Lunch calendars will be sent home tomorrow. Lunch options are halal hamburgers, creamy macaroni and cheese, and Sun-butter and jelly sandwiches.
Wear a College T-Shirt Tomorrow!
MARCH IS READING MONTH: COLOR YOUR FUTURE CHALLENGE! Students who “color in” 17 of the boxes on their calendar and get each signed by a parent will be able to enter themselves into a drawing for fun prizes! ALL students did today’s challenge in class, so all students’ day one square can be colored in and signed!
Happy first day of National Reading Month! March is reading month, which means that all month students will be engaged in unique literacy activities in our school and classroom all month!
Students were sent home with a calendar of daily reading challenges. Here is is so that you can help your child participate! I have included a copy you can download below the picture.
We are playing “catch up” this week due to the snow days, so instruction in all subject areas will be similar to what I wrote about in last week’s post. In reading, we are applying what we have learned about plot structure and using it to explain the purpose of chapters in the books we are reading. Our writing project, an informational brochure about a colony (5th grade) or the government (4th grade), will be started THIS week. We will also be getting reading groups back on track after missing a few days.
Math
5th
We are finishing up our unit with lessons on the division of fractions. Our goal is to complete lessons 27 through 31 of module 4. I will be sending home the math review sheet early this week. The math test will be Wednesday of next week.
4th
We are JUST beginning our new unit on the math of lines, angles, and shapes. We will be aiming to do lessons 2 through 6 of the module, which include topics such as parallel and perpendicular lines and different types of angles.
Science
We are wrapping up our lesson about the water cycle, and then moving on to learning about hurricanes. We will focus on how people can prepare for such natural disasters.
Social Studies
5th
We are continuing our study of the northern colonies and moving on to the middle colonies. Our test is coming up, but I am not able to schedule it for certain given the snow days. I will post when I am sure what day the test will be, giving at least a week’s notice.
4th
We will learn about the branches of government and complete a project on them.
Spelling City
The spelling list for this week is up on Spelling City (link below) and the test will be Friday. The title of the list is “Week of 3/2/20 Word List.” https://www.spellingcity.com/users/JuntunenA
This week we are focusing on dividing fractions and decimals. Our goal is to finish lesson 28 this week (we just finished lesson 24), and send home our math review at the end of this week.
4th Grade
Math tests will be sent home tomorrow now that all have been turned in. We are beginning module 4 this week, which is about angle measures and plane figures.
ELA
This week, we are learning about the plot structure that all stories follow, and using that structure to help us explain the purpose of a given chapter. Our read aloud book, Holes, will aid us in this. Reading groups are continuing, and we will be launching a new writing project this week.
Science
We are engaging in a lesson about the water cycle this week! We will conduct an experiment where we model how water passes from the ocean to the sky and back again.
Social Studies
5th
The first half of the week, we are learning about the early development of the Northern Colonies. The second half of the week, we will learn about the Middle Colonies. Our next social studies test is approaching. The review guide will be passed out Friday.
4th
We will learn about the branches of the federal government this week, completing a project about them.
Spelling
Spelling words this week are “-tion” words, plus five words related to our science and ELA studies. There are up on Spelling City under “Week of 2/24/20” list.
Please join us for an informational session on NWEA on Tuesday 2/11/20 from 2:45-3:30 in the media center. We will be discussing how the test gathers data, what the reports mean and how to read them, and things that can be done at home to help students succeed! Applicable to all grade levels. Hope to see you there!
I will be sending home NWEA reports that you can keep. If you would like one before the session, please stop at my classroom to pick it up.
Can you believe we only have one more week of school before mid-winter break? Stay tuned for a “Peek Into Our Classroom” tomorrow when I’ll post some pictures of the Blue Ribbon Celebration!
Last week our class started reading Holes by Louis Sachar together. We will use our reading of this text to practice higher-level reading skills in fiction.
Reading groups are continuing this week. Due to unforseen changes to our schedule I still have a few groups to get started.
We wrote our Wildly Important Goals to help us improve our reading and math skills! Students will track their progress toward their goals each day, and we will measure if they achieve their goals when we take NWEA again in May!
Math
5th Grade
Students will be doing increasingly complex operations with fractions. Our goal is to learn lessons 20-25 of module 4 this week.
4th Grade
Up until our test Thursday, students will be learning different strategies for two-digit by two-digit multiplication.
Please note that if your student will not be here on Friday, you should have them plan to take their test Thursday so they do not forget important content over the break.
Science
We are continuing in our unit about the water cycle. Our goal is to complete our second lesson about where tap water comes from.
Social Studies
5th Grade
Fifth graders will begin learning about the founding of the Northern colonies this week! A major topic of discussion will be religious freedom.
4th Grade
Fourth graders will complete our analysis of the constitution and beginning learning the concepts of what “popular sovereignty” and “a republic” are.
Spelling
Spelling words will be up on Spelling City by Monday at 5pm. Please note the list will have Monday’s date on it 2/10/20. Also note that there will be 15 words – I will not be giving cold words anymore, but rather will have students do 15 total words on their spelling list.
This Friday our students will enjoy a Valentine’s Day celebration in our classroom. As part of the celebration, students are invited to bring in Valentine cards, candies, or small trinkets to pass out to one another. If your student intends to bring items in, please make sure they have enough for all other students (20 total, not counting your student themselves).
I will have paper bags for students to collect their valentines in, but students may bring in their own box or bag to collect their valentines in if they so choose.
Again, the swap is optional. Students are welcome to use the paper and markers in our classroom to make their valentines as long as this is only during snack and recess time.
Blue Ribbon Spirit Week!!
All are welcome to our community gathering on Monday at 2 pm to celebrate our Blue Ribbon status!!!
Students are welcome to participate in all the Spirit Days below! I will be participating, too, so I hope they will join me!
Today your students took a look at the book fair. I will send them a few at a time to purchase their books throughout the week. The fair is open tomorrow, Wednesday, and Friday from 12-4,
Blue Ribbon Spirit Week
The spirit week begins next week with a community celebration on Feb. 10th at 2 pm. Please come be a part of it! All week there are fun theme days, which are listed below:
Candy Grams
Candy Grams are for sale this week as a fundraiser for Leader in Me. They are $1 each and your orders are due Friday. Candy grams will be passed out on Valentine’s Day next Friday. Please see the note that was sent home with your student.
Each week, I will post a couple photos of our students learning and leading! Last week, one of our Green Team leaders gave a presentation about pollution and humans’ impact on the Earth. Our fifth graders math posters about multi-step fraction word problems and presented them to the class. Also students began giving Book Shout-Outs during our reading time.
Class Service Project and Supplies
Thank you thank you thank you to the families that brought in tissues. If any more families can contribute boxes of tissues, that would be much appreciated!
As a reminder, our classroom is collecting Slim Jims for Lindbergh’s donation to a local homeless shelter. Please bring in any original flavor beef jerky that you are able to contribute. Our goal is to have enough to fill 30 “kits” of basic goods like clothing and food.
Please make sure you talk with your student about their homework every night and sign their planner.
NWEA Scores and Goal-Setting
NWEA score reports will be sent home to you early this week, and students will begin goal-setting on them this Wednesday.
ELA
Students will complete a practice version of the M-STEP writing test this week. Ask your students what “RACER” stands for to help them remember each of the steps they should take in writing their response.
Students will begin new reading groups this week based on their level and their NWEA results.
Math
5th Grade
Fifth graders will continue their work on multiplying fractions. Our goal is to complete lessons 15 through 19 of module 4 this week.
4th Grade
We are going to continue our work on long division by dividing numbers in the tens and thousands. We will also begin on multiplying two-digit by two-digit numbers.
PLEASE NOTE: I have scheduled 4th graders to make their end-of-module test on Friday, Feb, 14th with a review on Thurs. the 13th. These are the last two days before mid-winter break. If for travel reasons you plan for your student to be absent on Feb. 14th, have your student plan to take their math test on Feb. 13th immediately after the math review. This is so your student has the opportunity to take the test while the information is fresh in their mind, rather than waiting until after break.
Science
Students will finish up their investigation of how much salt and fresh water there is in the world. We will use what we learn to update our hypotheses of what causes droughts and dust storms.
Update on science grading: There will be a low-stakes assessment with a few questions after the investigation finishes. I am moving away from giving lengthy quizzes at the end of every mystery, as these stress students unnecessarily and did not effectively measure student learning. Students will now receive a “check plus, check, or check minus” for their end-of-lesson assessment responses, which correspond to a 1, 2 or 3 respectively. Let me know if you have questions.
Social Studies
5th Grade
Fifth graders will learn about the development of the southern colonies, and then move on to learning about the northern colonies and their desire for religious freedom.
4th Grade
TEST RESCHEDULED: Since I have a district meeting to attend Tuesday afternoon, I have moved the 4th graders’ test to Wednesday morning. The review guide will be due Monday still, but students will have another day to study the correct answers!
Fourth graders have begun to move on to their unit on government in the meantime.
Spelling
Spelling words will be up on Spelling City by Monday at 5 pm.
