By Sarah Truitt

Lately Mrs Pachniuk’s class has been very busy. They have mastered things in math, reading, and writing and have started DARE. This stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Every Thursday Officer Schubert comes from the Newtown Police station and talks to the students about resisting drugs. They will learn about what drugs do to your body and how to stop other people from taking them too. They will complete assignments in their DARE workbooks. They will probably fill up their “DARE box” with questions or “Someone I know” stories.

In math the fifth grades are learning about long division and different ways to solve it. Including DMSB – (Divide Multiply Subtract and Bring Down) method. They are taking tests for 60 addition, multiplication, and subtraction facts, each in two minutes. Also they will be taking tests on what they know and if they can remember how to do long division. These tests will probably also tell the teachers which students need to also work on their addition, multiplication, or subtraction facts.

The students have also completed their reading of the Scott O’Dell book called the Island of the Blue Dolphins. They are completing a project with the following activities, they must complete a diagram of the dolphin shaped island, or a picture, a diary entry from the main character of the book who is an Indian girl named Karana, a test with two essays, a cover design along with the author’s name, and a few more activities. Also they have been keeping a novel log which will also be graded. This is a journal where they do jobs within their literature circle groups. These jobs include Word Wizard, Discussion Director, Summarizer, Literary Luminary, Illustrator, and more.

In social studies the fifth graders are working on a major Indian project. Each pair has selected an Indian tribe and will complete various things with it including a legend, a report, and a miniature village. In science the students have different pairs and are completing terrariums with a science teacher who is new to Sandy Hook School, Mrs Erikson. They will make these with soda bottles.

So as you can see, the fifth graders are very busy.