• For tomorrow, please remember red spelling notebooks are due, we will take our spelling test, and we will visit the library so everyone needs to have their library books.
• 100’s day is on Monday! Just in case you missed it, here is the note that explains our plan:  100th day   Every student should complete a poster that represents 100 things so they can share with the class!  Students are encouraged to organize their items into equal groups or an array and write a repeated addition sentence to go with it.  We are also planning on having a 100 day snack.  So far we have had cheerios, chocolate chips, animal crackers, chex, and swedish fish donated to help us make our snack.  If you are able to send in something, please do so by tomorrow.  If you are planning to send in something for us to use, but need to send it in Monday, please comment on this post or email me so that I know for sure!!  Otherwise, I may need to go Target shopping this weekend 🙂

Another couple pics for examples…

• Math test tomorrow!  I posted the study guide last week and we went through the questions today (I changed the numbers for the practice in class).  The subtraction problem is tricky.  I am not allowing them to do the traditional method for this question.  We haven’t practiced borrowing enough to rely on for a test grade.  We have been using a few other strategies.  Here is a description of the most popular ones:  subtraction strategies
• A big thanks to Trent’s Mom and Bilal’s Mom for coming through with gallon size Ziploc bags 🙂
• I posted last week about the 100th day of school coming up on Monday, February 22nd.  A paper copy of the note came home today!  We ask students to make a poster of 100 things.  It can be any size!! They are encouraged to sort their items in to equal groups or an array so that they can write a repeated addition sentence or multiplication sentence on their poster. Students will present their poster to the group and then we will hang them in the hallway.  Here are a few pictures of past projects:  

We had a pretty successful day – the evidence is in your child’s STUFFED valentine carrier or bag 🙂 My bag is stuffed as well – Thank You for thinking of me…AND thanks to everyone who helped with donations and/or their time!!

Just a few points of business…

• We have a math test on Wednesday.  The study guide is here: Unit 6 Study Guide – Math  Please take a little time over this long weekend to go over it with your child.
• The 100th day of school is coming up soon.  Please read the attached note.  I meant to send it home today and forgot.  100th day
• We are in desperate need of gallon size Ziploc bags.  Any donations would be greatly appreciated!

Enjoy your long weekend!!

• Tomorrow is late start!
• Our valentine’s party is on Thursday afternoon.
• Library check-out is Thursday this week, so please help your child remember to bring their books back.
• Boots and snow pants are super helpful with the weather like this.  We DID go outside today.  The kids LOVE it 🙂
• No school 2/12/16 and 2/15/16

• Spelling – We did glue our new spelling words into our notebooks (10 pattern words and 5 individual) but we did not bring them home today.  Our first activity is to look them up in the dictionary and I figured it was just easier if we completed the activity together at school.  So, we will finish that tomorrow and then notebooks will come home.  With the short week this week and next week, we will not test these words until February 19th.
• Late Start – this Wednesday, February 10th!!  That snuck up on me!
• No school – Friday, February 12th and Monday, February 15th.

Spelling – Since tomorrow is Friday, that means red spelling notebooks are due.  We did 1 activity together on Monday morning and everyone should have completed 3 activities at home – so when I check notebooks in the morning, I am looking for 4 total activities.  Our spelling test in the morning will include the pattern words that they studied, their individual words, and 4 more “cold” words that follow the pattern.

Library – Tomorrow is our day to check out books 🙂  Next week, we will go to the library on Thursday (since there is no school on Friday).

Valentine’s Day – We are planning to have a small celebration on Thursday, February 11th.  I am sending home a list of student names in tomorrow’s folder (it will be on pink paper).  If your child wishes to pass out Valentine cards or treats, please make sure they have one for every student.

Report cards – These were delivered to me this afternoon.  I will send them home TOMORROW.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Headphones – The headphones in our room are quickly becoming unreliable…the sound goes in and out, they fall off our heads, lol, and they seem to forever be tangled.  I have a few students who have brought in their own pair of headphones to use when it is their turn at the computer.  If this is something you would like to do also, please send them in a bag that is labeled with your child’s name.  They can keep them right in their book box 🙂

Two moments from today that were calling my camera, lol…a few of our cuties at recess, and a snapshot of math workshop – I am pretty sure these boys were going for the record of “most multiplication sentences and arrays in a single rotation” (pretty sure they accomplished that!!):

Just a few reminders:

• I would like to submit the order for Scholastic on Sunday.  If you haven’t ordered yet and would like to, click on this link:   BOOK ORDER  Our classroom code is MK4VL  
• Please send back the January reading calendars this week.
• A big thank-you to all of the families that donated water.  Mrs. Mosallam, Miss Philips, Mrs. Conrad and I delivered it all to the truck today – we totally got our workout in 🙂

• we brought home 10 pattern spelling words, PLUS individual words also!  We also have a new activity card to change things up a little!  Starting this week, students should complete 3 activities at home!!  This means when I check their red notebooks on Friday morning, they will have 4 total activities completed.
• Pencil/eraser sale tomorrow morning and Wednesday  (.25 cents each)
• Please help the families of Flint by donating water this week.  You can drop off your donations by the office or send them in with your child if they are not super heavy.  All size bottles, gallon jugs, and packages of water are accepted and greatly appreciated.
• 1/2 day of school on Friday!!
• Here are a few more pics from buddies last Wednesday…

• Water Drive – The district is sponsoring a bottled water drive next week to help the families in Flint. Starting Monday, we are asking that students/families bring in donations of bottled water. While individual bottles are accepted, it would be helpful if packages were donated.  Your help is greatly appreciated!!
• Pizza Kits Fundraiser – Order forms and money are due on Monday, January 25th.
• Math Test – The Unit 5 math test is on Monday. I posted the review yesterday if you want it.  We practiced today and it seems the most challenging question is the subtraction.
• Pencil/Eraser Sale – next Tuesday and Wednesday, Student Council will be selling pencils and erasers.  All items are .25 cents.   At this point in the year, we could all use an extra pencil or 2…or 4 😉
• 1/2 day – Friday, January 29th.  Students are dismissed at 11:45 a.m.

• For tomorrow, please remember to bring back library books.  It is also hat day to raise money for the animal shelter.  Students who would like to wear a hat are asked to donate $1.
• We have a math test on Monday.  Here is the review so that you can study over the next few days 🙂       Unit 5 Review
• Math was delicious yesterday!  We sorted snacks by the 3D shape they represented, then we graphed our data and wrote a few conclusions.
• Our time with our buddies yesterday was also pretty exciting.  Students were challenged to see who could build the tallest tower using only marshmallows and spaghetti.  It was tough, but we never gave up!!

Some pictures from yesterday: