Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Thank you!!

Thank you for the wonderful Christmas stocking!  It was filled with all my favorites!  I am having so much fun with this class.  They have the best personalities, and keep me laughing all day long!!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Dec. 7-10

I can't believe there is only 1 week left before Christmas vacation!  The kids can hardly contain their excitement!

Reading:  This week in reading I did assessments and met with bookclubs.  They aslo had a Latin/Greek test.

We talked a lot this week about the quality of work that is being done.  This class is halfway to 4th grade!  We are going to work on producing higher quality work as they continue the rest of the year.  

We will be having a spelling test on Thursday the 17th.  The words this time are high frequency words.  Please make sure your child is studying their words.

Writing: The students completed a writing assessment about a magical snowman.  Next week they will be working on a series of holiday themed writing.  

Grammar: We reviewed and then took assessments for the end of the quarter testing.

Projects:  The students continued working on researching for their severe weather projects.  As the groups finish up they are starting to work on their slide shows. On Thursday (the 17)we will be going down to the high school and each group will work with a high schooler perfecting their slide shows. The high schoolers will be able to help teach the kids the ends of making a presentation. I love that we are able to work with the high school!

Secret Santa: Don't forget that Secret Santa gifts need to be to school by Wednesday. Write who the gift is to on the bottom.  If for any reason you are unable to get a gift please let me know.

Our class party will be Thursday afternoon.We will start off by doing our gift exchange. We will then watch a movie and have some snacks. The students will be able to chose whether they want to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas or Elf,in either our room or Mrs. Windriver's room.  They can bring a pillow and blanket if they want so they can be comfy while they watch the movie! It is going to be such a fun week!!



Thursday, December 3, 2015

Secret Santa

Parents,

Today we drew names for Secret Santa.  I was originally going to do it next week; however, I wanted to give you ample time to get to the store.  Please reiterate the importance of keeping this a secret.  They have to keep this a secret for a whole two weeks!!  

**The price cap is $5.  We are brainstorming ideas today as well, so your child will come home with an idea of what they'd like to get for their person.  
**Please bring the gifts in wrapped, with the label on the bottom of the package.  Do not fill out the "from" section - your kiddos will know which one is theirs.  
**Please have these in class by December 16you may start bringing them in as soon as next week. 

If your child is absent, I will draw for them and email you the information.
If there are any problems with purchasing a gift, please email me.

Take care!  They are super excited about this - I LOVE this time of year :o)​

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Nov. 16-24

Reading: This week we finished the author studies (3rd) or litature studies (4th).  They presented them to eachother.  Something we learned from this project in 3rd grade was using time wisely.  A lot of the groups didn't work on their assisgnment until the last minute, so their work was not as good as what they are capable of doing.

We will have a spelling test on 12/3.

Writing: We worked through the writing process on another narrative piece. They has to write about what they would do if the stores all ran out of turkey and their parents wanted to eat their pet turkey.

Grammar: We learned about types of sentences.

Projects:  We finished our catapult project.  I was so proud of our class.  They built amazing catapults without any adult help.  There was a lot of trial and error, and a few tears, but they did it!! 

Misc.:  We only have 3 weeks until Christmas break.  Be on the lookout for an email about a Christmas activity I want the class to do.  I can't beleive the school year is already almost half way over! 

Monday, November 16, 2015

November 9-12

Reading: This week we reviewed theme and worked on author study (3rd) and litature study (4th).

There was a spelling test on Thursday.  They will receive new words today.

Writing:  We finished our narrative writing this week.  We will start a new one on Monday.


Grammar:  We continued working with coordinating conjunctions.

Projects:  We are finishing up our catapult projects.

Misc.
I sent home a few more scholastic book orders.  If you want to order online our class code is :HKT26
I will be submitting this order on the 24th. It will be our last bookorder before Christmas.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

November 2-5

Reading-This week the 3rd graders continued working on their author study.  The 4th graders continued working on their literature study assignment. 

They had a Latin/Greek test on Thursday.  They will receive new words on Monday.

Writing- We continued working on our narratives.  The students are learning how to write a good narrative with a beginning, middle and end.  They are also working on using dialogue in their writing.

Grammar- This week we learned about the different coordinating conjunctions.  They learned the acronym FANBOYS to help them remember the different conjunctions.

Projects- We continued working on our catapults.  Thank you to all the parents who donated items for this projects!  I can't wait to see our finished projects.

Misc.
I am going to extend the book order due date until Nov.24.  This will be our last book order before Christmas.  If you would like to order books for a Christmas present for your child I can hold on to the books for you to pick up so they don't see them.  Also you can order off any grade bookorder not just the ones I send home.

We still need a PE parent on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-4:00.  This will allow me time to work with individual students who are either behind or need extra help.  Please let me know if one or both days work for you.

Remember there is no school on Wednesday because of Veterans' Day.

Monday, October 26, 2015

October 19-22

Reading: The students learned about mood through illustrations in a story.

They also had a Latin/Greek test.  We will have a spelling test this week 10/29.

Writing: We practiced writing power sentences to get ready for narrative writing.  They did a great job making their sentences into power sentences!

Grammar:  We learned about dialog and how to properly place quotation marks.

Projects:  We are building mini catapults to get ready to build our bigger ones.  The students are very excited about this project and are working very hard!

Misc.  
Thursday will be our Halloween dress up day.  The students can dress up but please no masks or scary costumes.  

We will also be having our Halloween party on Thursday.  There was a sign up genius email sent out to sign up to bring something.

I will be sending home another book order soon.  If you would like to purchase books but you don't want your student to see them because they are going to be a gift, please let me know and I will hide them until you can get them from me.


Saturday, October 17, 2015

October 12-15

I can't believe the 1st quarter is over!  We spent a lot of time reviewing and assessing this week.

Reading: This week we didn't have mini lessons because I needed to complete assessments. 
 The students received new Latin/Greek roots on Monday. They are pre, post, un/mis and ful. They will have a test on these on October 22.
We had a spelling test on Thursday.  They will receive new words on Monday.

Writing: The students completed a writing assessment.

Grammar: We reviewed and assessed.

Projects: The students learned about their new projects. They are going to build a catapult to launch a mini pumpkin.  They found out who they were partners with, then researched some different kinds of catapults.  They had to give me a list of supplies they would need.  These were quite funny. They ranged from  nails, pvc pipe and bungee cords to a 10 ft. board and a  skill saw!!  Needless to say no one will get to use a skill saw in class!! The students were told not to go home and tell their parents they had to go buy a bunch of things for their project.  I said if you happen to have something at your house and your parents are okay with you bringing it in, that is fine (except the skill saw (o: ).

Up coming events:
* The book fair will be here next week.  Our class will get to go preview on Tuesday.
* Thursday is monster hair day and family night at the book fair.
* Conferences will be on October 23rd
* Our class Halloween party will be on October 29.  The students can wear their costumes to school that day.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

October 4-8

Reading:  This week the 3rd graders learned about literal and non-literal (figurative) language. The 4th graders learned about similes and made simile self portraits.

We took a Latin/Greek test.  The tests are getting harder so the students really need to make sure they are studying.  They have to know what the Latin/Greek root means, a word that has the root in it, and know why the word has the root in it.  For example if the root is   -bi, it mean 2. An example word is bicycle. Bicycle has the root bi in it because a bicycle has 2 wheels.

We are working on using our time wisely during Daily 5.  The students have a schedule of what is due each week and what test they will have during the week.  Some of the students are still choosing to read a fun book during several rounds, so they are not completing their edmodo on time or studying for an upcoming test.  I know they will get better at managing their time the more practice they get.

The students received new spelling words on Monday and will have a test on them on Thursday the 15th.

Writing- We finished our best animal writing.

Grammar-We learned a very catchy song about concrete and abstract nouns.  The students did a good job learning about these to types of nouns.

Projects- We started learning about simple machines.  We watched a Bill Nye video and took notes on the different types of simple machines.  Then they got to build a pulley and a wheel and axle. They had so much fun doing this and were very creative!

Conferences are coming up.  Almost all of you have already signed up for your conference time.  If you did not get the sign up genius email to sign up for a conference please let me know.


Sunday, October 4, 2015

9/27-10/1

Reading-  This week in reading we learned about theme. I read the students picture books and we determined the theme of the book.  We also reviewed 1st and 3rd person point of view during book club.
The students had a spelling test on Thursday.  They will receive new spelling words on Monday.  They will have a Latin/Greek test on Thursday 10/8.

Writing- We continued our opinion writing on the best animal.

Grammar- We learned about regular and irregular verbs

Projects- We continued doing experiments using the scientific method.  Our first experiment was dancing raisins and our other experiment was about paper clips.  Have your child explain to you how each of the experiments worked.

Our picture day is Tuesday 10/6 at 11:30.  Don't forget to print off the picture order form from the email that was sent to you.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Sept. 21-24

Reading: This week we learned about 1st and 3rd person point of view.

We continued with book club and Edmodo.  The students have plenty of time to get their reading and Edmodo finished in class.  However, if they find that they don't think they will finish by Thursday they can get onto Edmodo at home.  

The students took their Latin/Greek test on Thursday.  They will receive new roots on Monday.

The students received new spelling words on Monday.  They will have their test on these words on 10/1.

Writing: We started writing a new opinion piece on Monday.  The students are starting off by researching the best animal.  They will use this research to provide support in their paper.

Grammar: We learned how to form regular and irregular plural nouns.

Projects: We did a couple of experiments to practice the scientific method.  First they blew up balloons using baking soda and vinegar. Then we watched an egg get sucked into a bottle due to lack of oxygen.


* A new book order will be sent home on Monday.  Our class got close to 30 free books with the last book order! The kids were so excited to read all the new books!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Sept 14-17

Reading: We continued getting comfortable using Edmodo this week.  The 3rd graders are working on restating the question when answering.  The 4th graders are working on using evidence to support their answers and putting more details in their answers.

The vocabulary we focused on this week was: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.  We will continue becoming more familiar with this vocabulary.

Spelling:  We had our 2nd spelling test.  I will return them to the students on Monday.  If your child received a 1 please sign their test and have your child bring it back to me.  

New spelling lists will be passes out on Monday.  We will have our next test on October 1st.  Your child has time to practice their words at school but please help them practice at home also to ensure that they are confident when they take the test.

Latin/Greek:  We will be having our 2nd Latin/Greek test on Thursday 9/24.  Please help your child be prepared for this test.

penta: 5
hex: 6
sept: 7
oct: 8

Grammar: We learned about singular and plural nouns.  We then did a sort on singular and plural nouns.  Next week we are going to focus on regular and irregular plural nouns.

Writing: The students finished their ant writing.  We will be starting a new writing piece on Monday. 

Projects:  We started learning about the scientific method.  We took notes and then did our first activity to practice using the method. We tested 3 different brands of bubble gum to see which brand would blow the biggest bubble.  The kids had lots of fun with this!





Saturday, September 12, 2015

September 8-10

Reading:  This week in reading we introduced the vocabulary words protagonist and antagonist. We also learned about character traits.  The 3rd graders were assigned a picture book and started using Edmodo to respond to their reading question.  We will continue practicing using Edmodo for one more week with a picture book before the students start reading chapter books.  Some of the 4th graders even came in and helped the 3rd graders with how to use Edmodo and how to use evidence when answering a question.  The 3rd graders should feel more comfortable with Edmodo this week.
The students also received their new spelling lists.  Don't forget to have them study their words so they are ready for their next test on Thursday the 17th!

Latin/Greek:  We had a first test and the students did awesome!!

Writing:  We watched an awesome video about giving specific feed back and making revisions.  We also practiced skipping lines when writing our rough drafts.  This is a concept that seems easy but the students are having a hard time first understanding how it works and then remembering to do it when writing.  We also practiced self-editing a paragraph.  The students then continued filling out their graphic organizers and started writing their paragraphs for their opinion writing.

Grammar:  We reviewed adjectives and adverbs.  We then took an assessment on Thursday.

Projects:  We finished our Tribes in Action skits.  It was fun to watch the kids perform for the class!

Monday, September 7, 2015

August 31- September 3rd

Reading:  This week in reading we learned about inference.  We watched some fun videos and pixar shorts to practice our inferencing skills.

The students received their new Latin and Greek words. The test on these will be September 10th.  They need to know the meaning of the L/G word and an example of a word that includes that prefix. For example bi means two bicycle. The word bicycle has the prefix bi because a bicycle has 2 wheels. The words this week are:
                     
                              uni- one
                             mono- one
                              bi- two
                             tri- three
                             quad- four

Spelling: We had our first spelling test this week. Overall most of the students did a good job on the test, but there were a few who did not. Make sure your student is studying his/her spelling words. The test is given in sentence form and part of their grade is starting the sentence with a capital and ending with the correct punctuation. 

Writing: We added using evidence to support our opinion in the writing process.  We a book that ends with the reader getting to decide if an should be squished by a boy or not. The students took notes while I read of the reasons why the boy thought he should squish the ant and reasons why the ant thought he should not. We then read a few non fiction books about ants. The students then practiced using the facts to support their opinions. They began filling out their graphic organizers.  

Grammar: We learned about adjectives on Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday the students reviewed the different parts of speech using IXL Grammar. We then took a test on the parts of speech on Thursday.

Projects: The students continued working on their skits. We will film this week.

**4th graders are all up and going on Edmodo. They can sign on at home if parents want to check it out or if they don't think they will finish in class.

**Thank you to all the parents who ordered from Scholastic. I am excited to get new books for our class with the points that I earn!



Tuesday, September 1, 2015

google sign in

The students have been filling out their google calendars with their nightly  homework assignments.
To access this at home the students need to sign on to their google account at home. To do this you will:
            1. go to google.com
            2.  Click on mail
            3.  sign on using firstnamelastname@oasisacademyfallon.us
            4.  Their password is the same one they use to get onto their computers at school.
            5. once logged in click on google calendar



***Some parents are finding that they cannot sign their child on to google.  They get a message that says the password does not work.  If this happens let me know and I will work on solving this problem.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

August 24- 27

Reading:  This week we continued building stamina during Daily 5.  We added Word Work and Read to Someone.  I continued assessing the students while they were working during Daily 5.  We also continued learning about context clues.  The students made up their own words and put them in sentences.  The class then had to use context clues to figure out the meaning of their word.  

Spelling:  The students received their spelling lists.  We will be having a spelling test on September 3rd.

Writing:  This week we learned about how to write an opinion paper.  We began with a taste test between mint Oreos and berry Oreos.  The mint won by a landslide! We then discussed opinion sentence starters and transition words. Next, we used our information from our graphic organizer to write our paragraphs. We will continue with opinion writing next week by learning how to use facts to support our opinions.

Cursive: We learned 8 new letters (s,u,v,w,x, b, h, k).  The students are loving learning how to write in cursive!

Grammar: This week we learned about verbs and adverbs.  Next week will we learn about adjectives to complete the parts of speech.  There will be an assessment on all the parts of speech on Thursday.

Projects: The students were put in groups and are starting to write their scripts about their Tribe agreement.

** Remember that book orders are due on September 3rd.  You may order online or send in a check or cash.  If you send in cash please send in exact change. 

Sunday, August 23, 2015

8/17-8/20

We had a great first week! I loved seeing what everyone brought in their Me Bags.

Reading: We worked on building stamina during read to self.  They are doing a great job. The 4th graders also started "work on writing". Our mini lesson this week was on context clues. We will continue this next week.

Writing: This week we did a quick opinion writing and a narrative. I wanted to see where everyone is with their writing so I know which areas we need to focus on.

Grammar: This week we talked about nouns. The students got into groups based on which kind of noun was written on their card. The groups then created a poster to represent their group.

Projects: We talked about the different Tribe agreements and how they look in our classroom. We also did some fun team building activities. One involved spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. The other involved stacking cups. Ask your student about these fun activities.

Specials: We have music this quarter.

Almost everyone has turned in all of their paperwork.  If you still need to turn your paperwork in please send it on Monday with your child.

Don't forget to send in $1 with your child if he/she would like to wear any kind of socks or tights during this quarter.

Our classroom gets cold during the day.  It would be a good idea to bring a school approved sweatshirt to wear in class.

We still need a PE parent on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-4:00. If you are available please send me an email.  tmoon@oasisacademyfallon.us

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Let the new year begin! :)

Thank you to those of you who made it to the Back to School night. Please remember to sign all the paperwork, including page 15 of the handbook, and send it back in the binder on Monday. For those of you who were unable to make it, I will send home the paperwork in a folder. Please get it returned to me ASAP. 

Your student should have  received a letter from me by now.  If for some reason he/she did not he/she needs to bring in a bag filled with 3 things (small items or even pictures) that will let us know about them. We will share the bags during the first week.

We have a student with a nut allergy in our class. When packing the snack for the afternoon please have your student bring something that does not have nuts in it since we will be eating these snacks in the classroom.  Also if you make a treat for the class remember to make it nut free.

I am so exited to meet our class!  I know we will have a great year!

Remember if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Thanks!

Thanks for a great year! I truly enjoyed every second of it! I loved my class and I'm so sad to see them move up to 4th grade. At least I still get them for reading. Have a wonderful summer! I will see you all in August.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Link to class play

Here is the link to our class play.

http://youtu.be/nwWt13Yh2w0

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Thank you!

Thank you for a wonderful teacher appreciation week! I definitely felt loved and appreciated!  If you haven't had a chance to come see our classroom door you need to stop by. It was decorated by
Aimee Springfield and it looks awesome!

Also thank you to all the parents and grandparents who made it to our poetry slam. The kids did a great job reciting their poems.

Only 8 more school days. How did this year fly by so fast?

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Our Crazy Last few weeks

Here are some important dates coming up

May 6- Spring Wings- remember to put sunblock on your child before school.  If you want to meet us for lunch come a little before noon.  

May 7- Poetry Slam-  2:30- 3:10  We hope to see you there!

May 13- Play for Drama at 1:45  Come watch all the hard work the class has put in for this wonderful production

May 18-  Ag in the classroom  We will be outside for most of the day so be sure to put sunblock on your child before school.  

May 21- FIELD DAY!!  This day is so much fun!!  I'm still in shock that the year is over!

If anything changes I will let you know,  Please feel free to contact me.  If you have any questions about the play you will have to ask Mrs. Christie.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

testing schedule this week

Here is the testing schedule for this week.  Hopefully it all goes smoothly and we can get finished.  On Thursday the kids were in the middle of their tests and CC Comm had internet issues and our internet went down.  So 14 of my students didn't get to finish their test.  At least they will have now had some rest over the weekend and will be able to finish up on Monday.

Monday: 3rd will finish their reading performance task.
                4th will take their reading performance task once 3rd grade is finished with their test

Tuesday:  3rd Grade math performance task


Then we are all finished!!! Yay!!

As for snacks this week.... I have Monday covered for those taking a test on Monday (3rd graders, 4th graders already have their own snacks)

If you are signed up to bring snacks on Tuesday or Thursday still plan on bringing in on your assigned day.  We will have Tuesday's food before their test.  Then on Thursday we will have a celebration breakfast before (or during) daily 5!

Thank you for getting your children here all last week.  I know it was a tiring week for everyone, but I was really proud of them and how hard they were working!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

TESTING: CHANGE OF PLANS

There is a change of plans for testing this week.  Third grade was supposed to take their reading test on Thursday but now we have to take it TOMORROW (Wednesday).  Clark County is planning on starting their testing on Thursday so we want to get our testing for this week finished before they start to avoid any issues.

If you were scheduled to bring food on Thursday please bring it in tomorrow.

Thank you!

Theresa

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

6 more weeks!

I can't believe there are only 6 more weeks left of school!

This week we will be doing a lot of review getting ready for the smarter balance test.

During the testing days we will have a breakfast and snacks for the kids to keep their energy up.  If you would like to help provide things for this please email me and I will let our room mom know so she can coordinate with everyone.


Sunday, March 29, 2015

Reminder

On Monday we will be walking to the park so be sure to wear walking shoes and bring a lunch that does not need to be heated. 

Don't forget to send in headphones or ear buds if you haven't already.  They will need them on Monday when we do our practice test.

Wednesday will be our nacho bar and game afternoon.

Thank you to everyone who came to conferences. You all have wonderful children!

Monday, March 23, 2015

Oops

I realized after I got home that my last post was not an email but was on the blog....which means you can't reply all! :) Tomorrow when I get back to school I will send an email of what is needed for the nacho bar and then everyone can reply all for what they want to bring.

Next week 3/30- 4/2

Next week we are have stamina building days for our students.  To make these days more fun for the students in the afternoon on Monday and Wednesday we have some fun activities planned.

On Monday the 30th we will be walking to the park for lunch and play time.  We will leave school around 12:15 and return at 2:00.  If you would like to walk over with us please let me know.  Also I would like to have a parent bring over water bottles and popsicles for our class. If you are able to do this please let me know.

On Wednesday April 1st in the afternoon we will be having a nacho bar and play board games.  We will need the following things brought in for our nacho bar:
                           *4 bags of chips
                           *crock pot of nacho cheese
                           *salsa
                           *olives
                            *bowls
                            *napkins
                             *bottles of water
If you can bring in anything please reply all to this email so everyone will know what has already been taken.

Also, if you have a board game to bring in and share with the class for the afternoon please send it in with your child.  Make sure you write your name on the game.


Saturday, March 14, 2015

End of 3rd quarter!

I cannot believe that the 3rd quarter is already over! This year has flown by. I will be so sad for these kids to move on to 4th grade. I'm glad I will at least still get to see them for reading.

I am going to try something new for signing up for conferences.  It will be all online on  sign up genius.  I will be setting it up at the beginning of the week and you will be getting an email telling you to go on and sign up for your conference time.  Other teachers here use this and say it works great.

Reading:  (3rd) We worked on a smarter balance question requiring them to write the ending to a narrative story.  On Wednesday they shared what they wrote with a partner and got feedback.  Then they revised their story using their feedback.  We also had a spelling test on Thursday.  We will have a Latin/Greek test this week.

(4th) We worked on a smarter balance question requiring them to summarize a non-fiction text.  On Wednesday we discussed and they shared with their bridge partner.  They then used the feedback from their partner to revise their summary.

Writing:  The students were giving two examples of a tall tale.  They then had to write their own tall tale.  We will continue with these this week.

Grammar:  We practiced putting a paragraph in the correct order so it will make sense.  Making sure to have a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.  They then had to add more details to the paragraph to enhance it.

Projects:  We almost finished our life cycle projects.  They will practice presenting this week and will present to each other on Wednesday.

Monday, February 23, 2015

January 16-19

Reading:  This week we worked on author's purpose. We also had a Latin/Greek test.  Most of the students did great on this test!  This week we have a spelling test.

Writing:  We started a new writing assignment this week.  It is a bit of a challenge for everyone.  We read two articles on how to keep kids fit. Now they have to write a paper about this subject.  They have to use evidence from the both texts to support their reasons in the paper.

Grammar:  We worked on comparative and superlative adjectives.

Projects:  We are continuing our projects on the life cycle.

** We are out of pencils.  If you could please donate some pencils to our class that would be great!

Monday, February 2, 2015

January 26-29

Reading (3rd and 4th):
We are learning about text structures this week.  We have learned about cause and effect, and problem and solution, so far.  We are back to using edmodo this week in book club.  The students are working on restating their question in their answer and going back and locating the answers in the book to use to support their answer.

Writing:
We started a new informational writing this week on unusual deep sea creatures.  The students are loving what they are learning!

Grammar:
We reviewed simple and compound sentences and then began learning about complex sentences.  We will continue with this more this week.

Projects:
The students continued working on their egg drop simple machines.  Some groups have already tested their machines.  One group had a complete success, a few needed minor changes and two groups needed some major changes. :) We will finish up this project this week and start a new project on the life cycle.

Misc:
We will not be having a Valentines party, as I'm sure you all know from the email the school sent out last week.  Our student council will be selling candy grams that your student (or you) can purchase during lunch.  They cost 50 cents each.

We are running our of expo markers.  If anyone would like to donate some to our classroom that would be great!

The Money for Maverick contest ends soon.  Our class is not doing so well.  If they want to bring in money to donate to this great cause I will give Blue/White points.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Jan 19-22

Reading 3rd and 4th:
We continued working on main ideas and supporting details. We had a Latin/Greek test. The students did great on this test!  This week we will have a spelling test on Thursday. Please remind your student to study.

Writing:
We finished our inventor papers. The students typed their papers using different text freatures. Some of the students finished early and researched a person for Black History Month.

Grammar:
We reviewed and then took an assessment on simple and compound sentences. The students all did great on this assessment!

Projects:
We reviewed the different types of simple machines. We then went over the requirements for our egg drop project. Then they got with their partner and came up with two prototypes. They picked one and decided on what materials will be needed. The students are very excited about this project and many want to work on it at home, however they must only work on it at school with their partner. They can bring materials from home that are needed if they want.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

1/12- 1/15

Reading:
We worked on finding the main idea and supporting details.  This has been quite tricky for them so we will continue working on it again this week.  We also are working on nonfiction text.  So far we are doing this in bookclub together in order to make sure we are going back into the text to support our answers.  Next week I hope to start edmodo again.  We will get new spelling words this week and have a Latin/Greek test on Thursday.

Writing:
We continued writing our inventor papers.  As students finish they are typing up their paper using the different text features that we have learned about.  They are then going to use this to create a newspaper page.

Grammar:
We reviewed subject, predicate and simple sentences.  We then combined the simple sentences to make a compound sentence using a conjunction.

Projects:
We learned about simple machines this week.  The students moved through different centers to learn about each of the simple machines.  We briefly talked about our next project the "egg drop".  The students are going to design a complex machine with their partner in order to get their egg safely to the floor.  In partners the students will design their prototypes this week.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Report card time!

Be sure to look for your child's report card. I had them put them in their binders.  Have a great weekend!