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Spelling: None today due to working on a school-wide writing prompt. The unit 7 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 60-62 were reviewed today.

Reading: None today due to the school-wide writing prompt.

Writing: We talked about another type of lead called a talking lead. This lead is created when the writer begins with some dialogue. A piece of writing was due today. The next piece of writing is due March 2.    

Math: Today was Math Skills, and students also completed a review MiniQuiz over metric measurement and unit conversion (meters to centimeters, millimeters to meters).  

Science Inquiry: Students investigated their testable questions in Science Inquiry. Most students focused on flight, electricity, ramps and rollers, and magnets.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

The Weekly Wrap (our week in 60 seconds):

• Spelling: suffixes and irregular verbs
• Cursive: worksheet pp. 60-62
• Reading: Literature Circles groups, WEB and Esperanza Rising 
• Writing: Learned about snapshot and talking leads, writing piece due this week 
• Math: Review of metric measurement, conversion and decimal addition/subtraction 
• Science: Different colors can combine to make white light
• Social Studies: Three Fires Indians of Michigan and the Huron Indians

 Notes:

• Candle pick-up Monday, February 12, from 4-7 pm in the small gym. 
• Feb Factor Valentine’s party next Wednesday from 2-4 pm! 
• Juice Volunteers: We are at the end of our volunteer list, so we’ll be creating a new list this week. 
• Upcoming Events: New writing piece due (March 2); 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!

Our Valentine’s Party, Feb Factor, is coming on Wednesday, February 14! Here are the details:

• 2:00 | Exchange Valentine’s Cards
• 2:30 | Eat
• 3:00 | Games

A class list to help in making Valentine’s has been sent home with students. Also, we will be creating bags for the Valentine’s on the day of the party.

We’ll need a few parents to help with set-up (starting at 2:00), serving, food donations, clean-up and games. If you would like to help, just email me or print this out and return!

Name_______________________________________

Phone Number________________________________

O Yes, I can volunteer at Feb Factor.
O I would be willing to donate food items.

Hope Feb isn’t a factor for you!

Spelling: Today students worked on adding suffixes to words and finding irregular verbs (run/ran, fly/flew, spin/spun). The unit 7 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 60-62 from last week are available and will be this week’s assignment as well.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles.

Writing: We talked about a new type of lead today called a snapshot lead. This lead has the writer give plenty of visual details about a setting or character, to create a “snapshot” in the reader’s mind. A piece of writing is due tomorrow.    

Math: Today most students practiced adding and subtracting decimals, and some reviewed metric measurement and metric unit conversion (meters to centimeters, millimeters to meters).  

Science: We had an assembly by a special guest today, meteorologist JR Kirtek from ABC12 news. He discussed weather, weather safety and being a meteorologist.

Social Studies: Students completed a MiniQuiz over the Three Fires and we began discussing the Huron Indians.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers: We are at the end of our volunteer list, so we’ll be creating a new list this week. 
• Upcoming Events: New writing piece due (February 9); 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 students made their Words to Learn lists by correcting their missed spelling words. This is their new spelling list for the next test. The unit 7 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 60-62 from last week are available and will be this week’s assignment as well.

Reading: No Literature Circles today due to an early art class. We had library and read a little of our shared book, Esperanza Rising.

Writing: Today was a workday in this library-shortened version of Writer’s Workshop. Students were notified that, due to the snow days, they may write and turn in a collection of Haiku poems if they feel they will not have their current piece done in time. A piece is due February 9.   

Math: Students practiced converting metric units (meters to centimeters, millimeters to meters) and some practiced measuring in millimeters and centimeters today. Three groups were working to challenge, review or practice this concept. Homework is to complete a worksheet (each group’s was different) related to measurement and unit conversion. 

Science: We completed a science experiment in which we observed that red, blue and green light combine to create white light. This was the reverse of last week’s experiment in which we separated white light into colors. Homework is to complete the analyze and conclude questions.

Social Studies: We reviewed the information we learned about the Three Fires Indians and wrote important ideas in our minibooks. There will be a MiniQuiz over recent topics tomorrow.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers: We are at the end of our volunteer list, so we’ll be creating a new list this week. 
• Upcoming Events: New writing piece due (February 9); 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!

***A guest teacher was with us today.***

Spelling: Today students practiced putting words together to form compound words. The unit 7 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 60-62 were available this week.

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles.

Writing: Students continued to work on their piece of writing due February 9.   

Math: Students completed a MiniQuiz about metric measurement and conversion. They also practiced decimal place value today. Homework is to complete Journal p. 108-109 if not finished in class.

Social Studies: Students presented the final two lessons to their teams for our Three Fires Indians project.  

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

The Weekly Wrap (our week in 60 seconds):

• Spelling: compound words 
• Cursive: worksheet pp. 60-62
• Reading: New Literature Circles books, one reading and discussion day 
• Writing: Working on leads, students continuing with piece due February 9
• Math: Metric measurement to nearest cm and mm, metric conversion 
• Science: Light is energy and white light is made of millions of different colors
• Social Studies: Three Fires Indians of Michigan

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers: We are at the end of our volunteer list, so we’ll be creating a new list this week. 
• Upcoming Events: Candle pick-up (February 4). New writing piece due (February 9); 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!