5th Grade Newsletter
Week of March 23rd
5th Grade News to Know
Greetings!
Here's your new NEWS to KNOW:
📍 5th Grade Field Trip – Ag Day
📅 Date:
Tuesday, April 1
🚌 Departure Time:
10:20 AM
(Students will eat lunch before loading the buses.)
🏫 Return Time:
1:30 PM
🥪 Lunch Information:
All students will eat lunch at school before we leave.
The cafeteria will prepare lunches for students who need one.
🍎 After the Trip:
Students may bring a small snack to enjoy once we return to school.
📄 Permission Slips:
Please return permission slips as soon as possible so we can finalize our student count and notify the cafeteria.
We’re looking forward to a fun and educational day at Ag Day! 🌱🐄
📍 5th Grade Reading Check-In – Important Reminder
📅 Date:
March 24
This upcoming Reading Check-In is extremely important, as it will be the final assessment before students take the Reading EOG in May.
📊 Why This Matters:
This check-in will give us critical data to determine:
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Specific skills that still need support
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How to best prepare your child for EOG success
📝 Student Expectations:
It is very important that students:
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Are present and on time
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Come prepared and well-rested
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Bring their Chromebook fully charged and ready to use
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Ensure they know how to completely power OFF their phone (not just silent)
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Take their time and give their absolute best effort
This assessment helps guide our instruction over the next several weeks. If students do not put forth their best effort, it becomes difficult to accurately target the support they truly need.
🎯 Our Goal: We want every student to feel confident and prepared heading into the Reading EOG, and this check-in plays a key role in making that happen.
⚠️ Attention 5th Grade Families
As we enter the final nine weeks of 5th grade, our focus is on preparing students for a successful transition to 6th grade. A large part of that preparation includes developing responsibility, independence, and strong study habits.
Please review the following expectations with your student:
Any classwork not completed during class time should be finished as homework.
If a student is absent from school, they will have five school days to complete and turn in missing assignments. However, if an assignment was given prior to the absence, it will still be due on the original due date. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate with their teachers and notify them when assignments have been completed.
Agenda marks will continue to be given for students who are not prepared for class, disrupt lessons, or interfere with the learning of others.
Major and Minor referrals remain in effect for the remainder of the school year. Please note that after three minor referrals, the fourth referral becomes a major referral and will result in ISS.
We appreciate your continued support in helping students stay organized, responsible, and accountable for their work during these final weeks of the school year. These expectations are designed to help students build the skills they need to be successful in middle school. Thank you for partnering with us as we prepare your student for the transition to 6th grade.
⏰ Early Checkouts
If a student checks out early from school, they are still responsible for any assignments, classwork, or assessments that take place during the time they are absent. Students should check with their teachers and make sure all missed work is completed and turned in within the appropriate time frame.
🚫 Toys & Fidgets at School
Recently, items such as NeeDoh and Squishy toys have become a significant distraction during the school day. Because these items are very popular, they often become a high-interest commodity among students, which has unfortunately led to disruptions in class and situations where items are taken or misplaced. We strongly advise that students do not bring toys or novelty fidgets to school. If these items are brought to school, they may be collected by staff, and the school cannot be responsible for items that are lost, taken, or damaged. Thank you for your support in helping us keep the focus on learning during these final weeks of the school year.
🚫 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.
🌤 Spring Weather Reminder
As we move into the spring months, temperatures can vary throughout the day. Please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately for outdoor Physical Activity (PA). Layers such as light jackets or sweatshirts can help students stay comfortable during cooler mornings and warmer afternoons. 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.
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:
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Examine multiple perspectives from the Civil War era
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Analyze how war impacted families, soldiers, and communities
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Discuss how historical events can affect people differently
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Use text evidence to support their thinking
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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 D in which students use the formula V = l × w × h or V = B × h to find the volume of right rectangular prisms. They rely on what they know about the prism and use the formula to find the volume efficiently. Your student uses what they know about volume to determine the volume of composite figures. They also distinguish among situations that ask for the perimeter, area, or volume. Family Math Letter
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.
Teacher Contact
- Amy Bowles amy_bowles@pender.k12.nc.us
- Stephanie Brinkley stephanie_brinkley@pender.k12.nc.us
- Libbie Fabbie libbie_fabbie@pender.k12.nc.us
- Hannah Fluke hannah_fluke@pender.k12.nc.us
- Chloe McVetta chloe_mcvetta@pender.k12.nc.us
- Shelly Vickers shelly_vickers@pender.k12.nc.us
Website: https://www.pender.k12.nc.us/o/tms/
Location: Topsail Middle School, Highway 17, Hampstead, NC, USA
Phone: 910-270-2612