5th Grade Students wins DAR Essay Contest

Fifth Grade Student, Bella, won an American History essay contest from the Peoria Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. She will be honored at a banquet in February.

The contest was open to students in grades five through eight. This essay contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation’s great history and learn about history in a new light. Children are the future of our country, and it is critically important to educate them about the hard-won price of freedom.

In honor of the 125th anniversary (in 2015) of Ellis Island as an immigration station, the title for this year’s contest was: “A Child’s Journey Through Ellis Island.” On a typical day, immigrants arriving on the island could expect to spend up to seven hours in processing activities intended to determine whether or not they were legally and medically fit to enter the United States. Students are to imagine that they are a child traveling through Ellis Island in 1892 and in their essay they are asked to describe their experience as if they are telling it to a cousin who has never heard of Ellis Island?

Read her winning essay below:

My family and I got on the boat to go to Ellis Island to get to Chicago. Since we didn’t have very much money, we had to stay in the steerage of the boat. The steerage of the boat had so many bunk beds lined up on top of each other, and it was very hot and sticky. The first class section was a lot better than the steerage on the boat, and there were lots of places to sit and many windows.

Once we got to Ellis Island, which took some people weeks or even months, we got onto a ferry boat, which took us to the inspections to make sure that we were healthy. Everyone on first class got to go live their life in America without any inspections. Some people even got sick on the steerage of the boat, but no one usually got sick on the first class section of the boat.

Once we got to the inspection, everyone was asked a series of questions including how old you were, how much money you had, and if you were married. There was one very painful test where they lifted up your eyelid to see if you had one very common disease. I got the flu on the steerage section of the boat, so I had to be detained. My mother and my brother got to go to the next stop without me. This was very scary for me.

There were lots of people in the detaining room with other sicknesses too. I was the healthiest of everyone. I had to stay in the detaining room for two weeks. While I was in the detaining room there was a girl with a very bad disease. She was very contagious. Sadly, I had caught the disease from the girl and I was very sick. No one knew until after two weeks when it had gotten bad. They gave me medicine and I had to be sent back home with the rest of my family. I felt very bad to have to take my mother and baby brother back to Europe too. I was only eight, so I could not go back to Europe alone. That meant that I would not be able to see my father back in America. This upset my family very much.

We got back into the boat with a free ride home. After the long trip we were back in Europe. It was very upsetting to all of my family. We met up with my grandma back home, and I got better medicine back in Europe. I’m all better now. Maybe we’ll try to go back to America another time.

Helping Your Child Transition to Middle School

Helping Your Child Transition to Middle School

Parents: You’ve known your elementary student would eventually move to middle school, but you did not anticipate just how hard it would be? This is an important and sometimes difficult transition with many changes occurring in your child’s life. The school curriculum is becoming more detailed and there are more activities to choose among. Most students are growing and changing physically and emotionally. Perhaps you, have noticed changes such as being: disorganized, forgetful, more emotional, and anxious for independence. These traits are typical in most middle school age children.

Some common student questions are: what if I’m not with any of my friends, how will I know what the rules are, how will I remember where my classes are located, how will I remember my locker combination, and how much homework will I have? Some common questions parents have are: how will we know what’s really going on at school, how will I get to know all the new friends my child has, how do I get in touch with all the teachers, how will I be able to help my students with homework?

How can you help your child with this important transition?

1. Let your child know about the policy handbook which will contain all the rules for the school. Clarify your expectations, as well.

2. Remind them that making new friends is an important part of getting older and all 6th grade students are going through the same thing.

3. Take advantage of the opportunity to tour the middle school before school begins.

4. Assure your child you will learn how to contact the teachers and school.

5. Getting organized at home and school is important, your child wants to be assured you will help them accomplish this skill.

6.  One of the most important parts of the transition is COMMUNICATION. You will expect your child to do his/her best, as will you, as well.

 

Submitted by: Kelly Bailey

 

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award

The fifth graders at DGS have participated in voting for Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award this year.  It is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in participating Illinois schools.  The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years. The award is given in recognition for her literary talent and the universal appeal of her books which have touched the hearts of many children and young adults.

Voting for the award closes this Friday, February 28th.  The fifth grade students have been reading books from the list of nominated authors this year.  In order to vote for the winning book, a student must read at least 3 of the books from the list.  Our ballots have been cast and our fifth graders have voted for Wonder by R.J. Palacio as their favorite.  The winning author will be announced later this spring.

 

Submitted by: Susan Piper

5th Grade Reflects on their “Gold Medal” Accomplishments

District Goal #1: Continuously Improve Student Growth and Achievement

Submitted by: Mrs. Wooden

The fifth grade kicked off the Olympics by creating gold medals that feature accomplishments this year that they are proud of.  They are displayed on the “Our Golden Moments” bulletin board.  The bulletin board also contains an Olympic timeline and a torch made out of their hands.  Fifth graders have also written Winter Olympic reports, will be creating athlete posters, and will be graphing our medal counts.  Go, Team USA! photo 1

5th Grade Math Activities

Fifth grade students are using manipulatives to solve multiplication and division fraction real-world problems in Math.  The Math in Focus curriculum scaffolds content so that students are introduced to concepts with concrete representations before they move to abstract concepts. Today students used unifix cubes, foam mats, bar models, and expo markers to solve their problems on cooperative groups.  Solving story problems can be fun!

 

Submitted by: Rachel Wooden

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5th Grade Sets Goals

District Strategic Goal #1: Continuously Improve Student Growth and Achievement

Setting goals and monitoring growth are improvement strategies important in helping students grow and develop as learners. 5th Grade students spent part of their first day of school setting goals for their year of learning. As students “Reach for the Stars” they set goals for developing as readers, honing in on their study skills, and striving for their personal best in other areas. Students will track these goals on classroom data centers and in their individual data folders/binders. The 5th grade staff is eager to help these students accomplish their personal goals as well as facilitate their learning in all academic areas. Good Luck this year, 5th graders, in reaching your goals!

5th grade goals


 

 

 

Reflections from Fifth Grade

Fifth Grade Reflects on the 2012-2013 School Year

Field trips:

We kicked off our fifth grade year working on teams to train and do problem-solving to locate Comet Encke at the Challenger Learning center in Bloomington.  With some great team work and collaboration in using the scientific process skills, we ended up discovering a whole new comet!  On our field trip to Springfield at the Lincoln Museum, we took what we learned about Abraham Lincoln and further explored the life and presidency of our country’s great leader.

Star Time: 

Each day student were able to get help in area they needed, from reading comprehension to math facts.  With some great assistance from our reading teacher, Ms. Barackman, and the hard work from the fifth graders in math, they were able to build on their skills to help prepare for the move on to sixth grade.

Goal-setting

The fifth graders set learning goals as a class and for themselves this year.  They maintained data binders and tracked these goals in their binders.  One of our fifth grade goals that we accomplished was to meet the criterion on the theme tests in reading!

Science:

We explored many things in science this year.  The fifth graders examined cells under a microscope to kick off the unit on the human body. During our study of the human body, we also learned about staying healthy and avoiding dangers such as cigarette smoking from the Tar Wars program.  We applied the concepts of physical science we learned to build and race Jet Toy cars and to build and launch rockets!

Writing:

Students studied many different genres in writing this year by reading examples of each genre and writing and revising their own piece.

 

Important 5th Grade Updates

5th Grade Students will attend 6th Grade Orientation at Dunlap Valley Middle School on April 25, 2013 during school hours. This opportunity will allow students to tour the facility, meet administration and staff, and get an overview of a day in the life of a middle school student. Later that evening, Parents are invited to a Parent Night at DVMS at 6pm. Parents will get an opportunity to meet with administration and staff to learn about the transition to middle school.
Parents of fifth graders need to note that the State of Illinois has changed the physical exam requirements from fifth grade to sixth grade. Therefore, students entering sixth grade in the fall will need to present a physical to the Middle School before school begins. They have also included a new immunization requirement of the TDap for sixth grade. If you prefer, families may turn these physicals in to DGS and they will be sent with student files at the end of the school year.

In our efforts to continually improve student growth and provide appropriate instructional services and opportunities for our students as they transfer to the middle school, we will be collecting and reviewing assessment data from our fifth grade students.  This data will help identify the students’ areas of strengths and needs so that appropriate enrichment and/or intervention services and opportunities can be provided as students enter 6th grade.

We also recognize that there may be students who require services beyond the core curriculum.  As a result the Dunlap District will be offering the Algebra Aptitude Test to all fifth grade students during the week of April 22nd. This exam is a multiple choice exam designed to provide information on a student’s readiness for Algebra concepts and skills.

Fifth grades students will also be taking the STAR Math and Reading assessments. These are web based tests which take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. STAR , used by the middle schools, will show students’ areas of strengths and needs based upon the Illinois Common Core Standards. In addition to the Algebra Aptitude and STAR assessment results, CogAT (taken at the end of 4th grade), and ISAT scores will also be reviewed in order to provide appropriate recommendations for instructional services at the middle school level.

The Algebra Aptitude test will be administered the week of April 22nd and the district STAR math and reading assessments will begin the week of April 29th.

If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Ellis or Dr. Lonna Anderson, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum at landerson@dunlapcusd.net.