Friday, January 27, to their classes. Their speeches
will need to be between two and three minutes in
length. One boy and one girl from each fifth grade
class who speaks on the universal topic “How
Optimism Helps Me Overcome Obstacles” will be
chosen to participate in the school-wide competition
on February 10. Finally, one boy and one girl will be
chosen from the school-wide competition to
represent Whitlow at the county competition on
Monday, March 12 (this date was changed from the
14th).
We are excited about this opportunity for your
children. Please do not hesitate to email your child’s
teacher with any questions you may have regarding
the contest. 
The 5th Grade Committee is looking for volunteers
to help with concessions during the Tech Fair (at
Whitlow) on Saturday, January 28 from 7:30 am 1:00 pm. If you and/or your student would like to
help, you may sign up by logging onto
www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4BABAD2AA57.
Volunteers are always appreciated, but students
must be signed up on the schedule prior to the
event in order to help at the table. Please contact
Laurie Hawthorne at labhawth@yahoo.com with
any questions. - Thank You.
5th Grade Field Trip!
As you already know, our annual end-of-the-year
5th grade field trip is scheduled for Friday, May 18,
2012. We are ready to place the order for our
student and chaperone t-shirts! With that said, it
is very important that you let your child’s teacher
know if your child will be attending (by turning in
your child’s permission slip and making payment if
you have not already) and if you are planning on
attending as a chaperone (turn in your $70 for
chaperoning and indicate your choice in t-shirt
size: Adult Small/Medium/Large/Extra Large). We
appreciate your help with this! Please let your
child’s teacher know if you have any questions.
The deadline for submitting this information to
your child’s teacher is this Wednesday, January
18th.
1920’s-1930’s Simulation
This Thursday, the fifth grade students will be
participating in a simulation of a few components
of the time period we have been studying in Social
Studies. Students will rotate amongst classrooms
to work on an assembly line of “Model T Fords”, to
participate in a Jazz Age musical and dance
experience, and to partake of a soup kitchen in
“Hooverville”. You should have received a list of
needed items from your classroom teacher or room
parent in order to make this simulation possible.
Thank you so much for your contributions. 