Newsletter

= =

3-L/G Class News

//May 1st, 2010 //
Dear Parents,

Happy month of May! We have been enjoying the wonderful weather over the past week, which has provided a few extra recesses and outdoor lunches as a break from the ERB testing. The students made it through the testing admirably. While it was a bit stressful at first, the class seemed much more comfortable by the end of the week. Any students that did miss a test will be able to make it up on Monday, May 2nd.

Our field trip last Wednesday was a perfect chance for students to experience the learning that we have been developing in the classroom. From catching amphibians and bugs in the marsh to trying on Lenni-Lenape clothing, we all walked away with a better understanding of how plants, animals and people adapt to their surroundings. Our science experiments with crayfish and research of North American tribes will provide more learning opportunities, as well.

We ended the week with an amazing visit from author/illustrator Kevin O'Malley. He was able to make all of us laugh while sharing his story as an aspiring writer and illustrator and even demonstrating some of his incredible artistic talents.

After completing our fraction unit, we will be starting our final unit of the year, which will improve our multiplication skills further. It is important that students continue to practice basic multiplication facts, as this will help them with the more complex problems, such as two-digit by two-digit multiplication questions.

The students have each completed at least one of our new reading responses. Each piece includes strong elements, and the teacher's comments have given them suggestions to improve for their next response. The guidelines can be found on the 'Student Resources' page if you need to refer to them.

In Friendship,

 Chris and Beth Anne

This week in the classroom:
 * **//Community –//**
 * **//Reading -//** Researching Native Tribes
 * **//Writing –//** Publishing folktales; A day in the life of a native tribe member
 * **//Math//** - Multiplication
 * **//Social Science –//** Native Tribes - Northwest Coast, Plains and Southeast tribes
 * **//Science//** //–// Plants & Animals - experiments with crayfish
 * //**Word Study**// - Homonyms

Vocabulary


 * 1) attitude
 * 2) confess
 * 3) defend
 * 4) gradual
 * 5) hint
 * 6) individual
 * 7) malice
 * 8) misery
 * 9) solution
 * 10) survey

Spelling

Review homonyms and contractions
If students pass the pre-test on Monday, they will use vocabulary words as their spelling list (See above)
 * 1) know
 * 2) write
 * 3) where
 * 4) stare
 * 5) would
 * 6) their
 * 7) there
 * 8) wasn't
 * 9) they'll
 * 10) he's
 * 11) haven't
 * 12) they're

 Questions of the Week
 * 1) Which tribe have you been researching? What have you learned about this tribe? How did they adapt to their environment? What would a day in the life of a tribe member be like?
 * 2) How are you experimenting with your crayfish?

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 200%;">Activities
 * 1) ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Read Aloud – ====
 * 2) ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Math Activity of the Week – ====
 * 3) ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Walk around your yard or neighborhood. Take a close look at plants and animals. How do these plants and animals survive in their surroundings. ====
 * 4) ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Look through the newspaper. Talk about current events, locally, nationally or internationally. Use maps to locate places or explain an important event to your child. ====

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 200%;">Upcoming Events

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">• **Grandparent's and Special Friend's Day**
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">//Friday, May 6th// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Visitors will join us in the classroom at 9 am to take part in activities, meeting for worship and the Art Expo. The day will end at 11:15 following a short concert in the meeting room. Students are encouraged to spend the latter part of the day with their grandparents and special friends.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 200%;">Other Notes