April 30th-May 4th

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

Today is the last day of the month which means April reading logs should be returned to school tomorrow!  Students will be rewarded for every 300 minutes they read.

Wishlist:  pencils, erasers, glue sticks, expo markers, and whiteboard erasers (which can also be clean, old socks!)

IXL practice:  Geometry (Letter T) and Fractions (Letter U)

Team Blowey did an amazing job with their Biography Day!  They were so excited to see each other dressed up as various famous people from history!  They did a fabulous job presenting their reports to the class and introducing themselves to other classes at Russell School.  It was such a fun day!  Thank you so much for all of your help!  It wouldn't have been possible without your cooperation, too!

 

This week in:

Phonics:  We are practicing the /j/ sound spelled -dge, -ge, -lge, -nge, -rge.  Together, we sounded out, spelled, and sorted the following words:  cage, page, judge, lodge, large, barge, buldge, change, range, and hinge.

Vocabulary:  Our new vocabulary words are:  menu, fetch, forgetting, simmered, assembled, and devoured.  We will use our elbow buddies to define these words, use them in sentences, and build connections to them so we are more likely to remember and use them.  We will search for these words in a story called Bobo's Celebration by Keith Fish.

Comprehension:  This week we will be working on analyzing story structure and distinguishing between fantasy and reality.  When we analyze a stories structure we are looking at the different parts of a story and how they are put together.  For example, we would look at what the story is about, who is in it, where it takes place, and when it takes place.  All of these things will help us to understand the story better.  When we distinguish between reality and fantasy, we are trying to sort out what things in a story could happen in real life and what things could not.  We will practice these skills when we are reading a story called Mice and Beans by Pam Munoz Ryan. 

Grammar:  This week's focus will be on using commas in a series.  Together we will talk about how to use commas when we are listing three or more things.  Student's will also have a chance to practice a few examples on their own.

Writing:   This week, students will be practicing how to spice up their writing using their five senses!  Oftentimes, students struggle with putting more details into their writing.  Using their senses is one way to help them with this.  Students will be challenged to describe a place using their five senses so that their teammates can guess the place they are talking about.  For example, students writing about a swimming pool might write something like:

"I can see lots of people playing games.  I can feel the cold water splashing my face.  I can smell lots of sunblock.  I can hear people laughing and splashing around.   I can taste the chlorine in my mouth."

The goal is that by the end of their description, everyone will be able to guess where they are without having to ask any questions.

Math:  This week, whole group lessons will focus on some geometry vocabulary (such as angles, faces, and polygons) and also being able to identify and draw shapes with specific attributes.  Later in the week, we will begin to talk about arrays where students will be able to construct a rectangle out of rows and columns of same-sized squares and count the total.  Students will participate in whole group lessons and then use their menus to help them practice their individual goal.  When they feel like they are ready to be checked, their work will go into the check-me bucket so that I can see if they are ready to move on to the next goal.

Science:  Last week, we were able to start planting our seeds in our planter in the reading garden!  Team Blowey and Ms. Thornhill's class will be sharing a planter for the rest of the year.  Together, we planted the seeds and we will share the responsibility of taking care of them.  We divided the planter into three parts and planted 3 different types of seeds.  We planted sunflowers, sensation cosmos, and buttercrunch bibb lettuce.  We drew what each of the seeds looked like and what they will look like after the flowers have bloomed.  We should be able to see some things sprout by the end of next week!  We also read a poem about planting and found rhyming words, nouns, and verbs.  

Social Studies:  We are still waiting to hear back from our Flat Stanley Pals!  As soon as we start getting letters back, we'll have a chance to use our map and calculate how many miles we have traveled.  We'll also get the chance to learn some really fun facts about places all over the world!

Other News:  Mrs. Thibodeau will be visiting our room again this Friday!