Happy Tuesday!

I hope that everyone enjoyed the long weekend! The weather certainly cooperated for outdoor fun!

We have quite a bit to accomplish in our short week. We go on our field trip on Friday to the Tampa History Center and will be gone most of the day. However, we will have time in the morning to have our spelling test. We will return to school around 1:30, giving us some time to have some math and social studies time. Please make sure that your child comes to school dressed in their Shorecrest uniform clothes complete with belts if needed. If you would like to accompany us to the History Center, please let me know by the end of the day on Wednesday. We already have a parent riding on the bus with us, but any parent can follow us or meet us there as long as you pay for your own entrance and parking.

Our spelling words this week are as follows: because, cause, forest, forth, forgot, fought, haul, orchard, pause, report, resort, sauce, sport, taught, tornado. Tonight they are to write each word in cursive once on the sheet provided. Tomorrow night for homework , the children will be asked to write a paragraph or story using at least 8 of the words.

Last week I sent you an email from admissions regarding Re-Enrollment.Here are a few key facts:
*contracts are due by Tuesday, February 21, 2012
*information will be sent to you by email with your user ID and password
*if you have any questions, please call the Admission Office at 727-456-7511 or email admissions.. admissions.org

This week in social studies, we will make our final journey across the Bering Sea and continue our journey into North America. We will follow our food supply as did the Clovis people using spear tips made from bison bones.

We will conclude our study of decimals. It has taken much practice learning the place value system of decimals. But we have had many more "aha" moments in the last couple of lessons. We will aim at having our unit 5 test next Monday or Tuesday. The next multiplication quiz on the 9's is on Thursday.

As you know we have begun our Realistic Fiction unit for reading and writing. We are spending a bit of time analyzing characters and how the characters of a book do play a huge part in the plot, development, and the mood and tone of a story. You will want to ask your child who the character, Opal, is and why Winn-Dixie is so important to her. This is the class read aloud that we are using to discuss elements of realistic fiction.

The children slipped out too quickly this afternoon and I forgot to give them an important letter from our nurse, Marie Confident. I will send the letter home tomorrow but I wanted to share that a case of conjunctivitis "pinkeye" has been diagnosed in third grade. Please help me remind your child to wash their hands frequently. I also have hand wipes in the class when they can't get to the restroom. The letter has other helpful hints that everyone can do at home. But one thing that I read in this letter that for some reason I had never thought of. Eyeglasses should be washed with soap and water especially if your child has a tendency to take them off and on many time during the day.

Conference day is February 9. As in the past, your time will be the same time slot that you had back in the fall. Please contact me if you need a reminder. If you need to change a time, I will give you the name of the person of that time you would like to switch with, and it will be your responsibility to make the arrangements. However, please don't forget to let me know!

Have a great week!