Welcome Parents to the 5th Grade Blog

Dear Parents,

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend Orientation Night.  I have enjoyed getting to know your children and think we'll have a fantastic year.  The purpose of the blog is to give the class opportunities to continue engaging with class content after school.  I will often post enrichment material here and sometimes we will have class discussions.

For you, I encourage you to check out the blog on a regular basis.  Even though my own children are still young, when I ask them what they learned at school, they are already saying "I don't know!"  Check out content on the blog and this might create a starting point for a discussion about your child's learning.  

I promised the class that any parent/guardian that leaves a comment on this post will receive a bonus! Please check theblog out and say hi.  Click on "Comments" at the botton of this post.  Choose "Name/URL" and identify yourself.  Then leave your comment and publish it.  

Thank you for the opportunity to teach your child.  It is a privilege.

Mr. Goh

Filial Piety

This week, in Reading Class, I will introduce to you the Asian principle of Filial Piety. Here are four stories that will start to give you a glimpse of the Asian mindset. Understanding this principle will give you a richer understanding of our first novel, The Big Wave.

Dear to him
Tan Zi was a nobleman in the State of Tan during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). His aged parents suffered from eye diseases and needed to drink deer's milk as part of their treatment. He therefore disguised himself in a deerskin and sneaked into a herd of deer in the mountains to obtain deer's milk. Once, when he was taking deer's milk, a hunter mistook him for a deer and was going to shoot him. He revealed himself and told the truth to the hunter. The hunter respected his filial piety and escorted him out of the mountains.

Imperial example
Liu Heng was Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). His mother, Empress Dowager Bo, was once ill for three years. He attended to his mother each day after dealing with affairs of state. For safety reasons, he would test the medicine before he took it to his mother. When his mother finally recovered, he fell ill because of exhaustion. His benevolence and filial piety were praised throughout the kingdom. During his reign, the population flourished and the country prospered.

Nobody does it better
Huang Xiang lived in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220). His mother passed away when he was 9. His longing for his late mother and his filial piety for his father were praised by his fellow villagers. He would cool his father's pillow and mat with a fan in the hot summer and warm his father's quilts and cushions with his body in the cold winter. When he grew up, he served as the prefect of Wei county. When the county suffered from a flood, he donated all his possessions to help victims. A saying goes that, "There is no parallel in this world to Huang Xiang".

Melting hearts
Wang Xiang lived in the Western Jin Dynasty (AD 265-316). His mother died when he was young. His stepmother didn't treat him well and often spoke ill of him in front of his father. Because of this, he also lost the love of his father. But when his parents were ill, he took care of them carefully. One cold winter day, his stepmother wanted to eat fresh fish. He took off his clothes and lay on the frozen river to melt the ice with his body. The ice melted and two carp leaped out. He took them home and his stepmother was moved.

BONUS: Can you figure out this sequence?

What are the next 5 numbers in the sequence?

What is the rule?

0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34...

NOTE:  Please don't put the "answer" as a reply or comment.  I will let you all submit your answers to me in the morning.  

Meet Mr. Goh

Welcome to 5th Grade Blog!

I am truly looking forward to getting to know each of you this year.  At the bottom of this post you have the option of leaving a comment.  Please try and don't forget to include your first name (choose "Name/URL") when leaving your comment so that you won't be anonymous. 

Here are some ideas of what to write:

1.  Introduce yourself

2.  What did you do this summer?

3.  What are you looking forward to the most this school year?

4.  Questions for Mr. Goh

5.  Anything else you deem interesting

See you all Friday!