Class Updates from our November Newsletter:
Dear Families,
Happy Thanksgiving!! This month we are focusing on giving thanks and appreciating everything
around us. We are appreciating Veterans and those who continue to serve for our country. In math
we have been moving right along with multiplying and dividing decimals. This month in Social
Studies, we are exploring the world of Explorers. We will be creating Explorer Brochures through
Word in the Computer Lab explaining more in detail who the Explorers were and what they did.
Please be advised in the new changes in the Weekly Reading Log. I am now requiring a parent
signature daily. The fifth graders read an average of two hours Monday through Thursday. In
addition to commenting on the book they read daily, students will be required to write down at least
7 new words from their independent reading. Students should have an extra composition notebook
to write their words in. Students will need to define the new words and use it in a sentence. I will
check their notebooks weekly. Research shows that children learn the meanings of thousands of
words simply through independent reading. Many proficient readers have acquired large
vocabularies by reading extensively.*
In celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, we are performing a Thanksgiving Play and having a
Thanksgiving feast with our first grade buddies on Thursday, November 19 after recess. The fifth
grade class is responsible for bringing apple cider and fruit for our “Friendship Salad.” Please donate
what you can! No apples, bananas, or oranges; be creative!
I need parent volunteers to be on the Room-Parent Committee. The parent volunteers will
assist me to plan events, class parties, and our “Colonial Day” that will take place in the spring. If
this sounds like you can be a big positive help, please e-mail me!
Enjoy your holiday with family and give thanks to the beauty and wonders that God gave us all!
God Bless!
☺ Ms. Fajardo
*Dr. James Zarrillio
Class Updates from our October Newsletter:
Dear Families,
Happy Halloween!! We will be having a class party on Friday, October 30 at 12:30-1:30 prior to
our rally! I have assigned each person an item to bring to the Halloween Party according to last name.
If you want to bring more or something else, just let me know.
We just finished learning about the first people of the Americas and we created Iroquois village
dioramas in class. We will be tested on the chapter at the end of the week.
In Science, we have been learning about invertebrates. We have spent time naming the body
parts of spiders, learning about their special behaviors, and we wrote a short story about our own
spider. We also created webs and 3-D versions of spiders.
In Math we have been really focused on place value in the tenths, hundredths, and thousandths
place, rounding decimals, and adding and subtracting whole numbers.
We just received pen-pal letters from a Catholic School in Pennsylvania. We will be writing scary
stories and compiling to create a class Halloween book. The fifth graders also wrote about their
Christian role models and how they inspire us to be better people and be more faith-filled.
We have certainly been busy in the fifth grade! If they’re any questions or comments, please
feel free to contact me at any time. Thank you! ☺
Welcome 2009-2010
Dear Families,
Welcome to fifth grade at Queen of All Saints School. I hope that everyone had a peaceful and
restful summer, and now ready to learn more and experience new challenges. I have been anxiously
preparing for your child and am very excited to watch your child grow and develop mentally and
spiritually this school year. The end goal of my class is to prepare your child for junior high and take
all
they have learned thus far and challenge their way of thinking, style and organization of their writing,
and deepen their relationship with God.
It is my belief that parents and teachers are required and is expected to work together to
strengthen students success in my classroom and for future readiness. Please do not hesitate to be
in
contact with me if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s path of learning and
understanding. Please join me at Back to School Night on September 2, 2009, where you will be
able
to read and know my curriculum planned for this year. It is also an opportunity to see how you can
become involved with the class and special activities.
Lastly, may The Holy Spirit guide us through an exciting year of learning and help us prepare for
a
successful future.
Sincerely,
Ms. Fajardo
5th Grade Teacher, Queen of All Saints
(925) 685-8700 ext. 3205
jfajardo@csdo.org