It's Going to Be a Great Year

Hello parents!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful summer and enjoying the time with your children!

I'm so excited about next year!  We have some great things planned and I know the students are going to learn so much.  The units this year are some of my favorites so far.

This blog will mainly be for my third grade homeroom class.  Here you will be able to find out what your child is studying, items needed, lunch menus, supply lists, and more.  It also contains links to sites for my various classes.  The students will use these sites to communicate with me, find helpful links, and keep up with homework assignments.  Feel free to explore and let me know if you have any questions!

I will update this blog every Friday afternoon once school starts.  You may also want to follow by email, which will send you an email each time I make a new post.  If you have a Gmail account, you can become a follower and make comments on various posts.

A few ways you can get a head start:

• Make sure that your child has an email account.  A Gmail account is preferable, as some of the students will be creating blogs using Blogger.
• Make sure that your student is adept at checking email, surfing the internet, etc.  If your child just got a new iPad, make sure he/she is familiar with it before school starts.
• Practice typing.  There are many apps and websites to help your child.  I recommend this one: BBC Dance Mat Typing.
• If your child has not seen The Lion King recently, try to watch it over the summer.  I will be using it during some of our discussions in the first unit.

Have a great summer!  I'll be in touch soon with book lists for 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.

Newsletter May 21 - 25

Wow, how the time has flown.  It seems like only yesterday I was just getting started with my new third graders and now the year is almost over.  I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed working with your children this year.  They are a great group of bright, creative, and funny kids.  They've all touched my heart in so many ways.  I expect a lot from my students and they have rose to meet every challenge I've put before them.  I'm so proud of all they've accomplished this year and the many ways they have grown.  I hope that you all have a great summer and I look forward to working with you again next year!

News to Know

• Lola is this week's snack helper.
• Tuesday is future day, in which students must dress as themselves in the future.  Wednesday is favorite person in history day.  Students should come dressed as their favorite person in history or create a picture.  They should also have a few facts to share about their person.
• If you haven't set up a conference, please contact me to make an appointment.
• Students should arrive for Thursday evening's culmination at 6:00.  The performance will begin at 6:30.
• Friday is a half day with dismissal at noon.

Language Arts

We will finish reading The Giver this week.  Instead of a test, students will write their own endings to the story.  We will continue discussing adverbs and prepositions.

Math

We will continue our topic on statistics and probability.  I have some fun activities planned for this week to demonstrate probability.

Conceptual

We will finish discussing the future tomorrow.  We will also have You in the Future day and Favorite Person in History Day.

Science

We will continue our discussion on animal adaptations with Mr. Trent.  The students did a great job of creating their own animals with special adaptations!

Conferences

Hi parents,

Over the next two weeks, I would like to meet with all of you to discuss your child and his/her progress this year.  I will also have recommendations for the summer to continue your child's growth and prepare him/her for fourth grade.  Please contact me to set up a time.  I've listed my available hours for this week below, and my available hours next week will be similar.  If you cannot meet during these times, please let me know and we can work something out.

Tuesday: 1:00/1:30 or after school
Wednesday: 2:00-end of school
Thursday:1:00-end of school
Friday: 8:30 or after school
Monday: 1:00-end of school

Thanks,
Lisa

Newsletter May 14 - 18

Wow!  It's hard to believe that we are down to the last 2 weeks of school!  This year has flown by.

We had a great week last week.  We learned about the 70s, 80s, and 90s.  We created habitats and caring guides for our pet rocks and learned the "Thriller" dance.

News to Know

• Luke Weathersby is this week's snack helper.  Lola will be next week's helper.
• Students whose family order Scrip by Tuesday may come in free dress on Friday.
• Students will be dressing as themselves in the future on the 22nd and presenting their favorite person in history on the 23rd.

Language Arts

We will continue reading The Giver this week.  I'm so proud of the students for all of their wonderful insights into the novel.  I love hearing them beg for "one more chapter" as we finish reading each day.  We will continue working on adverbs this week.  The students had a lot of fun using Memrise last week, so we will do it again this week.  The link to the words for this week is below.

http://www.memrise.com/set/10027121/giver-vocabulary-week-3/

Math

We will take the Topic 17: Time and Temperature test on Tuesday.  I will send home the study guide Monday. This will be our last test of the year.  We will then begin a topic on data, statistics, and probability.  I think the kids are going to have a lot of fun with this one.

Conceptual

We will discuss the top events of the 2000s.  Students will work in groups to complete a What If? activity in which they must decide how our world would be different if something in history were changed. 

Science

We will pair up with Mr. Trent to discuss adaptations of living things.

Newsletter May 7 - 11

Hello!  I hope that everyone is having a great weekend.  We had such a wonderful week at school last week!  The kids are so excited about the new unit.  This week we learned about the 1950s and 1960s.  The students danced in a sock hop and created some awesome tie-dye t-shirts.  We had a great field day Friday as well!  Thanks so much to everyone who helped out.  I know the kids had a wonderful time.

Also, thank you to everyone who attended and helped out with the Star Wars party.  The students had a great time and we raised a lot of money for next year's conceptual budget.

News to Know

• Will Brett is this week's snack helper.  Luke Weathersby will be next week's helper.
• Students need to bring a shoe box for a conceptual project on Tuesday.  If you have any extras, we'd love for you to send those as well!
• On Friday, students may wear their tie-dye shirts.
• A lot of the students are getting hot at recess.  Please remind your child to dress appropriately for hot weather and to bring a water bottle.

Language Arts

We will continue reading The Giver.  I am so impressed by the students' insights into one of my favorite books.  Although I've read it many times, I'm getting a completely different perspective as I read with them.  We will begin studying adverbs.  We will have a vocabulary test this week.  Students may want to use the link below to study for the words.  This is a great website for students to monitor their progress as they learn new words!

http://www.memrise.com/set/10025657/giver-vocabulary-week-2/

Math

We will continue learning about time and temperature.  We will wrap the unit up this week and I will send a study guide home.  We will take a test on Monday.  The students should not have to study too much, as most of them are picking up time really quickly.  On Tuesday, we will do a retake of the Topic 18 and 19 tests.  I will send home a couple of practice sheets on Monday.  I really want the students to have a good foundation in multiplication and division as they move into fourth grade math next year.  I encourage all of them to keep working on their math facts and longer multiplication and division problems over the summer.

Conceptual

This week we will be discussing the 70s, 80s, and 90s.  We will also be creating habitats for pet rocks, learning the dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and performing some popular 90s songs.  I'm sure your children would love to hear about your personal experiences during these decades!

Science

We will be teaming up with Mr. Trent to continue our study of biology.

Newsletter April 30 - May 4

Wow!  What a year it's been!  I can't believe that we are already to the last unit.  It's been a great year!  I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed having each of your children in my class.  They are all such bright, funny kids and we've had a great time.  I feel so blessed to be able to work at such a wonderful place.

I'd like to commend the students on their work during the World Wars unit.  Their insight into our discussions during both conceptual and reading was wonderful.  The field trip was a great time as well - I was really impressed to see the students so interested in the exhibits.  I'm so proud of all of them!

Thanks to all of you for everything you did to make this unit so great!  The students had such a great time during the Blitzkrieg simulation on Friday.  I really appreciate your help with all of our activities!

News to Know

• Luke Antinnes is this week's snack helper.  Will Brett will be next week's helper.
• If you haven't sent in your Star Wars party form, we will still take them on Monday.
• Please send $1 and a plain white t-shirt by Wednesday.  We will be tie-dying!  This day will also be a free dress day.  Please make sure your child wears clothes that can be stained.
• We will have field day on Friday, May 4th.  Students may wear their BDS jerseys or t-shirts.  We will meet at the Bellegrass fields at 8:30.

Language Arts

We will begin reading our next book this week.  I cannot wait to share this one with the kids.  We will also have a pronouns test on Wednesday.  I will send home a study guide on Tuesday.  We will take the spelling pretest on Wednesday and the posttest on Thursday due to field day.

Math

We will review division on Monday and take a test on Tuesday.  Please review long division with and without remainders with your child.  This is a new concept for the students and they need lots of practice.  On Wednesday, we will begin our topic on time and temperature.  Please encourage your child to practice telling time at home.  Students also need to work on concepts of elapsed time.

Conceptual

I won't say too much about conceptual just yet, but we've got an awesome week planned.  We won't only be be learning history, we'll be experiencing it!

Science

We'll be discussing living things and classification this week.  We will be taking a test at some point.  I will send home a study guide the day before.

Newsletter April 23 - 27

Hi parents!  I hope you are all enjoying this chilly weekend weather!  We have a great week planned for our last week of the world wars.

News to Know

• Emmy is this week's snack helper.  Luke Antinnes will be next week's helper.
• McCall needs a ride for the field trip on Wednesday.  If you can take her, please let me know!
• We will be meeting at the WWII Museum in New Orleans on Wednesday at 10:30 AM.
• On either Thursday or Friday (I'll let you know ASAP) we will be doing a Blitzkrieg simulation activity.  Students should bring a swimsuit to change into - 1-piece or tankini and shorts for girls, trunks and shirts for boys.  We also need water guns (all sizes), water balloons, and water tubes.  Anything you can send will be most appreciated!  I know this activity will be one of the kids' favorites of the year.

Language Arts
We finished Number the Stars last week.  I really enjoyed reading this book with the students - they had some great insights that led to some wonderful discussions.  This week, we will be reading some WWII picture books and doing some activities with the text.  Books include: Baseball Saved Us, Yertle the Turtle, Terrible Things, The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants, Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot, and The Yellow Star.  We will also be creating our own World War II picture book with Mr. Trent's class.

Math
We will begin Topic 19 on Monday.  This topic covers simple long division, with 1-digit dividends.  We are scheduled to finish the topic on Friday and I will send home a study guide this week, but we will not take the test until next Tuesday.

Conceptual
We will discuss propaganda, wartime entertainment, the Blitzkrieg style of fighting, and the end of WWII.  We will be creating our own propaganda, staging a radio show, and simulating the Blitzkrieg.  It promises to be a fun week!

Science
We will team up with Mr. Trent's class to continue our unit on living things.  I will be sending home grades for students' cell models / presentations.  The kids did a great job!

Newsletter April 16-20

Hi parents!  I hope that everyone has had a great weekend!  We have a fantastic week planned.

News to Know

• Will Rester is this week's snack helper.  Emmy will be next week's helper.
• Students may wear their jerseys to school on Tuesdays.
• Please return lunch forms and field trip permission forms as soon as possible.

Language Arts

We will finish reading Number the Stars this week and take a comprehension test on Friday.  The students have really enjoyed this book and I'm so proud of their amazing insights.  We will wrap up our topic on pronouns this week and will take a test sometime next week.  We will do vocabulary this week and will take a test on Friday.

Math

We are going to skip a couple of topics and do 2- and 3-digit multiplication this week.  We are going to go ahead and do multiplication and division before we get too close to the end of the year and spring fever sets it!  The students have already had some practice with 2- and 3-digit multiplication, so we will move through this topic quickly and take a test on Friday.

Conceptual

We will begin the week by discussing the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression.  We will then move into the beginnings of WWII and the Holocaust.  We have some fun activities planned for Thursday involving some of the fighting styles of WWII.

Science

We will be teaming up with Mr. Trent's class to discuss living things.  I'm so proud of the kids for their hard work on their cell models.  They look amazing!  

Newsletter: April 10 - 13

Hi parents!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter!

Last week got off to a great start!  The hallway looks fantastic and the information is so great!  Thank you to everyone...you did a fantastic job!

We had a great week of conceptual as well.  The students are really getting interested in WWI.  The trenches activity worked out really well on Friday.  Thanks to everyone who sent balls!

News to Know

• Quinn is this week's snack helper.  Will Rester will be next week's helper.
• Friday will be a free dress day.  Students will be painting for art with Belle, so they should wear clothes that can be messed up.
• We will be going to the WWII Museum in New Orleans on Wednesday, April 25.  Forms will be going home on Tuesday.
• Students may now wear jerseys each Tuesday with appropriate bottoms of their choice!  Remember to wear sneakers on this day as well, as the PE class is getting ready for the Presidential Fitness Test.

Language Arts

We will continue reading Number the Stars.  I am enjoying hearing all the students' wonderful insights to this book.  We will have a spelling test this week.  We will continue learning about pronouns and homophones/homographs.  We will also post to our blogs this week.

Math

We will wrap up Topic 15: Metric Measurement on Wednesday and will take the test on Thursday.  Study guides will go home on Wednesday.

Conceptual

We will learn about the weapons of WWI, America's entry into the war, and the lasting effects of the war this week.  We will also be discussing women's suffrage and prohibition.

Science

We will be teaming up with Mr. Trent's class to learn all about life and cells.

Newsletter April 2 - 5

Hello!  I hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend and are't being pranked too much by your children!

Friday was such a great wrap up to the Civil War unit.  The kids had a great time at both the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum and Beauvoir.  It was so interesting to see some of the things we've been talking about.  Also, guides at both locations commented on how well-behaved our students are.  I couldn't be prouder of them.  Thanks to Mr. Trent and everyone who helped out for making the Civil War unit so fantastic.

We start a new unit tomorrow and I cannot wait to get started.  It is one of my favorite topics in history and I am excited to share it with the students.

News to Know

• Courtney is this week's snack helper.  Quinn will be next week's helper.
• We are out Friday and next Monday for the Easter holiday.  Happy Easter!
• On Thursday, we will be doing a conceptual activity that will require dodge balls.  If you can send Nerf balls or any other squishy balls, it would be much appreciated.  The air-filled play balls found at Walmart and most dollar stores are perfect.  These balls can be returned, but if you are willing to donate them, they would be perfect for some of the games the kids play at recess.

Language Arts

We will begin reading our book this week.  As our book is so short this unit, we will not be reading for homework on Tuesday nights.  We will read in class and still have centers on Wednesdays.  The students will also still have short, weekly quizzes on the reading.  We will have spelling this week - the pretest will be on Wednesday and the retest will be on Thursday.  We will review the material covered so far on pronouns and then continue with possessive pronouns and contractions.  We will play some online word games and post to our blogs.

Math

On Monday, we will take the Customary Measurement test as a class.  Students do not need to study as we will work the problems together.  We will then begin Topic 15: Metric Measurement.  We will be learning about centimeters, decimeters, meters, kilometers, milliliters, and liters.  Please encourage your child to look for metric measurements in their daily lives.

Conceptual

We will begin learning all about our unit this week!

Science

We will discuss and experiment with Newton's Laws of Motion.

Newsletter: March 19-23

Hi parents!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful, relaxing break!  We have some exciting things planned for these last ten weeks of school...I can't wait!

News to Know

• Summer is this week's snack helper.  McCall will be next week's helper.
• We will begin taking the SAT on Thursday.  Prior to that, we will review.  Please make sure that your child is on time to school, well rested, and has breakfast.  For testing days, the students are welcome to bring a drink with them.
• There will be no homework or spelling this week.
• I have emailed you all about the next book.  Please let me know if you'd like me order a copy for your child.

Language Arts

We will continue reading The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg.  The students are loving this one!  We will also review for the SAT.

Math

We will review for the SAT.

Science / Social Studies

We will review for the SAT.

Newsletter: March 5 - 9

Hi parents!  I hope that everyone is having a great weekend!  The Civil War unit got off to a great start last week.  The hallway looks wonderful and the students really enjoyed the speakers on Monday.  This week, we learned about the War of 1812, James Monroe, and Andrew Jackson.  The kids had a lot of fun performing their own renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and learning about Andrew Jackson's "cool hair."  There are even more fun things in store this week!

News to Know

• Lola is this week's snack helper.  Summer will be snack helper when we return from spring break.
• We will be taking the SAT beginning Thursday, March 22 and will continue into the week of the 26th.  We will be reviewing for the test over the next weeks of school, so your child's attendance is very important.  Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.
• If your child has any toy cars, please send them early this week.  I only need about 8, and they will be returned.  We will be doing an experiment on Wednesday or Thursday with them.  Thank you!
• We also need a couple of materials for math.  If you have an empty gallon jug, please send it by Thursday.  Also, if anyone is willing to let us borrow a small plastic pool for Thursday, it would be much appreciated.  Thanks!

Language Arts

We will continue reading The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg.  The kids are really enjoying the novel so far.  We will continue our study of pronouns and take a short quiz on Tuesday.  We will also be doing some practice for the language arts section of the SAT.

Math

We will begin our topic on customary measurement this week.  We will be discussing fractions of an inch, inches, feet, yards, and miles, capacity, and weight.  I think the students are going to have a lot of fun with this one.

Science

We had a great time with chemistry last week!  We will wrap it up tomorrow with the building blocks of matter and will take a short quiz on Tuesday.  We will then move into forces, including Newton's Laws of Motion and friction.

Newsletter February 27 - March 2

Hi parents!  It's hard to believe that we are moving into March this week.  Our year is really flying by!  The Revolutionary War unit was a great one, and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance on Friday.  The kids did a great job presenting their maps - I was so proud of their hard work!

The unit ahead of us is a great one with a lot of fun activities.  I know the students are going to enjoy the book this unit as well (they all cheered when I told them it was much shorter than Johnny Tremain!)

News to Know

• Luke Weathersby is this week's snack helper.  Next week's helper is Lola.
• Students will each need a deck of cards for this week's center activity on Wednesday.  It does not have to be a new deck, but the cards should be in reasonably good condition and the set should be complete.
• We will begin taking the SAT test on Thursday, March 22 and continue into the week of the 26th.  We will be occasionally reviewing for the test starting this week, and your child's attendance is very important during this time.  Thanks for all you do!

Language Arts

We will begin reading our new novel.  Students need to read chapters 5 and 6 for homework on Tuesday night.  We will also begin to look at pronouns, including subject and object pronouns.  To prepare for the SAT test, we will practice editing sentences and passages for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

Math

We will begin Topic 13: Decimals this week.  We will discuss the relationship between fractions and decimals, use money to understand decimals, and add / subtract money.  Please encourage your child to look for decimals in the world around them.  As this is a short topic, we will take the test on Friday.

Science

We will wrap up our weather topic on Monday by making a barometer and then doing some experiments with clouds and atmosphere.  We will then move into chemistry, one of my personal changes.  We will discuss states of matter, the difference between weight, mass, and volume, and physical and chemical changes.  I've got some exciting experiments planned for this week!

Math Update

Hi parents!  I wanted to inform you of a few changes to our math.  We begin each day with a multiplication test and then a Mad Minute.  For the multiplication test, students have one and a half minutes to complete each of the times tables.  Students are working their way 0 - 12.  Most students are near completion.  Once students finish, they use this time to take a mixed multiplication test.

For the Mad Minute, students have 1 minute to work as many math facts as they can.  They then work problems for a second minute.  Students progress through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  As they move along, they are expected to complete more facts.  It is so important that students get these basic facts down as they move through math and work more complex problems.

I will now be sending both of these tests home each day with some students.  If students are still working on their multiplication tests, I will send it home with the facts they need to study.  If students do not complete their Mad Minute in 2 minutes, I am sending those home as well.  Students do not have to complete these for homework or bring them back, but I want you to see where they are on math facts and decide if they need additional practice.  If you would like me to send home extra blank sheets, I am more than happy to.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.  Thank you so much for all you do!

Newsletter February 22 - 24

Hi parents!  I hope that you are all having a wonderful Mardi Gras!  My surgery was successful, but the recovery has been fairly miserable.  I have taken a turn for the better today, though and expect to be back at full speed on Thursday.

This has been such a wonderful unit and the kids have learned so much about the Revolutionary War.  Thank you so much to all the parents and teachers who made it so great.  Thanks also to everyone who helped out with the Valentine's Day party...it was so much fun!

News to Know

• Will Brett is this week's snack helper.  Luke Weathersby will be next week's helper.
• I sent out an email about this unit's book.  If you would like me to order one for your child, the cost is $7 and I will be placing the order on Wednesday.
• BDS jersey orders are due this Friday.  Please let me know if you have any questions.
• The culmination performance is this Friday at 2:00.  Grades 4-6 will be performing plays at 1:30.
• We will begin taking the SAT test on Thursday, March 22 and continue into the week of the 26th.  We will be occasionally reviewing for the test starting next week, so your child's attendance is very important during this time.

Language Arts

We will finish reading Johnny Tremain and take the comprehension test on Friday.  We will practice combining sentences with adjectives and writing friendly letters.

Math

We will wrap up our topic on fractions and take the Topic 12 test on Friday.  We will spend Thursday in review and I will send home a study guide Thursday evening.

Social Studies / Science

We will finish making our maps for the culmination performance.

Newsletter Week of February 13 - 17

Hi parents!  We had another great week here at BDS.  This week, we learned about the events leading up to the American Revolution and some of the famous figures.  The students are really enjoying this unit!

News to Know

• Luke Antinnes is this week's snack helper.  Will Brett is next week's helper.
• Lunch menus / money are due on Tuesday.
• We will be having our Valentine's Day Party on Tuesday at 1:45.  Students need to bring Valentines for the students in our class or the entire school.  Each student also needs to bring a small baked good for the cakewalk.  Our class is responsible for the Valentine's Bingo game.  More details on that coming soon.
• I will be out next Wednesday through Friday for oral surgery.  If you cannot get in touch with me, please call Trent at 601.528.3527.
• We will be out of school on February 20 - 21 for Mardi Gras.

Language Arts

We will continue reading Johnny Tremain this week.  The students are really beginning to get into the story.  We will also continue working with adjectives.

Math

We are off to a great start with fractions.  This week, we will look at comparing fractions on the number line and adding / subtracting fractions using fraction strips.

Science / Social Studies

We will work on our project for the unit culmination performance.  I can't wait for you guys to see what we have planned!

Newsletter February 6 - February 10

Hi parents!  I hope that you are all having a great weekend and looking forward to the big game tomorrow.  We had an exciting week last week as the students got into the spirit of the American Revolution.  We learned about the French and Indian War, George Washington, and the Minutemen.  The students had a great time on Thursday as they pretended to be Minutemen and rushed to get ready at the sound of an alarm.  The field trip to Landrum's Country was wonderful and I know the students learned so much!

News to Know

• Emmy is this week's snack helper.  Luke Antinnes will be next week's helper.
• Any students who order Scrip this week can have free dress on Friday.

Language Arts

We will continue reading Johnny Tremain.  On Wednesday, we will have our own mock court case to relate to Johnny's trial in the novel.  We will continue studying adjectives.  This week we will look at adjectives that compare, when to use more and most, and when to use good and bad.  We will have a vocabulary test on Friday.

Math

We will take the Topic 11 test on Monday.  The students do not have to study for this test, as it only covers a few concepts and they had no trouble this week.  They will be allowed to use their notes and I will offer them any extra help they need.  We will begin Topic 12 on Tuesday.  This topic covers fractions.  This week we will be working with the concept of fractions and benchmark fractions.

Science

We will wrap up our study on weather this week by looking at the Earth's atmosphere and the types and formation of clouds.

Newsletter January 30 - February 3

Hi parents!  I hope that everyone has had a wonderful weekend!  We wrapped up our unit on Explorers and Colonization last week.  It was a great unit with a lot of fun activities and the students really learned a lot.

I am so proud of my class for their accomplishments in reading this year!  Last week, we discussed how many novels we have read so far and couldn't believe that we had already read 7!  They have worked hard and have risen to the challenge of any novel I've asked them to read.  I am especially proud of them during our reading of The Witch of Blackbird Pond.  While the book was above grade level, they all approached the story with enthusiasm and determination.  They did a great job of analyzing the text and characters.

Our next novel is also a bit above grade level, but it is an exciting story that truly captures the spirit of America during this period in history.  I know that the children are going to love it.  For the at-home reading this month, I encourage you to read with your child, as the text can be a bit difficult.  This book is also divided into parts, with smaller chapters within and the chapter numbers repeat for each new part.  Thus, for homework assignments, I will give the part and chapter numbers along with the page numbers.  If you have any questions about which pages your child is to read, please feel free to text me!

News to Know

• Will Rester is this week's snack helper.  Emmy will be next week's helper.  Also, I have finished out the schedule for the rest of year.
• Please send money for this Friday's field trip and your child's book for this unit if you have not already done so.
• We will be making barometers on Thursday, so if you have a small coffee can, please send one.  I know that these are difficult to find, so if you do not have one, do not worry.  We may just make one barometer as a class.

Language Arts

We will begin reading our new book.  We will continue our study of adjectives with articles, adjectives after linking verbs, and proper adjectives.  We will have a short quiz on adjectives and articles on Tuesday.  We will also continue to work on our blogs.

Math

We will take the Topic 10 test on Monday.  I reviewed with the students on Friday, and they all seem to have a good grasp of the material.  We will then begin Topic 11: Congruence and Symmetry.  This is a short, easy topic and we should finish it on Thursday.  Depending on how the students are doing, we may test this topic on next Monday.  I hate to give two Monday tests, but I will only do it if the students have a good understanding of the topic and can take the test without having to study over the weekend.  We will discuss our options on Thursday and I will let you know by Friday what we plan to do.

Science / Social Studies

We had so much fun studying weather last week!  We made rain gauges and wind vanes.  After the rain on Thursday, our gauges showed us that it had rained 1 inch!  This week, we will be making anemometers and barometers.  We will create our chart to compare weather in other cities.  We will also continue studying the fifty states.  We will begin by learning the names and locations of the states in the Southeastern US.

Update

Hi parents!  I sent home school newsletters Friday, but I have one left over.  If your child did not receive one, please let me know and I will send it.  It includes important information about next Friday's field trip.

Also, our class is in need of lined paper and eraser caps.  If you can send either of these items, it would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks so much for all you do!

Newsletter January 23 - 27

Hi parents!  I hope that you all have had wonderful weekends!  This will be our last week of the unit on Exploration and Colonies and next we will be starting something new.  This has been such an interesting unit and the students have learned so much about the founding of America.  The colonial day Friday was a huge success.  Thanks to all who organized and helped out.  The kids had a fantastic time!

News to Know

• Quinn is this week's snack helper.  Will Rester will be next week's helper.
• Students will need an empty soda bottle for a science project this week.  Bottles should be clear and can be any size.

Language Arts

We will finish reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond this week.  The students have truly enjoyed this novel and we have had some great conversations about it.  I'm so proud of them for taking on difficult books.  We will begin discussing adjectives this week.  We will have a vocabulary test on Friday.

Math

We will continue our topic on geometry.  This week, we will discuss angles, polygons, triangles, quadrilaterals, and making generalizations.  We will take the Topic 10 test sometime early next week.  I sent home some flash cards with the students last week as this topic is full of new vocabulary.  While the students will not be able to use these flash cards on the test, they are welcome to use their notes.  I have encouraged the students to transfer any vocabulary they wish into their math journals.

Science / Social Studies

We will begin studying weather this week.  We will be setting up our own little weather station to record local weather.  We will also be comparing our weather to the weather in other cities.  We will begin looking at the map of the United States and learning the names and locations of our 50 states.

Newsletter January 17 - 20

Hello! I hope that you have all had a lovely and relaxing holiday weekend! We have an exciting week ahead of us!

News to Know

• Courtney is this week's snack helper. Quinn will be next week's helper. I will have the new schedule up next week.
• I will be sending out information about the book for the next unit sometime near the end of this week. I have narrowed it down to two books and need a couple more days to decide.
• Lunch menus for February are due this week.
• If your child does not have a laptop, or his/her laptop is broken, please have it fixed soon. We are going to be working on our blogs and Power Point presentations in the coming weeks.

Language Arts

We will continue reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond. On Wednesday, we will research Puritan pastimes and try our hands at shucking corn. We will wrap up verbs this week and take a short quiz on Friday. We will also continue writing our narratives.

Math

This week we will begin our topic on geometry. We will be discussing solid figures, shapes, lines, line segments, and angles. I am encouraging students to look for examples of geometry in their daily lives. On Wednesday, students will be asked to bring in an example of a particular solid. I will give them more information tomorrow.

Science

We will be wrapping up our discussion on the way different forces shape the earth this week. We will experiment with landslides and asteroids. We will take a short quiz on Thursday.

Newsletter January 9 - 13

Hello! I hope that everyone has had a great weekend! Our new unit got off to a great start last week. The students are so excited to learn about the early explorers and how our continent was discovered. Our class has really gotten into The Witch of Blackbird Pond and we have had some great discussions so far.

News to Know

• McCall is this week's snack helper. Courtney will be next week's helper.
• We will be making candles on Wednesday. If you have any old crayons that you no longer use, please send them. Thanks!

Language Arts

This week we will read chapters 6 - 12 of our book. Students will have reading homework on Tuesday night. We will study linking verbs and take a test on action, helping, and linking verbs on Thursday. We will begin prewriting for our narratives. As student narratives will be based on things that have happened to them, this is a great time for you and your child to discuss some of the major events of his/her life.

Math

We will finish Topic 9: Patterns and Sequences this week. The students have really enjoyed this topic and are now looking for patterns everywhere. This week we will discuss translating words into expressions, geometric patterns, equal or unequal, and acting it out and using reasoning to solve problems. We will take the Topic 9 assessment on Friday.

Science

We have an exciting week ahead of us in science. We will be discussing and experimenting with earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building, floods, and landslides.

Newsletter January 3 - 6

Hello! I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! We had a very merry Christmas and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the newest member of our family, Hugo. We had a wonderful break, and I am excited to get into the next unit. The hallway is looking great! I think the kids are really going to enjoy this one.

News to Know

• Summer is this week's snack helper. McCall will be next week's helper.
• As we are starting a new semester, it is a good time to replace any supplies that your child may need. I know that many of the children are out of crayons, markers, and scissors.

Language Arts

We will begin reading our new book on Tuesday. I am so excited about this book...it has an interesting plot and a great protagonist. I think the kids are really going to enjoy this one. We will have a vocabulary test on Friday. We will begin a unit on narrative writing and students will write a story about their life. We will study helping and linking verbs this week.

Math

We will begin one of my favorite topics this week: Topic 9 Patterns and Relationships. We will be looking at picture patterns and sequences, extending tables, and writing rules for situations. This topic is a chance for students to really extend their thinking and I have some fun activities planned. I encourage you and your child to look for patterns in your daily lives.

Science

We will continue our topic on weathering and erosion this week. We will create our own landforms and then subject them to erosion. We will also look for evidence of erosion around our school.