November 16, 2018
 |
| Playing dodgeball in our pajamas! |
Happy Weekend!
It seemed like fall came and left in a jiffy because winter surely made its way here quickly! Please be sure your child is wearing a coat and appropriate articles of clothing (gloves, hats, etc.) to school. We want all students to stay warm during outdoor recess. If they'd like to play in the snow, they are required to have snow boots and snow pants. I told the students that they could leave their snow boots at school; however, they will need to place them outside of our classroom on the wall.
It seemed like fall came and left in a jiffy because winter surely made its way here quickly! Please be sure your child is wearing a coat and appropriate articles of clothing (gloves, hats, etc.) to school. We want all students to stay warm during outdoor recess. If they'd like to play in the snow, they are required to have snow boots and snow pants. I told the students that they could leave their snow boots at school; however, they will need to place them outside of our classroom on the wall.
Holy cow! Where has the time gone?! We are already heading into Family Educator Conferences. There is so much to cover, and so little time (15 minutes). In order to stay
on schedule, we want to make sure that everyone is on time. You can log
onto SIGN-UP GENUIS to check your conference
time. If you have not signed up for a time slot, you can also do so by clicking the link. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any
questions.
School Progress Reports
***Your child’s progress report will be available online
after 3:00 pm this afternoon.
Your child’s progress report indicates his or her current progress toward an
expectation.
When standards repeat in more than one trimester, we do not expect that students will master the knowledge and skills indicated until the last trimester in which the standard is reported. It is likely that many students will earn a score of 2.0 until the final trimester in which the standard is addressed.
For standards in literacy courses that repeat in more than one trimester, we report based on progress toward end-of-year expectations. Your child's score for each trimester indicates his or her progress toward end-of-year expectations, so you have consistent information regarding your child’s current progress, compared to where he or she should be later in the school or at the end of the school year.
We assess students using text we expect they will be able to master by the end of the school year, so the progress report indicates your child's progress toward that expectation. A steady progression toward mastery is what you should expect. For example, an expected progression on the report card for a standard that repeats in more than one trimester could be Not Mastering (1) or Developing (2) in Trimester 1, Developing (2) in Trimester 2, and Mastering (3) in Trimester 3.
When standards repeat in more than one trimester, we do not expect that students will master the knowledge and skills indicated until the last trimester in which the standard is reported. It is likely that many students will earn a score of 2.0 until the final trimester in which the standard is addressed.
For standards in literacy courses that repeat in more than one trimester, we report based on progress toward end-of-year expectations. Your child's score for each trimester indicates his or her progress toward end-of-year expectations, so you have consistent information regarding your child’s current progress, compared to where he or she should be later in the school or at the end of the school year.
We assess students using text we expect they will be able to master by the end of the school year, so the progress report indicates your child's progress toward that expectation. A steady progression toward mastery is what you should expect. For example, an expected progression on the report card for a standard that repeats in more than one trimester could be Not Mastering (1) or Developing (2) in Trimester 1, Developing (2) in Trimester 2, and Mastering (3) in Trimester 3.
Here's What's Happening in Class:
Literacy
This week we, we started our new story, The Road to
Freedom. It is narrated from the point of view of a young girl who is
traveling on the Underground Railroad with her mother in hopes of making it
North to freedom. We look forward to having many valuable discussions related
to topics raised within the story.
Writing
Our students researched about an endangered animal after writing an informational composition about an ecosystem of their choice (tundra, desert, rainforest, or prairie). They
worked hard to create Keynote about the endangered animal to highlight important details and conservation steps. In addition, they created posters for their endangered animals that include a QR code to scan and read all about their presentations. When you come for conferences, the posters will be hanging outside of our classroom. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to view the presentations on their technology devices and learn more about endangered animals!
worked hard to create Keynote about the endangered animal to highlight important details and conservation steps. In addition, they created posters for their endangered animals that include a QR code to scan and read all about their presentations. When you come for conferences, the posters will be hanging outside of our classroom. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to view the presentations on their technology devices and learn more about endangered animals!
Math
Our
students are continuing their work with decimals. They are currently
refining their skills in the area of using expanded decimal notation,
comparing decimals, adding and subtracting decimals, and rounding
decimals.
Social Studies
Last week
we wrapped up our learning about slavery and how it affected the growth of
Colonial America. We will dive into Government/Civics in the coming
weeks. Students will be able to describe how a citizen can show patriotism,
explain why liberty is an important thing, and also explain the meaning of the
Pledge of Allegiance.
**Current Events: The students and I brainstormed up a great idea to present current events! Instead of using our calendar, we will be working within teams to videotape a news broadcast using iMovie and a green screen. Each team will be assigned to report out on different categories (local, international, weather, and sports) of news. The students will take on the role of being a news team to read articles, determine the most important key details, and report out on the articles through a news broadcast taping. This is such an exciting project for us, and we will be sure to share with everyone our end results! Stay tuned...
**Current Events: The students and I brainstormed up a great idea to present current events! Instead of using our calendar, we will be working within teams to videotape a news broadcast using iMovie and a green screen. Each team will be assigned to report out on different categories (local, international, weather, and sports) of news. The students will take on the role of being a news team to read articles, determine the most important key details, and report out on the articles through a news broadcast taping. This is such an exciting project for us, and we will be sure to share with everyone our end results! Stay tuned...
Science
We have
been studying the four main systems of Earth: the biosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and geosphere. We’ve been learning about the attributes and
characteristics of each, as well as how they interact with each other. We are
now focusing on determining which of Earth’s systems interact to produce
weather and climate. Students will be creating a diagram and giving a weather
report about one of their examples. Stay tuned for weather news you can
use.
Upcoming Events
November 19 (Monday): Early Release - 2:00 PM
November 19 (Monday) & November 20 (Tuesday): Family Educator Conferences
November 20 (Tuesday) - November 23 (Friday): No School -
Thanksgiving Break
Friendly Reminders
**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.
Nothing feeds the brain better than something healthy!
**Please continue to have your child practice his or her
multiplication facts up to 12.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!