Fifth Grade

Week of November 13, 2009
Weekly Happenings

Fifth grade has been holding an after school homework club on Wednesdays after school. We encourage all students to take advantage of this time. We have been using our time to complete homework, give further instruction, teach study skills, as well as helping messy students, for lack of a better term, become more organized. I encourage all students to consider this club! Mrs. Echer and I will be supervising the club and offering additional support for students that feel they may need a little extra guidance. Homework club will take place in our classrooms. It will begin immediately after school and last until 3:45. It is only for students that plan to use their time wisely.

            The class has been given their first independent book report of the year. We have discussed all of the requirements in class. I have also included a book report checklist in this week’s Friday Folder. If students are not certain whether or not their book is appropriate for the project, they know that they can check with me. The project was first discussed on Wednesday, November 11th, and is due on December 1st.

            The middle school and fifth grade ski trip will take place on December 18th. Ski trip details have been included. I also want you to know that you can take advantage of great ski deals and passes for elementary school students by visiting www.ColoradoSki.com/passport.

Fifth grade will be going to see a “A Christmas Carol” at the CU Shakespeare Festival, on December 8th. Permission slips were sent home last week. We ask that you return the forms at your nearest convenience. If you have not seen the permission slip, please contact us and we will send home another form.

Science: Final cell assessment and introduction to plant structures and processes.

Math: We are currently studying patterns of division. Division seems to be the most frustrating of topics thus far, so we are taking it slowly for now.

History: We have reached the end of our unit of Meso-America civilizations. Students’ knowledge on this topic was assessed through an in class writing piece. We will now begin to study European exploration.

Writing: Students are learning how to improve the details that they include in their writings. We will continue to focus on word choice and detail for the next few weeks.

Language Arts: Our unit on Astronomy contains a play, which is what we’ve been working on this week. It was an entertaining week, to say the least.

Thanks!
Matt LaJeunesse

Mr. LaJeunesse

Matthew LaJeunesse
Fifth Grade Teacher

I was born and raised in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. This is also where I completed my elementary through college education. After high school, I took a few years off from formal schooling to explore the world on my own. In between biking trips to Europe and guiding whitewater in Alaska, I found myself lucky enough to secure a job with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia education department. It was then that I realized that educating children can be an unbelievably rewarding experience for teachers and students alike. I later graduated from Temple University with highest honors and degrees in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. After graduating from college, I knew that I was not done exploring, and therefore moved to Colorado in the May of 2008. I spent my first school year in Colorado working as a substitute in three local school districts. After a few days at Carbon Valley Academy, the school and I agreed that this school seemed to be an excellent fit.