Welcome to Fifth Grade in F3!

Hello! I am Marcia Ventura, and I will be your child’s fifth grade teacher this year. I have taught in the Seattle School District for nine years, and this is my second year at Maple, and I love it here deeply. In the 2006/2007 school year I took a very invigorating travel leave from Seattle Public Schools in order to take a three-month bike trip throughout the deep south of the US. I have enjoyed using what I learned during my time on the road with my students-- especially during social studies.

Fifth grade is a very exciting year for students. At this moment they are one year from starting middle school, and as such, it is critical that throughout the year, students become academically and socially ready for that transition. Instruction, especially in the areas of reading, writing, and math, will be rigorous to ensure that readiness.

Homework will be given Monday through Thursday. Students should be spending about 45 minutes to an hour per night on homework. I expect homework to be done completely independently. If your child is asking for help often with the homework, please let me know. All homework given in class will be directly related to what was tauight during that school day.

What will students learn this year? In science, they will work with microscopes, learn about erosion and ground water, and even become engineers. In social studies, your child will learn about early US history and the principles this country was founded on. We will also be studying the evolution of the civil rights era of the 1950s and 1960s and the affects that it continues to have in the world today. For the next two months we will be following the presidential campaigns very closely.

Coming up very soon will be FIFTH GRADE CAMP!!!! Woohoo! Most of the students are already signed up and paid for. If you are not, you'll be receiving a phone call from me very soon :). Fifth grade camp is very exciting and will be taking place at Camp Seymour in Gig Harbor from September24-26. More information about camp can be found in the links on the right side of the screen.

As you know, Maple is an open-concept school, and because of that, students will not only have me as their teacher, but they will also learn from Ms. Felber and Mr. Gonzales, the two other fifth grade teachers. The three of us have worked hard in preparation for the start of the school year and will continue to work closely together throughout the year.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Ms.V
    This is Kevin Ong!Spam!
    Your former student.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Kevin Ong!

    I saw Davis and Danny yesterday while I was on my way to vote. How are you doing? Getting excited about the start of school? Stop by at Maple sometime if you can :)

    Cheers,
    Ms. V

    ReplyDelete
  3. Davis a a derty cheetar

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey mrs v i might stop by at tuesday


    Anthony =)

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  5. That sounds GREAT, Anthony. I'll be there for sure. I'll be gone Wednesday through Friday, though-- we'll be off to camp.

    Hope middle school is going well for you!

    Ms. V

    ReplyDelete