Hello, all! I hope that you all have had a chance to rest, relax, and ready yourself for the remainder of the school year. I know I had a very nice vacation, but I am definitely looking forward to getting back to school!
When we return, we will continue reading our fantasy novels in the literature circle format. The students have done such a wonderful job in their reading and discussions. We should be finishing these books by the middle of our second week back. I can't wait to see everyone's reactions to how the stories end.
In math, we will be continuing our work with fractions, but we will now be relating them to decimals. Expect homework as we practice and review the indicators that we've already mastered throughout the school year. It's important that we keep coming back to these so that those skills are not lost.
Most students have finished the persuasive writing assignment. Those who have not will be expected to finish publishing them this week. We are then going to work on the traits of voice and sentence fluency as we prepare to start writing poetry in mid-April.
In science we will review what we've learned about the Earth, Sun and Moon. Then we'll extend that learning through reading and further explorations.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I will see you all on Monday!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
All Done!
The students finished the Applied Skills section of the ISTEP today. Let me just say that everyone worked very hard and I am proud of them. We still have the multiple choice portion to take at the end of April, but that should be a breeze after this test.
Our pizza party for winning the Box Tops competition is on Friday, March 13. The class also chose to have their comfy reading reward on that day. Students may wear pajama pants and t-shirts; they can bring slippers to wear in class; also, they can bring a pillow, blanket or stuffed animal that will fit in their book bags (I know how crowded buses can be.). All of this should make for a great reward for excellent behavior and effort!
Our pizza party for winning the Box Tops competition is on Friday, March 13. The class also chose to have their comfy reading reward on that day. Students may wear pajama pants and t-shirts; they can bring slippers to wear in class; also, they can bring a pillow, blanket or stuffed animal that will fit in their book bags (I know how crowded buses can be.). All of this should make for a great reward for excellent behavior and effort!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
ISTEP Underway
As you probably know, we began our ISTEP testing yesterday. We will be able to wrap up on Friday. Any make up tests will be given next week. I just want to say that I am really proud of how hard the students are working!
Even though we are testing, we are still continuing to learn new material. We are reading in our fantasy-based guided reading books. It's very exciting to see how each group is really getting into their reading through the jobs they've been given to do. I have heard some excellent discussions as I've listened to each group.
In math, we are going to begin working on fractions. We'll begin by reviewing what fractions are, and then we'll move into mixed numbers and improper fractions. Much of our work will be done using pictures to help us understand.
We will be continuing our persuasive writing pieces. We had to take a break from them to review prompt writing, but now we can concentrate on completing them and adding the finishing touches.
Also, I have some very exciting news. Our class won the Box Top competition by turning in over 900 Box Tops!!!!! We are being rewarded with a pizza party. I'm not sure when it is yet, but I'll keep you informed. Thanks to all of the students and parents for their efforts in collecting those Tops.
Even though we are testing, we are still continuing to learn new material. We are reading in our fantasy-based guided reading books. It's very exciting to see how each group is really getting into their reading through the jobs they've been given to do. I have heard some excellent discussions as I've listened to each group.
In math, we are going to begin working on fractions. We'll begin by reviewing what fractions are, and then we'll move into mixed numbers and improper fractions. Much of our work will be done using pictures to help us understand.
We will be continuing our persuasive writing pieces. We had to take a break from them to review prompt writing, but now we can concentrate on completing them and adding the finishing touches.
Also, I have some very exciting news. Our class won the Box Top competition by turning in over 900 Box Tops!!!!! We are being rewarded with a pizza party. I'm not sure when it is yet, but I'll keep you informed. Thanks to all of the students and parents for their efforts in collecting those Tops.
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