Newsletter 8

Announcements

10/2 – Wednesday – Class Bookfair Visit – 10:45-11:15

10/2 – Wednesday – Lunch w/ Loved Ones – Eat lunch and go to bookfair with child

10/7 – Monday – Raffle Tickets Due

10/10 – Thursday – End of Nine Weeks (AR goals should be met)

Homework

Two Achieve articles for the week – I have given students a “grace” period so far with the forgetting to bring their sheets back, the sheets not being signed, or them forgetting to do their homework altogehter. However, as the second nine weeks approaches this will not be the case. Students will have a homework grade for the second nine weeks with each student starting at 100%. Everytime they do do not return their completed sheet they will be deducted points from their homework grade. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Reading

In Reading students tested over problem/solution and were introdcued to new our next text structure, compare/contrast. Students added compare/contrast to their graphic organizer in their interactive journals, and we read one of the stories in our Reading Wonders anthology. We dicussed key vocabulary terms and began looking at words with multiple meanings. Next week we will read the next story and studnets will begin completing their center rotations for the week.

Writing

In Writing we looked at different types of leads to hook our readers into our personal narratives. I modeled all types using my own personal narrative topic about taking my kids on the Safari ride at Disney World (which most of them can relate to J ). Then they wrote a hook for each type of lead that went with the topic they chose, and then began writing the introduction to their rough draft. Next week we will continue and complete the drafting process.

Grammar

In grammar this week we continued to review subject/predicates and idioms. We discussed how subjects represent the who or what the sentence is about (noun) and the predicate tells what the suject is doing (verb). We talked about how wee need both of these to have a complete sentence. Next week we will go further into complete sentences and indentifying sentence fragments. Students will also be given grammar activities at the beginning of each week. Some will be “must do” assignments for a grade and are review skills, and some will be “may do” activities that may include skills they have not yet mastered.  

Social Studies

In social studies this week we completed the events leading up to the American Revolution. Students completed a quick quiz today and we will be moving onto important historical people during the American Revolution next week. Activities with these people will be integrated within the reading center rotations as well.

Week 7 Newsletter

Announcements

9/25 – Wednesday – Reading Wonders Cold Read

9/26 – Thursday – Events Leading Up to American Revolution Test

Homework

Achieve – 2 Articles – Please make sure your child is doing these and you are monitoring their progress!

Reading

We had a new reading schedule this week! I introduced the new problem and solution text structure last Thursday and Friday so Monday we focused on learning the grammar skill for the week, which was subject/predicate and idioms. Students completed their interactive journal and practice activities with my guidance Monday. Then Wednesday and Thursday we did our first center rotations! They consisted of Idiom QR Codes, Subject/Predicate Task Cards, Milestone Quick Write Practice, USA Test Prep on the Chromebooks, Identifying problems in random pictures and determining several possible solutions to explain through writing, and then meeting with me to complete a practice Reading Wonders assignment before they take the real things next week. J For our first week it went well! We will have to work somethings out but overall I feel that we covered all the reading standards we needed to this week. I plan on taking two center assignments as a grade and then the rest for completion. Next week students will take their RW cold read formative and summative and I will introduce the new skill, compare and contrast.

Writing

In writing this week we continued learning about the components of a personal narrative. We discussed comparing their writing to a watermelon and a seed. The watermelon is a BIG event that has happened to them…a trip they have taken, a birthday, a memorable moment. However, the seed is what we zoom in on to write about. This is where we use sensory details, dialogue, descriptive words, etc. Writing is a developmental skill and it TAKES TIME but we are working on it J This week we talked about watermelon vs. seeds, narrowing down their own big moments to small moments, and the different types of leads. Next week we will begin putting it together to start on their drafts.

Social Studies

This week we talked about the Boston Massacre. We added it to our organizer, read a passage and answered comprehension questions. Next week we will get through the Boston Tea Party and review all acts leading up to the American Revolution and Quiz on Thursday (tentatively). My hope is to get a study guide home Monday J

Week 6 Newsletter

Thank you for a great week! We got a lot accomplished even though we are still settling into or new routine J Please remember that Red Folders come home Thursdays, which includes graded papers, AR report (signed), and behavior sheet (signed). Students have weekly Achieve Logs that should be done every week, signed by you and returned Friday. PLEASE make sure your child is doing this and you are monitoring their progress. This will take the place of a weekly reading log unless the student is having difficulty meeting their AR goals. Thank you for all of your support, as it is a team effort between parents, teachers, and students to ensure the success of our children!

Reading

In reading this week we finished up the text structure, Sequencing. Students worked in partners to complete task cards that provided them with a scenario and then asked them when specific events occurred.  During this time I met with students to review the Reading Wonders questions 1-10 they completed last week. Wednesday students took their Reading Wonders, questions 11-20, assessment. Overall, they did EXCELLENT! This week students were also introduced to the text structure, Problem and Solution. We read both stories in the anthology books and discussed key words, vocabulary words, and idioms. After reading the stories students completed their interactive journal activities that incorporated comprehension, vocabulary, and figurative language skills. Next week we will continue with problem/solution and will plan to test the 27^th.

Writing

We finished our Best Part of Me essays! Yay! They are so cute! We started our narrative unit this week with brainstorming topics for personal narratives. We will continue next week with focusing on small moments and then building around those moments with hooks, sensory details, and dialogue.

Social Studies

In social studies this week I introduced events leading up to the American Revolution. We discussed the French and Indian War, Sugar Act, and Stamp Act. Students have graphic organizers in the SS section of their DOG books. Next week we will cover the Intolerable Acts, Boston Massacre, and Boston Tea Party. Students will receive a study guide and a tentative test date next week as well.

Week 5 Newsletter

Announcements

9/9 – Monday – Progress reports – Please know that there are minimal grades for Reading/ELA since I have only been back 3 days. I assure you there will be plenty of grades by the time report cards come out and you can always check Infinite Campus to see averages.

9/11 - Wednesday – RW Assessment – Sequencing

9/12 – Thursday – Red Folder day – there will be a behavior log and AR report that need to be signed.

9/13 – Friday – Kona Ice

Homework

·       Achieve Sheet – Due Friday

·       Read 20 minutes every night - you can count Achieve articles for this and any other readings they do

·       If there is work they don’t complete in class (that is not a grade) I will send it home for them to complete. I will email you if this happens.  

I am so happy to be back! It’s been an adjustment for both myself and the kids these last few days but we are getting better every day and they are truly an AWESOME group!

Reading

In reading this week we focused on sequencing in fictional stories, specifically fairy tales. We discussed how the characters, plot, and settings contribute to the sequential order of a story. We read both stories from the anthologies and students worked in partners to complete practice activities that we reviewed as a class. Today, we completed a practice test together and students did questions from the Reading Wonders assessment as a grade (not a test). Wednesday they will take questions 11-20 that will count as a test grade. Next week we will move onto problem and solution in fictional stories.

Writing

This week we have been working on a descriptive writing piece called The Best Part of Me. Mrs. Gaylor read the book to them and they brainstormed the best parts of themselves. Wednesday I modeled how the introduction should include a hook and topic sentence and students made their corrections, met with partners, and then met with me. Thursday I modeled the body paragraph that gave their reasons for why their chosen body part is the best part of themselves. They were also to include details with their reasons. Each student was given a rubric that we discussed and used to grade their introductions and body paragraphs. Monday we will work on the conclusion and begin the final copies. This will be their first writing piece and writing grade (all big writing pieces are counted as test grades). After their final pieces are published we will begin discussing the components of narrative writing pieces.

Grammar

This week we reviewed synonyms and antonyms. Next week we will review idioms as a type of figurative language.

Social Studies

In social studies next week we will begin the American Revolution.  

Please email me with any questions, concerns, or celebrations (I want to hear those too) J Have a wonderful weekend!