October 30, 2012

Dear Parents,
The simple machines projects were wonderful!  We enjoyed listening to everyone explain and demonstrate their project.  We even invited another class to check them out!

Your child may take home their project.  Some of the larger projects may require assistance to get them home.

Tomorrow is our Halloween Parade and Fall Festival.  Please have your child come to school wearing the costume and bring a change of clothes if they wish to change for the festival.  We are looking forward to this fun event!

**We will have a spelling test and vocabulary quiz this Friday.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

October 22, 2012

Hello Everyone,

We have a lot going on this week!  The simple machine project is due this Thursday.  If it is completed you may bring it in early.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they have created! 

We are also beginning working with small groups during our reader's workshop in addition to reading our class novel.  The children are learning how to have a good discussion about what they are reading as well as learning to retell what is going on in the story.

In writer's workshop we are going deeper with personal narrative writing.  Our first story has been published, and now we are working to create a new and better story.

Our math unit is focusing on measurement, both standard and metric.  However, we will continue to revisit all math concepts already taught.  There will be more addition/subtraction problems with regrouping given as homework and/or classwork.  So, it is important to know basic addition and subtraction facts as well as how to solve the problems.  Many times the answers are incorrect due to simple addition and subtraction errors.

We learned about the Calusa tribe of Florida last week.  This week we are focusing on the Timucua tribe.   In science we begin our Lego Robotics unit that combines technology.  Very exciting!

School News:

Picture Re-take Day:  Picture Re-Take Day will take place on Tuesday, October 23. Students must return their photo package to have a re-take. Students who were absent on Picture Day need to have their picture taken.

After School Programs  & Athletics/Intramurals:  Session Two will begin the week of October 29.

Halloween Parade/Fall Festival:  The Halloween Parade and Fall Festival will take place on Wednesday, October 31. Book Fair will take place the week of November 5 in the Student Center. 

Poetry in the Park:  Poetry in the Park will be on Thursday, November 8 at 8:30 a.m.

A Special Request:  Please keep our Curriculum Dean, Dawn Weinman, in your thoughts and prayers. She has been very ill for the past few weeks.  Dawn is a very loved and valuable member of the Shorecrest community. 

I wish you all a wonderful week. 

October 15, 2012

Happy Monday Everyone!
First, some School News:
Picture Re-take Day:  Picture Re-Take Day will take place on Tuesday, October 23. Students must return their photo package to have a re-take. Students who were absent on Picture Day need to have their picture taken.
After School Programs  & Athletics/Intramurals:  Session One ends the week of October 15. Session Two will begin the week of October 29.
Halloween Parade/Fall Festival:  The Halloween Parade and Fall Festival will take place on Wednesday, October 31.We are asking the parents to please sign out their child in the classroom for Fall Festival. 

Book Fair:  The Book Fair will take place the week of November 5 in the Student Center. Monday will be teacher preview, please mark your calendar.  

Poetry in the Park:  Poetry in the Park will be on Thursday, November 8 at 8:30 a.m.  As in the past, parents will be invited to attend this annual event! Don’t forget your blankets!

 Ident-a-kid:  Ident-a-kid will be here on Wednesday, January 23.

Class News:

We will take a math test on Tuesday. Please have your child review the practice test sent home on Monday.  I am encouraging all students to slow down and check their work when finished.  I've noticed that some of the children need to have their addition and subtraction facts memorized (without using their fingers).  Knowing the facts by heart will not only help them with addition and subtraction, but also when we begin our multiplication and division unit. 

Our spelling and vocabulary quizzes will be this Friday.  

Our class poem, "Eat-It-All-Elaine" was sent home on Monday.  Please help your child memorize this poem using expression in their voices.  We will have tryouts for the part of Elaine next week.  The previous two years we have had t-shirts made to go along with our poem.  If you know of anyone that would like to assist with this, please let me know.  

A new Scholastic book order form was also sent home on Monday.  If you would like to order, please have the forms with payment in to me by this Friday.  You can also order online for your convenience.  

I am looking forward to an all school pep rally this Friday afternoon.  I hope that you can all come out to the football game that night.  It will be a fun time!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

October 8, 2012

Happy Monday!
School News:
There is no school this Friday due to a Professional Development Day for teachers.
Picture retake day is Tuesday, October 23
Halloween Parade and Fall Festival is Wednesday, October 31

Class News:
Our spelling test will be held this Thursday.  The new vocabulary words will be quizzed next Friday.  The new words are: average, border, cocoon, flutter, moisture, moist, nectar, process, span, suitable, timber

We began a new class novel, Charlotte's Web, that we will use during our Reader's Workshop the next few weeks.  We are working on recognizing setting in the story and how it changes along with identifying the conflict(s) in the story.  This novel lends itself to many opportunities to respond in our journals.  We will also work on a reader's theater version of this story.  I know the students will enjoy this classic novel!

We are working on creating leads (grabbers) for our stories in writer's workshop.  So far we have learned that stories can begin with sound words or questions to "grab" your reader's attention.

The children are learning alternative ways to add and subtract greater numbers.  After they have a good grasp on all the different ways they will be able to choose to solve the problems the way they like best.

Thank you again to everyone for our conferences.  It was very productive sharing and learning more about your children.

As always, wishing you a wonderful week!

October 1, 2012

Happy October! It's finally happened...the students are into a regular routine at school! It takes at least a month together before things really begin to take on a routine. I love when that happens because lots of learning really begins to take place! I'm looking forward to meeting with all of you this week for our first conference. Please let me know if you need a time change. Because of conference day the children are off school on Thursday. We will still have our regular spelling test on Friday along with a vocabulary quiz. School News: Picture Re-take Day: Picture Re-Take Day will take place on Tuesday, October 23. Parade/Fall Festival is coming soon! Please plan on joining us on Wednesday, October 31 for this fun-filled event. Wishing you all a wonderful week!