Dear Parents,
I hope you all were able to thoroughly enjoy your three day weekend! I don’t know about you but I would sure like to see some sun in the midst of all these clouds! It might make an appearance on Wednesday, however, it looks like rain on Thursday and Friday. Please stay safe out there on the wet roads. Mark your child’s name on their jackets and umbrellas so if items are forgotten, the owner is easy to find.
Academic notes:
1. Remember that it is VERY important for your child to memorize their multiplication facts with automaticity. Please have them practice regularly at home with flash cards or multiplication games or quizzes. We have started taking multiplication quizzes in class to check for automaticity.
2. Your child should be reading for 20 minutes every night Monday through Thursday as part of their homework. Reading is SO important. Please make sure that they have a quiet place away from T.V. and electronic games to do their reading. They should be taking AR quizzes at school on the books they are finishing. These quizzes help to assess how well they are comprehending what they are reading. I have students who are not taking the quizzes. This either means that they are not taking the time to take the quiz or that they are not doing their reading. I am talking to them about this and appreciate your support at home as well.
Here is a look at what we are doing in class this week:
Math – We are completing the final lessons of chapter 7 on division strategies. The last two lessons are a little tricky so I have taken an extra day for each one. We will be reviewing chapter 7 on Thursday and taking the test on Friday.
Reading – We are reading an article about Marin Luther King, Jr. that we did not finish last week. We are identifying main ideas and key details in this article.
We will also be starting a novel that we will be reading together as a class. It is entitled, Because of Winn-Dixie. It is an endearing story about friendship between a lonely girl and a dog and all the changes that happen in the girl’s life because of her dog. This week, we will be learning new vocabulary words, describing characters and setting, and using the text to answer questions as we read this book.
Writing – We are learning about how to write an opinion. This week, we are continuing to look at examples of opinion writing. We are also reading a particular prompt for writing associated with an opinion article and learning how to analyze the prompt so we know what we are being asked to do. We will be filling out a graphic organizer together.
Social Studies – This week, we are looking at a map of Illinois and using a map key to answer questions. We are also continuing our discussion of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Spelling – We are reviewing the r-controlled spelling patterns ear, air, eer, are, and ere for the sounds you hear in wear, pair, peer, hare, where, and here.
P.E. – Tuesdays and Thursdays
Computers – Thursdays
Library – Thursdays