Livesay's Owl Post

1/15 - Heritage Spelling Bee (8:50 a.m. in gym)

1/19 - MLK Day (No School)

1/27-1/29 - Parent Teacher Conferences (sign up coming next week!)

1/26 - Wish Week! 💫

Heritage is launching a school-wide focus on digital wellness. As part of this initiative, students will no longer use technology as a reward for behavior or academic performance. One highlight of the week for our fifth graders is Free Choice Friday, when they enjoy a fun activity for completing all of their school work. In alignment with this new focus, students may bring board games, fidgets, crafts, or other engaging, non-digital activities every Friday to enjoy during Free Choice Friday time. We will be writing reminders in our planners each Thursday. Thank you!

As we begin the second half of the year, this is a great time to check in with your child about refreshing school supplies. Many students are in need of a few replenishments, especially pre-sharpened pencils, colored pencils, markers, personal pencil sharpeners, and Flair pens. Having these items ready and available helps students stay organized, focused, and ready to learn each day. Thank you for your continued support!

In reading, students are exploring the essential question: How do we explain what happened in the past? Through our Wonders texts, students are learning about the ancient Incas, including Machu Picchu, and examining different theories about how the Incas may have used quipu to record information.
As they read, students are practicing key comprehension skills such as vocabulary development, identifying an author’s claim, recognizing figurative language, and using compare and contrast as well as cause and effect to better understand historical texts and explain their thinking using evidence from the text.

This week in math, students wrapped up our work on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. They practiced finding common denominators, using equivalent fractions, and explaining their thinking with models and written strategies. We also completed a quiz to check students’ understanding of these skills.
Next, we are moving on to adding and subtracting mixed numbers. This can be a tricky skill because it requires students to work with both whole numbers and fractions at the same time. Extra practice and review can be very helpful, and I will include supporting videos below for students who want a refresher or need additional help at home.

Finding a Common Denominator (Least Common Multiple)

Adding/Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators

Adding/Subtracting Mixed Numbers

Students are finishing their “Trapped in a Snow Globe” narratives, which are being graded. Parents can view both scores and teacher comments in Google Classroom once they are posted. To wrap up this unit, students will also complete a fun art project connected to their stories, which you’ll be able to see during parent/teacher conferences.
In addition, students are working on a 2025 reflection flip book to summarize highlights from the year so far. We are also completing the Middle-of-the-Year writing assessment as part of our ThinkSRSD writing program, which helps us measure growth and guide future writing instruction.

In Social Studies, students are beginning our Age of Exploration unit. Using Colorado State Standards, students will learn why European nations explored, the routes explorers traveled, and the impact exploration had on different regions and cultures. They will examine economic, political, and cultural motivations for exploration and analyze how exploration led to both positive outcomes and serious consequences, especially for Indigenous peoples and African slaves.
To deepen understanding, students will participate in a hands-on explorer simulation activity that puts them directly in the shoes of an explorer. Through this experience, students will make decisions, face challenges, and reflect on how exploration affected people at the time—helping bring history to life in an engaging and meaningful way.