Thanksgiving Is Here!

This Week:

This week we compared and contrasted a fiction and a nonfiction text.  We looked at the similarities and differences between the two and our reasons for why we might choose to read a fiction or a nonfiction text.  We talked about how we read nonfiction to learn new information and to learn, and we read fiction for entertainment.  We also started a mini unit reading A Turkey for Thanksgiving.  Students had the opportunity to work on a variety of comprehension skills as we read this story.  We talked about character traits, cause and effect, problem and solution, and the plot of the story.

We continued with chapter 5.  We worked on identifying related facts and understanding how we know if addition and subtraction facts are related.  We also worked on using addition to check subtraction and how to use a related to find a missing number.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: When we come back from break we will be reading the story Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  As we read we will be working on character traits, problem and solution, and identifying words and phrases that appeal to ones feelings.

Math: Coming up students will work on choosing when to add and when to subtract word problems.  Students will work on adding and subtracting in different ways to make the same number up to 20.  They will continue with more algebra and deciding if a number sentence is true or false.

Grammar: Students will practice plural nouns by adding an (s).

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the holiday.  I am looking forward to seeing all your children rested and rejuvenated for the final few weeks heading into Christmas Break.

Week of Veteran's Day

Classroom News

Reading: This week we continued to work on main topic and key details.  We applied this skill to a nonfiction story about pilgrims.  We read about the pilgrims voyage to America.  We made a turkey that listed the key details from the text and the main idea.  It was a fun activity to do to display our knowledge of main idea and key details.

Math: We just began chapter 5.  We started working on making models to add and subtract and how models will help us to solve the problem.

In grammar we worked on holidays, months, and days of the week.  We know that these should always be capitalized.

Grammar: Thank you parents and guardians for coming to parent-teacher conferences.  We appreciate your time and your interest in how your child is doing in the classroom.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Next week we will be comparing two texts on Thanksgiving.  One will be a nonfiction text and the second will be a fiction text.  We will examine their similarities and differences.  We will look at plot, main idea and key details, characters, setting, problem, and solution.  It will be a busy week and will lead us all the way through until Thanksgiving.

Math: We will continue to work on Chapter 5.  We will be working on related facts.  We will identify related facts, use addition to check subtraction, and find the missing numbers.

Grammar: We are working on nouns and sentences.  Students will start to have grammar homework.  Please be on the lookout for these worksheets. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Please don't forget that parent-teacher conferences are this week.  They are on Wednesday and Thursday.  Check to make sure that you know what time you are supposed to come in.  I look forward to seeing you all to discuss the progress of your child.  If you don't remember your scheduled time please contact me so I can let you know when you are supposed to come in.  Have a great week and I will see you in the next few days!

First Week Of November!

Classroom News

This week we really worked hard on main topic and key details in a nonfiction text.  We read a variety of nonfiction texts to aid in our understanding of finding the main topic and the key details that support it.  We read many books on heroes.  We looked at different heroes from different time periods and focused on why they were important.  We also talked about Veteran’s Day.

We finished up with Chapter 4 in math and are going to be beginning Chapter five this upcoming week.  Chapter 4 was a difficult chapter but we are happy to move on!  This chapter focused more on the concepts behind subtraction, but we understand many students are able to use their own strategies to solve problems.

In grammar we worked on proper nouns and titles.  We even started to recognize proper nouns in our writing and reading.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: Next week we will be continuing to explore main idea and key details.  We will be reading nonfiction texts about pilgrims and Thanksgiving.  Students will be learning important information about Thanksgiving while also learning how to find the main idea and the supporting key details.  We will work on some important vocabulary words like pilgrim, Plymouth Rock, Mayflower, harbor, crop, plantation, village, and trundle.

Math: We will begin to introduce chapter 5. This new chapter will focus on addition and subtraction relationships.  Next week we will work on problem solving, how to record related facts which helps us to find missing numbers, and how to identify related facts.

Grammar: We will be continuing to work on titles and move on to holidays, months, and days of the week.

Important Halloween Information:

Hi Parents,

Please don't forget that on Halloween we have a different schedule.  Students will be dismissed at 11:45 for lunch.  They must leave school grounds.  There will be no one on lunch duty to watch them.  If you will not be home or need to work, please make arrangements so your child has somewhere to go.  Your child is expected to be back at school at 1:30 dressed in their Halloween costumes.  The Halloween Parade will start at 1:45.  I hope to see you all at the parade.  Let's hope for great weather.  At least a little bit warmer then what we have been having lately…

Have a great week!

We Explored Poetry!

Reading:

This past week the students were introduced to poetry.  We talked a lot about or five senses and different words to use for different feelings.  We explored our senses and feelings as we read various poems.  We noticed that different poems can make us feel different ways and can cause us to think activate our senses.  We went on a nature walk to really activate our senses and explored the five senses of fall.

Math:

We finished with chapter 3 in math this week.  We pulled all our strategies together as we took our chapter 3 test. We definitely put forth our best effort.

Grammar:

In grammar we learned that a noun is a person, place, animal, or thing.  We worked on identifying different nouns.

What We’re Learning Next Week:

Reading: 

This upcoming week we are going to go back to exploring fiction texts.  We are going to do it in a fun and Halloween way by studying Fictional Halloween texts.  We will work on asking and answering questions about key details in a text, how to describe characters in a text and how to use words and phrases that help us examine feelings from the text.  Using different Halloween stories will make this upcoming week exciting and keep the students enthusiastic about Halloween!

Math:  

We will be beginning chapter 4.  We will be working on subtraction strategies to use.  We will start with counting back, thinking about addition to subtract, and using a ten frame to subtract.  

Grammar: 

We are going to be talking about proper nouns and what makes a proper noun

It was a "Batty" week...

We learned about an adorable little bat named Stellaluna this week.  We focused on quite a few different skills.  We worked on using adjectives to describe characters.  We talked about the story plot, the setting, and the problem.  We even compared and contrasted bats and birds.  It was a busy week for us!  We really enjoyed the story Stellaluna; it taught us that it is okay to be different and still be friends.

In math this week we worked on making tens to add.  It took some practice but we are getting the hang of it.  We worked on adding three numbers and adding three numbers with algebra.  We were hard at work using our best math skills.  We are learning a lot about how numbers fit together and the different addition concepts. 

Next Week…

Reading: We are taking on a whole new genre and tackling POETRY!  We are going to explore poetry by reading poems that activate our five senses and evoke different emotions.  We are really going to focus on those words and phrases that cause us to feel a certain emotion or activate our senses.  We are going to do some really fun activities to help us learn these different words.

Math:  Next week we are going to be giving our math chapter 3 test.  We are finishing up the chapter with problem solving using addition strategies.  We are going to then review and take our test.  We will then begin chapter 4, which focuses on subtraction strategies.   Students will learn counting back as a subtraction strategy and how to use addition to help them subtract.

Grammar: We are beginning to learn about nouns and how a noun is a person, place, or thing.         

Important Dates:

10/25: Quarter 1 Ends!

10/20-10/25 Red Ribbon Spirit Week! 

Monday: Athletic Wear Day

Tuesday: Crazy Hats Day

Wednesday: Wear Read Day

Thursday: Hawaiian Day

Friday: School Spirit Day