5th Grade Newsletter

5th Grade News to Know

Greetings!

Here's your new NEWS to KNOW:

📍 5th Grade Field Trips – Fort Fisher Historic Site

If you have not signed and had your child return their permission slip for our upcoming 5th-grade field trips to Fort Fisher State Historic Site, please do so ASAP. During this hands-on learning experience, students will explore historic earthworks, view real artifacts, and learn about Fort Fisher’s role in protecting the port of Wilmington during the Civil War.

This trip connects directly to both our Social Studies curriculum and our Wit & Wisdom ELA curriculum, helping students deepen their understanding through reading, writing, and real-world experiences.

📅 Trip Dates:

Bowles / Fabbie Classes: March 18
Brinkley, McVetta, & Vickers Classes: March 19

🚌 Departure: 8:45 AM
🏫 Return: 2:00 PM

Please be sure to sign and return permission slips no later than Wednesday, February 25th. Thank you for your continued support in making this meaningful learning opportunity possible for our students!

📄 Third Quarter Report Cards will be sent home on March 17th.

Thank you for your continued support in helping students stay organized and successful!

🚫 Outside Food & Drinks Reminder (Hut Classrooms)

To help keep our learning spaces clean and pest-free:

✔️ Please do not bring outside food or drinks into the huts
✔️ Only water bottles with secure lids are allowed
❌ No Starbucks, Dunkin, fast food drinks, or energy drinks

Spills and sugary residue quickly attract ants, creating sticky messes that are difficult to manage in our outdoor classrooms. Water bottles are the best way to stay hydrated while protecting our learning environment.

Thank you for helping us keep our huts clean, comfortable, and ready for learning! 💙🐜

Stay Connected!

While there may still be an occasional bump in the road, moving forward, parents can now log in to the PCS app and message their child’s teachers directly without needing a magic code.
The process is simple:

Download or update the PCS app.
Tap Rooms.
Enter your phone number.
Type in the verification code you received by text.

📌 Transportation Reminders
For any changes to your child’s transportation, please email the designated transportation email address or call the school office directly. Teachers are not always able to check email or the Rooms app during the school day. To ensure your child receives accurate reminders or updates about their transportation, all changes must go through the office. The office staff will notify your child’s teacher directly. (Email: tms@pender.k12.nc.us School Phone #: 910-270-2612)

Dress Code Reminder

As a reminder, Pender County Schools’ Student Dress Code (Policy 4316) asks that students come to school dressed in a way that supports learning and positive interaction with others. Clothing should not be disruptive, provocative, unsafe, or otherwise interfere with the school day. One concern we’ve noticed is when shirts are too short—if a student raises their arms, their stomach should not be showing. Please check that your child’s tops provide appropriate coverage throughout normal movement at school. If a student is out of compliance with the dress code, they will first be allowed to make adjustments before any consequences are assigned. Thank you for helping us maintain a respectful and distraction-free learning environment.

Cold Weather Reminder
As the weather begins to change and temperatures drop, please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for outdoor Physical Activity (PA). Jackets, hats, and other warm layers help students stay comfortable and focused during their time outside.

Please also take a moment to label all outerwear with your child’s name. Each year, our Lost and Found fills up with unclaimed jackets and sweatshirts that are eventually donated. Labeled items are much more likely to find their way back to their owners!

Here are a few things to note-

Earphones Needed for Learning Programs-Each day, students use online learning programs such as I-Ready and Studies Weekly to engage with new skills, reinforce what they’ve learned, and enrich their understanding. These programs offer read-aloud features to support comprehension, making earphones an essential tool for success in our classroom. To ensure students can fully benefit from each lesson without distractions, please make sure your child has a working set of earphones at school. Thank you for your support in helping all students get the most out of their learning!
Please check your child's agenda each night, as it's an important tool for communication between home and school. You can use it to stay informed about daily assignments, upcoming events, and to send notes directly to the teacher. Please sign it to verify that you've read it.
Students are bringing home their Chromebooks daily. Please remind your child to bring their Chromebook to school every day, as they are used regularly in our 5th-grade classrooms and some Encore classes. Additionally, ensure the Chromebook is charged each night. Since daily assignments and assessments are completed on them, it's essential that your child also bring their charger to school, as teachers do not have extra chargers available.
To ensure the safety of all our students, please remember that we are a peanut-free school. This means that no peanut products should be brought to school for snacks or lunches. We kindly ask that you double-check any food items to ensure they do not contain peanuts. Thank you for helping us keep our school a safe environment for everyone!
Submit absence notes within 3 days to avoid unexcused absences. TMS allows 5 parent notes; after that, a doctor’s note is required. Email notes and transportation changes to tms@pender.k12.nc.us.
Fifth grade will have a snack time daily. Please make sure to provide your child with a healthy snack each day to help keep them energized and focused throughout the school day.
Students are welcome to bring a water bottle to class. Please ensure that the bottle has a secure, closable lid to prevent spills on desks, materials, or the classroom floor.
According to board policy, cell phones and smartwatches must be completely turned off and kept in your child's backpack from 8:10 AM to 3:35 PM. Wireless earbuds are also not allowed.
Fifth-grade students have ENCORE every day from 9:15-10:00. You can see the 5th-grade Encore Schedule HERE
Fifth-grade Lunch is at 12:31-12:56 and Recess is from 12:58-1:23.

Student Use of Wireless Communication Devices (Policy 4318)

We want to make you aware of a recent update to Policy 4318, which covers student use of wireless communication devices such as cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other personal electronics on school campuses.

While the changes to the policy are minor, the expectations for student device use remain the same. Pender County Schools has consistently enforced this policy to support a focused and safe learning environment, and we will continue to do so in the 2025–26 school year.

What’s New?

The policy title now refers to “wireless communication devices” to reflect a broader range of modern devices.
A new definition section outlines the types of devices included.
Instructional use is now more clearly limited to teacher approval, accommodations in an IEP or 504 Plan, or documented medical needs.

What Hasn’t Changed?

Students may bring personal devices to school, but are not permitted to use, display, or have them turned on during instructional time unless authorized.
Disciplinary consequences for misuse remain the same:
- 1st offense: Warning
- 2nd offense: Device held in the office; student retrieves at end of day
- 3rd+ offense: Device held in the office; parent must retrieve
- Students who misuse devices for academic dishonesty, bullying, or inappropriate content may face more serious disciplinary consequences.

Thank you for partnering with us to help students stay focused and engaged throughout the school day. If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact your child’s school.

SAIL Matrix

Curriculum Spotlight

ELA

Module 3 — The Impact of the Civil War

In Module 3, students will explore the powerful question: How did the Civil War impact people?

Through historical fiction and firsthand accounts, students will examine how war can forever change lives. We will read The River Between Us by Richard Peck, which tells the story of the Pruitt family and how the Civil War deeply affects their relationships, identity, and future. Students will also read excerpts from The Boys’ War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk about the Civil War by Jim Murphy, which shares real accounts from young soldiers who fought in the war.

Throughout the module, students will:
- Examine multiple perspectives from the Civil War era
- Analyze how war impacted families, soldiers, and communities
- Discuss how historical events can affect people differently
- Use text evidence to support their thinking
- Strengthen opinion writing skills
For the End-of-Module Task, students will write an opinion essay explaining whether the Civil War had a mostly positive or mostly negative impact on the Pruitt family. They will support their opinion with clear reasons, evidence from the text, and thoughtful explanation.

This module encourages deep thinking, empathy, and meaningful discussion as students connect history to real human experiences while continuing to grow as strong readers and writers.

Freckle Practice at Home

: Students have been using Freckle in class to strengthen their reading and language skills. Freckle automatically adjusts to each student’s learning level, providing personalized practice and review. This program can also be accessed at home for additional skill practice and reading enrichment. Encourage your child to spend a few minutes each week on Freckle to reinforce what we’re learning in class and continue building confidence as a reader and writer! Students can log in through My Apps/Renaissance using their school account.

We're excited to announce that our library visits will be twice a month on Mondays. Your child will have the opportunity to bring home books to enjoy both in the classroom and at home. Research suggests that reading for at least 15 minutes each day can significantly boost reading skills, with even greater gains observed when reading for over 30 minutes. We kindly ask that you encourage your child to read each night and ensure they bring their library books back to school every day. This will allow them to return their current books and check out new ones if needed, keeping their reading experience fresh and engaging. Your support in nurturing a love for reading is invaluable!

Math

This week in mathematics, we will begin Module 5 Topic C, in which students explore the volume of right rectangular prisms. Volume is measured in cubic units such as cubic inches and cubic centimeters.Family Math Letter

Science

Students are learning about traits and behaviors in organisms. We are exploring how some characteristics are inherited (passed down from parents) and how others are acquired (learned or developed over time).
Students are also learning to ask questions and compare:
- Instincts and learned behaviors
- Inherited traits and acquired traits
A test is planned for next Monday or Tuesday. Please check your child’s agenda for the exact date. Blookets and other study resources are available on Google Classroom to help students review at home.

Social Studies

Students will be learning about business and industry during the Gilded Age. We will explore the powerful business leaders of the late 1800s, often called “Captains of Industry” or “Robber Barons,” and discuss how their actions impacted both wealthy families and working-class communities.
Students will think about questions such as:
- How do the location of natural resources, transportation systems, and communication networks affect a country’s economy?
- How did the business strategies used in the late 1800s help create great wealth?
Through discussions and activities, students will examine how rapid industrial growth changed daily life for both the rich and the poor.