January 25th Update

Upcoming Events

1/28 Book Report Note Packets are due
        100th Day of School
        School wide Backwards Day (students will have their daily schedule in reverse order)

 

1/29 Late Start

1/30 Author Visit at the high school

2/1 Pastries for Parents Starts at 7:45

 

2/11 Mid quarter grades go home

2/14 Valentine's Day Party 2-3

 

2/18 No school


Reading

This week the student explored reading and describing non fiction books. Since the students can identify the text features they are know collecting information on what the features are teaching them.

 

Next week the students will use the information they collected on their book report notes to complete a summary cube. At the end of next week, the students will share their summary cube with their classmates.  

Math

This week the students continued to work with identifying angles measurements. We also looked at creating symmetry by drawing a mirrored image. Finally, we explored what makes lines, angles and shapes congruent.

 

We will have our chapter 6 test next Friday, February 1st. The study guide will come home on Thursday with your students.   

Writing

On Monday the students will begin their personal narrative using the 3 items from their brown bag. This week we learned a personal narrative is a true story you write about yourself. This personal narrative will be in the a five paragraph essay. The students will write their paragraphs, edit with a partner, edit with me and then complete their final copy.


Science:
The student started a new unit on plant characteristics. This week we collected all the information the students know about plants. We focused on how seeds are protected in flower, fruit/veggie or cones until they are ready to become a new plant. We also learned different parts of the plants have different responsibilities. Next week we will look at different plant life cycles.

Multiplication tests:

Starting next Friday, February 1st, we will start multiplication timed tests. Yesterday in your student's take home folder there was a note explaining the multiplication program. I also made a copy of flash cards for all the problems 0-10 your students will need to know.

As a reward when students pass a number they will receive a piece of bubble gum and get to color in the corresponding number on their paper bubble gum machine here in the room.

If you would like to help, I am collecting sugar free bubble gum to give as the reward. For students who cannot have gum I also have alternative treats.

We will only take multiplication tests on Friday

Each Friday the students will get two tries to pass their level.

Practicing flashcards with your students at home is one of they best ways to practice.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Ray

January 17th Update

Upcoming Events

1/21 No School

1/29 Late Start

1/30 Author Visit at the high school

2/1 Pastries for Parents Starts at 7:45

2/14 Valentine's Day Party 2-3

Brown Bag Writing
On Monday I will be sending the students home with a small brown bag. Attached you will find instructions to place 3 small items in the bag. The students will use these items for writing this month.

Reading The students have spend the week learning all the different text features in non-fiction books. During the week the students have searched in a variety of non-fiction books to find examples of each text feature. They also can describe what what information each text feature gives them. Today we used a Time for Kids magazine to hunt for all the different text features.

Math

This week in math the students explored different types of shapes and angles. The students leaned 3 line segment can create a polygon. We also classified different shapes based on their number of sides and sizes of their angles. The students will continue to focus on these concepts next week.

 

WritingThe students were introduced to common testing vocabulary this week in writing. They used their dictionary skills to look up these new words and shared the definitions they found with the class. The student also used their research on Martin Luther King Jr. to created summary sentences about different aspects of his life.

Next week we will explore narrative writings with the brown bag writing assignment. By the end of this month the students will complete their first five paragraph narrative essay writing!


Social Studies
The students combined their writing, research and technology skills into social studies this week. The students worked in groups of three to create a biography cube of Martin Luther King Jr. I was very impressed the students were able to share their information with each other and create summary group summary sentences. Each group then typed their information into a online program which created a biography cube. The graded flat copies of the cube will come home today along with the 3D versions they have created.


Science:
Next week in science we will explore the characteristics of a plant.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Ray

January 11th Update

Upcoming Events

1/21 No School

1/29 Late Start

2/1 Pastries for Parents 

Quarter 2 Grade Cards

The Grade cards come home with the students today. Please sign and return the brown grade card envelope.  Your envelop will have a grade card and graphic organizer. like the one from parents teacher conferences. Each subject (Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies)  will have specific goals. Goals which are highlighted need improvement, blank goals mean your students has a basic level of understanding and a start means they have mastered the goal.

Reading
This week the students focused on finding the characteristics of fiction and non-fiction books. The student were exposed to both types of books and facilitated discussions to decide if a book was non-fiction or fiction and why. Next week the students will learn to identify different non-fiction text features.

Each student picked out a book for their January book report, the genre is folktale. The book report note packets are due Monday, January 28th.

Math

We began Unit 6 on Monday. The students learned to identify and label line segments, lines and rays. We also identified the parts of triangles and angles. The math parent packet went home on Wednesday and can help you assist the students with their home work.

Writing

The students were excited to start cursive this week! For 10 minutes each day the students will learn a new cursive letter. The cursive practice also includes identifying cursive letters in text and combing cursive letters into words.

The students reflect on their break with a writing Monday. We focused on the highlights of 2012 and our goals for 2013 on Tuesday. We concluded the week by completing a narrative writing about what we think snowman do at night. The students completed the entire writing process. They brainstormed ideas, completed a writing planning sheet, edited with a peer, edited with me and wrote their final copy.

Social Studies
The students have collected information about Martin Luther King Jr. Through our research and reading we have confirmed information we "knew" about MLK. The students have also compiled the new information they have learned throughout the week. Next week the students will work in groups to determine the most important information they would like to share about Martin Luther King Jr's life.

We had a mini celebrations with the students Wednesday to celebrate my news that the baby is the boy!

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Ray

December Update

Upcoming Events

12/19 Holiday Shop
**Our holiday shop time is 1:20. The students will only be able to buy from the shop on Wednesday during our time. No reutrn visits**

12/20 Winter Party 2-3

12/21-1/6 Winter Break

The class celebrating 12/12/12 with a picture at 12 o'clock.

 
Reading
This week the students used their notes from their historical fiction book to create a cell phone themed book report. Each button explained a different element of their book. Today each student shared their report with the class.

Math
The unit 5 test will be Tuesday the 18th.

On Monday we will complete the study guide, which will come home with the students Monday night. On Wednesday we will go over the test and it will come home with the students on Thursday.

The test will include the following topics:

Identifying place value to the ten thousands

Comparing numbers with >, < or =

Adding and subtraction

Ballpark estimates

Perimeter and Area

Decimals of tenth and hundredth and their matching fractions

Identifying place value of decimals

 

Social Studies
This week we concluded our study of conflict resolution. The students can now identify conflicts start and brainstorm which conflict stopper to use to solve the problem. Each students wrote a personal conflict they had experienced. Another classmate respond and helped brainstorm different solutions the student could use if they conflict occurred again.

Science
The students focused on the characteristics of each of the climate zones. The students collected information about the tropical, arid, temperate, continental and polar climate zones. We used the mini laptops and ipads to aid us in our research.

Next week we will learn about different types of natural disasters. The students will learn how these disasters effect both the environment and people. We will learn how to prepare for each of the natural disasters.

Second Quarter Grade Cards
Grade cards will come home after break.

There will be no blog post next week. Have a wonderful holiday break with your family and friends!

Happy Holidays,

Mrs. Ray

December 7th Update

Upcoming Events

12/19 Holiday Shop

 12/20 Holiday Shop
Winter Party 2-3

12/21-1/6 Winter Break

Reading

We continued asking questions about characters by completing a character study this week. We read 4 different books, which exposed the students to a variety of character personalities. To relate to to our word choice, we have been working on in writing, we used a character trait list to describe the personality of each character with specific and creative word. The students combined all the personality traits they collected for each character. Today we voted and picked the 6 top personality traits for each character.

Here is our list:

Mean Jean: rude, angry, strict, evil, unfriendly and grouchy

Katie Sue: generous, wacky, silly, brave, serious and thankful

Hansel: smart, brave, sneaky, poor, helpful and loving

Gretel: loving, smart, thoughtful, nervous, giving and helpful

Gingerbread Man: wild, quick, sneaky, stubborn, lucky and bold

Fox: greedy, selfish, evil, wise, unfriendly and dishonest

Gingerbread Girl: generous, nice, friendly,fearful, smart, afraid

Writing

Friendly letters have been our main focus this week in writing. We spent time reviewing the 5 parts of a letter (date, greeting, body, closing and signature) and their correct placement. Each students was assigned a secret buddy to write letters to until December 20th. Each Tuesday and Thursday they will receive a new letter from their secret buddy. On the last day before break we will have a reveal activity.

We also used a brainstorm sheet to organize a letter to a solider. Today they students finished their final copy letters which will be sent to the troops.

Next week we will be working with writing using transitions. As the students become better writers their stories become longer. Transitions help students learn when to create new paragraphs and also help build fluency of their writing.

 

 

Math

We worked with place value. The students are able to read and write numbers up to a million.

We worked with both fractions and decimals this week. The students worked with base-ten block manipulatives to identify how tenths and hundredths relate to 1 whole. We also practiced writing equivalent fractions and decimals. The students were able to see tenths or hundredths to create a fraction or a decimal.

We used the following model to help us:

 

hundredths = ?/100 = . __ __

tenths = ?/10 = .__

two tenths = 2/10 = .2
twenty hundredths = 20/100 = .20 or .2
twenty-two hundredths = 22/100 = .23

**This is a complex but the students are not expected to have mastered. But it was just introduced to the concept. The students did a great job working with he manipulatives and we continue to work with this topic next week.

The students used the base ten flat to figure out how many hundredths were in each letter of their name. They then converted the hundredths into decimal and fraction form.

 

We will have the unit 5 test before winter break.

Science

How is weather different from climate?
The students worked hard to answer this questions this week. The students have been collecting and studying different types of weather the last few weeks. The students decided weather was the day to day change in the earth atmosphere. They then learned this week climate is the usual weather in a specific place over time. Information to determine a weather's climate has been determined by collecting information about the area's weather over a long period of time.

Next week we will study the characteristics which make up each of the different climate zones.

Social Studies
The students used personal recess conflicts to practice acting out their new conflict stoppers. Each conflict was examined to find the conflict starter. Small groups then acted out how a conflict stopper could successfully stopping the conflict.

Here are the 10 conflict starters and stoppers:

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mrs. Ray

Upcoming Events

12/3 Book Report note packets are due

12/19 Holiday Shop

 

12/20 Holiday Shop
          Winter Party 2-3

12/21-1/6 Winter Break

 

Reading

Book report historical fiction note packets are due Monday

 

The students practiced asking questions about characters to better understand their books. We also continued working with cause and effect relationships. The student can match cause and effect relationships and also create a cause for an effect or effect for cause. Next week we will continue working with asking questions about characters, find cause and effect relationships in our own books and start our book report projects.

Writing

Students brainstormed creative verbs they could use in their own writing. This week they focused on how their word choice can draw in the reader. We also practiced writing notes by writing thank you  notes.  Each student wrote a note to the Mader Foundations for giving each student a dictionary.

 

Math
This week focused on place value to millions. Students practiced reading, writing and identifying each place value.

Science

This week we studied how the sun, clouds and precipitation effect the weather. Next week we will study the difference between weather and climate. The students will also start to look at different characters to climates around the world.

 

Social Studies
In social studies we are practicing conflict resolution skills. The students are acting out different conflict scenarios and practicing effective ways to solve conflict. We are studying common conflict starters and easy ways to stop conflicts when they occur.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mrs. Ray

 

A Time to be Thankful

Upcoming Events

11-15 Mid Quarter

 11/20 Midterms come home

11/21-11/25 Thanksgiving Break

Midterms

Midterms will be coming home with each student on Tuesday. They will include letter/percentage grades for math, language, social studies and science. The reading update will include your students current skills in asking and writing questions. The 2^nd quarter grades will be just like the 1^st quarter grades given at parent teacher conferences. Please return signed midtem section by November 30th.

Reading

This week the students worked with cause and effect. We have been reading books filled with cause and effect relationships. The students have been working with finding a effect when given a cause. We also used out independent reading time to find cause and effect relationships in our own books.

 We learned a helpful trick to check each cause and effect relationship. The students read the “effect” then say “because” and read their “cause” box. If their sentences makes sense they have a correct cause and effect relationship.

 Writing

We completed our first 5 paragraph essay this week! We brainstormed reasons we are thankful and then used a graphic organizer to brainstorm about our top three choices. The students then used a 5 paragraph format to construct their rough drafts. The final copies will come home on Tuesday with their midterms. The students are excited to share their published works with their families!

 

Math

The unit 4 test will be Tuesday. Study guides for the test will go home on Monday.

The test will include questions:

Word problems creating like groups

Perimeter

Area

Multiplication by 1 and 2

Place value

Comparisons

 

The students collected data on rock, paper, sissors to decide if the game was fair or not.

 

Science

The students now to get compare the weather for this week and last week. We also calculated the length of each of our days. We brainstormed all the different types of weather we have. The students will continue to learn about weather and studying climate.

There will be no post next week. Have a wonderful holiday break!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mrs. Ray