Weekly Update: Sept. 10 - 14

Weekly Update

Important Reminders:

• PLEASE practice multiplication facts!  The students need to really know them quickly, and without having to use strategies to solve them.  We will be starting multi-digit multiplication and long division soon, and having those multiplication facts memorized will be a HUGE help!  Thanks for your help with this!
• Please remember to check, and initial, your child's planner every night.  Homework and important notes are written in the planner daily.  Thanks for your help with this!
• Please send a snack with your child that is NUT FREE every day, as we do not eat lunch until 12:10.  Thanks!

Important Dates to Remember:

• Sept. 10-14 - Leader of the Week = Cadence
• Sept. 10 - Aislyn's Birthday
• Sept. 13 - Thomas's Birthday
• Sept. 14 - I will be at a new textbook adoption meeting for Science in the afternoon
• Sept. 17-21 - Leader of the Week = Kaden
• Sept. 19 - Early Release & Buddies
• Sept. 24-28 - Leader of the Week = Kaybree
• Sept. 28 - No School - District PD Day

Check Out What We Are Learning This Week:

Writing:  
We are continuing to work on our Realistic Fiction pieces. We will finish drafting and work on revising and editing this week.  We will celebrate our pieces on Friday.  As I have been conferencing with the kiddos on their writing, I am impressed with how hard they are working, and how they are taking what I am teaching them in the mini-lessons and adding it to their writing.  I can't wait to read all of the final pieces!  

Reading:  
We finished  Tiger Rising, but we will continue to use the book while focusing on finding complications in our characters, having rich book conversations, finding evidence in the text, and looking beyond the characters to study other elements of the story.

Read Aloud:
We began our second read aloud, Nine, Ten: A September 11th Story, of the year last week.  It is one of the Mark Twain Nominees.  It is from the perspective of four different children from different parts of the United States.  It is a great book, especially with September 11th being this week.
Math:  
We will finish up Ch. 2 this week.  We will work on subtraction with regrouping, subtracting across zeros, and multi-step word problems.  Our test will be Friday, Sept. 14th.  Study guides will come home on Thursday.

Spelling:  
The students were given their first word sorts on Thursday.  A copy of the words was sent home with a purple note attached.  The note included directions for Spelling City, what sort your child is on, and when the test will be.  The students will follow a Day to Day plan as they work on their words.  I will be meeting with groups to make sure they understand the sort and the words.

Social Studies:  
Due to painting our Salt Maps and Brochures taking longer than we thought we are beginning Lesson 2 this week.  Lesson 2 is about American Indians and Their Land.  We will begin by learning the American Indians Origin Stories, and the Migration Routes of the First Americans.  

Have a great week!