Weekly Updates 12/14-12/18

NEWS/EVENTS

• This Family Friday classes 3-509, 3-510, and 3-505 are hosting a Wax Museum! 
  
• If you are traveling before the start of vacation, please email Ms. Bouchard
• Our class is traveling to Circle in the Square to see student performances on January 11th from 12-2. More details to come- all parents are invited!
• We are asking parents to type plays one more time. It would amazing if plays could be typed sometime between December 17th and January 4th. More specifics to come this week.
• Portfolios with recent student work will be sent home on Monday December 21st.

CURRIUCULUM

Reading- This week students will be introduced to new character in a series book clubs. Students will work with these clubs to get to know their characters, study their actions and dialogue, and grow ideas.

Writing- At the end of last week we launched our next writing unit- Baby Literary Essays. We started with flash draft "bootcamp," which involves brainstorming ideas about a text, picking the strongest idea, finding evidence from the text to support it, then rehearse it out loud. After rehearsal students head back to develop a "flash" draft, which is a fast way to get their ideas on paper. More revisions will follow later in the unit. You will notice that this work will creep into reading notebooking as we start to prepare for the development of reading responses.

Math- We are wrapping up our Multiplication/Division unit this week! We are exploring mass and volume word problems using multiplication and division, and will visit centers to review concepts to prepare for the post assessment, which will take place Monday the 21st. Students leaving early for break will make alternative post-assessment arrangements.

Social Studies- We will wrap up United States centers by 12/23.

Word Study Changes

Hi Everyone!

Because of the high number of absences this week we are making some changes to our nightly homework.

We still need to make up last week's spelling test, so I am moving that to Friday. We will start the newest word study sorts next week. The most important assignments that need to be finished are the Biography Wax Museum Posters, and the publishing of informational writing books. So in lieu of word study homework have the kids work on these!

Many thanks for your ongoing support!

Weekly Updates 12/7-12/11

NEWS/UPDATES

• There is a terrible bug going around and we have many students absent this week. If you child is out, please do not worry about missed work. I am keeping track of what has been missed, and once they are well I will meet with each student to catch them up! Rest is the most important thing!
• There is a Curriculum Connection tomorrow from 8-8:45 about the Reading Notebook across grades 3-5.
• Our Family Friday is next Friday December 18th, and classes 509, 510, and 504 are hosting a Wax Museum! An invitation will follow shortly.

HOMEWORK

Monday: Work on biography project in lieu of nightly jotting for 30 minutes, work in finishing publishing informational writing book (if not already complete), Math Property Word Problem Practice

Tuesday: Work on biography project in lieu of nightly jotting for 30 minutes, work in finishing publishing informational writing book (if not already complete), Math Word Problem Practice

Wednesday: Work on biography project in lieu of nightly jotting for 30 minutes, work in finishing publishing informational writing book (if not already complete), Math group HW, sort new words in notebook

Humble: Sort 3

Determined: Sort 27

Ambitious: Sort 25

Thursday: Work on biography project in lieu of nightly jotting for 30 minutes, work in finishing publishing informational writing book (if not already complete), Math group HW, Word Study Menu Option

Friday: Work on biography project in lieu of nightly jotting for 30 minutes, work in finishing publishing informational writing book (if not already complete), Math group HW

CURRICULUM

Reading-This week we are launching our next reading unit- Character Studies! This week students are meeting with new partners and book clubs to identify character traits and examine problems characters face (when reading books in a series).

Writing- This week we are launching our new writing unit- Baby Literary Essays. Today we took the on demand assessment, and throughout the week we will study student mentor pieces and rubrics to better understand the structure.

Math- This week math groups are doing final reviews of the commutative, associative, and distributive properties, in addition to word problem work around multiplication and division. Later in the week we are exploring units of measurement when used in multiplication/division  scenarios.

Social Studies- We are still in the midst of our unit focusing on the culture, land, and economy of the United States.