I can’t believe how the time is flying.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner, although it feels like the middle of winter.  I look forward to seeing you all at conferences on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week.  It’s my hope that your child can accompany you to our conference, since it is all about him/her.  If not, that’s not a problem, but I want you to know they are more than welcome, if not encouraged, to join us.

We have finished up with division temporarily in math.  We are now adding and subtracting decimals, and we’ll move back to multiplying and dividing, but it will be with decimals this time.  We will have a short quiz to check our progress on Thursday.  We began the Revolutionary War in social studies, in which the students seem to take an interest.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 8, Lesson 3 on Thursday as well.  We are finishing up A Family Apart in reading this week.  The children have been doing activities that go along with the book.  In science, we have been working on the circulatory system and the heart, and we’ll have our quiz on these this Thursday.  I’m trying to teach the students that studying is just as important as doing written homework.  Please reiterate this message at home.

The week we return, we will be continuing with decimals in math. They’ll be having a quiz on Thursday, December 4 on what we’ve learned through that time.  In social studies we will continue with the Revolutionary War through the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Also on the fourth we will have a quiz on Chapter 9, Lesson 1.  We’ll be reading various stories in reading during our guided reading time, having a written assessment on that Friday, December 5.  We will be starting our unit in science on mixtures and solutions.  Outlines will be passed out the day we come back to class, December 1. 

I think that pretty much catches you up.  As always, please contact me with any questions.  Have a wonderful week with your children, and I wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. 

 

The heat finally came on today, so we should be nice and warm in the classroom as it gets colder outside.  I hope this finds everyone well.  We are finishing up the trimester, as it ends on November 12.  The students’ book reports and common assessment writing pieces are both due on November 6.  Some of the students are experiencing anxiety about this.  I understand the writing is difficult since this is the first time they have to write using sources.  However, the book report was assigned the first day of school.  Each student is responsible for one book report per trimester.  I advised them not to wait until the last few days.  Unfortunately, as kids will be kids, most have waited.  Thus, they’re experiencing concern to get everything finished.  This is a good lesson as far as not waiting until the last minute, which I will reiterate all year.  Part of them being ready for the junior high is to learn to manage their time well.  Everyone needs help with that, and I will try and help them as best as I can.

We are continuing with division this week, with a review on Wednesday and a test on Friday.  We are leading up to the American Revolution, and we will have a quiz on Chapter 8, Lesson 1 on Thursday.  We are spending most of our afternoons finishing up our writing projects, as well as starting new books in guided reading. 

I hope everyone has a good week.  As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.   Thank you!