Fourth Grade
The Jefferson fourth graders are very busy at this time of the school year. Through all of the teachers they are
all putting their kids’ success in their reach. In math, fractions are all the news. They are comparing fractions,
ordering fractions, adding and subtracting fractions as well. As most readers know, fractions are by definition
“part of a whole”. Students order the fractions from least to greatest or vice versa. In science, students are talking about conservation. Conservation is the act of conserving an object. This will include talk of the three R’s
which are reduce, reuse, and recycle. These lessons are very timely because of Earth Day being right around
the corner. Switching to social studies, students are talking about black history. Some very famous names have
come up, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and many other civil rights enforcers. In reading, some
fourth graders have to do boring reading logs; that’s not the case in Mrs. Bosler’s reading class. Her students
read twenty minutes each day five days a week, and then once a month they do a reading presentation that can
be a poster, a skit/play, a book bag, a diorama, a board game, or a PowerPoint presentation. To give an example, the PowerPoint consists of at least five slides, but more can be added if it is wanted by the presenter. The
presentation must include a list of main characters, the title, author, and picture of a book; there is also a slide
with a summary and a recommendation is also added. Additionally, a student would also describe their favorite
scene from the book. In writing they are doing narrative papers about their favorite animals. A narrative paper is
when you tell a story from a first person point of view. These are many wonderful students working very hard for
a better future.
By Nathan Logsdon
Fifth Grade
Many exciting events have taken place in the 5th grade at Jefferson this quarter. Students learned about
text structure and argumentative writing in their reading and writing classes. In math classes, they
learned how to compute mixed numbers. Students were excited to learn about the Revolutionary War in
social studies classes. They did projects based on what they learned and researched. One of the projects that they did was a puzzle piece on which they drew an image from the Revolutionary War that
matched a word they were assigned. The students also wrote the definition of that word on their puzzle
piece. On Saturday, February 6, students and their families enjoyed Jefferson's Feb Fest. This event included Bingo, tug of war, bags, 3-point
shootouts, and throwing pies in teachers' faces. The Bingo prizes included 50 gift baskets. Two thousand Bingo tickets were sold, raising $500.
Students in Mrs. Richeson's and Mr. Holm's classrooms enjoyed welcoming a new classmate in January. The new student was from Saudi Arabia
and said that he enjoyed math and making new friends. Students used an online translator app to communicate with their new friend and were
eager to help him learn to speak, read, and write in English. Signs around the classrooms and hallways labeled important items and rooms in both
English and Arabic. Josh Sipes said, "We have enjoyed learning about each other's cultures and languages. I am thankful for my new sadiq.
("Sadiq" means "friend" in Arabic.)
By Anna Sipes
Sixth Grade
Mrs. Harrell teaches Math, Science, and Social Studies. In math, students spend time at math stations, where they can do games, homework, and many more things. Her class is also learning about fractions.
In science, students are learning about climate and weather. They also are making ice
cream in science. For social studies fun, they
are playing the game Seteria online. It helps
students learn about countries. Students click
on the state or country, and if they get it right
they get a “prize”. In social studies, students
have been studying Egypt and making Egyptian projects which are on display in the library.
Ms. Covington teaches reading, writing, and
word study. In reading, her students are takJefferson
ing a field trip to EIU! They are also reading “The Watson’s Go to Birmingham”. The students say that they love that book. Aiden, a student
in Ms. Covington’s class said, “I really like Byron, because he’s really
funny and he can be like a funny type mean.”
In writing, they are working on argumentative
writing and debates. There are also many EIU
students coming in to act like “famous people”! In word study, they are working on
Greek-Latin roots. They are also working on
the Young Authors Contest. The 6th graders
love to learn and have learned a lot from the
teachers and their other classmates.
By Kendall Davis
Classroom Courier, page 4