Promise to Kate

Our class will be supporting "Promise to Kate" for our "Season of Giving" project this year. Kate was born with myotonic muscular dystrophy which is an inherited gene that laid quietly in their gene pool. Kate's parents, Elizabeth and Dave Conte, founded "Promise to Kate," a foundation that embodies their promise to raise money to cure the disease. The money they raise goes to fund research but also helps families who need services of Wolfson Children's Hospital. Elizabeth is a teacher here at Chets Creek and she came with Kate to speak to our class about their organization. Our students were quite impressed with Kate and her strength. Our class will be making special ornaments that will be on display in the front lobby. In receipt of your donation to this wonderful cause you will receive one of these special ornaments.

Multiplication and Arrays

This week in math, students have been working with arrays. They have learned that arrays are an arrangement of things in equal rows and columns.  Arrays are a fantastic model that easily allows students to visualize "groups of" things (multiplication). Students have learned how to identify the dimensions of arrays (rows, columns), how to skip count to find the total, and how to break down arrays into smaller, easier arrays. Check out our anchor chart from today's math lesson.

Visualize an array that is 6 x 7. What smaller arrays can you break a 6 x 7 array in to? Leave us a comment with your answer. 

Reading Test Taking Top Banana

This year our students have been working really hard to focus on "doing their best on the test" by using all the awesome test taking strategies we are learning. That way when they finish their test they will be proud of their hard work. A Reading Test Taking Top Banana is selected each week for their hard work on their reading test. Each nine weeks, all the students who earned the Reading Top Banana get to participate in a pizza party lunch. Congratulations to our first nine weeks Reading Test Taking Top Bananas! We are so proud of all your hard work.

The Jungle Journal: November 4th through November 8th

  

Reader’s Workshop                                                                      

This week we will continue to recognize that a character’s actions are a window into the sort of person he or she is. We will be identifying portions of the text where a character behaves strangely, and instead of thinking, “That’s weird,” we will work to consider possible reasons for this out of character behavior. What could be the motivation behind this change? Has something changed or were our previous ideas about a character simply too simplistic. Characters-like people- are not just one way!  Our Reading Top Banana this week is Tabitha! Way to use all your strategies!! We are really proud of all the students who are doing their Brain Builders! Thank you for encouraging your child to complete these!                  

 Writer’s Workshop                                                                      

This week we will continue to work on writing a fictional story that explains an illustration in the book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.  We will be making sure our stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. We will be learning about paragraphs and when to indent. We will also be learning how to add similes to our writing. Ask your child about their mystery story! 

Skills                                                                                            

 We will have a skills test on Friday. Students will be working on list 7 of spelling this week. Students should study and complete one of the homework options for list 4. The quiz will also cover our skills topic of the week, text talk vocabulary.  Our daily skills sheet (in their ROAR folder) will serve as their study guide. 

Math Workshop                                                                

 We are continuing our study of Equal Groups, with a focus on skip counting and 100s charts.  We highlighted the multiples of numbers 2 through 12 (and 20!) and noticed relationships and patterns with multiples.  For example:  we noticed,

·         *  If a number is a multiple of 10, it is also a multiple of 5.

·         *  If a number is a multiple of 8, it is also a multiple of 2 and 4.

Students can use their 100s charts to help them skip count.  Ask your child to explain the following related problem set:  Oscar bought 4 juice packs.  Each pack has 6 juice boxes in it.  How many juice boxes did he buy?  Jessica  bought 8 juice packs.  Each pack has 6 juice boxes in it.  How many juice boxes did he buy?  Have your child explain what they did to solve.  Think about ways that you can use the first equation to help solve the second equation.

There will be a Math Quiz on Wednesday, November 6^th.  Your child should review their multiples charts and workbook pages 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 to prepare. 

 

Science                                                                                                  

We are starting a new unit of study called Forms of Energy.  We will be discussing that energy can cause motion or create change as well as some ways that energy can change form.  Your child will also learn how light is reflected, refracted, and absorbed; how heat energy and light energy affect matter; how heat and light can be produced; and how blocking light forms shadows.                                                                                     

Ask your child to see their new unit cover page they created in their Science Journal.  This is a routine we follow at the start of each unit.  Following the unit cover page, you will find the essential questions, vocabulary, and A-Ha Connections pages!           

Social Studies                                                                              

We are studying Chapter 7, Lesson 1:  Citizens Make a Difference and Chapter 7, Lesson 2:  Rights and Responsibilities this week.  Please be sure to study the blue sheet nightly to be prepared for the quiz on Friday, November 8^th.      

Extra Information & Field Trip                                                                    

There is an upcoming field trip to IMAX.  Students will see two movies in 3D: Great White Shark and To the Arctic.  The cost for students, due 11/22, is $14.  The cost for chaperones is $9.  The field trip is on Friday, December 6^th.

Thank you so much to our amazing room moms for a fun Halloween party.  We loved our games, cookies, and crafts.

Wednesday, November 6th:  Early Dismissal

Friday, November 8th:  Picture Retakes

No School on Monday, November 11th to recognize Veteran's Day.  

Report Cards are being sent home on Monday, November 4th.  Please review, sign the bottom right portion, and return it inside the envelope by Thursday.  Awards ceremony is Thursday, November 7th at 9:15, in the dining room.