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Spelling: Today was a preview of words that will show up on future spelling tests. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the unit 6 spelling worksheets.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 54-56 are available and due on Friday.

Reading: Today we started a oral reading fluency project using picture books. This project will involve practicing reading picture books with voice and expression, varying volume and pacing, to keep the reader interested (the opposite of this is to read with a boring, robotic, chunky and monotonous voice). We will then read the books to three to five-year-olds in Children’s Garden.

We started today by watching an actor read The Polar Express on the BookPALS Storyline Online website.

Writing: Students had a revising conference and revised their instructions for recreating their monsters. The final illustration and published directions page will be due January 19. Search class book in the search box for previous posts on this project. 

Math: We practiced comparing decimals and putting them in order from smallest to largest. Homework is to complete journal pp. 82-84.

Science: None today due to art.

Social Studies: Students completed a test today over Michigan’s land and geography.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 12: Alex H. and Cole. 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); 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 short 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!

***A guest teacher was with us this morning.***

Spelling: Today students received the unit 6 worksheets. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the spelling worksheets.

Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 54-56 are available and due on Friday.

Reading: The final Literature Circles projects were presented today.  

Writing: Students continued to draft or revise their instructions for recreating their monsters. The final illustration and published directions page will be due January 19. Search class book in the search box for previous posts on this project. 

Math: We started a decimals pretest, and reviewed fractions and decimals, converting between them and representing with pictures.

Science: Today students completed a science test over these concepts:

• Electrical circuits
• Conductors and insulators
• How to light a bulb in a circuit
• Switches
• Electrical safety
• Weather Safety for tornados, thunderstorms, winter storms and floods

Social Studies: We played a game to review for tomorrow’s test over chapters 1 and 2, Michigan’s geography and land.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 12: Alex H. and Cole. 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); 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 short 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 students completed a spelling and skill test. Next up…unit 6. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the spelling worksheets.

Cursive: Cursive worksheets pp. 54-56 are available and due on Friday.

Reading: Today students presented their Literature Circles projects. Two final presentations will be tomorrow. 

Writing: Students started or continued to draft the instructions for recreating their monsters. Tomorrow, we will continue with drafting, and then the final two days of the week will be revising the instructions. The final illustration and published directions page will be due January 19. Search class book in the search box for previous posts on this project. 

Math: We practiced identifying pictures to match fractions, and then converted fractions to decimals. Homework is to complete the fractions worksheet from last night, but this time writing the decimals for each picture. Journal pp. 80-81 are also homework. Here is the worksheet from last night.

Science: Today was a brief review of the concepts for tomorrow’s test:

• Electrical circuits
• Conductors and insulators
• How to light a bulb in a circuit
• Switches
• Electrical safety
• Weather Safety for tornados, thunderstorms, winter storms and floods

Poor behavior choices during math limited our time for test review, and led to more math homework tonight.

Social Studies: We finished our jet tour of the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, today seeing Taquamenon Falls, Marquette, “Copper Country,” Sault Ste. Marie, the Soo Locks, Mt. Arvon, and the Porcupine Mountains. We will have a test over chapters 1 and 2, Michigan’s geography and land, on Thursday.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 12: Alex H. and Cole. 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); 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 short 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 reviewed words with the /j/ spelling pattern: gy, gi, ge, dge, and j. Tomorrow will be a spelling test, and the skill will assess /j/ spelling patterns. The unit 5 worksheets will also be due tomorrow. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the unit 5 spelling worksheets.

Cursive: Cursive worksheets pp. 54-56 are available and due on Friday.

Reading: Today was the last day to plan students’ Literature Circles projects. Presentations will be tomorrow. 

Writing: None due to technology. Students are working on finalizing an illustration of their monster for our class book, and are drafting a set of directions on how to make their monster. The next piece of writing will be due January 19, and will consist of each student’s contribution to our class book. Search class book in the search box for previous posts on this project. 

Technology: Students completed a STAR reading assessment and began our latest technology project: a weather forecast splash screen. Today, students located pictures to use in their weather splash screen movie.

Math: We reviewed fractions, representing fractions with pictures, and converting fractions to decimals. Homework is to complete a fractions worksheet related to writing fractions to match pictures. Writing the fraction as a decimal is optional tonight, and will be tomorrow’s homework. Click here for the worksheet.

Science: Today was our last day of National Weather Service (NWS) Skywarn Weather Spotter training, and today we learned about wall clouds, shelf clouds, funnel clouds, tornados, how to spot tornados, and how to tell the difference between wall clouds and tornados. Students (and adults) who have an interest in becoming trained weather spotters can attend an additional training from the NWS, provided free at different times during the year. Visit the NWS for more information and training times.

A test over electricity, electrical safety, and weather safety will be on Wednesday.

Social Studies: We took a jet tour of the Lower Peninsula, seeing factories, rivers, farms, the Mackinaw Bridge, and stopped in the Upper Peninsula for the night. Out tour will conclude tomorrow.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 12: Alex H. and Cole. 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); 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 short 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 students practiced writing adjectives to describe nouns by creating advertisements (plump, juicy, sweet-tasting grapes for sale!). We will have a spelling test on Tuesday, and the unit 5 worksheets will be due at that time. Visit the spelling page to download a copy of the unit 5 spelling worksheets.

Cursive: A cursive quiz was completed by students today.

Reading: Students continued to plan and develop their Literature Circles project with their group. Projects will be presented to the class on Tuesday.

Writing: We viewed several Internet sites today about making monsters, and one that included descriptions of their monsters. Students completed a prewriting conference about their monster illustration. Next week, students will begin to write directions to explain how to recreate their monster. The next piece of writing will be due January 19, and will consist of each student’s contribution to our class book.

Math: Students completed a timed multiplication test today.

Science Inquiry: Students experimented with electricity, flight, magnets, static electricity, weight, and ramps and rollers in Science Inquiry today.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, January 12: Alex H. and Cole. 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); 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 short 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!