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.

December 14, 2015

Reading: This week we are focusing on nonfiction text structure and understanding.  Students will have the opportunity to read a book of their choice for part of reader’s workshop.	Science: . We are finishing the animal classification unit this week.  Students received a study guide for the animal classification test. The test is on Thursday.
Math: Fractions, fractions and more fractions. We are exploring many and different ways to use fractions. Many students are enjoying ST math for part of their nightly homework.	Writing: Christmas writing is our focus for this week. It is due on Thursday.
Spelling: Words for this week are words are holiday words. The words are Santa Claus, jingle bells, snowman, chocolate, alleluia, shepherds, presents, ecstatic, peace, season, evergreen, ornaments, reindeer, tranquility, cuisine, Christmas, poinsettia, festoon, Hanukkah and menorah **There is only one test this week, it is on Thursday.	Reminders: We are having our pizza party on Wednesday at 1:30.  This is our reward for collecting the most food items in grades 4 -6. The Christmas sing is December 17 at 9:30.  Students can wear Christmas colors and bring a Santa hat. All late work, book reports and poetry are due on or before Friday.

Reading: This week we are focusing on nonfiction text structure and understanding.  Students will have the opportunity to read a book of their choice for part of reader’s workshop.	Science: . We continue to study animal classification. We are focusing on  reptiles and amphibians this week
Math: Fractions, fractions and more fractions. We are exploring many and different ways to use fractions. Many students are enjoying ST math for part of their nightly homework.	Writing: Christmas writing is our focus for the next two weeks. Students will be sharing their essays and talking about the strengths and weaknesses in their writing.
Spelling: Words for this week are words with prefixes. nonabrasive, unaesthetic, uncoordinated, predestination, disputable, recede, rebuttal, predominant, unaffiliated, nonporous	Reminders: Thanks to everyone who helped with our field trip.  We enjoyed a great day watching the dancers and studying the animals at the museum. The Christmas sing is December 17 at 9:30.  Students can wear Christmas colors and bring a Santa Hat.

Reading: This week we are focusing our reading on social studies, specifically Native Americans. Students will have the opportunity to read a book of their choice for part of reader’s workshop.	Science: . We continue to study animal classification. We are focusing on fish, reptiles and amphibians this week
Math: We have completed our factor and multiple activities. We are moving on to fractions for the next two weeks.  Many students are enjoying ST math for part of their nightly homework.	Writing: Animal reports and posters are due on Wednesday. Students will be sharing their essays and talking about the strengths and weaknesses in their writing.
Spelling: Words for this week are Words with ou or oi : sprout, trout, pronounce, mound, foul, ounce, choice, avoid, coin, sound, aloud, noise, sour, allow, annoy, frown, devour, trousers, ointment, blouse BONUS: atlatl, shaman, travois, qualitative, quantitative	Reminders: Friday, December 4 is a COMMON START.  All students attend school from 8:00 until 2:15. Students who did not order a school lunch need to bring a sack lunch.  We are looking for volunteers to help us at the Bean Museum.  If you would like to help, please text or email me and I will add you to our list.

Reading: We continue to work on our comprehension skills.  We are focusing on cause and effect. The students are reading Naya Nuki. .	Science: The environment tests went well. Many students had a perfect score! We begin our study of animal classification this week.
Math: This week we begin out study of factors and multiples.  It is a fun unit. Students who scored   80 percent or less on the long division quiz have some extra homework.  Please review the process with your child if they have pink division sheets.	Writing: The animal reports are progressing well.  The rough drafts will be written and edited in class. Students will need to type the final copy at home.  These will be due before the Thanksgiving break.
Spelling: Words for this week are Thanksgiving words; gratitude, yams, cranberries, pilgrims, potatoes, squash, Indians, appreciation, gravy, marmalade, Thanksgiving, applesauce, muffins, hungry, stuffing, broccoli, salad, leftovers, blessings, turkey BONUS Pueblo, Paiute, Goshute, Navajo, dichotomous There will not be a spelling list next week :)	Reminders: November poems are due before Thanksgiving. Our class is attending The Secret Garden this Wednesday, November 18. Be sure to return the red permission slip to school.   The students will need to bring a lunch from home. We are collecting food for the food bank.

Reading: Students have been working comprehension skills with book of their choice.  The skills we have been working on are inference and questioning.  Next week we will begin a class book, we will continue to work on comprehension strategies.  The book report for this month, is to research an assigned Utah animal.	Science: We are focusing on the adaptations that plants and animals have so that they can survive in their habitats.  Students will finish their wetland studies and move on to deserts.
Math: Students are working with remainders this week.  We are learning how and why remainders are important in real world math.  Please continue to practice multiplication facts if your student has not passed their facts off.	Writing: Students are finishing their personal narratives about a memorable moment in their lives. As part of the book report students will write a 5 paragraph essay about their assigned Utah animal.  In order to begin the writing process all research should be complete by November 10.
Spelling: This weeks words are words with prefixes. The words are disappoint, unaware, unlucky, disappear, unfortunate, dishonest, mismatch, misbehave, unknown, recycle, unusual, misspelled, uncommon, unprepared, prepaid, review, rearrange, preschool, unfriendly, disagree, hypothermia, tentative, collaboration, gracious, professionalism	Reminders: Our class won the sock drive! Please remember to send inonperishable food items for the food drive. Animals for animal reports were assigned today. Research is due on November 10.  The finished report and poster are due before Thanksgiving. We will be attending The Secret Garden at Lone Peak on Nov. 18. Students will need to bring a lunch from home on that day.