Today was a great day! Everyone worked really hard and we were able to accomplish many tasks while still going to Music, Spanish, and PE.
Don't forget that Thursday is Conference Day. Your child wrote your time for the conference in their agenda this morning. If you have any questions, please contact me by tomorrow. I may give the children an extra assignment or two on Wednesday night knowing that they have two nights to complete their work.
Ask your child about our special reader today. Mrs. Baralt came into our classroom and read a Cuban folktale entitled Martina the Beautiful Cockroach. I had purchased this book on our field trip to the Tampa History Center last week. I discovered that it is one of Mrs. Baralt's favorite books in that she is of Cuban decent. You will want to ask your child why the Martina the beautiful cockroach had to pour hot coffee on her suitor's feet.
This week's spelling words continue our study of prefixes. All the words this week begin with the prefix non- meaning not. Tonight for homework, the children are to write each word in cursive on the sheet that I gave them today in class.
You will also find a Verb Form Guide in the homework folder. I do apologize for the fact that at the tip of the paper there are holiday type pictures. We were to have studied these verbs in December and obviously didn't get to this skill. But we are on it now. I suggested to the children that they take 5 verbs a night and not only practice saying them in the different tenses, but to also write them. I do want the children to become quite fluent in using these verbs correctly in their speaking and writing vocabulary.
The at home reading comprehension activity this week is entitled Zapped. This informational piece will share ways that people can protect themselves from lightning. The objective of this reading assignment is to have the children use their own words to explain the four ways of how to stay safe from lightning based on what they read. Please do not forget to sign the paper as soon as your child reads it orally to you sometime this week.
We are continuing along in our class novels, Sarah, Plain and Tall and Morning Girl. The children will work in partnerships to study the characters and cause and effects within the story. My goal is to have them come home this week at least once to prepare a journal response. You will want to read what your child has written and ask them any questions. This is a good exercise for the children in that I am always telling them that they must respond as if I don't know the story thus hopefully making them thing of details they should add to their writing.
I do believe we are conquering the concept of decimals. YEA! You should find a Home Link that needs to be completed on decimals in your child's homework folder. They also have workbook page 118 to complete. I had given them some time in class to begin in case there were any questions.
The children have their parts for the play. I have asked the children to do a little research to learn more about their character and their character's part in history. Along the way, you may get some ideas on a possible costume and appropriate prop. (hat, belt, sash, etc) I will be sending home a letter tomorrow outlining the time table for costumes to come to school. If you have any questions ahead of time, please don't hesitate to ask via email.
In Social Studies, we begin our study of the Inuit. These people are believed to the very last of the ancient Asians to arrive on the American continent after Beringia drowned. The children will keep a comparison chart of the seven different groups we will study. At the end of this study, the children will choose their favorite group and compose a personal narrative written through the eyes of a child in that Native American group. The groups we will study are Inuit, Anasazi, Northwest Coast, Plains, Mound Builder, Easter Woodland, and Iroquois.
We are continuing our Motion and Design unit in Science. This week the children will be adding weight to their vehicles and charing the distances that their design is able to handle based on the weight or applied force.
I will be sending home more information this week via email about Valentine's Day. However, I wanted to give you a little notice so that your child would have plenty of time to pick out and complete their Valentine's and their Valentine box. I will discuss this with the children tomorrow in detail. On Valentine's Day the children will have a little edible treat, not a party. During that time that they eat their treat, they will be allowed to deliver valentines to ALL the children in the class. They can also decorate a special mailbox to receive all their Valentines. The box should not be any bigger than a shoebox. On that day, the children will wear their regular Shorecrest uniform, but will be allowed to add some red and pink either through socks or hair bows. I know that there is a temptation for the children to bring in all kinds of candy on that day as well. If there is something special that they would like to attach to the Valentine, they must first ask me for permission before they go and purchase the items.
Please take a moment to check out the important dates on the side of the blog. I do update the events, as our schedule does change from time to time.
Don't forget to have your child bring their home reading log when it is filled so that I can give them a new one. Our motto: "When in doubt of what to do, read!"
