Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

This week we focused on adding many details to our stories and finalizing our story endings.  Most students are now typing their stories.  We are editing and publishing our stories next week to have them finished by our celebration date of next Friday!  Students will receive new Spelling word sorts on Tuesday.  

Reading

In reading groups, we got the first issue of our magazine StoryWorks!  There are so many awesome articles for students to read!  Students read some of the articles in reading groups.  Students are encouraged to read whatever nonfiction article, fiction story, poem, debate, etc. that they didn't read in class during independent reading time at school or at home with a parent.  

Math

Students will start Chapter 3 on Tuesday.  This is our first of many chapters that focus on multiplication and division.  It is very important that students study their multiplication facts at home!

5 FUN ways to practice multiplication facts at home:

1. Roll two dice and multiply the two numbers that were rolled together.

2. Create a memory game- one card contains the factors, the other contains the product.

3. Draw a domino that is face down and multiply the dots on either side together.  

4. Use a deck of cards to play "Multiplication War."  Two people each draw two cards and multiply them together.  The person with the largest product wins the round. 

5. Play "Number Draw." 

Science

This week in Science we discussed different types of ecosystems and parts of those ecosystems such as producers, consumers, and decomposers.  Next week we will start our Biome Quilt Project, in which each student will research a biome to find out more about its climate, plants and animals, and location.  The Ecosystems vocabulary quiz is Tuesday, 9/29.  Extra credit activities/practice activities can be found on the online textbook.  Students' usernames and passwords can be found on the log-in cards in the front of their binders.   The link to the online textbook can be found by clicking on the textbook below.  After logging in, students click on "To Do" in the right-hand corner of the home page.  Then, the assigned activities will appear.  Click on the activity to complete.   After finishing an activity, click on the "I'm Done" button next to the activity.  

Other Important Info.  

• Please remember that we will leave first thing in the morning for our field trip to Babler State Park this coming Monday, September 28th!  Make sure that you watch the weather to determine if a jacket is needed.  Also, it is important that students bring their lunch (unless they requested a sack lunch) and wear tennis shoes.  I know that they are excited for a great field trip! 
• To find the Reflection Journal prompts that were assigned this week as well as old reflection journal prompts, click here. 
• As a reminder, current grades can be viewed using SIS.  Grades are updated weekly. 
• Picture Day is this Wednesday, September 30th.  
• Hat Day will be October 1st.  If a student brings $.50 to donate to pancreatic cancer research, he or she may wear a hat! 

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

This past week we focused on our story scene leads and dialogue. Some students have even begun to type their stories!  This week we will discuss story endings and the revision stage of the writing process.   As a reminder, students' next Spelling Test will be Thursday, 9/24 because there is no school Friday, 9/25.  

Reading

In reading we continued to focus on plotting a story's main events in reading groups.  Students meet in leveled reading groups a couple times per week.  It is the students' responsibility to read the assigned pages and complete the assignment before the next meeting date.  Students can complete this assignment during independent reading time in class, or they can take the assignment home to complete for homework.  

Math

This past week we worked on regrouping when adding big numbers and borrowing when subtracting.  This week we will end Chapter 2 with word problem practice.  The Chapter 2 Test is Wednesday, 9/23.  Students will receive the study guide tomorrow.  All students took the "Check My Progress" pages 105-106 home to practice this weekend, and it is due tomorrow. 

Using book club orders in the problem solving rotation!

Social Studies/Science

We have finished our Landforms and Maps unit!  That means we are moving on to our Ecosystems unit in Science!  Students will take home flashcards on Monday, and their vocabulary quiz is set for Tuesday, 9/29.  

Other Important Info.  

• To find the Reflection Journal prompts that will be assigned this week as well as old reflection prompts, click here. 
• Current grades can be viewed using SIS.  Grades are updated weekly.  
• There is No School this Friday, 9/25! 

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

This past week in writing we worked on writing story scenes with much detail.  We also were assigned our unit writing partners, who helped us in adding details.  Students will get their new spelling sorts on Monday, and the next Spelling Test will be Thursday, 9/24 because there is no school Friday, 9/25.  

Reading

In reading we practiced plotting a story's main events on a story arc.  We also met in reading groups for the first time.  Students will meet in leveled reading groups a couple times a week.  It is the students' responsibility to read the assigned pages and complete the assignment before the next meeting date.  Students can complete this assignment during independent reading time in class, or they can take the assignment home to complete for homework.  

Math

In Chapter 2, we have worked with addition and subtraction rules and patterns as well as estimating.  This week we will continue with a review of regrouping and subtracting across zeros.  Students took home the Chapter 2 "Math At Home" family letter and vocabulary flashcards on Tuesday.  Also, I am offering extra credit for the Chapter 1 Math Test.  Students need to ask me for it if interested.  This is due Tuesday, 9/15.  

Social Studies

In social studies, we started our Hand Map project.  Students created an island (in the shape of their hand) and added certain landforms on their island.  These are due Wednesday, 9/16.  The Landforms/Map Test is set for Friday, 9/18.  Students will get the study guide on Monday.  

Other Important Info.  

• This week students have the Math Standardized Test Prep Chapters 1-2 for Friday Homework.  To find the Reflection Journal prompts for this past week and in the future, click here. 
• Current grades can be viewed using SIS.  Grades are updated weekly.  
• All tests need to be signed and returned.  These will be marked with a stamp.  The Chapter 1 Math Test went home this week to be signed and returned.  
• Thank you parents for signing the assignment book each night!  Students are doing a great job in reading 120 minutes per week and in filling out their assignment books in general!  
• This Wednesday, 9/16, is an Early Release Day (and no letter day) with dismissal at 1:40.  Please make sure that your child knows how they are going home. 

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

We worked hard this past week in writing!  We created believable characters for our writing unit.  This means that we thought about our characters' external and internal characteristics, and we included positive and negative character traits to balance our characters.  We also started our story plots to brainstorm our realistic fiction story scenes.  Our first Spelling Test is this Friday, September 11th.  Students will need to spend time at home studying their words.  

Reading

In reading this past week, we made reading resolutions.  These are reading goals that will be updated throughout the school year.  Resolutions included reading more chapter books, reading a variety of genres and authors, reading more than 120 minutes per week, etc.  We also worked on retelling our read aloud books by synthesizing.  This means that we used backstory to help us in summarizing what we read.  

Math

We have finished Chapter 1 in math and will start Chapter 2 tomorrow!  Chapter 2 is a review of addition and subtraction.  We will start with addition and subtraction rules and patterns as well as estimating.  Students will take home the Chapter 2 "Math At Home" family letter and vocabulary flashcards tomorrow.  

Social Studies

In social studies, we have started our study of landforms.  Stay tuned as students create "Hand Maps" this week. 

Other Important Info.  

• You should see notes and graded work such as math worksheets coming home in the folder in your child's binder on a daily basis.  If a math worksheet has a check at the top, all problems were solved correctly on the first try.  Otherwise, a paper will note the problems that students had to rework for accuracy.  
• This week students will write for Friday Homework.  A few times during the writing week, students will write in their Reflection Journals.  Some days students will answer a prompt, and other days they will free write.  Reflection Journals can be left at home until the due date when they are to be brought back to school for review.  

• Our first field trip will be Monday, September 28th to Babler State Park for Missouri Heritage Days.  If you have not already turned in the permission slip or money, please do so.  It is a full day trip.  Parent chaperones have been selected and will receive an email with more information soon.