Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

Students are nearing the end of Chapter 2 of their Informational Books. They are doing a nice job!  We will work on Chapter 3 next, the diary entry or letter.  The next Spelling Test is Friday, February 10th.  

Reading

Some groups have finished their first book in book clubs!  Right now we are doing some extension activities and short reads while the other groups continue in their books.  If you are unsure when your child meets for book clubs, see the "Homework" page of the blog to check their two meeting dates per week. 

The great conversation the "Orphan of Ellis Island" group was having about their book...wow!

Math

This week we will continue in Chapter 9 with multiplying fractions by whole numbers.  It is important that students keep up with the homework to reinforce the lessons at home.

Awesome rotation artwork! 

Social Studies

We have finished our Underground Railroad project, and students are continuing in Chapter 3 with the Civil War. 

Other Important Info. 

• Below is a digital copy of the Valentine's Day list of names that was not passed out on Friday as planned.  Students will get the paper copy tomorrow!  

• Six Flags Read to Succeed reading logs are due Friday, February 24th for your child to earn a free Six Flags ticket!  

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

As a class, we have finished drafting Chapter 1 of our Revolutionary War Informational Books!  Students did a great job in writing this together.  Now, students will focus on Chapter 2, the smaller topic.  In Spelling, we have been studying homophones.  Homophone spelling words mean that students also have to know the word's meaning.  We've focused on "they're," "their," and "there" and "two," "to," and "too" so far.   The next Spelling Test is this Friday, January 27th.  

Reading

Students continue to do a great job in book clubs!  We've really dug into the characters' actions and thinking in discussing their personality traits.  We are having some awesome conversations about books.  If you are unsure when your child meets for book clubs, see the "Homework" page of the blog to check their two meeting dates per week. 

Math

This week we will continue with Chapter 9, where we will be adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.  We will also multiply fractions by whole numbers.  

Social Studies

This past week we focused on the Underground Railroad, and we will continue this topic with a project this week! 

Other Important Info. 

• This Wednesday, 1/25,  is an Early Release Day with dismissal at 1:40.  Please make sure your child knows how they are going home.
• Scholastic Book orders are due this Friday, 1/27.  Click here if you would like to order online!  (Our class code is L8V73.)  You may also return the paper order form with a check made out to "Scholastic Reading Club." 
• This Friday, a class list with students' names will be sent home to aid students in making valentines! Closer to Valentine's Day, we will also be making our Valentine's Day bags to hold valentines. 
• Six Flags Read to Succeed reading logs are due Friday, February 24th for your child to earn a free Six Flags ticket!  

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

Wow!  We have learned A LOT about the Revolutionary War!  Students have also chosen their focus topics and are currently researching those.  Focus topics include the Boston Tea Party, taxes, women of the war, etc.  This week we will continue researching and start writing Chapters 1 and 2 of our Informational Books!  Because we were not at school on Friday, students did not get their homophone spelling words.  They will get them tomorrow.  The next Spelling Test will be Friday, January 27th.  

Reading 

We have started book clubs, and students are doing great!  As a reminder, sticky note "thinkmarks" and reading the assigned chapters must be completed outside of the book club meeting time, so that all students are prepared during the meeting time!  This preparation can be done at home or at school during independent reading time.  Book clubs meet twice a week, and the groups' schedules are listed on the "Homework" page of the blog.

Math

This week we will review mixed numbers and improper fractions.  Students were told that the Chapter 8 Test was this Wednesday.  However, with the snow day, we are pushing it back to this Friday, January 20th.

Social Studies

Students are really interested in the Chapter 3 topics.  We have been learning all about the Civil War, slavery, and the Underground Railroad!  Students even played a game to see if they could escape slavery! 

Other Important Info. 

• The school spelling bee is this Friday, January 20th at 1:30 in the cafe side of the gym.  Good luck, Michael and Hannah! 
• A class list with students' names will be sent home to aid students in making valentines!    
• Six Flags Read to Succeed reading logs are due Friday, February 24th for your child to earn a free Six Flags ticket!  

Weekly Update

Writing/Spelling

This week we started our Informational Unit!  As a class, we will write a four chapter book on the Revolutionary War.  Right now we are researching about the war and all the important events surrounding it, including the Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts, Stamp Act, etc.  After writing this informational book together, students will then choose a social studies or science topic to write a second informational book on their own.  On Friday, students will get their homophones spelling words.  The next Spelling Test will be Friday, January 27th.  (This gives the spelling bee students time to practice the spelling bee words.)  

Reading 

In Reading, we will be starting book clubs!  Students will pick their top book club books and be put into groups.  Students will be responsible for reading an agreed upon number of chapters outside of book club time.  During book clubs, students will have a conservation about the chapters' events, characters, setting, etc.  Students will record their thinking on sticky notes and bring those to help them in the discussion.  These sticky note thoughts and reading must be completed outside of the book club meeting time, so that all students are prepared during the meeting time!  Book clubs will meet twice a week.  We will use our read alouds to model book club discussions.  

Math

We started Chapter 8 with factors and multiples, prime and composite numbers, and equivalent fractions.  This week we will continue with simplest form and comparing and ordering fractions.  Then, we will get to mixed numbers and improper fractions.  It will be important that students keep up with homework and fixing any independent work so they do not fall behind in this chapter.  

Social Studies

We reviewed big events and previewed future events to discuss with a timeline project.  This project is due Tuesday.  Students were assigned a date to research in the textbook and write a summary about.  They should also include a picture for their event. Chapter 3 will start off with the Civil War.  

Other Important Info. 

• The school spelling bee is January 20th at 1:30.  Good luck, Michael and Hannah! 
• Six Flags Read to Succeed reading logs are due Friday, February 24th for your child to earn a free Six Flags ticket!  
• We are testing out flexible seating in our classroom!  You will get more information via email about what this looks like in our classroom this week.  

Weekly Update

Writing

We have finished our journalism mini-unit.  Mr. Schoenekase even came in to act out a scene for the students to write a news story about.  Students did a great job in listing the important details first!  We will resume with spelling after break with homophones before starting our regular word sorts.  

Reading 

Here are our class magazines.  Students did a great job in researching and writing interesting weather articles!  After break, we will start historical fiction book clubs!  

Math

We finished Chapter 7 with order of operations.  After break, we will start fractions in Chapter 8!   We begin with factors and multiples, prime and composite numbers, and equivalent fractions.  We will also review big topics from previous chapters.  Students will take their Volume I math consumable textbooks home to practice past topics.  Chapter 8 starts the Volume II math textbook.  

Science/S.S. 

We have finished our rocks unit and will resume with Social Studies.  Chapter 3 starts off with the Civil War.  

Winter Party 

THANK YOU to all parent volunteers that helped to make the winter party a success!  The students had a blast!

Other Important Info. 

• Congratulations to Hannah and Michael!  They will represent our class in the school spelling bee on January 20th.  
• Six Flags Read to Succeed reading logs went home.  These are due Friday, February 24th for your child to earn a free Six Flags ticket!  
• Students have two (optional) winter challenges, one from Coach Blake and Coach Small and a reading challenge from Mrs. Leighton.  Notes with more information went home.  
• Report cards will go out at the end of the week of January 2nd.  
• Have a nice Winter Break!  School resumes Wednesday, January 4th.

Weekly Update

Writing

Last Friday we celebrated our persuasive essays!  In groups, we shared our essays and our group members would hold up a green candy cane if they agreed with the argument/thesis or a red candy cane if they did not.  Students had a lot of fun with it!  Right now we are in the middle of our journalism unit.  We have read many different articles and have discussed how to summarize a news story with the "5 W's" and "1 H."   We also talked about the inverted triangle of journalism.  As a reminder, students won't have another spelling test until January because of the class spelling bees this Friday and next Monday (see details below in "Other Important Info.") . 

Writing celebration 

Summarizing news articles

Using the inverted triangle

Reading 

We have finished our text structures/natural disasters project.  See the next blog post for pictures of the magazines!  After break, we will start historical fiction book clubs!  

Math

So far in Chapter 7 we have extended numeric and nonnumeric patterns, described patterns in a sequence, and worked with patterns in word problems.  We will finish the week with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division patterns with in/out tables and order of operations.  There is no Chapter 7 test.  After break, we will start fractions in Chapter 8!

Science

In our rocks unit, we have read about topics such as the different types of rocks, the rock cycle, and weathering and erosion.  The Chapter 5 Rocks Test is this Friday.  It is an open book/note test.  Extra credit and practice activities are available through the online textbook, and they are due next Tuesday. 

Other Important Info. 

• The class spelling bees will take place this Friday, December 16th and Monday, December 19th.   The winner from each bee will represent our class in the school bee on January 20th.  
• The Winter Party is Tuesday, December 20th from 2-3pm. 
• Winter Break starts Wednesday, 12/21, and school resumes Wednesday, January 4th.
• All tests and essays should be signed and returned.  

Weekly Update

Writing

In Writing, we are currently revising and editing our persuasive essays. In these essays, we have added counterarguments and facts!  Persuasive essays are due Friday, 12/9.  Then, we will have a mini journalism unit until the end of the year.  Students won't have another spelling test until January because of the upcoming class spelling bee (see details below in "Other Important Info.") .  

Reading 

In reading groups, we are continuing to work on our natural disaster projects.  All groups are typing and putting their magazines together.  I can't wait to see the finished products! 

Math

We have finished all the lessons in Chapter 6 on long division.  The Chapter 6 Test is Wednesday, 12/7.  Study guides went home on Friday and are due Tuesday.  Students should continue to work in their froggy packets and keep up with homework to review.  It is still very important that students continue to practice those facts- many errors are made in long division when the multiplication is wrong.  On Thursday we will start Chapter 7 on patterns and sequences.

Social Studies 

This past week students finished Chapters 1/2 and created a class study guide.  We will work on the study guide on Monday and students will have an open book/note test on Thursday, 12/8.  We will resume with Chapter 3 in Social Studies after our Science unit.  

Science

This week we will also start our new Science unit on rocks.  We will learn about metamorphic, igneous and sedimentary rocks!  It's a fun unit!   The Rocks Test will be Friday, December 16th.  

Other Important Info. 

• Classroom spelling bee practice words went home on Friday on the back of the Great American SpellCheck newspaper.  There will be two classroom spelling bees, and the winner from each bee will represent our class in the school bee on January 20th.  The class bees will be Friday, December 16th and Monday, December 19th.  
• Scholastic book orders were passed out Friday.  They are due Monday, 12/5.  Click here to order online!  (Our class code is L8V73.)  You may also return the paper order form with a check made out to "Scholastic Reading Club." 
• Wednesday, 12/7, is an Early Release Day with dismissal at 1:40.  Please make sure your child knows how they are going home.
• The Winter Party is Tuesday, December 20th from 2-3pm. 
• Winter Break starts Wednesday, 12/21, and school resumes Wednesday, January 4th.
• XtraMath is a great resource to help students with their multiplication and division facts.   
• All tests and essays should be signed and returned.