Welcome to the last week before break!

This week…

Math: We will be wrapping up decimals this week.  We are writing and comparing decimals in the tenths and hundredths place.  After spring break we will review fractions and decimals before taking the unit assessment.

Reading: We are wrapping up historical fiction this week as we discuss the lesson/theme in the books, as well as the author’s purpose.

Writing: We ware also finishing up writing literary essays this week.  Students will be asked to apply the skills taught throughout the unit to write their own literary essay from start to finish.  They may use their previous essays, as well as their graphic organizers, to assist them in their writing.

Science: In science, we will be applying our understand of transfer and conversion of energy in order to play a game of marbles.  Don’t be surprised if your kiddos ask you to buy some marbles.  The game is filled with strategy and skill once they begin applying their knowledge of energy transfer.

Looking ahead…

After break, we will begin preparing for the M-STEP test that students will take the first week of May.  We will be doubling up on math units so that we can fit in geometry, as well as measurement, before the test.  We will also review reading and writing skills to help prepare students for the ELA portion of the test.  There are online sample questions under the M-STEP tab on the blog.  Feel free to explore so that you know what your child will be expected to do on the test.

Remember…there is no school this Friday.  Spring Break begins once students are dismissed on Thursday.  We will return Monday, April 10th.

Thank you so much for attending conferences last week.  It was great to talk with all of you regarding your child’s progress thus far.

 

This week…

Math: We will continue our study of fractions by comparing fractions with unlike denominators and creating line plots with fractions before taking Quick Quick 2 on Wednesday.  On Thursday and Friday, we will begin exploring the connection between fractions and decimals.

Reading: We are continuing with historical fiction this week.  We will be analyzing what parts of our books are fiction and what parts are factual.

Writing: We are writing another literary essay this week.  Students will choose a new short story to analyze, determine the lesson, and find text evidence to support that lesson.

Science: During science this week, students will be analyzing the sounds that are created during a collision.

 

Looking ahead…

Tuesday, March 21st – Jet’s Pizza Night and PTC Meeting in the Library 7:00 – 8:00pm

Thursday, March 23rd – Tarry Hall Skating Party 6:30 – 8:30pm

Thursday, March 30th – Health and Puberty Video Lesson

Friday, March 31st – Sunday, April 9th – SPRING BREAK!

Wednesday, April 12th – Music Field Trip to the Symphony 9:30am – 2:00pm (letters to be sent home next week)

It’s conference week!

This week in class…

Math – We are digging into our next unit on fractions.  This week we will be focusing on fractions on a number line.

Reading – This week we will be making text-t0-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections with our historical fiction novels.

Writing – We are continuing to work on literary essays.  Students will be choosing one short story to read this week, determining the lesson the story teaches, and then writing a literary essay one piece at a time.  We will be focusing on organizing our thoughts and evidence before beginning to write to ensure that all components of a literary essay are included.

Science – We will be working on the transfer of energy this week during science.

 

Important Dates:

• Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week are parent-teacher conferences.  Please email me if you are unsure of your conference day or time.  I look forward to meeting with all of you.  Please try your best to arrive on time as conferences are scheduled every 15 minutes and I need to keep to the schedule as best I can to meet with all families.
• Saturday, 3/18 is the Alward Carnival from 11am – 2pm.  Our classroom basket theme this year is family movie night.  Please consider donating something to our class basket.  Popcorn, movie candy, DVDs, and even movie gift cards / certificates are all great items to donate.
• Tuesday, 3/21 is Jet’s Pizza Night as well as the PTC meeting from 7-8pm in the library
• Thursday, 3/23 is the Tarry Hall Skating Party from 6:30-8:30pm.

***Our school book drive runs throughout the month of March.  If you have extra books laying around the house that your child no longer reads, please consider donating them to our book drive.  All books will be donated to foundations that will get the books in the hands of children that would otherwise not have access to books.***

This week…

Math: We will be reviewing fraction concepts missed on Fridays’ review test before taking the final Unit 6 math test on Wednesday.  We will begin Unit 7, another fraction unit, on Friday.

Reading: We are continuing with our unit on Historical Fiction.  Our whole group read aloud of “Number the Stars” will be used to model reading skills that students will apply when reading their independent historical fiction novel.  This week’s focus is on setting (where and when).  Students will be looking for clues to help them better understand what life was like during their time period, in their location.

Writing: We are continuing to work on our literary essays.  This week we will be working on finding specific details and quotations to add to our writing in order to improve the overall craft.

Science: We are studying the transfer of energy and how it is converted from one form to another.  This week students are working with circuits and determining the flow of energy.

Important Notes:

• We are in our first full week of our school-wide book drive.  With Spring right around the corner, it is a great time to clear those cluttered book shelves.  Alward Teams are competing to donate the most books to three different organizations that all help get books into the hands of children that may not have the opportunity to read those books otherwise.
• Conferences are next week.  If you have not returned the half-sheet confirming your conference time, or requesting a different time, please do so as soon as possible and the conference times are jam-packed.  I want to make sure I have the opportunity to meet with all of you.
• Remember that this Friday will be a half day and students will be released at 12:15.  The only lunches available will be a sack lunch to bring home.

Behavior and Attention – With the spring weather creeping upon us, the energy level in the classroom is already increasing.  Some students have become more social over the past couple weeks and are becoming easily distracted from their work.  As I remind them of classroom expectations, it would be great if this reminder could be reiterated at home as well.  Let’s finish off the school year strong!

As always, thank you for your continued support.