April 14th Update...

Thank you for visiting today!  We've been focusing on lots of reviewing this week of concepts we learned earlier in the year.  Check out below to see  the specifics!

Phonics/Grammar:  We focused on consistent use of our capitalization and punctuation rules as well as mastering commonly misspelled or misused words.  We continued our discussion of varying our sentence patterns to make our writing more interesting (using compound, complex, and simple sentences).

Reading:  We focused on how poetry is different from other types of text structures.  We discussed figurative language and using context clues to determine the meaning of ideas in poetry.  We reviewed resources that we might use when conducting research with Mrs. Cochran from the media center (dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, atlas, almanac).

Writing:  We read several passages and compared summary/main idea writing with narrative writing (both types will be on Milestone).

Math: We learned about measuring Volume and Mass. We made lists of things that would be measured using milliliters and liters, and grams and kilograms.  Most of our work this week was memorization of math terms used when using these units of measurement. We also focused heavily on computation practice (addition/subtraction when regrouping, multiplication of two-digit numbers). We rotated to each third grade teacher to review a math skill in order to prepare for the Milestone.

Content:  We read a book about Lyndon B. Johnson and his work as our president.  The students learned how his early life of poverty influenced his work.  We created a four-square, highlighting important parts of his life.

Class News and  Announcements...

Thank you Mrs. van Gelder and Mrs. Lewald for donating the eggs for our Easter Egg Hunt.

Congratulations to Brecken Brazile for earning our "Learn, Lead, Excel" recognition for our class!  Check out his picture in the hallway across from the cafe.

As we approach testing next week, please make sure to stick with a normal routine.  It always helps children do their best when testing on a good night's sleep and a belly filled with a nutritious breakfast. Please do not OVERLY exaggerate the importance of this test. (Teachers and parents can take on all the worry about that!)  The students are prepared and need to feel confident and calm about the Milestone.  Changes have been made to reduce the stress for the students, such as only taking one section of the test each day and eliminating content area tests.  We will also be having a special day after the test to celebrate our successes this year.  Results should be back before the end of the school year and any child not meeting the minimum Lexile level for reading will be retested the last two days of school. I am optimistic about none of my students requiring this.

PLEASE make sure your child is ON TIME to school next Wednesday through the following Tuesday. If your child is late, he/she will have to take the make-up for the Milestone.