Welcome back. I hope everyone had a relaxing vacation with your families.

We will be taking NWEA test over the next two weeks. Please make sure your child gets a good nights sleep every night along with eating a healthy breakfast. Continue to practice on the websites.

Our field trip is this Friday, January 11, 2019. Students should come to school at the normal time 8:00a.m. We will be doing our normal lessons before the buses come. Please pack a bag lunch with a drink. We will be sending home a reminder note this week.

Dates to be aware of are below.

Friday, January 11, 2019 field trip
Friday, January 18, 2019 half a day
Monday, January 21, 2019 No school- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 22, 2019 half a day
Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Late Start
Thursday, February 14, 2019 half a day
Friday, February 15, 2019 No school
Monday, February 18, 2019 No School

Tomorrow, December 21, 2018 is our last day of school before break. It is a full day of school. We will return to school on Monday, January 7, 2019.

Over break please read with your child daily. We have been working extremely hard to improve our reading strategies, but they only get stronger with practice. Please, Please, Please read over break. Set aside a time during the day like bedtime or after breakfast to read. Also, I am sending home a homework packet to review phonic and math skills. Please do a few pages each day. Don’t wait until Sunday night. Waiting is too stressful and not really helpful in maintaining skills.

We will be taking our second NWEA test when we return in January. Use Freckles, and the NWEA RIT practice and Clever on the Dearborn Public Schools website. dearbornschools.org

Good areas to focus on are measurement and data, geometry, problem solving, vocabulary including syllables, compound words, synonyms, and antonyms, prefixes and suffixes.

It has been a very busy year in 2018. I can’t wait to see how much the students grow as independent learners in 2019.

Tomorrow, December 12th is late start.
Friday, December 21st is Red and Green day. Wear red and green. It is a full day of school.

There will be no school December 24-January 4th. We return to school on January 7, 2018.

Thank you everyone for your Thanksgiving donations. Our feast was a huge success.

A few weeks ago we started a new vocabulary program. Every two weeks we get a new set of words. We discuss the words daily, do mini lessons and listen to a story using the words in context. Our goal is to incorporate the new words in our speaking and writing as much as possible. The students really enjoy trying to use the words. By doing this the children have ownership of the words and the words become part of their vocabulary. At the end of the two weeks I give the students a short quiz to monitor their progress. Please read the words and try to use them at home too. This will help the students utilize the vocabulary. Use the old words and the new ones.

The list of words we just finished are listed below.
1. sharp
2. bold
3. stare
4. coward
5. flee
6. grin
7. fortune
8. sneaky
9. empty
10. gasp

Our new vocabulary words introduced yesterday are:
1. host
2. scold
3. rude
4. serious
5. dart
6. sly
7. fog
8. gulp
9. weary
10. upset

Have fun using these words in your conversations at home.

Reminders
Wednesday, October 31,2018, is our Halloween Parade. If your child would like to bring a costume to school, he or she can bring it in a bag. We will change after lunch. The parade will begin at 2:00p.m.

Friday, November 2, 2018, is a half day.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018, there is no school.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018 No school
Thursday, November 22, 2018 No school
Friday, November 23, 2018 No school

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a late start.

We introduced informational text this week. Our focus is on important text features. This week we have been working on bold print and why there is bold print in the text. Ask your child about bold print. They should be able to tell you that bold print means the word is important.

In social studies we have been discussing authority and what authority means. Authority means that a person has the right or power to tell you what to do. For example, a coach, teacher, principal or police officer. Power without authority is someone who tries to tell you what to do, but does not have the power or authority to do so. For example, a bully or a friend.

We are still working on story problems in math. Your child should be able to draw a picture to solve the problem, write a number bond and an equation to go with the problem.

In writing, we are working on opinion writing. The writing should begin with an opinion statement. After the opinion statement, the writing should include at least two reasons to support that opinion. The writing should end with a conclusion statement which is similar to the opinion statement, but has to be changed a little bit.

Remember to read to and with your child every day!!

Half day tomorrow. Dismissal at 11:10a.m.

I can’t believe October is here already. We have been very busy. We have completed our NWEA testing. The students will be bringing home their progress graphs in a week or two. Please ask your child about their graphs and what their goals are. Each child should be able to speak to their graph and the goals they have set.

Friday, October 12, 2018 is a half day for students. We will dismiss at 11:10a.m.
Monday, October 22, 2018 is picture day. Forms are going home today. Even if you do not purchase pictures, your child’s picture will be taken for the year book, so come to school with a smile.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 we will celebrate fall. Lowrey will have its annual costume parade at 2:00p.m. Your child may bring a costume in a bag to change into for the afternoon. The children may also bring in a bag of candy to share with the class.

It was so nice to see everyone at Open House last week! Also, everyone has been fantastic about doing the reading questions. Thank you for that!!!!!
Tomorrow is late start. I will pick the children up at 9:00a.m.

We are working on the short i this week. Please remember to practice the spelling words every night. Make the words in playdough, write them in sidewalk chalk, play school with brother and sister or use magnetic letters. Make homework fun. Remember to play around with the spelling pattern too. Take away the first letter and put in a different letter to see what new words you can make.

I can’t wait to see everyone at Open House tomorrow night. Open House will run Wednesday, September 12, 2018 from 6:00-7:30p.m. This is a great time for your child to show you his or her desk, book box and work in the classroom. Don’t forget to visit Music, Art, Gym and Media Center too.

Thank you to all the parents for attending the parent meeting on Monday. I was excited to see everyone. If you were unable to attend, I will send home all the information.

First homework assignment is due this Friday. Also I have begun reading groups. If your child brings home a reading bag, it is homework to read the books inside and answer questions in the black journal.

This week we are working on the an and ap spelling patterns. Practice the words every day.
* Write the words in chalk
* Hide the words around the room and have your child find the words, read them, and spell them.
* Throw a ball back and forth spelling the words.
* Make the words with playdough. (This helps the hand muscles stronger too)