by Jennifer Jordan

Fifth graders have learned 9 chapters of Latin vocabulary and grammar concepts so far, with a fair number of quizzes under their belts. Basic individual review is an essential study skill, and I encourage students to test their knowledge on their own. However, group review offers a variety of benefits— the opportunity to challenge yourself against your classmates, show what you know and figure out what you might not know, and of course, move around the room. We enjoy a few different review games— old-fashioned flyswatter which pits students against each other at the board to “swat” the board with the correct Latin term; the digital Blooket game in which students answer vocabulary questions to collect points, toys, or another token and amass as much as possible within a time limit, and vocabulary match up, wherein students receive a few Latin words on paper and have to find the classmate who holds the correct English translation (an interactive “I Have, Who Has?” game). Students really enjoy these interactive games; I believe that it helps to cement knowledge that they apply not only on assessments but also in our daily instruction. They also practice collaborating with partners and enjoy the experience of proving their knowledge to their teacher and to themselves. Interactive games for the win!

The Spartan Science Olympiad team has hit the ground running this year. After finishing 1st place at Regionals and 11th place at State last year, we are on a quest for continued success on ongoing improvement. We competed in two early-season virtual tournaments this month against some of the top teams in the country to sharpen our skills and get a taste of next-level challenges. While the program is designed for 6th-9th graders, we have students as young as 4th and 5th grade who are eager to learn science and engineering. We look forward to an exciting year…Go Spartans!

“Only through direct energy can great work be accomplished.”

Fifth grade concluded their unit of Energy this week. Instead of a conventional assessment, each student planned and created an “Energy Robot” that exhibited different forms of energy. In addition to the creation of the robot, students had to put their ideas into writing.

After sailing for weeks in the Age of Exploration, the fifth graders have finally landed on the coast of North America. They studied the first attempt at an English colony — Roanoke — and its uncertain end. When the students learned that the Roanoke colonists had mysteriously disappeared, they were determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. Each group was given evidence and clues to form a hypothesis about the end of the Roanoke Colony and presented their findings to the class.

At the end of the unit, we are still not completely sure what happened to the Roanoke colonists, but we are determined to see that the Jamestown colony does a better job of surviving!

“You matter-unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared-then you energy!”

Fifth grade started the year in Science with the study of the physical properties of matter; such as mass, density, conductors/insulators, magnetism, texture, color, and even taste! Students were asked to create an “alien” with different physical properties of matter, all determined by a roll of a die! Each student demonstrated his or her knowledge of physical properties of matter with a unique “alien.”