Thankful for Tuesday

Good Morning 201 Families,

Right now, your students are retaking the grammar portion of the Unit test on Think Central.  We are working on a test taking strategy that I hope will help boost some of yesterday's scores. The wording is difficult, but this is the new reality!  Let's think of this Unit Test as a great experience in exposure to the new Common Core testing format and rigor.


I hope that all 201 families enjoy a restful and festive Thanksgiving.  I am assigning some enrichment activities this weekend that will help give your child an academic boost. I know that many families have plans this weekend and won't have internet access. They are not mandatory!  Here they are:

• ST Math at home. I am feeling quite competitive about ST Math this year. Let's try to be #1 in the pod!
• Study Island: make sure that you are following the NWEA path, and not looking under Ginn assignments. The NWEA path will take you on your personalized learning path.
• Extra Math:Your child is coming home with a letter that explains how this site works. On the letter, your child has a PIN number.
• Calm Classroom Essay contest: 

Describe what you think the world would be like if everyone practiced calming techniques every day. Be sure to....

• restate the prompt as part of your opening
• describe at least three calming techniques that can be used in everyday situations
• provide clear descriptions, support and elaboration

Rubric:

Conceptually Clear: The topic is clear throughout the essay

Excellent Use of Calming Techniques and examples

Creativity: My ideas are creative. My word choice is strong.

Originality: My writing is original. My sentences are fluent and interesting to read.

Thoughtfulness: My writing shows that I have really thought about the topic and applied my ideas to the prompt.

Conventions: My writing does not contain grammatical, spelling or punctuation error. I indent and use proper formatting.

Writing should be 3 to 5 paragraphs

The winning student will win a pizza party for their family!  The class with the most participation will earn a special prize.

Mastering Roots Monday

This evening at home....

Complete the My Math homework on page 377/8.  Also complete 376, if you did not finish in class. Use either partial products.
Read Science Fusion pp 103-112.  Complete the active reading activities.

Feeling Friday

Hello Team 201 Families!

This weekend at home.....

• complete the Unit 2 Review packet.  We will take the Unit Test on Monday and Tuesday and will hold mini review sessions before each day's testing period.
• get today's Science test signed.  If you want extra credit, complete a fact finder to show what you have learned or  learned again, about the questions that you got wrong.  For example, if you go one one the questions about Fronts wrong, your fact finder will be about Fronts.

Notes about the Science Fusion Tests

These tests are difficult!  The questions are complex and require a careful and close read. Do not despair! We must become accustomed to working through these more challenging questions.  It will be a challenge, but your children are up to the task and need the push!

Talking Turkey Thursday

Good Evening Team 201 Families,

I am so sorry about this late post.  We were experiencing major technical difficulties this afternoon. I just got home.

This evening.....

• Please use your Science book to complete the vocabulary cards.  Add an icon, picture or symbol that will help you remember the term.  Cutting and folding is optional. We can take care of this step tomorrow in class.
• Write a final draft of your Turkey Plea.  Students did a fantastic job working on "sustained" writing today.  Each child is coming home with a sloppy copy/ draft that includes: an attention grabbing sentence, a sentence that states the purpose or topic, a body of evidence/reasons, and a closing sentence.  We worked hard on this today!  Turkeys will be "disguised" tomorrow.
• There is no math homework this evening.

Notes:

• Students will take a Science Test tomorrow on weather. We have devoted the week to reviewing the material.  I think that your kids are ready!
• We will also take a reading test tomorrow. We will review the vocabulary in the morning. We will not take a spelling test this week.
• We spent a great deal of time working on division and multiplication today. Our focus is multi-step problem solving.  Please encourage your child the record the "K" and the "A."  Reading the problem 10 times is not an effective strategy!  We are learning how to take action against difficult problems.  
• We missed our ipads today, but they were very busy getting ready for us.  We will begin ESparks math soon!
• Keep going with the ST Math at home.  Let's lead the pod!
• Correction and apologies are due to you, parents and students.  Yesterday, I incorrectly entered the grades for the Science quiz, using a scale of 10 rather than 100.  This error has been fixed. I sent a few of you into a panic mode, and I am sorry!  All is now well.
• Next week, we will begin our study of plants.  

That's it for today!  It is time to fix some dinner. I will see you all bright and early in the morning.  

Weather Predicting Wednesday

Good Afternoon! Today's title refers to the time we spent on Edheads.com  .  Students used the site to learn about predicting the weather and reporting the weather.  Today we also spent some more time interpreting remainders and estimating quotients.


Tonight at home.....

• Reread the poems about dancing found in your Journeys text, pp 304 and 305.  Complete the Compare Text paragraph.
• Do the MY MATH homework on 371 and 372
• Complete the Science review questions. This page is double sided. The second sheet is a study guide that may help you answer the questions correctly.   We will take a test on this material on Friday.  I think that 201 is ready!

Talented Tuesday

Today we honored students who earned Perfect Attendance, Honor Roll and Citizenship. Congratulations to all of the honorees!


This evening at home....

• Complete the My Math homework on page 363-364: Interpreting the Remainder
• Complete Common Core practice Flying with a Tiger. We will discuss the answers in small group tomorrow.
• Read for pleasure and record the pages/minutes on your reading log.

Mapping the Weather Monday

Today, we talked about high pressure, low pressure, fronts and air masses.  We will look at weather maps tomorrow, and will learn about what happens when air masses collide.

This evening at home.....

• Reread Jose: Born to Dance and the companion poem
• Answer the analyze text questions. Make sure to restate the question within your answer, and to use details from the text to support your ideas.
• Complete math pages 355-358.  Most students are finished or almost finished with 355 and 356. We worked on these pages today.
• Don't forget that 201 is going to the Book Fair tomorrow. We will go at 10:40.
• Tomorrow is our Awards Assembly. Students will be honored for Perfect Attendance, Good Citizenship, or Honor Roll.  Our ceremony is at 9:30 in the CAC.