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Spelling: Students completed a preview of upcoming spelling words.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 60, 61, and 63 are available and Friday.

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles.

Writing: We noticed that some writing is new, exciting, different…fresh. Fresh language is writing that is unique, spicy, interesting, different than what is expected. It makes the reader notice because it’s not the “same-old” boring way of writing.

Today was a drafting day for the students’ next piece of fiction,  due January 23.

Math: We solved open sentences to find the missing number. Homework is to complete Journal pp. 71-72.

Science: Students completed an experiment about magnets and noticed that magnets can make other iron objects act like magnets, and the force of a magnet can go through other objects. Homework is to complete a response sheet.

Social Studies: We read about two more of Michigan’s natural resources: forests, and water. We also played a game to review Michigan’s natural resources and were they are found.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 1
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 3
• Hours with no yellow magnets (record: 31): 2
• Days with no orange magnets (record: 39): 9

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

• View grades, assignments, attendance and even the report card at SnapGrades.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• This week’s juice volunteers: Mackenzie and Emma

Spelling: Students completed their Word to Learn lists today. This is each student’s customized spelling list to practice for the next test.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 60, 61, and 63 are available and Friday.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles. Some groups practiced identifying main ideas as a reading strategy.

Writing: We expanded on one of the five types of details: setting. We looked at the description of Camp Green Lake from the book Holes and noticed how the author added details to describe what the setting looked like. Today was also a drafting day for the students’ next piece of fiction,  due January 23.

Math: We reviewed the use of parentheses in number sentences. Students also completed a MiniQuiz over number stories and number sentences.

Science: We reviewed what we’ve learned about magnets so far, wrote notes in our minibooks, read about the discovery of magnets, and took a MiniQuiz over magnets.

Social Studies: We read about some of Michigan’s natural resources: soil, iron, copper, salt and limestone.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 2
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 4
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 2
• Hours with no yellow magnets (record: 31): 0
• Days with no orange magnets (record: 39): 8

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

• View grades, assignments, attendance and even the report card at SnapGrades.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• This week’s juice volunteers: Mackenzie and Emma

Today was our Mexican Fiesta, postponed from the snow day in December! We started by making farolitos, little lanterns, for our Las Posadas procession. In Mexico, Las Posadas (the inns) is a type of play that tells the story of Mary and Joseph looking for shelter.

We then started our own Los Posadas. We went to the cafeteria and the office, and they wouldn’t let us in for shelter, but Sra. Dillard finally let us in her Spanish Room, and we started our fiesta! We sang Noche de Paz (Silent Night) and Cascabel (Jingle Bells). We then went outside for sparklers!

We came back in to take a wack at the piñata (thanks, Crystal, for smashing its head off early on!). After tying the rope around its waist, we had a few more swings, pummeling it pretty good! Then we headed back to the room to eat. The menu included:

• Mexican-style tacos on fried corn tostada shells;
• Spicy shredded chicken eaten with torn flour tortillas;
• Nopalitos (prickly pear cactus!);
• Pepinos (cucumbers with lemon juice and salt);
• Mexican hot chocolate (hot chocolate with cinnamon); and,
• Buñelos (fried flour tortillas with cinnamon and sugar).

After lunch, we read a book called The Night of Las Posadas, a story about the Las Posadas procession in Mexico. We also played “Toma Todo,” a Mexican top game much like the Jewish dreidel. Students start with ten beans, then take or put in beans as the top says. The winning amount of beans could select a Mexican pop.

A grande-sized thanks to the parents who helped prepare and serve food today at the fiesta, and for all the generous donations–we had more than enough food and everyone had their fill!

Feliz Navidad!

Spelling: We reviewed the Unit 5 spelling worksheets today.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 57-59 are available and due Monday.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles. Students also received their STAR reading level from December. We took another STAR reading test today; the class average reading level dropped from the December score:

See all our progress in our Data Center.

Writing: None today due to technology. Students completed a STAR reading test and worked on a digital inspirational poster.

A piece of fiction is due January 23; students should be drafting at this point.

Math: We learned that parentheses in a number sentence indicate what to solve first. Homework is to finish Journal pp. 68-69.

Science: Students located objects in the room that contained iron or steel. They also noticed that magnets pull together or push apart when placed near each other.

Social Studies: We reviewed Michigan’s weather and climate and took notes in our minibooks.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 2
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 5
• Hours with no yellow magnets (record: 31): 0
• Days with no orange magnets (record: 39): 6

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

• Our Mexican Fiesta party is rescheduled for Friday, January 9. Family members are needed to help with food preparations, set up, cleanup, and with the piñata. Click here to see our volunteer list and add your name to the bottom if you are attending. Add your name by clicking here. Please let me know if there are any problems with donations due to rescheduling the party.
• View grades, assignments, attendance and even the report card at SnapGrades.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• This week’s juice volunteers: None scheduled yet.

Spelling: Students completed the Unit 5 spelling and skill test today.

Cursive: Cursive pp. 54-56 are available and due tomorrow. Cursive pp. 57-59 will be due this Friday. Students are now asked to fill out their planners in cursive, and we are nearing the end of reviewing the cursive alphabet.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles. Some groups practiced identifying main ideas as a reading strategy.

Writing: We talked about developing the inner story in a piece of fiction so that the reader can know how a character feels and thinks.

Today was a prewriting day for students. A piece of fiction is due January 23.

Math: We learned about number sentences and how they can be true, false or unsolvable (can’t tell). Homework is to finish Journal pp. 65-67.

Science: We reviewed which objects from our experiment yesterday were attracted to magnets and learned that magnets only attract objects made out of iron or steel.

Social Studies: We read about weather and climate. Weather is how hot, cold, wet or dry a place is, and climate is what the weather is like over a period of years. Students started a “News Flash” organizer about writing headlines to tell the main idea of each section of reading. This will be finished in class or at home tomorrow.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 3
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 0
• Hours with no yellow magnets (record: 31): 12
• Days with no orange magnets (record: 39): 4

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

• Our Mexican Fiesta party is rescheduled for Friday, January 9. Family members are needed to help with food preparations, set up, cleanup, and with the piñata. Click here to see our volunteer list and add your name to the bottom if you are attending. Add your name by clicking here. Please let me know if there are any problems with donations due to rescheduling the party.
• View grades, assignments, attendance and even the report card at SnapGrades.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• This week’s juice volunteers: None scheduled yet.