Headlines 10/25

Good morning!  We are all happy to be back to our regular schedule this week and are looking forward to a wonderful second quarter.  Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with Mrs. McKernan and I this week during conferences.  It is always so good to have the time to learn more about your families and hear about your children from your perspective. 

Last week costume proposals went home for our Read-a-Thon on October 31st.  Please return these by Friday, Oct. 28th.  As a reminder, students may dress up as a classical literary or historical figure.  I am looking forward to seeing lots of creativity!  Please be on the lookout for a sign-up genius coming soon to volunteer for our celebration that day.

Lastly, thank you to all the parents who helped make conference week enjoyable with the delicious lunches and snacks throughout the day!

ELA:

This week in writing we will begin our second formal writing assessment, a personal narrative.  We will start the week by discussing point of view and how to write an introductory sentence to gain the reader’s attention.  By the end of the week students will have completed their pre-writing.

In Literature we will begin Where the Red Fern Grows and will focus on point of view and using the text to describe the setting of a story.  We will also be introducing The 100 Point Project.  This is a long term assignment students will complete during our reading of the novel.  They will have the opportunity to choose several projects to assess their understanding of the story.  More information will be sent home this week.

We will also get back to Spalding, as well as Greek and Latin Roots.  In Poetry we will start our new poem, “Casey at Bat” in honor of the upcoming World Series!  Students will be working in groups and each student will memorize three stanzas of the poem.  We are encouraging use of props as well as lots of enthusiasm!

Math:

This week our focus will be reviewing addition and subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators and mixed numbers. We will also practice using these skills to solve word problems with bar models. We will review during math groups on Wednesday and will take a short quiz on Thursday.

History:

This week, students will take an in-depth look into the powerful Medici family. They will work on a foldable to document their findings.

Students will also continue their geography unit by learning about the states in the New England region of the United States. They will have a short geography lesson every other Wednesday.

Science:

This week in science, the students will be acquiring knowledge about the classification of living things. This unit on classification will last approximately two weeks. There will be 2 take-home quizzes and one final assessment. They will receive the final assessment study guide on Tuesday and should work one it and review the material a little but every night to ensure readiness for that final assessment. 

Study Skill of the Week:Vocabulary is an important element of understanding expository text.  This week students should take home their history journals and create vocabulary flash cards with the word on the front and the meaning on the back.  Studying these flash cards for five minutes every night will help them prepare for tests and quizzes!