Merry Monday!

Yes, today was a merry day! It was packed with responsibilities!!

I did send home a notice for parents to read from the Tampa History Museum. There are several exhibits over the next few months that may peak everyone's interest. The children seemed to be really excited about the Spy School exhibit and program. If you have always wanted to learn a little about the history of Tampa and Ybor City, then the The Great Caper in March is just for you! Enjoy!

Please don't forget to send in the Relay for Life sign up for the hot dog lunch cookout on February 15. I need these forms in by January 29th or you and/or your child will have to make sure they bring their own lunch that day. No services provided by Sage on February 15.

Tonight's responsibilities are as follows:
Math test on Unit 5.. Decimals
Spelling...complete crossword puzzle using the r-controlled vowel words
Whipping Boy comprehension questions and create a 'Wanted' poster for one of the four main characters.. use as many details as they can when filling in the information at the bottom of the poster

This week we are beginning our Reading Buddy assignments. The goal is for the students to choose their own book and partner based on reading level and interest. However, to make sure that we all understand the goal of what this style of reading learning is about, we will all read the same book and I will assign the partnerships. We will begin using our Reading Workshop notebooks and the children will be held even more accountable for their own reading progress.

We are taking some time in Writer's Workshop to study character traits and how real ideas from real people are developed into realistic fiction stories. Tomorrow the children will read a short realistic fiction piece entitled, When Jo Louis Won the Title which will not only help with character development, but also introduce a writing strategy known as flashback.

We will continue our Google Earth project that we began in computer lab last week. The children are flying from one Native American location to another and finding these areas on a map and indicating where each tribe settled. This week we move back into our Art rotation.

As you know, Friday is Grandparents and Special Friends day. Please make sure the office knows if someone is coming to visit the school and your child. Like the Fall Festival, PLEASE make sure that your child knows "the plan". There is a noon dismissal and if they want to go home with their Special Friend prior to the noon time or at noon, then your child will need to be signed out with that person. I will have a sign out sheet on my classroom front door.

You will want to ask your child what the most interesting part of the book, The Whipping Boy, was to them. Then ask them what the irony was. You may have to remind them what irony means, but their response should that the main characters didn't like each other at the beginning of the book. But by the end of the book, they were friends and actually respected each other even though one was a peasant from the streets and the other a prince.

Conference time is coming. If you need any changes or a refresher on what your time slot is, please contact me by Friday of this week. Thank you for your continued support! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.