Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling
This past week in writing we published our realistic fiction pieces and celebrated our success!  See our celebration pictures below!   Students are now writing spooky, descriptive paragraphs and poems before our next big writing project- personal and persuasive essays.  In Spelling, students took the test.  They receive new sorts this week.

Reading
Check out the hallway display containing our book recommendations.  This past week we focused on the characters in our books.  We will finish our study of characters this week, and then move on to our informational text unit.  The Friday Homework this week is a reading titled, "Caroline and the Castle."  Boy's reading letters are due this Friday, 10/10. 

Math
We are currently in the middle of Chapter 3 in our textbook.  This week we are exploring multiplication and division properties and rules as well as factors and multiples.  Students should be studying math facts at home as we are taking multiplication quizzes in class. 

Problem Solving rotation

Science
We finished our study of landforms and have started our first science unit on Ecosystems!  Students have a vocabulary quiz this Friday, 10/10.  This week we will discuss the website Quizlet as a means of studying vocab words.  Everyone uses the same class account.  

Username:  Long-Leighton

Password:  leighton

(The username and password are case sensitive!)

Blue Ribbon Status Celebration

Other Important Info.

• Please remember to sign tests coming home with a "parent signature" stamp so that I know you are informed on your child's progress.  
• Tomorrow (10/7), we will go to Babler State Park for Missouri Heritage Days!  Make sure your child dresses for the weather, wears comfortable shoes, and brings his/her lunch!  
• New on the Links & Resources page is Reflection Journal Prompts.  Following our writing celebration, students were given a Reflection Journal.  Once or twice a week, students will either answer a prompt or free write in these journals.  These notebooks will stay at home until collected randomly to check for completion.  Students will be given a few days notice before collection day.  
• First Quarter ends Friday, October 17th. 
• Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on Monday, October 27th and Wednesday, October 29th.  SignUpGenius invites will be sent soon. 

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling
This past week in writing we focused on the editing process as we worked on paragraphing and transitioning with transition words.  We are nearing the end of our writing piece.  This week we will publish our pieces, and our realistic fiction writing celebration will be on Friday!  In Spelling, students received their new word sorts.  The next spelling test is this Friday, October 3rd.  

Choosing transition words to add to our stories

Using our classmates to help in revising and editing

Reading
This week we finished with our review of summarizing, and we will continue to work on this in reading groups.  We also created book reviews.  Stay tuned for our fall book recommendations display.  Girls' reading letters are due this Friday, 10/3.  


Math
After assessing Chapter 2, we began to prepare for Chapter 3: Understand Multiplication and Division.  Students are working on flashcards for multiplication facts 7-12 to add to their 2-6 facts that they should be studying at home.  We will be taking multiplication quizzes, starting with the 2's this Wednesday, to hold students responsible.  Then, as students master the 2's, they will progress to the 3's, 4's, 5's, etc.  Also, Friday Homework is the Chapter 3 Math Standardized Test Practice, due 10/3.  

Social Studies/Science
Students have received the Landforms/Maps study guide.  In class, we are working on identifying landforms in the United States such as the Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, Gulf of Mexico, etc.  The Landforms/Map Test will be this Wednesday, 10/1.  Students can use the study guide, U.S. map worksheet, and landforms flipbook as study resources.  After this unit, we will move to the ecosystems unit in science! 

Also, ask your child what Chef MIMAL helps them in remembering! 

Buddies

We got to meet with our buddies again this past week to finish our "get to know you" activity.  We decorated cut-out people and hearts that represented a Venn Diagram in finding our similarities and also what makes us unique!   

Other Important Info.

• Please remember to sign tests coming home with a "parent signature" stamp so that I know you are informed on your child's progress.  
• On October 7th, we will go to Babler State Park for Missouri Heritage Days!  Make sure your child dresses for the weather, wears comfortable shoes, and brings his/her lunch!  
• Don't forget that the "Links & Resources" tab at the top of the blog currently has helpful information about spelling, reading, math and science.  As the year progresses, it will continue to be regularly updated with important links and documents to help students in being successful.  

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling
This week in writing we focused on dialogue.  We learned to add meaningful and purposeful dialogue and how to punctuate dialogue correctly.  In addition, students came up with many different words to use instead of "said" (see below).  We also started the revision process as we reread our papers with different "lenses" to check for certain things in our writing (i.e. how it sounds, sensory details, meaningful dialogue, etc.) and as we assessed our story endings.  In Spelling, students took the test on Friday and will get new words on Monday.  

Reading
This week we continued sharing our reading lives with a friend.  We reviewed retelling and summarizing in having conversations about our reading.  We also discussed ways that would push our reading partner to further think about the book they are reading.  We will continue with summarizing and book recommendations next week.  Boy's reading letters are due this Thursday, 9/25.  The Friday Homework this week is a reading titled, "The Skeleton Key."  It is due Thursday, 9/25, 


Math
This week we worked on regrouping in adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers.  We were even able to check our work as we rounded to estimate those sums and differences.  The Chapter 2 Test is Monday, 9/22.  Students received the study pages and a practice test (extra credit).  In Chapter 3 we will be working with multiplication and division.  It is important that your child continue to practice their facts at home regularly.  

Social Studies
Hand map projects are this Tuesday, 9/23.  Students need to finish this at home.  Next week we will move on to landforms in the United States.  


Buddies
This week we got to meet our first grade buddies! 

Other Important Info.

• Picture Day is this Wednesday, 9/24!
• This Friday 9/26 there is no school! 
• Permission slips for our first field trip went home in Friday's Flyer Folder.  On October 7th, we will go to Babler State Park for Missouri Heritage Days!  I can only take 3 parent volunteers as space is limited.

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling
This past week in writing we focused on adding sensory details.  We especially focused on sight sensory details as we worked on describing the setting of our story.  We also revised our leads to either start with an action, sound effect, dialogue or thought, flashback, description, or a question to draw the reader in to our story.  In Spelling, students received their new word sorts.  Their next spelling test will be this coming Friday, 9/19.

Students added their great sensory words to our anchor chart!

Sharing with our writing partners

Reading
This past week we started to discuss sharing our reading lives with a friend.  So far, we've discussed how reading with someone can help us to practice our fluency and become better readers.  We practiced reading with a partner, and then summarizing what was read.  This week we also worked on the eValuate in reading and math.  The eValuate tests are practice assessments that we take each month to prepare us for spring testing.  We worked together this first month, as this is the first time that the assessment is fully taken on the computer- nothing but scratch paper can be used.  Each month, we also chart our progress and make goals for the next month.  As a reminder, boy's reading letters are due Friday, 9/19.  

Math
This past week we began Chapter 2 with addition and subtraction properties and patterns.  This coming week we will review rounding as we estimate sums and differences.  We will also review regrouping and adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers.  The Chapter 2 Test is set for next Monday, 9/22.  Students will receive the study guide later this week. This week's Friday Homework is the Math Standardized Test Prep. Chs. 1-2.  It is due Friday, 9/19. 

Reviewing properties of addition

Practicing rounding in the math games rotation

Working on the math eValuate together

eValuate

Social Studies
In social studies this past week, we began our hand map project.  We will continue these projects this week.  

Other Important Info.

• This coming Wednesday (9/17) is our first Early Release Day with dismissal at 1:40.  Please make sure that your child knows how they will be getting home.  

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling
Students have been working very hard this week in writing descriptive scenes for their realistic fiction stories.  We are adding so many details and description to come up with some amazing scenes!  In Spelling, students took their first test today.  They will receive their new word sorts on Monday.

Students working with their writing partners to verbally add details to small moments/sentences before
turning them into descriptive and exciting written story scenes!

Reading
This week we reread to comprehend, read forward to solve unknown words, and found out when it could be a good time to abandon a book (see our ideas below).  Next week we will focus on how to share our reading life with friends.  Girls' reading letters are due next Friday, 9/12.  Also, Friday Homework for this week is a reading titled, "Is That a Boa or a Python?"  Students are to underline support for their answers in the text to receive full credit.  

Math
This week we finished Chapter 1 with rounding, word problem practice, and the first math test today.  Next week we will begin Chapter 2 with properties of addition and subtraction.  Keep an eye out for the Math at Home Chapter 2 sheet to go home in Flyer Folders next week.  

Creating a place value chart in the activity rotation

Social Studies
A few students did not finish their landforms flipbook, which is due on Tuesday.  Next week we will locate landforms on a U.S. map and start our landforms hand map project!  

Other Important Info.

• Scholastic Book Orders  went home today.  If you want to place an order, you may send a check made out to Scholastic or order online using the directions that were sent home on a pink sheet and clicking on the link below.  Orders are due next Friday, 9/12.

 

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling
This week students started prewriting for their realistic fiction stories that we will take all the way through the writing process.  At this point, students have chosen a story idea and have thought a lot about their main character.  They have worked hard on developing their characters as they have brainstormed both internal and external characteristics and determined the struggles that their main characters will face in their realistic stories.  In addition, students have thought of multiple scenes to include in the plots of their stories.  In Spelling, students received their first word sorts.  Yellow group has sort 19, green group has sort 10, and blue group has sort 1.  Students' first spelling test is next Friday 9/5. 

Writing partners

Brainstorming internal and external character traits

Writing our 5-7 scenes on a story arc graphic organizer

Sorting our spelling words

Reading
This week we learned more great reading habits!  On Monday, we practiced writing about our reading with reading response letters.  The girls' letters were due yesterday, and the boys are due next Friday 9/5.  These letters are due every other Friday.  See the letter that we wrote as a class about our read aloud, "Wonder," below.  This week we also learned strategies for reading faster, stronger, longer.  First, we "used what we know to give it a go!"  This meant skipping tricky or foreign words or phrases that aren't important to the book (faster) or pausing while reading to reflect (stronger).  We also learned that we should "read with zeal and make it real!"  So, we practiced reading with fluency this week too!  Reading groups are in full swing.  Students are given time in class to work on their reading response letters and their reading group assignments.    

Finally, this week was our first visit to the library!  We will go for a library lesson every other Thursday from 11:00-11:30.  Students will also have time to checkout books at this time.  On the Thursdays that we don't have lessons, students can go up to the library to return or check out books during our reading time.  

Math
This week we reviewed place value in Chapter 1.  We also compared and ordered numbers from least to greatest and vice versa.  On Friday we rounded numbers to the hundred thousands place.  We will continue to practice rounding on Monday.  We will also work on word problems and review Chapter 1.  The Chapter 1 Math Test is scheduled for next Friday, 9/5.  Students will work on the study pages next week in class.  Students also took home the "MathatHome" worksheet in Flyer Folders on Tuesday to further practice Chapter 1 math skills at home. 

Problem Solving

Playing Jenga Multiplication in the games rotation

Social Studies
This week in social studies we continued our landforms flipbooks, and we will finish these next week.  We also spent social studies time to accommodate two counselor lessons.  

Counselor Lessons
This week we enjoyed a lesson from a NCADA representative and another lesson from our new assistant counselor, Ms. McArthur!  Check out our awesome definitions of the word RESPECT! 

Other Important Info.

• Friday Homework  for this week is the Chapter 1 Math Standardized Test Practice packet.  It is due next Friday.  
• Students will need to be proactive with their homework due next Friday, using the weekend and school nights next week to complete a little of their homework/study each night.  We have two tests on next Friday (math and spelling).  Boys need to turn in their reading response letters on or before next Friday (they can also use reading class time to work on this).  And, all students need to have the math Friday Homework due by Friday.  Friday Homework can be turned in early. 
• Flyer Folders came home with important notes and graded work this week.  As a reminder, please remember to check these folders each Tuesday and Friday.  
• 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!  
• No School on Monday!  Enjoy the 3-day weekend!