Math and Science Night was OUTSTANDING!
If you have never attended one of the curriculum nights at school, I highly recommend it. After a full week, I thought I was too tuckered out, but I had a blast reading "Math Attack" and "My Sister Ate One Hare" and then hanging with my 3rd grade teamies to play multiplication baseball and multiplication baseball.
On the science side of things, I am so proud of our classmates Seth, Jillian, Hallie and Jared for completing science fair projects. I hope they'll present them to the class this next week.
In
Language Arts we are studying the attributes of non-fiction text and how to stimulate our thinking as we read and take notes. This will help us with our "disasterous" research as well as our comprehension. In writing we'll be writing our newscaster scripts to present as a newsteam and we'll be continuing to work on poetry. Then we can compare the things we do as writers when we write to inform vs. writing to entertain. I'd like to present some writing on Friday ... since we have the Valentine's Day party then it might be a good day. I need to see if my class is well (lots of absences lately) and if they can be prepared and I'll make the decision by Wednesday whether we will have a show for parents on Friday.
In
Science we're still studying the characteristics of renewable, non-renewable and inexhaustible resources. This is a natural precursor to our discssion about recycling, pollution and ecology. That will sequeway into a soil study. I will probably use some of the ecology focus (ex: how it impacts community) so that I can get some Social Studies grades recorded.
The kids have done very well with linear measurement in
Math. They tend to confuse customary with metric units, so just reviewing those in the car on the drive home is helpful. Also asking estimating questions helps build their knowledge in this area. (For example, what would give you a more exact measurement of the coffee table, feet or inches?
Would you want to measure the size of the yard in meters or centimeters?)
I'll send out an email for math club this week. Kids are invited that can stay on task and focus-- it's fun but not play time.
HOMEWORK is non-negotiable. I allow time every day for your child to write it down as I write it on the white board and multiple reminders to pack necessary materials. At more than half-way through the year I am not thrilled about repeating repeating repeating repeating first week expectations and I am going to be rigid.
Some kiddos have used up their spelling notebooks, please check and see if they need a new one please.