Hi teachers, We’re in that stretch of the year where things start to move fast. The content ramps up, the schedule fills up, and there’s a lot happening all at once. Here’s what’s going on in our classrooms this week: Math: Order of Operations with GEMS We’re diving into order of operations, and we are firmly Team GEMS over PEMDAS. If you’ve ever had students multiply before dividing just because the acronym told them to, you already know the struggle. PEMDAS can lead kids to think there’s a...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi teachers, Spring break came and went way too fast, but we’re back and ready to roll into the final stretch of the school year. These last two months always feel like a sprint, and this week is no exception. Math: Geometry is HEREYou know it’s the end of the year when geometry finally makes its appearance. This week, we’re diving into classifying polygons using hierarchies and Venn diagrams. That whole “every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square” idea can really trip...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi teachers, It is officially the last week before spring break… and the energy is telling us everything we need to know. The weather has been all over the place here in Southern California, routines are feeling a little looser, and let’s just say the social dynamics in a 5th grade classroom are thriving right now. It’s that time of year. Spring break is well-earned. Even so, we’ve got a really meaningful (and engaging) week ahead: 💜 Women’s History Month + Symbolism We’re wrapping up our...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi everyone, It happened again... dance-parenting is taking over our lives! We missed last week's email because we were both at a dance competition just minutes away from Disneyland. Unfortunately, we were surrounded by rhinestones, hairspray, and loud music rather than Mickey, the scent of churros, and Pirates of the Caribbean. But hey… it’s all for the kids, right? Here’s what’s happening in our planbook this week on the Top Floor. Wrapping Up the American Revolution We are finishing up our...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey friends, First, a quick apology for missing last weekend’s email. We were fully immersed in dance parent life and, if you know… you know. Sometimes it feels like we are juggling teaching, creating, and parenting all at once. Last weekend, dance won. Now, back to our planbook! Women's History Month! March means Women’s History Month, and we keep this one intentionally low prep. This doesn’t have to be a big, time-consuming unit to make an impact. We just share one or two biographies a day...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friends, It’s a short week thanks to the Presidents Day holiday, which means no school Monday in our district. Short weeks always seem to fly by, but there is still a lot of meaningful learning packed into the days ahead. Winter sports have taken over our classroom ❄️ We are continuing to read about different winter sports during our language arts block. The excitement and drama of the games have completely hooked us, and our students are just as invested. We try to time our lessons so...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friends, This week on the Top Floor, we’re diving into one of our favorite classroom traditions—Winter Sports! We absolutely love doing this unit every four years, and the excitement from students never gets old. Kicking Off Winter Sports We’re launching our Winter Sports unit by reading informational passages about different winter sports, which we typically assign using Google Slides for easy access and discussion. As time allows, we’ll also be incorporating hands-on STEM challenges...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friends, We're back with another peek into what’s actually happening on the Top Floor! This week is a fun mix of new learning, real-world connections, and one very real teacher task we all know is coming… report cards. Starting a New Novel StudyWe’re kicking off a new novel study with My Brother Sam Is Dead by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier. The timing couldn’t be better. It pairs perfectly with where we are in social studies as we dig into the American Revolution. We love...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi there! Another week, another peek into what’s actually happening in our classrooms. We’re right in the middle of some heavy-lifting standards right now, so this week is all about checking for understanding, tightening up instruction, and giving students tools to work more independently. Here’s what we’re using this week on the Top Floor 👇 Wrapping Up Survival + Pretesting Our Next Reading FocusWe’re finishing up our survival unit in our district reading curriculum, but we’re already...
4 months ago • 2 min read