February 29 #2

Spelling: This week we are finishing up last week’s spelling list.  Students should be able to spell all 20 words this week.  The goal was to master 10 last week and 10 this week.  The words are subsequent, tortellini, bouillon, horde, baroque, quiche, calypso, martyr, fajita, scent, Renaissance, charismatic, croquette, aileron, fermata, biennium, julienne, meringue, puree, constituency

Reminders: ·      Book Reports and monthly poems were due on Monday ·       March book report genre is fantasy. The read-a-thon began on Monday.  Students have been challenged to read at least 40 minutes per night.  We will be having a class read-a-thon on Friday, March 4.  Students can bring a snack, a blanket and a pillow.  The read-a-thon will be from 1:00 until 2:00.  Students will be allowed to count this time on their reading minutes for the week. *

February 29

Reading: Our class is working on the non-fiction reading in our small group time.  We are looking at organization and structure.  Students are practicing determining importance in the text we are working with.  Students are working hard to prepare for Battle of the Books.	Social Studies: We are beginning our study of pioneers.  We are playing a simulated game that help us better understand the things that pioneers experiences as the traveled along the trail. The simulation is designed to motivate students to complete their work and go the extra mile.
Math: This week our focus is on angles. We are learning how to use a protractor and estimate the size of angles.	Writing: Essays, Student Treasure stories and Utah Compose.  Students are busy doing many different writing activities.

February 24

Reading: Students are working on class novels and applying their comprehension skills to their assigned reading text.	Science: We continue our study of weather and more specifically predicting the weather.
Math: We continue our study of geometry. We are finishing our work with 2 dimensional shapes and symmetry/	Writing: We are moving from a focus on opinion writing to one on informational writing.
Spelling: Words for this week are unique words: subsequent, baroque, fajita, croquette, julienne, tortellini, quiche, scent, aileron, Meringue, puree, fermata, Renaissance, calypso, bouillon, horde, martyr, charismatic, biennium, constituency, BONUS: tessellation, alliteration, phenomenon, component, severe	Reminders: *February book reports are based on Newberry Books.  *The second trimester ends on Friday. *We will have a second storytelling competition on Wednesday, February 24

February 16, 2016

Reading: Students are working on class novels and applying their comprehension skills to their assigned reading text.	Science: We continue our study of weather and more specifically predicting the weather.
Math: We continue our study of geometry. We are working with 2 dimensional shapes.	Writing: We continue working on adding details and supporting evidence to our essays.
Spelling: Words for this week are VCV words: bagel, geranium, floweret, interim, frazzle, gravel, lentil, stipple, bambino, calculate, scruple, zucchini, cellular, particle, scalpel, musette, graffiti, satchel, obelisk, vessel, BONUS: barometric, thermometer, humidity, extreme, dangerous	Reminders: *February book reports are based on Newberry Books.  *We have a fossil presentation on Thursday from The Museum of Natural History. *Friday we have the opportunity to listen to presenters with the Water Van. Class storytelling competition is on Thursday, Feb. 18. .

February 8

Reading: Students are working on class novels and applying their comprehension skills to their assigned reading text.	Science:  This week we begin our study of weather and how to predict the weather.
Math: This week we begin our study of geometry. We begin with 2 dimensional shapes.	Writing: We continue working on adding details and supporting evidence to our essays.
Spelling: Words for this week are February words: valentine, acquaintance, conversation, president, enthusiasm, sincerely, infatuation, February, sucrose, Lincoln, integrity, cherry, groundhog, glucose, Washington, gratified, confectionery, compliment, veracity, cupid BONUS: symmetry, perpendicular, parallelogram, thesaurus, encyclopedia	Reminders: *February book reports are based on Newberry Books.  *Valentine cards, and boxes or bags should come to school on Friday. *Students should begin thinking about Student Treasure stories.

February 1

Reading: Students are working on class novels and applying their comprehension skills to their assigned reading text.	Science:  We are finishing up our study of the water cycle, and the properties of water.  There will be a test on Friday, watch for the study guide to come home soon.
Math: We are continuing our study of decimals and how they relate to fractions and the real world.	Writing: This week we are  specifically working on adding details and supporting evidence to our essays.
Spelling: Words for are homophones: stationary, stationery, mussel, muscle, succor, sucker, horde, hoard, their, there, they’re, idle, idol, tacked tact, cannon, canon, its, it’s, alter, altar	Reminders: ·      PT Conferences are Wednesday and Thursday this week.

January 25

Reading: DRA testing continues this week.  We have started new class novels and are working on our SAGE testing.	Science:  Tuesday we will be building our water chambers.  Please remember to send salt dough with your child.
Math: We are beginning our study of decimals.  We will build a basic foundation and the work on comparing decimals and  fractions.	Writing: Thank you all for helping your child work on Utah Compose.  This is a great tool to help improve our writing skills.
Spelling: Words for this week have suffixes: easiest, contentment, orphanage, insatiable, graciousness, similarity, merciless, chauvinism, emaciated, meaningful, doubtful, descendant, governess, luckiest, straighten, kleptomania, alcoholism, enjoyable, movement, successful  BONUS hydrological, molecule, Taliban, Pakistan, meteorologist	Reminders: ·      Book Reports are due on Friday. ·      January poem is due on Friday. ·      Please sign up for PT Conf. ·      Remember to send Salt Dough on Tuesday. ·

January 11, 2016

Reading: DRA testing begins this week.  To add to our nonfiction reading skills we are reading about the early white men who traveled through Utah.	Science:  In January we study the water cycle.  Students will participate in several experiments and as a culminating activity they will build a water chamber.
Math: Fractions, fractions and more fractions. We are exploring many and different ways to use fractions. This week’s focus is on mixed numbers.  Many students are enjoying ST math for part of their nightly homework.	Writing: Students are finishing their first opinion essay in response to an assigned reading. These are due on Friday.
Spelling: Words for this week are compound words: kinfolk, drive-in, lightweight, playwright, pushover, grapevine, scapegoat, silverware, supersubtle, cowlick, weekend, yardstick, bellboy, firecracker, radioactivity, seawall, sandstone, tenpenny, upsurge, ten-gallon BONUS words: accumulation, transpiration, numismatics, counterfeit, sufficient	Reminders: *January Book Report assignment is to read a biography.  Students will need to write an essay discussing how the person they read about changed history. *This is White Ribbon Week. Students learn and discuss internet safety.  To show our support students have been asked to wear WHITE shirts on WEDNESDAY.

January 4, 2016 Happy New Year

Reading: This week we are focusing on nonfiction text structure and understanding. Students will use their Time for Kids magazine to practice their skills.  Students will have the opportunity to read a book of their choice for part of reader’s workshop.	Science:  In January we study the water cycle.  Students will participate in several experiments and as a culminating activity they will build a water chamber.
Math: Fractions, fractions and more fractions. We are exploring many and different ways to use fractions. This week’s focus is on mixed numbers.  Many students are enjoying ST math for part of their nightly homework.	Writing: This week we are focusing on different formats to reply to a prompt in preparation for the SAGE testing.
Spelling: Words for this week are ie words: believe, shield, receipt, sleigh, niece, mischief, achieve, weight, yield, field, audience, perceive, pierce, fierce, brief, patience, grief, receive, freight, ceiling Bonus Words-precipitation, condensation, evaporation, percolation, rendezvous	Reminders: *Thank you for all of the kinds words and gifts I received for Christmas.  I appreciate all of you and I truly love your children. *January Book Report assignment is to read a biography.  Students will need to write an essay discussing how the person they read about changed history.