September 30, 2011

• Math - One-Digit Division With a Remainder; Divisibility by 2, 5, & 10: Lesson22
• Science - Glaciers
• Journal - blue journals due today
• Spelling test - tests were corrected and sent home with students today
• Computers with Mrs. Croft
• English - Conjuctions Review: Worksheet 7

I sent a Parent Teacher Conference scheduling confirmation note home with each student today.  Please cut off the bottom portion and have your student return it Monday.  If the time you were assigned/given is inconvenient for you, please indicate on the note the days and times that would be more convenient.  Thanks for all you do!

September 29, 2011

I'm back.

• Math - Fractions - Halves, Fourths, and Tenths: Investigation 2
• Library lesson
• Journal - orange, yellow, and green due today
• Spelling - blind sort (practice test) Test tomorrow
• English - Subjects in Imperatives: Worksheet 6

The posters students are working on are due Monday.  This is an assignment that will also be entered in a contest. 

Tomorrow is an early out day. All teachers are having training on the Language Arts Common Core tomorrow afternoon.

September 26, 2011

• Library - Exchange books
• Math - Three Ways to Show Division: Lesson 20
• Science - Sand Blasted
• Journal - red journals due today
• Spelling - new spelling sort for the week
• Writing - Students began typing their rough draft in the computer lab.
• Posters - There is a poster contest that I am requiring the students to participate in.  They were given a flyer with instructions, but we spent some time discussing the elements that students might want to add to the poster.  This assignment is due October 3, one week from today.
• Social Studies - The Southern Colonies

I will be out of town for the next two days.  The substitute doesn't have access to my blog, so there won't be an update until Thursday.

September 23, 2011

• Math - Division Facts: Lesson 19
• Assembly - An Author spoke to the studentbody about writing.  He drew attention to brainstorming and revising.  It was a lot of fun.  If you didn't get a chance to order his books you can still place orders until Wednesday.  He will be back next Friday to sign books.
• Spelling Test
• Computers
• Reading - Blizzard
• Walk-a-thon - so much fun.  Thank you PTSO!!!

September 21, 2011

• Math - Multiplying 3 factors - Missing Numbers in Multiplication: Lesson 18
• Library lesson
• Journal - green journals due today
• Spelling - blind sort (practice test) Test tomorrow
• Reading - Night of the Twisters
• English - Review of Unit 1 Worksheet 2

Tomorrow is the walk-a-thon, and in the morning we have an author presenting an assembly at the school!  It's going to be a fun day.

September 21, 2011

• Math - Multiplying by One-Digit Numbers: Lesson 17
• Science - The Changing Shoreline - people vs. nature
• Journal - Yellow journals are due today
• Spelling - speed sort
• Writing - Students worked with a partner to give and receive praise and recommendations for their personal narratives.
• Reading - Read, Write, and Talk - talking with others about what we read is a useful way to improve comprehension, and enjoyment for reading
• English - Reviewing unit 1: Sentences and Fragments worksheet
• Social Studies - The Middle Colonies: mind map in notes
• P.E.

Tomorrow is jersey day.  Students are welcome to wear their favorite team's jersey.

September 20, 2011

• Math - Story Problems About Separating: Lesson 16
• Science - Vocabulary Test
• Journal - Orange journals due today
• Diagnostic On-line Reading Assessment (DORA)
• Spelling - sort the words, write them in the word study notebook
• Writing - Evaluate Your Personal Narrative: pg 310
• Kickball - reward for sinking all the ships in our Battleship game
• Social Studies - New England Colonies Mind Map - Includes information about Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire Colonies.
• Art

Tomorrow is crazy hair and crazy sock day.  Walk-a-thon envelopes are due tomorrow!!!

September 19, 2011

• Math - Test and Test Day Activity pages 2-3
• Library - exchanged books
• Science - study vocabulary words and definitions for test tomorrow.  We finished watching a video about rivers and streams.
• Journal - red due today
• Spelling - Each student got two pages of their spelling list, one for school and one for home.  The test will be Friday.
• English - Run-On Sentences: pg 48-49 (1-13)
• Writing - Good Endings: pg 309
• Social Studies - Map with 13 colonies labeled and colored according to New England, Middle, or Southern colony.
• P.E.

The students have sunk all of our ships in Battleship again.  I think we will play a game of kickball tomorrow.

September 16, 2011

• Math - Multiplication Tables: Lesson 15 (Test on Monday)
• Science - study vocabulary words, Rivers and Streams video
• Spelling - test - scores are already on powerschool
• Writing - Great Beginnings: write three great beginnings to your narrative story
• Social Studies - We discussed the founding of Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth
• Computers

Have a great weekend!

September 15, 2011

• Math - Missing Numbers in Subtraction: Lesson 14
• Library Lesson
• Journal - Green journals are due today
• Spelling - practice test, or blind sort
• Writing - Narrative rough draft is due tomorrow.  I've asked students to write at least two pages, skipping every other line.  They were asked to write about a birthday, or a first day of school.
• English - Writing Good Sentences: pg 46-47 (1-5)

I mentioned in a previous blog entry that the vocabulary test in science would be tomorrow, but we are going to take some more time to study those words.  The test will be next week, probably Tuesday. 

Tomorrow is the last day to order school t-shirts. 

I sent an e-mail to every family in my class.  Please let me know if you didn't get it. 

September 14, 2011

• Math - Multiplication as Repeated Addition, and Adding and Subtracting Dollars and Cents: Lesson 13
• Science - Carving the land.  We began a discussion on how water helps shape the earth.
• Journal
• Spelling - speed sort
• Reading - Notice When You Lose Your Way - Students read a small passage and monitored their thinking.  We brainstormed a list of strategies to fix-up the understanding breakdowns.
• Writing - We need more time for the narrative rough draft.  The rough draft will be due Friday, students will be given class time tomorrow to work on it.
• English - Conjuctions: pg 44-45 (1-16)
• Social Studies - We listed in our notes some reasons people explored North America.
• P.E.

September 13, 2011

• Math - Lines; Number Lines; Tally Marks: Lesson 12
• Science - Students wrote their observations from Investigation 1 and we studied the 12 vocabulary words. There will be a vocabulary test on Friday.
• Spelling - Students independently sorted the words, I checked them, then they wrote the words in their word study composition books. If that wasn't completed at school, it is homework that is due tomorrow.
• Reading - We read a story called "Volcano." We practiced leaving tracks of our inner conversation to aid comprehension.  Today we tried to leave tracks other than questions.
• Writing - We read a narrative of a boy fishing with his grandpa on his birthday. Students are expected to write a narrative about a birthday, or a first day of school.  First draft is due Thursday.  They will be given time to work on it in class tomorrow.
• English - Subjects in Imperatives: pg 42-43 (1-23)
• Social Studies - We discussed a few advances in technology that allowed explorers to cross the ocean.  the caravel, lateen (or triangular) sail, compass, and astrolabe. 
• Art

Friday is the last day to order school t-shirts.

September 12, 2011

• Assembly - Strings Program
• Math - Story Problems About Comparing: Lesson 11
• Spelling - new lists coming home today
• Reading - 14 Cows for America - We discussed how the inner conversation a person has can include more than questions.
• Library - return and check out books
• Dance
• Social Studies - 5 Explorers routes on a map.
• P.E.

September 9, 2011

• We spent time throughout the day discussing the events of September 11, 2001.
• Library
• Math - Story Problems: Investigation 1 - every student completed the work and turned it in already.
• Computers
• Spelling Test

The I Love America program was a success.  Thank you for supporting the students and school by attending the performance(s) today.  Have a great weekend.

September 8, 2011

• Program Dress Rehearsal - Lots of fun.  I hope you can take the opportunity to see the program tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.
• Math - Test 1 on lessons 1-5: Palindrome worksheet

The grades are now showing on the computer.  If you would like to take the opportunity to look at your child's grades they are now available online.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

September 7, 2011

• Math - Missing Addends: Lesson 10
• Science - Investigation 1: Students are responsible for class notes.  Let me know if they didn't get them, I can print them off and students can then get them in their notebooks.
• Journal - yellow journals due today
• Spelling - blind sort
• Reading - independent practice - leaving tracks of our inner conversation
• Music - We practiced as a grade for the program coming up on Friday.
• Mrs. Taylor's lesson - teamwork, cooperation
• Social Studies: Five explorers and their routes shown on the world map.  Columbus, Erikkson, Vespucci, Polo, and Magellan

I'm sorry I forgot yesterday's blog post.  Let me know if you missed it and I'll get it on there.

September 2, 2011

• Math - Subtraction Facts - Fact Families: Lesson 8
• Science - Vocabulary: Write each vocabulary word (there are 12), its definition, and draw a visual representation of that word (picture).  If the pictures have a lot of detail and/or color it will receive extra credit points
• Spelling - a spelling sort is going home with each student today, the spelling test will be on Friday, September 9.
• Reading - We discussed the importance of an inner conversation to establish good comprehension skills.
• Writing - Several students shared their narrative paragraphs.  Many students did not get this done.  Check powerschool to see if this is an assignment your child completed.
• English - Simple Predicates: pg 40-41 (1-19)
• Social Studies - pre-1492 maps: Benchmark in notebook and Ptolemy's map assignment
• Computers - with Mrs. Croft

Have a fantastic three day weekend!

September 1, 2011

• Fire Drill - successful
• Math - Writing & Comparing Numbers Through 100,000s - Ordinal Numbers: Lesson 7
• Library - with Mrs. Coffman
• Journal
• Spelling - independently sort the words: write them in your writing notebook
• Writing - Concluding Sentences and Write Your Own Narrative Paragraph: pg 292