·      READING:  Great readers identify main ideas and supporting details.  We will continue to work in reading groups this week, meeting with Ms. Agnew and Ms. Mattocks on alternate days throughout the week.  Although each group is reading different text, all students will be working to identify the main idea and appropriate supporting details from nonfiction text.  We will also be focusing on making connections to text and supporting our connections with evidence from the text this week as a whole-group reading study. 

·      SPELLING: Students will be working on Word Sort #11, which focuses on spelling patterns for er, ir, and ur words.  Spelling lists were taped into each child's planner on Monday morning.  Please make sure students are following their nightly spelling homework assignments--even Tuesday night's homework when students are out of school! 

·      WRITING: In writing we'll continue summarizing fables, folktales, and short stories as we study the genre of response to literature.  Students will be taught to use various story maps to help plan a summary of fictional stories.  We will then extend our writing to include making judgments and connections to the text we're reading and supporting those judgments with specific evidence from the text. 

·      GRAMMAR:   Students will begin a two-week unit on VERBS.  This week, we'll focus on the three main types of verbs:  action verbs, helping verbs, and linking verbs.  New websites for verb practice will be added to our class webpage, for students to practice at home.  Students can expect to bring home their grammar workbooks several times this week for practice and reinforcement of what we've learned about verbs in class.  Additionally, notes about the 3 types of verbs will be available under the Homework Resources/Downloads section of the class webpage--this will be a great study resource!

·      SCIENCE: In science, students will complete their study of force and motion by making roller coasters on Wednesday!  Students will be asked to design a roller coaster using the principles of force and motion they have studied in class.  Be sure to ask your students how their roller coaster simulation went on Wednesday afternoon!  At the end of the week, the class will move into a study of LIGHT!!  We'll be talking about reflection, refraction, absorption, etc.! 

·      SOCIAL STUDIES: Students will complete their study of explorers this week!  Last week we spent time on-line researching John Cabot, Henry Hudson, and Jacques Cartier.  This week, we'll be discussing Ponce de Leon, and Vasco Nunez Balboa!  Students will be given an explorers study guide on Wednesday--we will take a written assessment over all 6 explorers and the reasons for, obstacles to, and achievements of European exploration on Tuesday, November 10.  Please take time each night to review!   

·      MATH: We’re continuing our study of division this week.  We'll be reviewing division models and division of 2 and 3-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers on Monday.  On Wednesday, we'll be moving into more difficult division--so PLEASE spend about 5-10 minutes each night practicing basic multiplication and division facts--this need to be mastered!  As students work on division homework this week, please make sure that they check their answers to each division problem by multiplying! 

·      ADDITIONAL CLASS NEWS:

Thanks for your support,