January 13, 2015

Welcome to a new year! I'm glad that the students seemed to have great breaks, and it sounds like many good books were read, too.

In writing, we're reflecting on 2014 by choosing three objects that symbolize the year (or that we'd put in a time capsule) and writing about them. We've also been blogging more often and discussing "Slice of Life" writing. Many bloggers and classroom students across the country participate in Slice of Life, which is a short story from your own life! I'm excited to see what the students write about.

We've started another cycle of guided reading groups. Students are either reading The Whipping Boy, The Secret School, or The Liberation of Gabriel King in small groups with me. We've already had some great discussions about the time periods these books take place in, since they're all historical fiction.

We're learning about fractions in math. When finding equivalent fractions and simplifying fractions, it seems like many of the students still struggle with division facts. I definitely encourage you to use flashcards and continue practicing these at home! If you're looking for some math games to play specifically about fractions, a good website to start at is here.

Ms. Perkins and I are working together to integrate more technology into our social studies classes. So far, I've created a website on schoology.com that has lessons, videos, and pictures posted to it that we've been using to supplement our textbook. Students can log into this site at home, too, if they'd like. They each have their own user name and password. The students also are working on creating product maps for the Northeast on their iPads. Eventually, students will have an opportunity to research their own topic about the Northeast, so we've been gathering ideas for topics that sound interesting.

Looking ahead, Catholic Schools Week is quickly coming up! It begins the week of January 25. I know Mr. Bennett sent home information today with the schedule. In case that gets misplaced, here's a run down of some of the important events for each day:

• Monday: Students may dress down with a crazy hat or crazy hair. This will also be the day of our student showcase.
• Tuesday: Students may wear pajamas and bring in a pillow or blanket. We will also hear a presentation from the author and illustrator Jan Spivey Gilchrist, and some of her books will be available for purchase.
• Wednesday: Students may dress down in green (the same color our preschool buddies will be wearing). We will have an awards ceremony at 8:30, and families are welcome to come and visit the classroom between 8:00-12:00. That evening will be Family Game Night.
• Thursday: Students may dress up in nice clothes. We will have an all school Mass that morning.
• Friday: Students should wear their gym uniform. The School Olympics will be that morning. We will have a movie night that evening, watching Frozen at 5:30.