Context Clues Retake

  Wow, I can't believe we only have one week before winter break!

   Students who did scored lower than a B will take a different context clues test on Tuesday. This is the last reading grade for the quarter. I haven't sent home last week's test because I did not want to put those into ParentVue. I will be either averaging the two grades or replace the first. This week's test will also be multiple choice. It will not include explanation, but instead definition. The students had a practice sheet for last Thursday's homework. We have reviewed the answers and will practice on Monday. I will send home both tests stapled .

Wednesday is Holiday t-shirt day.

Thursday is PJ day!!

Friday is Holiday headgear day.

Assessments this week

       Fire Safety field trip tomorrow! Please have your child wear and Addison t-shirt of any kind, closed toed shoes, and a warm jacket.

     Context clues test is on Tuesday. The format is exactly like the multiple choice page that your child wrote "Study" on the top off. First identify the meaning of the given word. Then, identify if it's an example,explanation,synonym, or antonym.Students continue to read a narrative text of their choice. We are just beginning to develop response tasks that have been chosen.
       Students will continue to apply strategies to use the correct relative pronoun, identify sentences as complete,fragment, or run-on.

     The test for multiples, divisibility,factors, prime and composite numbers is Wednesday. We will more on to long division.

December is Here!

 I can't believe that they year is almost half over! 

   Last week we began learning about multiples, factors, and divisibility rules. The students were asked to take home their journals to study the rules and use them to help with homework. As we continue tasks to apply these standards, I ask that you study the different rules with your child. There will be a quiz on Tuesday.

  In ELA, we shall continue with identifying the correct relative adverb. Relative pronouns will be added and students will use context clues to assist with correctly identifying them in a sentence. Friday's assessment will include relative adverbs, relative pronouns, types of sentences, and editing. Spelling homework this week will be covering science vocabulary. Please review the words on Monday with your child and initial the list.

  Our reading focus is on using context clues to build vocabulary and comprehension of a text. Although we have always used context clues for close reading, this is now an independent standard to be assessed. There are 4 types of context clues and are in your child's journal. Students were asked last week to take them home to study. Please be sure your child is doing this to prepare for the quiz on Wednesday. Students have completed different tasks depending on their reading level.

   Some students have begun reading independent narrative books of their choice. They will be reading each day for 20 minutes. After reading, they will be completing a book report. This will include different tasks from a choice board and a general book report organizer. I will be guiding them on time management and development of responses for the writing aspect. This will be ongoing for the next 2 weeks or so. 

Custodian appreciation is Monday.

     Visit from the Fire Safety Village on Monday.

     Holiday Shop this coming Saturday, December 8th!

     Field trip to Fire Safety Village on Monday, December 10th.

    

Thanksgiving is Around the Corner

   Students will be solving multi-step word problems for multiplication. We will wrap up multiplication modeling area model and partial product.

    I believe the students are really enjoying their animal research!There will be daily mini-lessons before they begin their draft. Our goal is to have the draft completed before the Thanksgiving break. This will allow us to get right back to the essay on the following week. Hopefully your child has shared their informational paragraph practice piece with you. They may have forgotten to attach their draft.

    Text structure passages will be for homework on Monday and Tuesday. Practice and review activities on Monday-Wednesday. Thursday will be the summative test. The format will be short passages. Students will identify the structure and give supporting details.
   

Reminders:
Thanksgiving lunch on Wednesday at 10:50!
Cobb Youth Museum filed trip on Friday
Progress Reports sent on Friday

Informational Research

    Only two weeks before Thanksgiving break! 

    We have just begun to research exotic, unique animals. Students will be gathering information from websites and books on a specific animal.They will learn how to take notes and to develop focused paragraphs. The plan is to have the draft done before the break. 

   The previous two weeks were spent developing a strong informational paragraph. I met with students individually and provided guidance on their development of interesting hooks,topic sentences, transitions, grouping of ideas for subtopics, and wrap around conclusions. This will be a craft grade in parentvue. The students will bring the writing piece home by Friday.

     There is spelling this week!Please remember to sign the spelling sheet to indicate that you have viewed it. We continue to identify simple, compound, and complex sentences. Students have anchor charts with examples, last week's & this week's practice sheets, that should be reviewed. I have modeled identifying subordinating conjunctions, dependent and independent clauses as strategies.

      Our unit in reading continues to be identifying text structure. Students are close reading to identify key words to support the structure being modeled in the passages. They are completing organizers for the given structure. Please continue to review the anchor chart and packet modeling "soccer" as the topic.

     In math, students are applying box method and partial products to solve multiplication equations. We have begun word problem questions. There will be a test by the end of the week. Then we will move into division.

     Next Friday is our field trip to the Cobb Youth Museum!

Second Quarter

It sure was wonderful to meet with you and discuss your child's progress!

   We are wrapping up the unit on main idea with a test on Tuesday. But, we will continue to revisit this throughout the year.

    Our new writing focus is informational writing ,which has been introduced with some of the main idea passages. The students have chosen a topic to research for developing an informational paragraph. This will lead into an informational essay towards the end of the month. You can view notes in your child's writing journal.

    In reading, we will be making the connection to text structure. This includes identifying : description; compare & contract; sequencing; problem & solution; and cause & effect. 

    Homophones will remain a focus this week. Students will be assessed this coming Friday. 

    In math, students are learning new strategies on solving multi-digit multiplication problems. They will be bringing home their journal to assist them with homework. Please be sure that their journals return to school daily to have in-class. 

   Have  wonderful weekend!

    

Conference Week

   Please check your child's agenda for the day and time of our conference. Remember that your child should attend as Addison does student led conferences.

  We will continue to focus on main idea in informational text. As a whole class, we watched Brainpop and discussed identifying the main idea. Students then watched again independently. While they answered comprehension questions, they watched again. This was NOT taken as a grade! It was a learning experience. There will be some short passages that we will read and use text evidence to identify the main idea. At the same time, we are learning how to develop informational paragraphs. This is to prepare for an upcoming informational essay.

   In math ,our focus will be on multiplication for multi-digit numbers. Students will be exposed to a few strategies to build their fluency. Multiplication is the pathway to many other standards to come this year.

  The book fair is open during conference week. I look forward to meeting with you!