Livesay's Owl Post
February 20, 2026
2/25 - Front Desk novel copy is due
2/25 - Outdoor Ed Registration is due
3/7 - Sweetheart Dance
3/11-3/13 - 5th Grade at Outdoor Ed! ⛺
3/16-3/20 - Spring Break
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 diving into plays and drama! Students are learning the important elements of a play, including characters, dialogue, stage directions, scenes, and acts. We’ve been discussing how plays are different from novels and how readers have to pay close attention to what characters say and do since there is no narrator explaining the action.
Students are practicing reading dialogue with expression and using stage directions to better understand how characters feel and move. This work helps strengthen fluency, comprehension, and understanding of character development.
Ask your child to explain the difference between dialogue and stage directions — they’re becoming drama experts!
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
We are in the middle of an exciting informational writing project focused on cryptozoology — the study of creatures that some people believe may exist, but have not been scientifically proven (like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster!).
Students are researching a cryptid using multiple written sources and a video source to gather information. They are learning how to:
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Take organized notes from different sources
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Paraphrase information in their own words
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Cite their sources correctly
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Use transition words to connect ideas
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Write strong introductions and conclusions (Here’s What, So What, Now What)
A major focus of this unit is strengthening our ThinkSRSD writing strategy and making sure students clearly explain both sides of the debate — whether cryptozoology should be considered a valid field of science or not.
Social Studies/Science
In social studies, we are traveling back in time to explore the three major colonial regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. Students are learning how geography, climate, natural resources, and economy made each region unique.
We’ve been comparing:
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Jobs and industries in each region
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Climate and farming conditions
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Daily life and housing
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Religion and culture
As we study each region, students are thinking critically about where they would choose to live if they were colonists — and defending their choice using historical evidence!
Ask your child: Would you choose New England, the Middle, or the Southern Colonies? Why?