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Ms. Muftic, Language Arts, 5th

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HMH work and Module 4

Hello Parents,
I have sent homework with children who did not finish their HMH work in ELA as indicated by Ms. V.  I gave students a little time to complete their missing work today in class; yet, it really is about 2 sessions worth of work and hard to make up in a short amount of time.  I sent home e-mails specifically to students' guardians to let them know about the assignments.  I hope you are able to set aside some time this weekend to get these missing assignments completed.  If you did not receive an e-mail, your students was focused on their work and completed their assignments in class. Great Job to those having done this.  
 
I hope that you all were able speak to your students about the need to work hard and be respectful learners.  Today was a good day but they needed a lot of reminders to be respectful and stay focused.  The students who got their work completed and have maintained respect this week consistently got to pick their seats today as a consequence of their actions:)    Consequences can also be good things.
 
I appreciate your support in making sure that our classroom is a place of respect, rigor, and RISE.  If you have any questions, I am happy to address them. Send me an e-mail.  
 
In addition, this week we started our new HMH Module with the theme of Natural Disasters.  
 
Module 3 Natural Disasters
HELLO, FAMILY!
Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about 
natural disasters, with a focus on the informational text genre. We will 
read texts and view videos about how Earth’s movements, features, 
and weather can cause natural disasters. Children will also write an 
opinion essay about the best way to prepare for a natural disaster.
BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family!
Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to 
share with you what he or she is 
learning. Use these ideas to help 
build your child’s knowledge about 
the topic: 
• Talk about the ideas your child 
has added to the Knowledge 
Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is 
reading and what he or she has 
learned from them.
• Share with your child your own 
questions about the topic, and 
work together to find the 
answers.
Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is 
informational text. Discuss with 
your child the characteristics of  
this genre. 
Ask your child to read to you each 
day and make time to read 
together.   
Look for texts that
• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• explore interesting scientific 
facts and ideas
• have unique formats, graphic 
features, and visual elements
Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child 
build a rich vocabulary. 
The Big Idea Reinforce the topic 
words notable, spontaneous, tremor, 
and hazard in everyday 
conversations with your child. Use 
prompts like these: What hazards 
do you avoid? Describe the last 
spontaneous thing you did.
What Does It Mean? Have your 
child keep a growing list of the 
Critical Vocabulary words. Quiz 
each other on their meanings.
Word Hunt Look for words with 
roots graph, gram, geo, rupt, fer; 
suffixes –logy/–logist; and prefixes 
inter–, com–/con–/cor– in books, 
magazines, online texts, and 
environmental print.
 
Have a wonderful weekend!
Ms. Muftic

September 2026

With beginning testing nearing completion in ELA, I am putting together groups with targeted instruction. I look forward to sharing the data I have collected with you at family conferences in October.  In addition, on Infinite Campus, your child's grades are being posted. 
 
I want to remind y'all that we use a standards based grading system at Westgate. If your student has a "1" in something it means they are still working hard on learning the standard. A "2" indicates they are progressing toward the standard. A "3" means they are understanding the standard being taught.  This grading system does not equate to the 'ABC" grades you may have received as a student.  In addition, students will receive a "1" if the assignment is missing.  Students have the opportunity to redo any assignment or test to improve on their results. 
 
We are finishing Module one this week and beginning Module two."What a Story". Our essential question is "How does genre affect the way a story is told?"  We will look at the genres of Fairy Tale, Fantasy/Adventure, Poetry, Plays, and Realistic Fiction. 
 
We will continue to work on writing expository essays and look at what makes a complete sentence. Throughout the module, students will be learning vocabulary to support the essential question.  
 
Students take most of their quizzes on the platform and their weekly reading assessments, as well.  I think HMH (our curriculum) has a wonderful mixture of the use of print and technology. I assign writing on line as well as in their composition notebooks. I like to get a great mix of both to help strengthen students' skills.
 
Students may always retake a quiz if they would like to improve their score.  In addition, students can read the texts we work with online as well.  This is wonderful because if a student misses school, they can makeup their work at home on line and do not need the work-textbook to do so. 
 
While we do not assign homework at Westgate in 5th grade, we do want your students reading nightly.  In addition, one of our assessments we use is called DiBBels. It measures a student's fluency. The best way to improve fluency is to have your student read out loud to you or a sibling (or even a pet).  We will discuss this more at conferences. In the meantime, please have your student read books nightly. 
 
If you have any questions concerning what takes place in ELA, do not hesitate to reach out. I am happy to answer any of your questions and address any of your concerns.
 
 

Welcome to 5th grade ELA with Ms. Muftic

Hello,
 
I am so excited to be your student's ELA teacher! This year we will be using curriculum from HMH. Students will have math workbooks. They will be responsible for taking care of these workbooks. This will be where a majority of their work will be assigned. 
 
if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. 

Welcome to 2026-27

Dear 5/6 Community,
 
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year. I will be interacting with all of the 5/6 students this year.  The classes I will be teaching are ADVOCACY, one section each of 5th grade MATH, and ELA, and both sections of 5th grade SOCIAL STUDIES.
 
I am a Denver born third-generation Coloradoan who has connections to Denver and Fraser. With more than 30 years in a classroom abroad and in the metro area, I come to Westgate to be a part of this creative and loving community. This is my second year. Educated in both traditional and Montessori education, I bring experience in Whole Child philosophy which was coined by Dr.Montessori more than 100 years ago.
 
My favorite things to do are spend time with my family and celebrate the accomplishments of my three adult children. Of course, my family includes fur babies, as well.  I love both kinds of football and if I am not cheering for the Broncos, I am cheering for the Croatian National Football Team. This summer I watched ALL the FIFA matches and love to talk all things Football (Soccer)
 
I am excited to partner with you all to challenge and support your children in my classes. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.  I prefer e-mail and I will get back to you with in 48 hours. If something is urgent, please call the school.
 
Here's to a lovely and successful school year,
Ms. Tanya Muftic