10/2912 - 11/2/12

     It seems as if we are getting busier and busier here at school.  One thing I know for sure, and that is that I am so happy that we are past the subtraction chapter in math!  Thank you for pitching in and helping with the learning process.  I will try to have students review the subtraction with regrouping skill often.  Some still have some trouble knowing what to do at times.  If you notice your child regrouping incorrectly and see the pattern for what he/she is doing incorrectly, please step in and reteach.  This is a life long skill!

     This will be an extremely busy week.  We have conferences, Halloween parties, Kids Voting, and a couple of tests.  Wish I could put the tests on a different week, but it is impossible without causing us to lose time.  Please see the testing schedule below these pictures which were taken at Sheldon Concert Hall right before the program was scheduled to begin.  I think the class really enjoyed going on this field trip!



This Week:

Mon. -  Conference; Library;  New spelling words come home;

Tues. -  Science Test! 

Wed. -  Halloween parties;

Thurs. - Conferences; Kids Voting; 

Fri. - Social Studies Test / Ch. 7 ;  Math Test / Ch. 6 (Money)





10/22/12 - 10/26/12

     Thank you to the parents who were able to attend our field trip last week.  It was a fun, but exhausting day.  Were you as tired as I was?  Look for pictures of the field trip below the news update.  Hopefully you will see your child somewhere in the pictures!
     We have another field trip on Thursday - this time to The Sheldon Concert Hall.  It is such a short and easy trip that we do not have parents come along.  Thanks to the SPTG for funding the tickets and bus fare!

Here's what is happening in the classroom this week:
Math - We wrap up Ch. 5 on Monday and test on Tuesday.  After that we begin a study of money.  This is one of those chapters in which some students know a lot while others know very little, so it is time to get out the coins and start practicing counting money.  Start with the bills and largest coins.  When we learn to count change, we begin with pennies until we get to the nearest 5 or 10 and then start using the larger coins.
Spelling -Red and Yellow Groups test on Wednesday;  Blue and Green Groups test on Thursday;
Writing-  Students took a break at the end of last week and enjoyed writing an acrostic poem for  October.  They are also decorating their published piece to give the poem a pleasing presentation!  After that we will begin my favorite kind of writing - personal narratives.
Reading - Most of the groups have started new books.  We will study genre in our mini lessons this week.
Science -  We will have a test over food chains, food webs, predators, and prey on Friday, and next week we will begin a new unit in the science book!

Social Studies -  On to chapter 7 and then chapter 8 for second quarter social studies.  These chapters are a study of government.  We will also be talking about the upcoming election and prepare for Kids Voting Week.                                 



                                                         The Jury                                                      



 



The Bailiff

 

The Defendant and His Lawyer

 The Plaintiff and the Prosecuting Attourney

 

Important Events:
Mon. - Library;
Tues. - Math Test Ch. 5;
Wed. - Spelling Test for Red/Yellow Groups;
Thurs. - Spelling Test for Blue/Green Groups;  Field Trip to the Sheldon;
Fri. - Science Test over pages 172-177 and p.180-185;

10/15/12-10/19/12

     We have a lot of schools events this week!  Look for:

            Psghetti's  Night on Tuesday the 16th from 4 - 9 PM

 

            Arch and Old Courthouse Fieldtrip on Wednesday the 17th

  

            Early Dismissal / Last Day of Quarter on Friday the 19th, (11:30AM) 

    

     We are in good shape as far as getting through the appropriate material for the first quarter.   I am still in the process of entering grades onto SIS, however, so you will notice grades changing all week long as I enter more and more information.  I am also giving one more important test over chapter two in social studies on Thursday.  Look for the study guide coming home on Monday.  Some of it will be homework to be completed at home.

 

     You will find a new behavior sheet in the Wednesday folder this week.  It is my expectation that students should be mastering the classroom rules.  However, as students become more comfortable in the classroom, I sometimes start to notice some negative changes in student behavior.  Students will have to work hard to earn their plus signs on the weekly behavior sheet in the second quarter!

 

     I hope you keep in mind the above special days.  I plan to be at Psghetti's Night and look forward to seeing you there.  Also, please remember to send a lunch and drink in a disposable bag for the field trip Wednesday.  Finally, enjoy and celebrate the end of the first quarter on Friday.  I know I will be!

      

            

10/8/12 - 10/12/12

     The end of the quarter is right around the corner.  As a result, we will be testing in several subjects as we bring our chapters of study to a close.  Look for tests in science, math, and spelling this week, as well as a chapter 2 test in social studies next week.  These tests can make a difference in one's grades, so please encourage study.  Besides that, studying at an early age makes for good habits later.  Now here is a run down of the week:

Math - We are practicing "predict and test" word problems, and they are difficult to do without some teacher guidance.  However, there will be two problems of this nature on the Ch. 4 test on Wed.
Writing - The class is enjoying gathering facts about their chosen countries.  The artsy part of the paper they are writing has to do with writing a catchy introduction to an otherwise ordinary report.  Students will glue a picture of "Waldo" (remember the Where's Waldo books?) to the maps of the world that they have made.  Students will then write as if Waldo is visiting their country.  I hope the stories and maps will make a really fun and informative display!
Spelling - All students will test in spelling this week.
Reading - We have finished the cause and effect skill and will move on to inferences.  There are a lot of fun stories that go along with this skill!
Science - We will test over chapters 4 and 5 on Tuesday.  Don't panic, however, as the test covers only the parts of the chapters indicated on the study guide.
Social Studies - We will finish Ch. 2 by Friday.  Look for a study guide to come next weekend.  Our test will be the early part of next week - probably Tuesday.

Important Events:
Mon. - Fundraiser money needs to be turned in;  library;
Tues. - Science test;  Spelling test for the Red and Yellow Groups;
Wed. - Math test over chapter 4;  spelling test for the Green and Blue Groups;

10/1/12 - 10/5/12

 What a beautiful weekend!  I know how busy weekends can get, however, so I am hoping that through all the busyness you were able to get a chance to visit SIS to check in on your child's grades thus far in the quarter.  We will have at least one more test in all subject areas, and in some areas there may be more than one.  Please continue to encourage your to do his/her best right up to the end of the quarter!

Here's what is happening this week:
Math - We will be practicing our addition with larger numbers in the thousands.  This means lots of regrouping!  Rounding is still being used in this chapter.  Students must know how to round to the nearest ten and nearest hundred without fail!
Writing - We are wrapping up our stories about someone in our family.  We'll try to publish them at a later time.  In the meantime, we will write a short nonfiction piece that will tie in with social studies.  I'm hoping these will be finished by the end of the week.
Spelling - Words are coming out for all groups this week.  Blue and Green spelling groups will test on Wednesday.!
Reading - Our focus continues to be on cause and effect, a difficult skill for students to master.
Science - Sorry about all the confusion over science.  We will finish our unit of study before the end of the first quarter.  Our next test will be over part of chapter 4 and part of chapter 5.  I am planning to have that test next week on Tuesday.  Our vocabulary will include words such as population, community, environment, ecosystem, habitat, producer, and consumer.   This may sound like a social studies review, but these words have a slightly different twist when part of science.  Be sure to go over this vocab well in advance!
Social Studies - Be ready to know the states in the midwest region.  We will learn about this region  and quiz over the states on the map surrounding Missouri on Thursday.   Look for this geography study page on Tuesday.

Important Events:
Wed. - Blue and Green Spelling Groups will test;
Thurs.- Map quiz over the states in the midwest region of the United States;
Fri.-  Bingo Night!

Picture from Friday's Dance Day

 (PE All School Event for the Guiness Book of World Records)