Welcome to Ms. Dillon & Mrs. Katz's
Fifth Grade Class
MAP TO MIDDLE SCHOOL
Here you will find all the ways the Fifth Grade Team is working together to prepare our students for Middle School. Check back each month for new information!
June
Dr. Cozine, principal of North Middle School, will visit JFK on June 7th to meet with the fifth graders. He will offer welcoming remarks about NMS, discuss being an incoming sixth grader, review a sheet on club information, and conduct a question/answer session. Additionally, Dr. Cozine supplies a model of a locker that rotates through the classes for each student to practice opening a combination lock. This helps prepare the students by offering another opportunity to orient to North Middle School.
Following the “Map to Middle School” has helped prepare the fifth graders for moving up to North Middle School. The Fifth Grade Team looks forward to marking this achievement at our Farewell Assembly.
May
On May 17th, the fifth graders will attend an orientation session at North MiddleSchool (NMS) hosted by the Guidance Department. In the past, this visit has included: an informational session with a NMS peer leader, a tour, classroom visitations, a video presentation, and a question/answer session. This helps prepare the students by introducing them to the NMS building and the sixth grade program.
Watch for more Middle School preparedness news from the Fifth Grade Team!
April
The students have been collecting and using evidence to support a claim in all content areas. This has included work in: essay writing, debate, math journaling, science labs, short and extended literary responses, and social studies projects. This prepares the students for applying information to generate ideas based on supporting evidence which will be an expectation in Middle School.
Watch for more Middle School preparedness news from the Fifth Grade Team!
February
Keyboarding proficiency is not only a lifelong skill, but benefits students as they move through the elementary grades and into middle school where written assignments become lengthier, more time-consuming and more complex. To prepare the students, every fifth grade classroom has a keyboard for each student’s iPad that is used when work is typed. Websites such as TypingClub and Type to Learn help teach correct finger positions and offer drills for speed and accuracy through very engaging programs. Keyboarding logs are completed as a home/school connection to further reinforce these essential skills. This helps prepare the students to effectively and efficiently type their work in Middle School.
December
On December 14, North Middle School teachers from the LOTE (Languages Other Than English) Department will be coming to JFK to present a video on the languages offered followed by a question and answer session. On December 20, the students will be attending a special concert at North High School which offers them the opportunity to see the path they can follow if they continue to study their instruments. These two events help prepare them for planning their Middle School course selection which will be completed in the next few months.
Watch for more Middle School preparedness news from the Fifth Grade Team!
November
Students are participating in discussions, lessons and activities on anti-bullying and internet safety with a focus on protecting against cyberbullying. The Digital Citizenship Night and the trip to the Queens College Anti-Bullying Theater Production are events which provide opportunities tocontinue this important work in the classroom. This prepares them for the social responsibility of digital citizenship needed in Middle School and in life.
March
The fifth grade team has happily accepted an invitation to visit North MIddle School (NMS) to attend a teaser performance of their Theatre Company’s production of Mary Poppins. This will provide an additional opportunity for the students to spend time at their future school, experience a club project, and be greeted by NMS faculty and administrators. Parents can also choose to accompany their child to one of the evening show full performances. More information on purchasing tickets will be found on the NMS website. This serves to prepare the students by encouraging a comfort level at North Middle School.
Watch for more Middle School preparedness news from the Fifth Grade Team!
January
Students will be working as a team with a partner on a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) project to design a Maya village based on research. Utilizing Tinkercad, a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, the final product will be printed in 3D. In addition, a STEAM Museum is visiting JFK this month and students will be participating in various STEAM stations and hands-on activities.
This prepares students for Middle School by allowing them to use critical thinking applying concepts and skills in all of these disciplines to solve problems and create products.
Watch for more Middle School preparedness news from the
Fifth Grade Team!
October
In Science, all students are exploring properties of objects through discovery, in order to generate scientific claims and make hypotheses. This will prepare them for full implementation of the NGSS in Middle School.
Watch for more Middle School preparedness news from the Fifth Grade Team!
