ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:
We need ALL names and addresses for our flat kid exchange by TOMORROW! We will be writing our letters on Wednesday. If I have not received a name from your family yet, I’ve sent home another copy of the address request form with your child today. You can fill the paper out or email me with the name and address of someone who would like to participate. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Wednesday is an early release day. Please plan accordingly. It is also a school spirit day! This month it is Wacky Wednesday! Students are invited to dress in mismatched and/or backwards clothes to celebrate.
THIS WEEK IN...
Spelling: We are working on unit 5. The words are: some, so, these, would, and other. We’ll practice spelling these words and also how to use them correctly in a sentence. Our spelling test will be this Friday.
Phonics: This week we are working on consonant blends. We’ll practice sl, dr, sk, st, and sp. Our focus words will be: slide, slips, dress, drop, skin, task, still, must, crisp, and spell.
Vocabulary: Our new words are: rescued, mammal, young, hunger, examines, and normal. We’ll define these words and build connections with them. Then, we’ll search for them in the short story called “A Whale is Saved!” by Elizabeth Baker.
Comprehension: This week, we’ll practice identifying the sequence of events. That means, we’ll be looking at the order of events in the story. We’ll look for key words like first, next, then, and last to help us. When we practice this, it helps us understand the story better. We’ll practice this skill while we read A Harbor Seal Pup Grows Up by Joan Hewett.
Grammar: This week, we’ll practice plural nouns. A plural noun names more than one person, place, or thing. We add -s to form the plural of most nouns. We’ll do several examples together and then the team will have an opportunity for independent practice.
Writing: This week, we will complete our turkey in disguise projects. These will be on display in the hallway so if you’re ever at Russell School, come on down and check them out! We’ll also work on some procedural writing. After reading A Plump and Perky Turkey we will write all about how to catch a turkey. These pieces are so much fun to read when they are complete! Finally, we’ll work on our flat kid letters. We’ll make a flat version of ourselves and then we will write a friendly letter to our friends and family members who are participating. We’ll be sure to have all of the letter parts as well as good spelling and neat handwriting. Our letters will share a little bit about our days at school, the weather, and also ask some friendly questions. The goal is to have these letters out before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Later this week, we’ll also have the opportunity to show off all of our writing skills in a writing prompt. We’ll be writing OUCH! stories where we tell about a time that we got hurt. I’ll be looking for how each student communicates their ideas with others, how they organize their ideas, and how they demonstrate correct conventions.
Read Aloud: This week, we will complete Stanley, Flat Again! We’ve been loving all of Stanley’s flat adventures.
Math: We have completed our geometry journey. You should see your child’s goal sleeve with their checklist inside. The checklist shows the parts your child knows and is able to do. The goal sleeve contains evidence of their progress. Some of this work is graded and some is not. Some work is complete and some is not. This is because your child got choice in how they practiced each day. Some days they may have chosen to do worksheets or activities with recording sheets. Other days they may have chosen to practice on IXL or play a game with a friend. Any unfinished pages in their goal sleeve can be used for extra practice at home.
Today, we began unpacking our fractions standard. Here it is:
Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, and four equal shares and describe those shares as halves, thirds, or fourths. Describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, or four fourths. Recognize that the same share of a whole does not need to have the same shape.
We used our ninja chopping skills to “air partition” circles and rectangles into equal shares and our best ninja voices to describe those shares as halves, thirds, or fourths.
The rest of the week will bring a check-in to see where each student will begin their fractions journey, some fun activities to learn the parts of a fraction, and our fun menu choices for how we can practice our individual goals.
Science: This is a BIG week in science! Today, we had an erosion lab! We made predictions and observed how waves, rain, and wind affected our landform (soil mountain). We then talked about some ways to prevent erosion should that be something we don’t want. We learned all about how plants are one of the best ways to prevent wind and water erosion. More on soil preventions strategies next month. We also created our very own glacier! We’ll place the glacier on a dirt mound tomorrow morning and observe it in the afternoon to see how it affected the mountain.
Later this week, Pete and Penelope might (wink wink) leave us another letter asking us about our very own dream islands! The team will be given salt dough to create their very own island complete with five different (and labeled) landforms! Then, we’ll paint our islands, create a map, and write a friendly postcard to Pete and Penelope from our dream islands. This is definitely going to be a fun project!
No comments:
Post a Comment