Ms. Thames's Fifth Grade Ms. Thames smiles a lot -- unless you don't do your homework! Fifth grade is a year filled with hard work and lots of satisfaction. We push achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics, and do many projects and lots of homework. We will be doing a lot outside -- we get to go downhill skiing, and to Belwin Nature Center. We also partner with a Woodbury class, connect as pen pals, and go on three trips to Tamarack Nature Center with them. HOMEWORK EVERY DAY fifth graders are expected to do homework -- in fact, somewhere between 45 and 90 minutes four days a week. Required daily homework is as follows: Each student should read an AR book outside of school hours at least 30 minutes a day; students not on grade level should read 45 to 60 minutes a day.  If a parent signs the reading log, noting the number of minutes read,  Ms. Thames will give a star -- and ten stars equal a trip to the treat box. Students write one journal page each evening.  This is not a diary, but perhaps a list, some noticings, an overheard conversation, a poem or story, etc. Math Isn't All Numbers Do you know how many pieces are in a tangram set? How about a set of pentominoes? Well, we're working with both and improving our visual-spatial skills. We've also also learned such terms as "slide" and "rotate" to create our own tessellations.