Mrs. O’Connell’s Parent Newsletter
August 24, 2015
Welcome to 5th grade!! I will send you weekly newsletters to keep you informed on what is
happening in class and important upcoming events. If you miss it in an email, you can always
find my newsletters on my website We will spend the first few days of school getting to know the
classroom procedures; As well as writing a classroom mission statement and classroom rules.
The first week of School:
Reading: Fifth grade will be implementing the Daily Five language Arts program.
This will consist of a mini-lesson daily, independent reading time, guided reading groups, word work, and
writing.
Math: We will take 2 minute timed multiplication quiz to see how well we knew our multiplication facts.
We will be using multiplication all year in math. Here is a great web-site to help your child practice their
basic multiplication facts:
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skill_builders/multiplication_math_fourth_4th_grade.htm
Spelling: I will administer the Words Their Way Spelling Inventory on Tuesday. I like this
inventory because it provides specific information about each student’s knowledge and
application of specific orthographic features. The students have been divided into spelling by
stage groups.
This year your child will alternate between vocabulary words and spelling words and will be
tested on Fridays.
All of the fifth grade students work on Worldy Wise vocabulary words. We will work on lesson
one this week in class together.
Science: This week we are learning about heat transfer.
I will be emailing home the Newsletters each week. Please let me know if you want a hard copy sent
home.
Thank you to everyone who has given me their email addresses. If you have not please email me at
colleen_oconnell@iss.k12.nc.us so I can include you in class emails.