Thank you to everyone for such a wonderful and generous Teacher Appreciation Week! I am so blessed to be able to work with your students every day. You all truly spoiled me this week and I am humbled by the outpouring of your kind thoughts and tokens. Our room looks like a Miss America pageant with the many vases of flowers that now adorn it. Notes and pictures from students are hanging in all available spots. Our supplies have been replenished with your generosity. And I am for sure going to to be in a sugar coma if I am not careful about rationing all the goodies you sent in! Finally, much to your students joy, I will definitely be able to “Wake up, and smell the coffee!” for the rest of the year with the many gift cards to my favorite places!

 

Your children’s smiles make every day Teacher Appreciation Day. Thank you for sharing them with me.

 

We are working on subtracting 3 digit numbers across zeroes. We are also thinking about which strategy would be the most efficient to solve the problem. That means which strategy gets the job done with the least amount of work or the fewest number of steps.

Here are some videos to help you.

Module 5 Lesson 13

Module 5 Lesson 14

Module 5 Lesson 15

Module 5 Lesson 16

Module 5 Lesson 17

Module 5 Lesson 18

I hear the weather is suppose to start getting warmer by the end of the week. Let’s hope it does!

Here is our Week at a Peek:

Reading	We are working on identifying challenges that main characters face in fictional stories and how they respond to those challenges.
Spelling	We are working on regular plural nouns: -s, -es, or -ies. Most nouns that end in a consonant or e, add “s”. If the noun ends in s, ss, x, sh, ch, or zz then add “es”. If the noun ends in y, then change the “y” to “i”, and add “es.”	boxes, witches, dishes, fixes, sandwiches, foxes, stitches, mixes, riches, brushes, benches, beaches, lunches, peaches, branches
Writing	We are beginning researching on an animal and writing a short report about it. We will be doing the complete writing process including pre-writing with a graphic organizer, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. We will be using books provided in class.
Math	We continue practicing several strategies for adding and subtracting 3 digit numbers. This week we are focused on the vertical algorithm using a place value chart and dots.	Module 5 Lesson 8 Module 5 Lesson 10 Module 5 Lesson 11 Module 5 Lesson 12
Science	We are exploring how plants adapt to their environment to survive including how seeds travel, how they meet their basic needs of sunlight and water, and how they protect themselves.
Social Studies	Students are exploring how and why a community changes over time by examining housing, transportation, population, and community growth.	The House on Maple Street

 

School Store is Friday, May 3.

PTA Mother Day Carnation Sale is this week. Orders are due by May 8th. $1 per carnation.

 

Have a great week! Go Rockets!

We are continuing our work with addition and subtraction strategies with 3 digit numbers to help improve our mental math. We are often trying to get to a friendly number such as the nearest group of 10 or the nearest hundred. Getting to a friendly number allows us to easily count up or back.

Here are some videos to help.

Does your child’s teacher make them feel loved? Does your teacher work tirelessly to make things fun and engaging? Does your teacher have high expectations and helps your child reach them? Are they inspiring? Then let your teacher know!

The Dearborn Area Chamber invites you to nominate your favorite teacher for Teacher of the Year. The deadline for entries is Friday, March 8. There are paper forms available in the office. You can also access an online form at www.dearbornschools.org  or at www.dearbornareachamber.org.

 

Please read the following statement from the River Oaks Staff about a serious viral video challenge referred to as the MoMo Challenge.

February 28, 2019

Dear Parents,

Technology, the internet, and social media have become a big part of all of our lives. From the moment we wake in the morning to the time we go to sleep, we can be overwhelmed with technology.  That’s why I wanted to take a moment to share with you information about a social media trend that regrettably seems to be reaching elementary age children.

Over the past several years, a common trend on social media or through text messaging is to pose a “challenge” to the viewer of the video or reader of the text message.  Perhaps you may recall the “ice bucket” challenge that was popular a few years back and helped to raise funds for ALS or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Most of the time, these “challenges” are done with the best intentions.

Unfortunately, there are those who choose to create and post “challenges” that can be dangerous and physically harmful.  There have been news stories about the dangerous “challenges” that ask the viewer to consume certain products such as large amounts of cinnamon or even as outrageous as washing machine detergent. I have recently been told there is another one of these “challenge” videos going around that ask the viewer to perform acts of violence to others or to themselves. This is very distressing, especially to know that children as young as elementary age are being exposed to this type of disturbing behavior.

I’m sharing this information with you today not to alarm, panic, or spread of any rumors.  Rather, I share this with you to communicate information that may be helpful to you as parents. I would also like to pass along a few simple tips that all parents can use when helping children safely navigate the internet and social media.

Basic guidelines for parental supervision:

• Spend time online together to teach your kids appropriate online behavior.
• Keep the computer in a common area where you can watch and monitor its use, not in individual bedrooms. Monitor any time spent on smartphones or tablets.
• Bookmark kids’ favorite sites for easy access.
• Check your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.
• Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child’s school, after-school center,  friends’ homes, or any place where kids could use a computer without your supervision.
• Take your child seriously if he or she reports an uncomfortable online exchange

We know our students are safe at home and we pride ourselves on creating a safe environment for your children when they are here at school.  By working together we can ensure that our school will always be a safe place for learning.

 

Sincerely,

 

River Oaks Staff

Dear Families,

 

As a culmination to our narrative writing and folktales, our class wrote our own version of “The Mitten.” Together we brainstormed and completed a graphic organizer. Then we “built” our story together on chart paper with all students contributing and deciding how we wanted our story to sound. After we completed our draft, we re-read our story revising it to make sure it made sense and was interesting. Then we edited it for capitals, punctuation, and spelling. Finally, we published it! Each student got to choose a page to illustrate. Then I laminated and bound the pages together. And it turned out FANTASTIC!

 

Now, as published authors, we would like to share our book with you. Please sit and read the book with your child. They’ve worked hard and are very proud of this work. Please keep our book safe and dry. It is our only copy.

 

CLASS BOOK PROCEDURES

 

1. Keep the book inside the envelope to protect it going to and from school.
2. Return it promptly so that the next student can take it home. We have 19 students who want to share their book with their families.
3. Read and discuss the book with your child.
4. Sign and date the check out form. Please let us know what you think. Feedback is important to authors.
5. Take a picture of your child (and you, if possible) reading our book. Send the picture to fowlerj@dearbornschools.org.
6. Please take care of our treasure by keeping it away from food, water, little ones, and pets.

 

Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did writing it!

 

Here is the schedule:

 

Date Sent Home	Date Due	Student
3/1	3/4	Banine
3/4	3/5	Mustafa
3/5	3/6	Carter
3/6	3/7	Maya
3/7	3/8	Ibrahim
3/8	3/11	Zain
3/11	3/12	Hussein
3/12	3/13	J’Deon
3/13	3/14	Montather
3/14	3/15	Alaa
3/15	3/18	Adam
3/18	3/19	Youssef
3/19	3/20	Alex
3/20	3/21	Nathan
3/21	3/22	Mahdi
3/22	3/25	Serine
3/25	3/26	Dima
3/26	3/27	Maria
3/27	3/28	Fatima

 

We are increasing the difficulty in math by adding hundreds. Today we worked on relating how adding ones to make tens helps us add tens to make a hundred.  We are working on using basic facts to add larger numbers. For example, 2 + 8 =10, so 20 +80 =100

Therefore, it is CRITICAL that students know their math facts, including missing addends problems. 8 + 2, 2 + __ = 10, etc.

I have attached a set of math fluency cards that you may print off and practice with your student.

Addition Flash cards 4.19

Also here are the next few Eureka videos that go with our math homework.

 

Here’s our quick peek at what’s ahead this week.

Subject	Topic	Vocabulary
Reading	We continue to focus on retelling and summarizing narrative fiction including fairy tales and folk tales.	In the beginning, first, next, then, after that, finally, in the end.
Writing	We will be working on writing a non-fiction piece including an introduction and conclusion.	main idea, key details, introduction, topic sentence, conclusion, paragraph, planning, draft
Math	Use mental strategies to add 3 digit numbers. To understand that 10 tens make a hundred just like 10 ones make a 10.	Say 10 way, arrow way, decompose, expanded form, rename. bundle, addend, partners to 10, compensation
Science	Explore slow changes to the earth’s surface by weathering and erosion and how to protect the Earth’s surface from weathering.	Weathering, erosion, prevention, wind, water, ice, human causes
Social Studies	Explore why local communities form governments.	services, mayor, court, city council, laws

Don’t forget to sell your Pizza Kits. Pizza order forms are due March 5.

This week we are working on the schwa sound which sounds like /uh/. It is often spelled with an a but can also be other vowels. It is often at the beginning of the word.

• alone
• again
• agree
• comma
• idea
• about

Content/sight words

• done
• difference
• solve
• surface

Here are some videos to help.