update 3/31

Last day of March!!

This week we are finishing our planet reports.  Projects are due tomorrow.  Each child will present his/her project to the entire class.  If for some reason we run out of time for presentations tomorrow, your child will present Monday. I am looking forward to it!  All paper projects will be on display in our hallway and/or display case.   Digital projects will be posted on the Google Classroom for others to view again.

In reading this week, we reviewed some fiction stories and practiced being close readers and answering questions efficiently.   We used a timer to make sure we were able to complete the tasks.  Next week, we will be working  on making some review games to play for our upcoming AIR testing.  ELA testing will be April 12 and 13- Tuesday and Wednesday.  It will be two 90 minute sessions, one each day.

Next week, we will be also practice by using the released AIR questions so students can be exposed to that.  If you want to check it out, here is the link.

A few reminders:
*Please return report card envelopes if you haven't already.
*No reading log due tomorrow. The Planet Project is due instead.  There will be a reading log due next Friday, April 8.

update 3-15

Fourth quarter has begun and Spring Break will be here next week!

This week in reading, we are reading some fictional stories and reviewing the words tone and mood.  We started by reading a story called Sweet Music in Harlem and will end the week reading The Tortoise and the Hare.  We are also talking about how the visuals affect the tone and meaning of the story.

In writing, we started our planet project.  We watched a video about all of the planets and then each child chose the planet he/she wanted to research.  Ask you child which planet he/she chose!  We will be reading and researching details about these planets in order to write a report/essay about it.  Today we brainstormed main ideas and tomorrow will write notes under each one in order to develop an essay.

The planet project should be completed at home and is due Friday, April 1.  Students will have to present their projects that day to the class.  Click here for the project.  It will be given out before spring break so it can be worked on ahead of time if needed.  The project can be made on the computer or using paper, it is up to each child.  There will be no reading log due April 1 because this will replace it.

*Reading Log due this Friday, March 18 for all students.    Have a great Spring Break!

update 3-7

This is our last week of the third quarter.  We have our last reading summative of the third quarter this week on Wednesday and Thursday.  We also have kept practicing writing opinion pieces.  The one we finished today was about which makes a better pet, a cat or a dog?   The kids were interested in this.

Our next writing topic is informational report writing.  We will start by reading and watching videos about the Solar System.  This will tie into their learning in science class about space that will be starting soon.

For reading, we will be reading some more fictional stories and talking about how visuals affect the story while reviewing theme, setting, plot, and characters.  I stopped reading Because of Mr. Terupt when part two came about.  Kids can now borrow the book to finish it if interested.

Reading Counts Goals are due by this Friday.  If your child met his/her goal last Friday, they do not have a reading log due this Friday.  It was amazing that the majority of kids met their goals early!!  They keep reading lots and lots of books...which makes me happy!