Tasting Kimchee

When we started our new class novel, we learned that the main character of the story is a Korean American who can't stand the smell or taste of kimchee. That is a staple food in every Korean's diet, so her family teases her that she should have her DNA tested!

We decided to find out what she was complaining about and taste kimchee for ourselves. Almost everyone in the class felt brave enough to grab a toothpick and have a taste of the garlicky cabbage mixture. Now that we know what kimchee smells and tastes like, some of us agree with her distaste for the stuff. Others think it tastes pretty good and Julia is overreacting.

Ask your child what he/she thought of their first taste of kimchee!

Take Home Tom

A regular part of our fifth grade routine will be doing an assignment called "Take Home Tom" each Tuesday. It is a series of short stories about a boy named Tom, along with reading comprehension and word-study questions. Having this for a weekly homework assignment is an important way for students to grow in responsibility. It's also a valuable assessment. I can tell how students are doing in various skill areas and plan for new instruction.

For the first few weeks of school, I am planning to do Take Home Tom together in class as a guided practice activity. I think that will help students understand the format of the stories, text features, and pattern of questions.  In a few weeks, I will start giving these to the class on Tuesdays to complete independently as homework. At that point, these assigments will be graded and part of their total reading grade.

Many planners came back to school signed today. Having parents check planners really helps the students develop their organizational skills and grow in responsibility. Thanks for helping us get off to a great start!