Good morning,
We have finished taking our science tests yesterday and will be beginning our first social studies unit today- Geography & Ancient Civilizations. The kids will be receiving a study guide and vocabulary words once again with a due date in the far future. Hopefully after completing the Ecosystem Unit, the kids will have a better idea of how to study using the study guide as an outline and reviewing quizzes and handouts from their folder, vocabulary cards, and the text book. I was really impressed with the difference between what they wrote on the "pretest" at the beginning of the unit and what they filled in with pen at the end. I think they were all able to visually see how much they have truly learned! We will be doing that for each science and social studies unit.
My reading group is finishing up their realistic fiction literature circles next Tuesday, and we will take a couple weeks before we begin the fantasy literature circle groups. This gives students a time to focus on their book talk books. All students have chosen their book talk books and have until Monday, November 14th to complete the reading. I strongly suggest for students to use Post-its to track their thinking as they read, noting important parts, meaningful passages, and specific elements they like about the book. This will really help with filling out the graphic organizer. They can also get started on that as they read or when they finish, even if it is before the 14th. We will be discussing the graphic organizer and the drafting process more in class as the dates get closer. All handouts and papers are available for the students in their Google Classroom account to access from home if needed.
The students are finishing up their drafts of their personal narratives. We have really focused on: writing quality leads, using dialogue, choosing vivid verbs, utilizing transitional words and phrases, and today we will be focusing on writing a strong conclusion. Later this week and next week we will be working on how to do high quality revision and editing, peer conferencing, and publishing using Google Docs and Google Classroom. We will end this unit with a writing celebration!
Here are some upcoming events:
-Our class will be attending Living Lab next Tuesday the 25th.
-Our class Halloween party will be on Halloween- Monday, October 31st! For the party, the kids can bring in a special treat to have as a snack for themselves. We will have our party at the end of the day right after lunch, so many students like to bring in a fun dessert for themselves to enjoy (not to share). During each of our parties this year, we will focus on playing games and having fun together. Although Mrs. Nolan and I do not need any help during the parties, I always welcome any parents to join us if they would like, as it is probably the last opportunity before they head off to middle school. Please let me know if you plan on joining us on Monday the 31st at 1:30PM.
-Wednesday, November 2nd we will be celebrating reaching 200 respect points by challenging Mr. Whittlesey's class to a game or Jailbreak in the gym. The students voted for this celebration and are looking forward to it. They will need to bring their sneakers on this day.
As always, do not hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns.
I wish you a wonderful day,
Amanda
We have finished taking our science tests yesterday and will be beginning our first social studies unit today- Geography & Ancient Civilizations. The kids will be receiving a study guide and vocabulary words once again with a due date in the far future. Hopefully after completing the Ecosystem Unit, the kids will have a better idea of how to study using the study guide as an outline and reviewing quizzes and handouts from their folder, vocabulary cards, and the text book. I was really impressed with the difference between what they wrote on the "pretest" at the beginning of the unit and what they filled in with pen at the end. I think they were all able to visually see how much they have truly learned! We will be doing that for each science and social studies unit.
My reading group is finishing up their realistic fiction literature circles next Tuesday, and we will take a couple weeks before we begin the fantasy literature circle groups. This gives students a time to focus on their book talk books. All students have chosen their book talk books and have until Monday, November 14th to complete the reading. I strongly suggest for students to use Post-its to track their thinking as they read, noting important parts, meaningful passages, and specific elements they like about the book. This will really help with filling out the graphic organizer. They can also get started on that as they read or when they finish, even if it is before the 14th. We will be discussing the graphic organizer and the drafting process more in class as the dates get closer. All handouts and papers are available for the students in their Google Classroom account to access from home if needed.
The students are finishing up their drafts of their personal narratives. We have really focused on: writing quality leads, using dialogue, choosing vivid verbs, utilizing transitional words and phrases, and today we will be focusing on writing a strong conclusion. Later this week and next week we will be working on how to do high quality revision and editing, peer conferencing, and publishing using Google Docs and Google Classroom. We will end this unit with a writing celebration!
Here are some upcoming events:
-Our class will be attending Living Lab next Tuesday the 25th.
-Our class Halloween party will be on Halloween- Monday, October 31st! For the party, the kids can bring in a special treat to have as a snack for themselves. We will have our party at the end of the day right after lunch, so many students like to bring in a fun dessert for themselves to enjoy (not to share). During each of our parties this year, we will focus on playing games and having fun together. Although Mrs. Nolan and I do not need any help during the parties, I always welcome any parents to join us if they would like, as it is probably the last opportunity before they head off to middle school. Please let me know if you plan on joining us on Monday the 31st at 1:30PM.
-Wednesday, November 2nd we will be celebrating reaching 200 respect points by challenging Mr. Whittlesey's class to a game or Jailbreak in the gym. The students voted for this celebration and are looking forward to it. They will need to bring their sneakers on this day.
As always, do not hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns.
I wish you a wonderful day,
Amanda