Hey parents, guardians, and superstar students!
This is our central hub for all things happening on our 5th grade team! Here, you’ll find:

📌 Important updates
📚 Homework expectations & routines
🗓️ Key dates for class events & school activities
💬 Communication reminders

Students will also participate in weekly Padlet reflections where they'll respond to creative, thought-provoking prompts using video, audio, or text.

It’s a fun and meaningful way to build confidence, deepen learning, and celebrate student voice.

Feel free to check back often, this board will be updated throughout the year to help us stay connected, informed, and inspired.

Let’s make this a year of growth, creativity, and greatness!

Much Love,

Ms. Johnson & Ms. Alexander 💫

-"Where every student is an artist, and every voice matters."

7:45- Tardy

8:00 -
8:30 -
10:00 -
11:30 -
12:15 -
1:15 -
2:00- Dismissal

This daily practice will help students master the skills we're learning in class!

Please sign up using the link sent to your email or phone.

This is where we'll share class and school updates.

You can contact Ms. Johnson via email at:

(Preferred method of contact)

sharonda.johnson@clayton.k12.ga.us

Or via phone:

(During school hours 8am-2:50am)

(770) 852-8375

You can contact Ms. Alexander via email at:

shana.alexander@clayton.k12.ga.us

(Homework was not given for the 1st day)

Non-negotiable daily homework will include:

- 20 minutes of Amira reading

(Accessible via Class Link portal)

- Spelling / Vocabulary practice

-All homework should be turned in the next day!

-Students will have 3 days to turn in their work they missed when they were absent.

-15 points will be deducted for late assignments after that grace period.

Prerequisite: Area of a square or rectangle, and multiplication is vital

Here’s a clear, parent-friendly explanation you can use to help parents understand the volume of a rectangular prism and the importance of multiplication in the process:

📏 Understanding Volume of a Rectangular Prism

In 5th grade, students learn how to calculate the volume of rectangular prisms—a foundational geometry skill that helps them understand how much space an object takes up. This concept connects math to real-world thinking, especially in situations like packing boxes, measuring containers, or building structures.

A rectangular prism is simply a 3D box with length, width, and height (like a cereal box or a shoebox). The volume tells us how much space is inside the box.

✖ Why Multiplication Is Important

To find volume, we use this formula:

Volume = length × width × height

Multiplication is vital here because:

• Length × Width gives us the area of the base (the flat bottom of the box).

• Then we multiply by the height to see how many layers of that base fit inside the box.

For example, if a box is:

• 5 inches long

• 3 inches wide

• 4 inches high

Then the volume is:
5 × 3 × 4 = 60 cubic inches
This means 60 little cubes (1 inch each) would fit inside the box.

🧠 Why It Matters for Learning

Learning volume helps students:

• Think in 3 dimensions, not just flat shapes.

• Build strong multiplication and problem-solving skills.

• Apply math to everyday life—like figuring out how much a box can hold or how many tiles are needed to fill a space.

We encourage students to draw models, build with cubes, and explain their thinking, so they understand not only how to multiply but also why it works.

Thank you for supporting your child as they grow in mathematical thinking!

Sincerely,
Ms. Alexander
5th Grade Teacher

Please use the zoom link below, to join us tomorrow for the Parent Meeting. See you at 5:00 pm:

https://clayton-k12-ga-us.zoom.us/j/7141590084?omn=91214821478

Please read all directions and turn in with project on the due date.

This is optional, but it will definitely help your student with their grade.

Review Video for inspiration: https://youtu.be/Ul9c-4dX4Hk

Next Unit 3 Begins: October 6th

Hello Families! 😊
This week, we are beginning Unit 4: Building Fraction Understanding in Math. Students will learn to compare and create equivalent fractions, add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators, and use number lines and visuals to show their thinking.

You can support your child at home by noticing fractions in everyday situations — like cooking, measuring, and sharing food. 🍕🥤

Thank you for your continued support!
— 5th Grade Math & Science Team

Hi Families! 😊
This week we are beginning Unit 3: Earth’s Changes Over Time in science. We will be learning how Earth’s surface is always changing due to constructive forces (like volcanoes and deposition) and destructive forces (like weathering, erosion, and landslides). Students will also explore how technology helps predict and reduce natural damage.

You can help at home by pointing out real-life examples, such as:

• Cracks in sidewalks

• Soil washed away after rain

• Sand moving at the beach

• News stories about storms, floods, or volcanoes 🌋

Ask your child:
“Is this change building land up or wearing it down?”

Thank you for your continued support!
— 5th Grade Science Team

The Math Learning Center Apps website (https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps)offers free, interactive virtual manipulatives that help students model and solve math problems visually. These tools align perfectly with classroom instruction and allow students to explore number concepts, fractions, geometry, and place value in a fun, hands-on way. Taking just a few minutes each week to explore these activities together can greatly boost your child’s confidence and understanding in math.

🔍 Guiding Questions to Ask While Watching:

• What does keep, change, flip mean, and why do we flip the second fraction?

• How can you tell if your final answer should be simplified?

✏️ Quick Practice Problem:
Solve and explain your thinking:

3/4÷1/2=x

​

(Students should use keep, change, flip, multiply, and simplify.)

Families are encouraged to pause the video, talk through the steps together, and let students explain their thinking out loud.

1. Understand What the Problem Means

When you see something like:

4×3/5

That means you have 4 groups of three-fifths.

Ask your child: “How many groups do we have? How big is each group?”

2. Keep the Whole Number and Multiply Only the Numerators

To multiply a whole number by a fraction:

• Multiply the whole number by the top number of the fraction (the numerator)

• Keep the bottom number (the denominator) the same

Example:

4×3/5=12/5

3. Rewrite as a Fraction

Now you have a fraction from your multiplication:

12/5

This is the product of the multiplication.

4. Simplify or Convert to a Mixed Number

If the numerator is larger than the denominator, turn it into a mixed number:

12/5=2 2/5

Divide 12 by 5:

• 5 goes into 12 two times (2)

• Remainder 2
  So the answer is:

2 2/5

​

5. Check Together

Ask your child:

• Does the answer make sense?

• Is it more than or less than the whole number?

  • If the fraction is less than 1, then the answer is usually less than the whole number.

🧠 Bonus Tip for Families

Visual models help!
Draw or use fraction bars to represent each group. For example:

• Draw 4 bars

• Divide each bar into 5 equal parts

• Shade 3 parts in each

• Count total shaded parts

Then compare them to whole units.

✔ Quick Parent Practice Problem

Try together:

3×4/7​

Ask your child to:

1. Multiply numerators

2. Keep the denominator

3. Simplify or convert if needed

4. Explain their answer in their own words