News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room January 7-11

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a relaxing and funfilled holiday.
Here is the plan for the week.

Reading This week we will begin our book clubs. The students will use the skills they have learned to read and respond to the books they are reading. They will then share with small groups and have a discussion using the vocabulary and different kinds of questioning.

Don't forget to turn in your reading folder after 7 days of reading. Remember you can also keep track of your Six Flags hours using the same minutes.

English This week we will continue our work with verbs. The children will work on writing verbs in the present and past tense forms. They will also work with irregular verbs and contractions. A test is planned over verbs next Tuesday.

Social Studies This week the students will learn about the early presidents of the Southeast and their major contributions. They will learn about Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. The students will also learn the reasons for the Civil War and its importance to the Southeast. A test is planned for Wednesday or Thursday of next week over Chapter 7.

Science In Science this week the students will review the vocabulary for electricity. They will make posters displaying the ways to complete a circuit and light a light bulb.

Math The students should be studying for their 10X tables. They will learn about circles this week. They will also review congruent and similar figures along with symmetry. The problem solving this week will be on logical reasoning.

New From Mrs. Cavoto's Room Dec. 17-21

Reminders:

Monday: School Concert at 1:15
Tuesday: Bowling in the A.M. You may bring money for the snack bar.
Friday: Pizza for lunch. Eat in the classroom. Drink and snack will be provided.
Tivoli Theater to see Polar Express in the P.M.

I will pass out the reading forms for the Six Flags Great America ticket. The reading that you do for our class Reading Club will go toward this ticket. However, I need you to fill out the Six Flags form as well. That form needs to be turned in by February 22nd. If you need more room just put the extra info. on the back of that form.

Spelling There will be no spelling test this week.

Reading The students have been working on understanding the main idea and supporting details of a paragraph. We will continue do develop this skill throughout the week. The students are also reading books of their choice this week that are at their appropriate reading level. They will make a Triangle diaorama to display their favorite part of the story which includes the main characters and setting.

We will begin our Book Club when we return from the winter break.

English The students have been learning about verbs this week. They have used the thesaurus to find a variety of verbs to use instead of common verbs in their writing and have used them to write a story. This week they will identify and correctly use verbs in the past, present, and future.

Science This week we will begin a unit on electricity. The students will learn about electrical safety and make brochures to enforce the safety rules. They will also discover how to make a light bulb light using only a battery, lightbulb and a wire.

A safety contract will come home for you to sign. Please have your child bring it back to school.

Math We will begin a unit on geometry this week. The students will learn about polygons and be able to make and identify different polygons. They will also learn geometric terms: point, vertex, vertices, line, line segment, ray, intersecting lines, parallel lines, angle, right angle, obtuse, acute). They will also analyze shapes in patterns in figures to help develop spatial reasoning.

I hope you all have a safe and happy winter break.

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Class December 10th-14th

Thank you all so much for your very generous gifts to our "family" and the Children's Shelter. We were able to send to the families and shelter many wonderful gifts and gift cards. You have helped to make their holidays a happy and memorable one. Thank you again!

Reminder:
Turn in permission slips for movie and pizza money if you want pizza on Friday, Dec. 21st.

Reading Our Reading Club party will be on Wednesday of this week. This is a change in the schedule from Tuesday. All folders must be in by Tuesday, December 11th. Remember this is part of your grade as well.

We will finish A Family Apart this week. The students will take a short quiz on the book to show their understanding of the vocabulary and comprehension throughout the story. We will then begin a unit on using different text structures. The first text structure will be the study of main idea, topic sentence and supporting details. Along with text structures, the students will choose a book they would like to read for our "Book Club". They will then be responsible for applying the strategies that we have covered since the beginning of the year to completing the "Book Club" discussion sheets.

English The students will work on a creative writing activity in the beginning of the week. "What happens when they find Frosty's hat on the ground and put it on their head?" We will begin a new unit on action verbs. The students will review what verbs, main verbs and helping verbs are.

Social Studies This week the students will learn about the way of life of The Cherokee Indians who lived in the area of the Southeast Region-Southern Allegheny Mountains-parts of Virginia, North ad South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. They will compare the life of the Cherokee Indians before and after the settlers moved in. They will look at the similarities between the Cherokee Constitution and the U.S. Constitution and also discuss how the Eastern Cherokee keep their culture strong?

Science This week the science test over chapter 4 has be changed to Thursday instead of Tuesday of this week.

What to study:

Vocabulary

Worksheets and papers in science folder

Main concepts of each lesson:

Know the different structures that help plants and animals survive. Be able to tell about two of each and explain the importance.

Know the behaviors that help animals survive and be able to explain each behavior using examples.

Know how changes in the enviornment affect survival. Be able tell at least three ways the environment can change (pollution of air, water, land & oil leaks) Explain using examples of how each of these changes can affect the survival of plants and animals.)

Math We will review probability on Monday. The students will explore and evaluate the fairness of games. We will have a test on Wednesday of this week over graphs. Parents can help their children by reviewing the concepts of mean, median, and range and practicing the review lessons at the end of the chapter. 8x's will be tested on Friday.

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Room December 3-7

Reading We will continue to read A Family Apart. The children will write their own gists and work on their listening comprehension.

Don't forget to turn in your reading folder. The deadline is December 11th, when we will have our class party.

English This week we will work on adding details and voice to our memoirs. The focus will be on the paragraph which comes just after the introduction and begins to tell their story. The students will work on a step by step retelling, adding details that will show how they are feeling not just tell how they feel.

Social studies The students have been doing a great job of bringing in pictures to share the animals and resources of the Southeast region. This week there will be a test over these concepts on Thursday.

They should study the information that they have in their social studies folder, all the vocabulary and main ideas and use the reviews at the end of the lessons and chapter.

Main points to know and review of the Southeast Region:

all vocabulary

landforms-Be able to tell what the different landforms are and describe them

climate of the region

hurricanes - Tell what a hurricane is how it can be destructive. This should be specific being able to give at least 3 details about what it is and at least 2 details about how it can be destructive.

animals and where they live

crops/products/resources

What are the positive and negative aspects of living in the Southeast? Be able to tell at least two negative and two positive reasons.

Why are coal and trees two very important natural resources? How should we care for these resources so that they do not get used up? Be able to tell at least two reasons why each of them are important and be able to tell how we should protect each of them.

Science The students will learn how animals care for their young, and the special ways that animals live together. They will learn how changes in the air, land, and water can affect plants and animals.

A test is scheduled for December 11 over chapter 4. This is a week from Tuesday.

Math This week the students will review plotting coordiantes, (ordered pairs) on a graph. They will learn how to make and read a stem and leaf chart. They will also learn about probability. This week they will be tested on their 7 times tables.

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Room Nov. 19-20th

Spelling There will be no spelling unit this week.

Reading We will continue to work on writing gists and our listening skills as we read A Family Apart.

Math We will begin a unit on using data and probability. The students should study their 6 X tables. They will not be tested until a week from Friday on their 6's.

English We will work on plural nouns ending with y and irregular plural nouns. The students will also learn about singular and plural possessive nouns. A test over nouns will be given the Tuesday that we return after Thanksgiving.

Social Studies We will continue to study the Southeast. This week we will learn about the climate of the Southeast. If anyone has any pictures, books or other things from the Southeast that they collected and would like to bring in to share, we would love it.

Science We will continue our study with animal adaptations. Can they tell you about an animal and or plant that has made adaptations for survival?

** Yearbook forms have gone out. They have to be turned in no later than
December 3. This is the only time to order them.

*** Notice about our holiday sevice project will go out this week. This year our class has a family of 5. One of the children has cancer along with the family having financial difficulties. There are three children - one girl 13 years old, two boys one 12 and one 16 years old along with a mother and father. We also can get gift certificates for the children in a safe shelter. More information will follow.

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Room Nov. 12-16

Reading This week we will continue to read A Family Apart. The children will learn how to summarize by writing the gist of the story. They will tell the basic idea of the story in about 20 words or less. They will also practice their listening skills and use the strategy of making connections and visualizing throughout the story.

English The students will revise and edit their memoirs. They will share their memoirs with a buddy and then write their final drafts.

We will begin a unit on nouns this week. The students will identify nouns and be able to write common and proper nouns correctly.

Science This week we will begin a new unit on surving in the environment. The students will learn about the adaptations, structure or behaviors that help plants and animals survive in their environment. For example: Vines grow up the sides of taller plant or objects where ther is more sunlight. Watler lilies have large, round leaves to capture more sunlight for the plant. Ducks have feathers covered with oil to keep them dry and protect them from the cold. They also have webbed feet to help them swim easier in the water. Walruses have layers of blubber to keep them warm and long tusks to dig up shellfish and open clams.

How does camouflage help an animal?

Social Studies We will continue our tour of the regions. Our next stop is the Southeast Region. We will visit places such as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Key West, Florida, and the Everglades National Partk. This week the students will identify major landforms in the Southeast: barrier island, Inner and Outer Coastal Plains, and the area of rolling hills and beautiful valleys that lay inland from the coastal plains, the Piedomont. They will also understand and describe the climate of the Southeast along with examining hurricanes.

Math This week in math the students will review and use division rules to find quotients. They will work on their division and multiplication facts from 5 to 10. You might ask them to show you the strategies they have learned to help them remember their 9's. They will also work on problems solivng skills using multiplication and division. This week they will be tested on their 5 times tables. A test is planned for a week from Tuesday, November 20th. This will be over the skills and concepts in chapter 3.

Choir members wear your shirts to school on Monday, November 12th for pictures.

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Class Nov. 5-9

Reading This week the students will watch the movie Charlotte's Web. We will begin reading our new literature book called A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon.

Our Reading Club party is tomorrow, Nov. 6th. All reading folders should be turned in if they are finished with 28 days of reading and want to participate in the party. We will watch a movie and I will provide a treat and a drink. The students should buy hot lunch or bring their own lunch.

English The students will continue to work on their memoirs. They are finishing up with their leads and now are working toward telling step by step what happened to them during this time in their life.

Social Studies The Northeast state test is on Wednesday. The students will have to place the Northeast states and the Great Lakes correctly on the map.

A test covering chapter 5 People of the Northeast will be on Thursday of this week. They should study the vocabulary along with the key concepts in each lesson. Many sheets and/or workbook pages are their folders to help them study too.

Things to review in addition:

Iroquois Confederacy- describe it

How did the life change for the Narragansett when they lost much of their native land to the Europeans?

What problems do you think an immigrant might face when moving to a new country?

Compare the Pittsburgh in the 1800s with Pittsburgh today.

How did women win the right to vote? Tell in the events.

Math We will work with problem solving using multiplication, subtraction and addition. The students will work on their facts from 2-9. The will also learn the fact families of multiplication and division and begin division with 2-6. They should know what a multiple of a number is.

Science Please look at Mrs. Sulima's log.

Happy Halloween!

On Halloween the students should bring their costumes to school. They will put their costumes on at 1:05. The parade will begin around 1:15, and the party will begin at 1:30.

We will still have a regular routine in the morning.

Reading This week in reading the children will finish reading Charlotte's Web. They will be quized on 10 vocabulary words from the story that they vote on and choose to be tested on. These words will go home tomorrow so that they can study them. They should know the meanings of the words, be able to write the words in a good sentence to show they understand the meaning, and draw a picture to go with their sentence. Their sentences must have proper punctuation in them as well.

Example of a good vs. bad sentence

Good: Most spiders are sedentary and don't like to move away from their webs that often.

Bad: Spiders are sedentary.

The students will also be tested on the skills we have been working on throughout the chapter: Using context clues, determining cause/effect events within the story, and character traits.

To help study for this the students can review the cause/effect sheets from the story which will come home and review the character traits that describe the main characters along with the specific clues that prove the trait.

English There will be a test over sentences, chapter 1 on Friday of this week. The students will have assignments throughout the week to help them study the material. The most difficult part is finding the complete subject and predicate and the simple subject and predicate.
They can use the review pages at the end of the chapter to help them study.

Social Studies As we are traveling through time discovering how our nation was formed, the students this week will learn about Ellis Island and review why immigrants came to America. They will also learn about abolitionists and their effect on America today.

On Tuesday of next week the students will be given a quiz to see if they can label the states in the Northeast Region. I will give extra points if they can label the capital of each of those state.

A test will be given next Thursday to cover Chapter 5 of the Northeast Region.

Spelling There are no spelling words to study this week.

Math This week the students will review their multiplication facts. They are learning the doubles strategy to help them learn their 4 and 6 times tables. Every Friday they will be tested on their facts. This week the 3 times tables will be tested.

Reading We will continue to read Charlotte's Web. The students will bring home their books to read. You may want them to read some of the chapters aloud to you so you can discuss with them what is happening in the story and what traits they would use to describe a character and why.

The reading focus will be on cause/effect this week. We will contiue to work on character traits and vocabulary development.

Spelling This week's spelling unit is a review of the patterns we have learned so far. The test will be in a format where they will be given several words and they will have to pick the word out that is misspelled. They should study the words from their spelling unit 8 as well as review all of the patterns they have learned throughout. Some of the words will not be in this list, and they will have to just know the pattern to be able to apply it.


English This week the students will learn about the subject and predicate of a sentence. This is a review from last year, but it is a difficult concept for the students to understand. Any help that you can give them at home will be great.

Social Studies This week the students will learn about he people of the Northeast. We will travel back in time to the early 1600's when the Native American tribes lived in the Northeast, in particular the Narragansett people from Rhode Island. The students will learn about the homes, government, society, and food of the Narragansett people and how thier lives were affected when the European settlers arrived.

We will journey into the 1700's and the students will identify events leading from colonization up to the founding of the United States. (1. Colonies were established. 2. Colonies revolted against England. 3. Colonial leaders wrote The Declaration of Independence. 4. U.S. delegates wrote the Constitution 5. U.S. capital was established at New York City 6. The Capital was moved to Philadelphia and then to Washingtron, D.C. in 1800.)

Math We will have a test on Wednesday of this week over chapter 2 addition and subtraction of higher numbers. They will also be tested on their estimation skills and on solving problems using money. The children should bring home their textbook so they can review the problem solving throughout and then do some of the extra practice at the back of the chapter.

This week there will be a timed test in multiplication. I will begin with the 2x's tables and then follow in order . They will take a timed test up to facts of 12. Each test will be 26 problems in 1 minute time. Then they will do a mixed timed test of 40 problems in 2 minutes.

Science Please check Mrs. Sulima's blog for the science news.

Reminder: Picture retakes will be on October 30th. If your child wants to have his/her picture redone, just have them return the packet on October 30th.

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Room

Reading The students have been working hard on their first vocabulary activity from Charlotte's Web. They are using their dictionary skills to look up the meanings and choose the correct meaning as used in the story. They are also learning how to write good sentences to show they understand the meanings of words.

We will continue reading Charolotte's Web, and our focus strategy this week will be character traits. The students will choose inside traits that describe their characters and use clues from the story to prove them. Along with character traits, the students will continue to work on their prediction and self-monitor strategies as they are reading the story. They will keep a journal to show their understanding of the story events as well.

Don't forget that independent reading folders need to be turned in. This is counted as part of your grade. They should be turned in after 7 days of reading.

Language We will begin a unit in our English textbook which will review sentences. We will review what makes a good sentence and the different kinds of sentences-commands, exclamations, questions and statements.

Social Studies On Friday of this week, we will have a test over Chapter 4 in Unit 2 pages 102 - 123 in the textbook. . Land and Water in the Northeast - The students should be responsible for knowing all the vocabulary in the these lessons. They should be able to explain three details to show how Niagra Falls is important to the people in the Northeast Region.( The hydopower plants use the energy of the flowing water from the Niagra River to run mills and machines; Niagra Falls is the largest producer of electricity in New York State; Niagra Falls generates, makes, enough power to light 24 million 100 watt light bulbs at once. ) How are the Green Mountains and the White Mountains alike and different? (They both make up a part of the Appalachian Mountains, have heavy snowfall, and have many ski resorts. Different: The Green Mountains are named for their evergreen forests and run through Vermont; the White Mountains are named for their snow-covered peaks and extend from New Hampshire into the western part of Maine.) What is the sequence of preparing a cranberry bog? (The land must be cleared and leveled. Then it is covered with sand for good drainage. New cranberry plants are then pressed into the sand in the bogs. They are covered with water then drained and covered with water again. The cranberries float to the top in the fall and then are raked off their vines.) If you were a member of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, what could you do to help end the pollution and overfishing of the bay?

They should be sure to study their papers, along with the questions at the end of the textbook, and end of the lesson main idea questions.

Math We will learn the skill of subtraction across zeros this week. We will also learn how to add to check their differences. We will work on the problems solving strategy of Solve a Simpler Problem. We will go over the break apart and compensation strategies in order to give them other strategies to use in addition and subtraction. On Friday, we will be ready to review counting change. The students will learn to count change back from $20.00, $5.00, and $10.00 It would help them if to practice this skill at home since it is not an easy one to learn.

A test in math is planned for next Tuesday or Wednesday over chapter 2.

Science Click on Mrs. Sulima's name on our web page to find out what is going on in science. I hear the worm races were very exciting today!

Reminder: Early dismissal is on Wednesday. Dismissal will be at 11:00.

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Room October 1, 2007

Reading In reading this week the students will learn about the 4 types of questions: Right There, Think and Search, Author and You (inferential), and On Your Own. Each day this week the students will read passages and determine the kind of questions asked. They will then write their own questions.

We will also begin reading Charlottes' Web this week.

English The students will continue to edit and revise their picture books. They will be working on their final books and sharing them with the class.

Science As you know the students have been working on a "wormy" unit. For more details go to Mrs. Sulima's blog. She will be working with the children in science during this unit.

Social Studies We begin our tour through the Northeast by stopping in Niagra Falls. You may want to ask your child what they remember about Niagra Falls. Where are they located?(on the boarder of the U.S. and Canada between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie) How did they get there? (When the glaciers melted they carved out the Great Lakes and the Niagra Gorge. The Niagra River plunges into the gorge.) How do the Falls help people in New York and Canada? ( Niagra Falls produces hydropower, power formed by the energy of flowing water, the hydropower plants take in water through tunnels to produce hydroelectricty for millions of people in New York and Canada.)

We will also tour the Appalachian Trail. The students will map out the trail through the many states that it runs through from Katahdin,Maine all the way south to Springer Mountain, Georgia.

The beautiful Northeast coastline sights will also be studied. What coastline sights would you see if you took a boat ride from Maine to Maryland?

Math In math on Tuesday, we will have a quiz on finding patterns and making tables to help find the patterns. They will have to write a t-chart explanation to explain one of their problems.

We will then begin a unit on adding and subtracting whole numbers and money. I hope everyone is reviewing their addition and subtraction facts. We will begin taking timed tests on Friday of this week. The students will get two minutes to solve 40 basic addition problems. A grade will be taken on their facts each week. They will start with 10 points. If they pass out the first time, their grade is a ten out of 10. Every day they do not pass, 1 point will be deducted.

News From Mrs. Cavoto's Room September 24th

Reading
In reading this week, we will continue to work on our picture books. You may want to ask your child what picture book structure they decided to use. We will also be working on the reading strategy of visualization. The children will be reading to find examples of writing that shows vivid descriptions and "colorful language". This is writing that puts clear pictures in your mind so that you can almost see, hear, smell, and feel exactly what the writer is talking about.

I have asked the students to bring in any materials where they come across "colorful" descriptions.

English
This week the students will have a test on Wednesday. This will cover the skills in chapter 5. There is a great review section at the end of the the chapter to help them study.

Science
In science this week, the students will review the life cycle of a flowering plant. They will make a flap book showing the different stages and what happens in each stage.

A test will be given over Chaper 1 on Thursday of this week. The students should study the questions at the end of each lesson. They should also know the vocabulary in each lesson and study the sheets in their science binder. They should be able to label the parts of a flower and explain how pollination and fertilization occurs.

We will begin a Worm unit at the end of the week. Please bring in a worm or two if you can. They should be brought in a plastic butter container or something about the same size with holes in it. There should also be moist soil, leaves, and some grass in the container to make it look like their habitat. These should come in on Monday.


Social Studies
The students will all board a train which will leave for our first region of the United States, the Northeast. If anyone has any books they can share on people, places, or things from the Northeast please send them in.

Math
Math tests from chapter 1 went home today. Please sign them and send them back with your child.

This week we will continue to go over using patterns to solve problems. The students will work on the steps problems solving and writing an explanation to show how they solved the problems.

Reminder: Picture day is on Thursday. The envelopes went home on Monday. They may bring them in any day, but they need them for Thursday if they want to purchase any pictures.

Cavoto's News September 17, 2007

Reading
This week in reading the children will be reading picture books and making their own picture book study. I will demonstrate using a narrative, Rotten Ralph, the way in which narratives are typically written. I will also demonstrate the way in which some non-fiction stories can be written. They will then chose the story structure they want to use to create their own picture book.

English
This week in English the students will learn how to use quotation marks correctly and practice writing quotations. They will identify direct and indirect quotations. Also, they will learn how to write titles correctly.

The students should be ready for a test on Tuesday of next week over chapter 5. They can bring home their textbook to help them study. Homework will also be given to help them review the skills learned in the chapter.

Science
In science this week we will review ways to classify plants. The children will learn how flowers make seeds and fruit (pollination). They will also review the life cycle of a flowering plant.
The students will make a t-chart with vocabulary words to help them study for the up coming test on Thursday of next week. Remember all the sheets in their binder should be used as study guides for tests.

Social Studies
In social studies this week we will continue our mock government as the students will understand how the three branches of government work to get a law passed.

There will be a test on Thursday of this week over chapter 2, lesson 2 and 3. They do not need to study lesson 1 in chapter 2 at this time.

The students should know what the three branches of government are, where they meet, who they are made up of, and their main responsibility.

Math
In math this week, the students will be rounding numbers to the nearest, ten, hundred, thousand place. They will also practice using bar graphs to solve problems.

A test is planned for Friday of this week over chapter 1. The students should bring home their books to review reading, and writing numbers into the millions along with other concepts in the chapter. They should know the standard form of a number, the short word form and be able to write the standard form of higher valued numbers.

Reminders:

Some children need to bring in music supplies. You may want to ask your child if they have brought them in already. They needed to bring in a spirol and a folder. Many have already done this.

Early dismissal is on Tuesday at 11:00.

Election Results

I know everyone is anxiously awaiting the results of our classroom election. As you know all the candidates did an excellent job of campaigning-designing posters, handing out fliers, and of course making speeches. So it was a difficult decision to make as we stepped into the election booth and filled in our ballots to vote for president. It was such a close race! But...We should all congratulate......Trent Caraher! He is our new president!

As president, Trent will now be in charge of selecting his Cabinet Members which will form the Executive Branch of our government.

Mrs. Cavoto's Newsletter Sept. 10th, 2007

Reading

In reading this week the students will continue their work with making predictions and reading to prove or disprove their predictions. You may want to ask them what the Blog and the Faloma were and how they figured them out. Using Context Clues to decode words and find word meaning will also be reviewed this week.
We continue our picture book study by looking at the different illustrations found in them and what artistic style is used. We will also look at picture books that have memorable language or colorful language, that helps the reader remember the words or paint pictures in their minds.

English

In English this week we are reviewing capital letters of places and things. We will also go over how to write abbreviations and uses of commas.

Science

The students will continue to make observations on their bean plants. You may ask them how scientist classify (group) plants and examples of each. (There are those that make seeds like a sunflower or a tulip, and there are those that don't make seeds like a fern or moss. ) The children will also learn the parts of a flower and how they make the seeds and fruit.

Social Studies

The students have been on a "Patriotic Quest" to help them learn about our nation's government. There will be papers in their binders this week that they should review and go over about the three branches of government, where they meet, who makes up each branch, and their responsiblities. This is a lot to learn so they will definitely need to practice and go over it. You will notice homework in this area to help them learn and remember these facts too.

We will have a mock government set up in class. The children chose what branch they want to be a member of today. Those who want to be in the executive branch are responsible for making a poster and giving a speech. Speeches are due on Thursday. We will then have an election. You may want to ask your child what branch of government they are in.

Math - Mrs. Cavoto's math class

We will work on comparing numbers to the millions place. The students have an assignment tonight which in the first part will ask them to write the numbers given in two different forms. Look in their math binders for examples of these different forms. It is on a sheet I gave them for reference. Standard Form, Written Form, Short Word Form or Expanded Form. The students should be able to read and write numbers in these different forms up to the millions.

We will also cover estimation of numbers into the millions place this week.

Reminders:
Intramurals begin tomorrow. Your child should come home with his/her schedule today.

Thank you for sending in permission slips and money for the Arboretum field trip.

September 4th through September 7th

Welcome Back! It was a pleasure meeting all of the parents at Open House last week. We are off to a great start this year. All of the students having been following directions so well as we have been organizing our supplies, getting used to a new classroom routine, and getting to know one another. Every child has been a delight. They all come in with smiles on their faces and are ready to learn. I am looking forward to a wonderful year!

Science
In science this week we will learn about the parts of a bean seed. The students will plant their own bean seed and keep a plant diary. Students be sure to keep all science papers in your science folder in your binder. Do not remove any papers from the folders in your binder except for the folders in the take home side at the end of your binder.

Social Studies
This week the students will be on a "Patriotic Quest" to learn about the United States government. What is a republic? What kind of government does the U.S. have? What are some of their responsiblities? What are the three branches of government and their functions? These questions and more will be studied. Watch for papers coming home. They should try to review and study the worksheets each night as these concepts are very new to them. Remember to keep all sheets in their social studies folder. Expect a test over this material a week from this Friday.

Spelling
Our first spelling pretest was given last Friday. The children should have their lists in their spelling folder and know the words they have to study. I did meet with each child to be sure they were forming their cursive letters correctly in the spelling words. Some of the children may need more help and practice in forming their letters correctly. You may want to check over their papers to see how they did.

Reading
This week in reading we will finish the story The Pumpkin Runner and together we will make a story map to summarize the story. We will focus on two reading strategies this week: monitor/clarify and predict/infer. Along with our reading strategies, we have been doing a picture book study. Last week the different structures of picture books were presented and the children were encouraged to bring in samples of the different structures we were reading that day. I was very happy to see how many children brought in different examples of picture books. It has been fun sharing and comparing the different stories and structures. We will continue our study this week by looking at the structures of question, comparison, narrative, and contrary fairytale structures.

English
In English this week we will review capitalization and punctuation. The students will also review the different kinds of sentences: Questions, statements, exclamations, and commands.

Don't Forget
A permission slip to the Morton Arboretum went home on Tuesday. They are due back on Monday, September 10th.

Curriculum Night is on Wednesday, September 5th at 7:00.

Curriculum Night

Curriculumn night is Wednesday, September 5th at 7:00. Everyone should meet in the multipurpose room first. Then we will go into the classrooms. I hope to see you all there.