I want to wish all of our families a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope that you enjoy a relaxing break with your children.  I am looking forward to spending some time with my family as well.

We are continuing to work hard in fifth grade.  Students have finished topic four in math and will take a benchmark test on Wednesday, 11/22/17.  A study guide will go home on Monday, 11/20/17.  The test will cover number sense standards 1-7.  Students will need to understand the place value system to thousandths and be able to round decimals, compare and order decimals, add, subtract and multiply with decimals and whole numbers.

In our journeys of learning we finished writing narratives from the point of view of African-American slaves.  This stories will be put into a book and published.  A copy will be sent home to the parents of students who completed their essay.

In writing we have begun a unit on persuasive writing.  Students are writing an essay this week to form their opinion as to whether or not Lincoln supported slavery or was opposed to it.  They will use several texts to support his/her opinion in writing.

In reading we are continuing to work with nonfiction comprehension strategies such as using context clues, summarizing main ideas, and responding to text-based questions.  Students are reading paired passages about the beginnings of slavery and the events that led to abolition.

Enjoy your holiday!  ~ Mrs. Mark

Hello everyone,

As we welcome fall weather to New England, we are continuing to work hard in room A219!  In reading we have been using a variety of texts to learn how to read closely, annotate the text, hold an accountable talk discussion and write about the text using evidence.  In math we reviewed place value and number sense, and are currently learning to compute with whole numbers and decimals.  You can help your child by making sure he/she knows the multiplication facts through twelve.

In journeys of learning we are studying the beginnings of slavery in America. We learned about how African people were captured and shipped to America, where they were sold as property to work on southern plantations.  We are now learning about the culture and economies of the southern states and northern states, and the events that led to the beginning of the Civil War.  Students wrote narratives from the point of view of the slaves, and those who completed the assignment will be published in our own class book.  I can't wait for you to see them! 

Parent conferences will be held next week - a paper will be sent home on Wednesday, 11/08/17, so please sign up to meet with me and review your child's progress in fifth grade.  Thank you!  - Mrs. Mark

Last year I left the classroom to pursue a career in administration.  Although I loved my work as the assistant principal of the Trotter, it helped me to realize that my place is in the classroom.  I am very excited to be returning to teaching as a fifth grade teacher at the Trotter.  I taught fifth grade for six years previously, and I love working with this grade level.  I will be teaching all subjects except science, and I am happy to be joining Ms. Chavez and Ms. Hallett on the fifth grade team.  I look forward to seeing my new students on the first day of school on September 7th! ~ Mrs. Mark

Here’s the Scoop!
 
We have a new assistant principal at the Trotter Innovation School!
 
Please come welcome and meet Mrs. Stacy Mark and enjoy some sweet ice cream with your Trotter friends.
 
Tuesday, August 23rd
5:30-7:00PM
Trotter School Playground
 
Please RSVP.
Call the Trotter (617) 635-8225
Email mnolan@bostonpublicschools.org
 
 
 

I am very excited to be joining the Trotter team as your new assistant principal.  I say "your" assistant principal because I am here to work for the students and families in our community.  I am committed to not only making sure that our students get an outstanding education, but that we also work to ensure social justice for everyone in this great neighborhood.  I will be hosting a coffee hour and ice cream social on Tuesday, August 23rd (see Parent's Page for times) and I hope to meet a lot of you at one of these socials.  I will also be callling our families, starting at the eighth grade, throughout the month of August and September to introduce myself.  Please feel free to come in and say hello while we prepare for the return of our students!

Fifth grade students have been working very hard in math this term.  As we near the end of the semester, we have developed our skills in number sense and decimals.  Students have reviewed addition, subtraction, multplication and division.  We have learned how to round to any place value and how to perform all of these operations with decimals.  We are moving on to fractions next, and we are looking forward to learning how to add fractions with different denominators.  

Please continue to support your child by looking over homework and making sure it is completed.  If your child's answers are incorrect, please redo the questions on a separate sheet of paper and leave the answers incorrect on his/her paper.  This allows me to see where they need additional support.  Letters have been sent home offering extra support on Monday afternoons.  If your child received one please return on Monday.  Parents will be responsible for picking students up at 4:30, unless they go to an afterschool program.  Thank you!