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Spelling: Today we worked with suffixes and learned that the silent e at the end of a word is dropped when adding suffixes that begin with vowels (no two vowels next to each other). A spelling test is coming up next week. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the unit 6 spelling worksheets.

Cursive: No new cursive assignment this week.

Reading: We finished up our Children’s Garden fluency project today.

Writing: Today we wrote letters to injured soldiers as part of a Student Council project.

Orders for the class book, Monster Mania, are due next Monday, January 29.  

Math: Today students practiced measuring objects to the nearest centimeter and converting measurements into meters, centimeters and millimeters. Homework is to finish Journal pp. 98-99.

Science: Today we looked at electricity, electrical safety, and weather posters we created when we started the unit, to see how much we learned. We also did a demonstration experiment to remember that aluminum, like all metals, is a conductor. We also saw that impure water is a conductor.

Social Studies: We reviewed the Paleo-Indians, Old Copper People and Mound Builders, and then started a project to learn the Three Fires Indians. We will learn these concepts using the Jigsaw strategy in which students will join expert groups to learn about a topic, create a lesson, and then go back to their team to teach the lesson. Homework is to read and take notes for each student’s assigned topic.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 26: De’Aundre and Iain. Click here for a full list of juice volunteers.
• Upcoming Events: Candle orders due (January 24); Make a Monster Class Book orders due (January 29); Candle pick-up (February 4). Straits of Mackinaw field trip (May 11). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) for class projects. The tubes can be sent in any time during the year; this project will be on-going. Thanks for any help you can give!

Spelling: Today we looked at an Associated Press article with a then/than mistake, and reviewed homographs. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the unit 6 spelling worksheets.

Cursive: No new cursive assignment this week.

Reading: Seven students read their books to Children’s Garden students. This project will finish tomorrow.

Writing: None today due to Career Fair. Students received an order form for our class book today. Orders are due next Monday, January 29.  

Math: Today we reviewed metric measurement, meters, centimeters and millimeters.

Science: Today was the conclusion of the Energy Fair. Students brought in their objects and explained the forms of enegy demonstrated.

Social Studies: None today due to Career Fair.

Career Fair: We heard presentations from six speakers, including a firefighter, CK 105 on-air personalities and business employees, an optomotrist, and a pastor and author. Thanks to Pastor Dean Stewart for presenting to our class and donating copies of his picture books to our class!

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 26: De’Aundre and Iain. Click here for a full list of juice volunteers.
• Upcoming Events: Candle orders due (January 24); Make a Monster Class Book orders due (January 29); Candle pick-up (February 4). Straits of Mackinaw field trip (May 11). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) for class projects. The tubes can be sent in any time during the year; this project will be on-going. Thanks for any help you can give!

The Whale: Thar she blows! We spotted Moby Dick at the University of Michigan-Flint! He wrecked the ship, Pequod, and all hands were lost, except for Ishmael. After watching the one-man play, we got to ask questions of the actor, writer and director. We also took a tour of the backstage and set construction shop.

Spelling: None today due to the play. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the unit 6 spelling worksheets.

Cursive: None today due to the play.

Reading: None today due to the play.

Writing: Students finished publishing their text and illustrations today. They also submitted their Reflection paper. Their final copy and reflection will be their last grade of the marking period. 

Math: Today was Math Skills.

Science: None today due to the play.

The Energy Fair will be on Tuesday, January 23. Students will bring in an object that demonstrates a form of energy. They will also create a sign that states the object, primary form of energy, and any other forms of energy demonstrated. Here is an explanation of the project.

Social Studies: None today due to the play.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

The Weekly Wrap (what we did in 60 seconds):

• Spelling: /ow/ sounds and silent letters
• Cursive: worksheet pp. 57-59
• Reading: Voice, expression and oral reading fluency practice
• Writing: We published a class book–Make a Monster
• Math: Ordering, comparing, estimating, adding and subtracting decimals
• Science: forms of energy; Energy Fair on Tuesday
• Social Studies: first people of Michigan, Native Americans

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 26: De’Aundre and Iain. Click here for a full list of juice volunteers.
• The Candle fundraiser orders and money are due on Wednesday, January 24 at the lastest! Click here for more information about this important fundraiser for our Mackinaw trip.
• Upcoming Events: Candle sales (January 5-19); Candle orders due (January 23); Candle pick-up (February 4). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) for class projects. The tubes can be sent in any time during the year; this project will be on-going. Thanks for any help you can give!

***UM-F field trip tomorrow to see The Whale, based on Moby-Dick***

Spelling: Today we noticed that some words have silent letters, such as the silent e in pine, care, ripe, plate. We also remembered that the silent e at the end of these words changes the vowel sound from short to long. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the unit 6 spelling worksheets.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 57-59 are available and due Friday.

Reading: We continued our oral reading fluency project using picture books. Students selected their book and practiced reading with voice and expression to a different partner than yesterday. Seven students read their books today to students in Children’s Garden.

Writing: Most students finished publishing their text today, and many are working on their illustrations. Some students took their pages home to finish the text. Tomorrow will be our last work day on this project. Search class book in the search box for previous posts on this project. 

Math: Today students practiced adding and subtracting decimals. Students worked in two groups today. Some students were ready for a challenge and began working with decimals to the thousandths. Others received extra practice and reviewed decimals up to hundredths. Homework will vary based on which group a student was in. Homework is either to complete journal pp. 88-90 or the decimal addition/subtraction worksheet and Math Boxes 4.4, with the difference being which task the student worked on in class. 

Science: We discussed the Energy Hunt and forms of energy. Congratulations to Alison and Noah who both found over 100 examples of the energy forms at home and school yesterday!

The Energy Fair will be on Tuesday, January 23. Students will bring in an object that demonstrates a form of energy. They will also create a sign that states the object, primary form of energy, and any other forms of energy demonstrated. Here is an explanation of the project.

Social Studies: We learned that the first Americans were really Asians, and that the first people of Michigan were the Paleo-Indians.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 19: Cameron and Kayla. Click here for a full list of juice volunteers.
• The Candle fundraiser is currently in progress! Click here for more information about this important fundraiser for our Mackinaw trip.
• Upcoming Events: Candle sales (January 5-19); Writing piece due (January 19); UM Play Field Trip (January 19); Candle orders due (January 23); Candle pick-up (February 4). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) for class projects. The tubes can be sent in any time during the year; this project will be on-going. Thanks for any help you can give!