Friday, December 10

Hello Friends and Families!

Important updates:
Lice: We had lice in our room again this week.  Please check over the weekend!
Snack: As of today we are out of snack in our room.  If your child usually eats school snack, please send in more so they have something to eat!
Coats/Jackets/Hats/Mittens:  It is COLD outside!  Please send your child in with warm attire for winter.  We continue to go outside, even if it is cold.  (I have been informed there is a cut-off for how cold but we have not reached it yet.)  If you need assistance in getting these items, please let me know and our school can help!

As we draw near the end of December, our Pilgrim unit is also drawing to a close. Writer's Workshop has focused on historical fiction/personal narratives.  Students in 108 are in the process of writing their first drafts of narratives from the perspective of a Pilgrim. This week they learned how to incorporate a story "roller coaster" into their writing. Ask them to tell you how they are building their story to reflect the most important part!  Each student has focused on one small moment that might be important to a Pilgrim.

In Social Studies we are about to edit and write final drafts of a Plimoth Plantation talk show. Students reviewed how to write interview questions and then learned how to turn their interviews into a script. We have practiced staging a show with our own "in-house" Reader's Theater production. We learned important vocabulary such as center stage, stage left, stage right, up stage, and down stage. We will be using knowledge gained during our practice show as we plan our performance. This is something you WILL be invited to see! I will keep you updated as our work nears completion.

In Reading Workshop, our book clubs are up and running.  Each group is reading historical fiction.  Most books are based on early colonial life in New England.  The book clubs are a support to the work students are doing in Social Studies and Writing Workshop. Students make goals about how many pages they want to read, take notes on their reading, and then meet as a group to discuss what they read. 

We continue to look at larger numbers in Math.  This week, our attention turned toward subtraction.  Students learned how to play the game "How Close to 100?" to help understand the concept of adding and subtracting from 100.  If you would like to support theirlearning, you can practice basic subtraction facts with your students.  This will help as we work with larger numbers. (For example, 10-7 helps with the concept of 100-70)


This week is conference week. If you are unsure of your scheduled conference time please let me know. Don't forget to bring your child as he or she will be leading the first ten minutes of the conference. I am looking forward to sharing all we have completed so far this year!

Below is our Share Schedule for this week. It is Week 3.  Our theme is favorite meals. Students may share stories, artifacts, or pictures from a favorite meal. A favorite meal could be that there is a ritual for breakfast every morning, or it could be a holiday meal, or a favorite food you share in your family. Please DO NOT bring in the food to share, due to allergies in our room.

Here is this week's Share Schedule:
Monday: Micky and Isaac
Tuesday: Clarck and Simon
Wednesday: Jen and Sub spot for students who have missed their share
Thursday: Meg and Sub spot

Sincerely,
Meg