Hard Work Pays Off!

Fifth graders model their new class t-shirts, made by Sophia and family, for the CLASS SLEEPOVER!

If the past week had a theme, it would easily be, "hard work pays off." The class spent all week studying for and taking tests in Reading (we have just finished our latest novel, Number the Stars), Social Studies, Religion, and Spelling. They worked incredibly hard on each exam and clearly took the time to study and prepare.

This week in Writing, we worked on perfecting the components of a strong, information-based paragraph to eventually write multi-paragraph essays. Students practiced referencing skills as they used in-text citations to state details supporting the topic of why recess is an essential part of the school day for students.

On Tuesday, as part of our Social Studies test review, fifth graders were tasked with writing a letter to someone in government asking them to invest tax funds into renewable or nonrenewable energy sources. Charlotte wrote her letter to Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, our representative for Pennsylvania's 5th district. When her classmates heard her letter, they urged her to send it in. Charlotte asked her classmates to sign her letter along with her to mail out today. We hope to hear back from Rep. Scanlon's office in the near future!

Finally, Friday was Zayda's auction day to become gym teacher for the day. Fifth and sixth graders had a great class with her, as she led them in dodgeball, "Beat the Ball," and "Capture the Flag." When Grade 5 returned, she held a quick yoga "cool down" so that they would be ready for their Spelling test.

Of course, the consistent thought on every fifth grader's mind has been the class sleepover. The excitement has been palpable this week; the students even worked together to come up with a detailed schedule of fun activities to keep them busy all night long (!!!!)

Special thanks to the Daly family for giving the class this unique opportunity, and to Mrs. Zwilling and Dr. Kellich for chaperoning the sleepover!

A Special Visitor

The fifth graders enjoyed a visit today from Lt. Lanni, who brought with him a surprise guest speaker, Brent Celek. The former Eagles tight end shared stories of his experiences in school, and the challenges he overcame as a student and athlete to get where he is today. His advice for our students? Respect others, work hard, and dream big. A big THANK YOU to Lt. Lanni for this exciting surprise! Mr. Celek's visit coincided perfectly with a STEAM lesson today, called "Passion to Purpose," where the class had to work together to identify a way to apply their passions in a way that would inspire real change. Their ideas are displayed in the slides below; they hope to expand on this project as they continue their work in the lab. There is no school tomorrow or Monday, Feb. 17. Tuesday will be a Day 1, which means that fifth graders will need to wear their gym uniforms to school. Thank you, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Black History Month and Mardi Gras Celebrations!

Fifth graders celebrated Fat Tuesday for Mardi Gras with a King Cake in Religion class! On Monday, the entire school took part in a Black History Month celebration. Here, Ms. Brown leads the middle school in a round of "Finish the Lyric," where they completed song lyrics by Whitney Houston, the Jackson 5, Bob Marley, Beyonce, and more! At another station, they were given iconic images in black history to recreate through illustration. The best work from each division will be chosen to be posted around the school! At their last station, middle schoolers answered trivia questions about famous figures in Black History. This weekend is the annual auction! We hope you can join us this Saturday evening, February 29 for "A Night in Philly" at the Springfield Country Club. The re-enrollment deadline is next Friday, March 6 ! Please remember to send your registration in by next week.

The Week in Review: Feb. 3-7

What a week we had in middle school! From health education to outstanding performances by our students, it was full of excitement. First, the entire class would like to give a big THANK YOU to our hardworking parents and family members who were able to join us for Grandparent's Day and Parent Visitation. It meant so much to them to have you visit them at school and take part in their daily routines. We know that your time is valuable, and it is so appreciated that you chose to spend it with us these past two mornings! On Wednesday, fourth through sixth graders visited Lankenau Medical Center for health education classes. Fourth and fifth graders learned about the importance of "Safety First," where they reviewed the best choices to make to lead a safe life. They went over everything from how to correctly wear a bicycle helmet to administering the Heimlich maneuver on others in crisis. As always, it was a lively lesson full of demonstrations and hands-on learning.

Mrs. DeLuca: Grade 5, Grade 6 ELA

Search This Blog