Livesay's Owl Post
February 8, 2026
2/12 - Parties With a Purpose (see below)
2/13- No School - Teacher Work Day
2/16- No School - Presidents' Day
2/18- Family Paint Night, 5:30 - 7pm
2/20 - Harry Potter Day!! 🪄
3/7 - Sweetheart Dance
3/11-3/13 - 5th Grade at Outdoor Ed! ⛺
3/16-3/20 - Spring Break
Each year, Heritage Elementary goes the extra mile for Valentine's Day by encouraging students to spread kindness through a special service project. As a fifth-grade team, we aim to teach our students the importance of giving back and showing love to our community.
This year, we are focusing on supporting Children's Hospital. Many of us, including myself, have personal connections to the hospital. During my son’s many stays, there were moments when he was given a stuffed animal. That small gesture brought him comfort and eased some of his fears during a difficult time.
To help bring comfort to other children in similar situations, we are asking each fifth grader to bring in a NEW STUFFED ANIMAL to donate to Children's Hospital. Last year, our fifth graders collected over 70 stuffed animals, and we’re hoping to surpass that number this year!
Here are the details:
- What to Bring: A NEW stuffed animal of any size (please ensure it’s clean and unused--this is for safety reasons for hospitalized children).
- Where to Bring It: Your child can bring their donation to school and drop it off in our classroom.
- When: Donations will be collected until February 12th.
Thank you for helping us teach our students the power of kindness and making a difference in the lives of children who need it most.
Our next class novel will be Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Please be sure your child brings their own copy of Front Desk to school by February 25th so we are ready to begin. You can find the Amazon link here to purchase!
Front Desk tells the story of Mia Tang, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, who helps her parents manage a motel while navigating school, friendships, and big responsibilities. This powerful and engaging novel explores important themes such as perseverance, kindness, courage, fairness, and standing up for what is right. It also encourages thoughtful discussions about empathy, family, and using your voice to make a positive change.
This is a high-interest, meaningful book that students typically love, and it leads to some incredible conversations in our classroom!
Reading
In reading, we are working hard on perfecting our short constructed responses. Students are learning how to clearly restate the question, fully answer it, and support their thinking with strong text evidence and explanation. We are focusing on making responses more complete, thoughtful, and well-organized—really pushing students to explain why their evidence matters, not just what happened in the text.
We are also nearly finished with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and excitement is high! To celebrate, we will be having our Harry Potter Day on February 20th, complete with a Potion Party and watching the movie in the afternoon. It will be a magical celebration of all the hard work students have put into reading this novel—and definitely not a day they’ll want to miss! 🧙‍♂️⚡
Math
In math, we are working on dividing fractions. Our focus is on helping students truly understand the math concepts behind the algorithm, not just memorizing steps. Students are learning why fraction division works by using models, visual representations, and real-world examples before applying the procedure.
We are also practicing the familiar “Keep, Change, Flip” strategy to help students divide fractions accurately once they understand the concept. This conceptual focus helps students build confidence and long-term understanding—so fraction division doesn’t feel like a trick, but something that truly makes sense!
Helpful How-To Videos (Math with Mr. J):
Writing
In writing, students are working on a point of view fan fiction assignment based on an excerpt from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Students are retelling a portion of the story from Ramo’s point of view, carefully thinking about how his thoughts, feelings, and reactions might differ from Karana’s.
This assignment challenges students to stay true to the original story while adding internal thoughts, emotions, and details that show Ramo’s unique perspective. We are focusing on strong narrative voice, accurate character traits, and clear storytelling, helping students deepen their understanding of point of view while practicing creative and thoughtful writing.
Social Studies/Science
In social studies, we are learning about Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in America. Students are exploring the mystery of Roanoke, often called the “Lost Colony,” and how it connects to England’s early attempts at settlement in the New World.
We are also examining interactions between the English settlers and Native American tribes—looking at cooperation, conflict, and how these relationships affected survival. Students are learning about the Starving Time, a difficult period when many colonists faced extreme shortages of food, and discussing how leadership changes, new strategies, and assistance from Native Americans helped the settlers survive and eventually establish Jamestown as the first English American colony.
This unit encourages students to think critically about early colonial life, perseverance, and the complex choices that shaped American history.