Headlines 3/29

I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful break.  I know that I enjoyed time with my family, beautiful weather, and not setting an alarm!  Ms. Porcelli and I are looking forward to a strong fourth quarter as we prepare for fifth grade commencement and  move toward Prep! 

Math: We began our unit over data analysis this morning by introducing mean, median, and mode.  We will continue this week by learning to represent and chart data on different types of graphs.

Writing/Grammar:  This week we are preparing for AZMerit by taking a practice writing assessment.  We will be walking through the steps of the writing process and using a rubric to score our writing.

Literature: Next week we will begin Across Five Aprils, please be sure to have the book in class by Monday!  This week we are focusing on different types of text structure by reading passages from our Core Knowledge curriculum.

Science:  The class is very excited to present their science presentations to their peers this week.  We will begin these tomorrow and will continue learning about plant cells.

History:  We began our unit over The Civil War today.  This is a lengthy and very interesting unit that the students really enjoy.  An email from Ms. Porcelli came home today, regarding the book we will be sending home periodically, so please be sure to read it.

Important Dates:

• AZMerit Testing: Writing, Monday, April 4th
• Spring Concert: Wednesday, April 6th

Headlines 3/16

We are in the last week of third quarter and are winding down our units while we prepare for next semester!  Thank you for all your help with Field Day; the students had a wonderful time and we earned the Silver Medal!

Math: This week we are taking some time to cover concepts that we may not get to before AZMerit.  We are simply introducing the concepts and doing some practice work.  We will cover these more in depth later in the year. I will be sending math tests home today for students to make corrections, they are more than welcome to get help during recess and before or after school.

Writing/Grammar:  We are taking a break from writing and grammar this week and doing some review of sentence diagramming.

Literature: We are continuing our study of fables this week and using them to write summaries, find themes, and use context clues to understand unknown words.

Science:  This week we are doing a fun activity on plant cells.  The students are becoming teachers by using research given to them to study and then present to the class.

History:  We are continuing our reading and discussion of Feudal Japan and ancient Russia this week. 

 Announcements:

• I apologize for the late notice, but there is no tutoring this week.  However, I will be available before and after school to help students make corrections to their math tests.
• Please send in a reusable grocery bag with your child on Thursday to store their desk materials in over spring break.  Our classroom will be receiving a much needed deep clean!
• We will be celebrating our achievements this quarter with a small class party on Thursday.  If you are able to send in a snack or drink to share with the class please let me know.   

Important Dates:

• Half Day: Thursday, March 17
• Spring Break: Friday, March 18-Monday, March 28

Wish List:

If you are out shopping over break, we are in need of dry erase markers, Kleenex, and glue sticks!

Headlines, 3/9

I am so sorry for the tardiness of this blog post!  It has been a busy week and I have had a few computer issues, so we are back on board today!

Math: Today we began our review of decimals.  Students should work on the review tonight and tomorrow we will go over this in class.  We will be taking a test on Friday, however tomorrow night students may use a 3 x 5 note card to create a study aide to use during the test. They will hear more about this tomorrow.

Writing/Grammar:  I have been so pleased with the wonderful presentations students gave and am looking forward to reading their research papers.  I am very proud of the hard work our class put forth on this challenging project!

Literature: This week we are reading fables while we discuss using context clues with unknown vocabulary as well as writing clear and concise summaries.  The roots test is tomorrow!

Science:  We began our unit on plant cells this week by discussing each organelle and it's function within a cell.

History:  The students began the unit on Russia this week by learning about it's culture and history.

 Field Day!!

Field day is Friday and we are all very excited!  I know many parents had questions so here is all I know!

• Students may wear athletic clothing and do not need to be in uniform, although please be sure that the length of shorts is within dress code.  Our color is purple so we are encouraging students to wear purple items of clothing, and of course, please be sure clothing is free of pop culture.  However, they may wear clothing with sports teams on it.  They must have athletic shoes to take part in field day activities!  
• We will provide a cooler for water bottles, so please be sure your child has their water bottle to take on the field.  There will be plenty of cold water available for refills.
• There will be a snack time on the field and we have two parents who have graciously offered to bring those for the class, thank you!
• We will be eating lunch in the room around 11:00, and will head out to field day activities at 12:00.  Please be sure your child has a sack lunch!

Important Dates

• Roots Test:  Thursday, March 10
• Field Day:  Friday, March 11
• Half Day: Thursday, March 17
• Spring Break: Friday, March 18-Monday, March 28

A Quick Note

Dear Families,

I wanted to reach out and let you know how much I care about each and every one of your children.  I am always happy to speak with you about any concerns you have regarding our class and issues that may arise.

Our school has specific guidelines we follow for grievances.  Our handbook states that you can request a meeting with a teacher, put your concern in writing, and then contact the headmaster if you feel it is needed.  If you would like more detailed information about this procedure, please see page 30 of the Famiy Handbook.

Please also note that the family directory is intended for communication centered on academic and social events; it is not a place to air your grievances.

I appreciate all the time and energy you devote to your children's education, as well as all you do to support the staff.  Your children's best interest are always at the heart of what we do.

Thank you,
Shauna  Anderson