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.