Announcements

Dear Parents,
Wow...this has been an icky, cold week.  This weather does not make cottage 
life very fun!!  The students are being real troopers, but they get a lil' 
roudy when they have to run in and out of the cottage.  We are hoping for 
bright sunny skies next week!!  We have been very busy in all areas this 
week, it is so hard to believe that we are already approaching the middle of 
February.

Writer's workshop has been going full speed ahead preparing for camp write 
along.  We are still in need of parent volunteers to help set up and 
dismantle the camp, and of course our need for camping supplies :)  We have 
been writing a "favorite place" paper this week.  The students are doing a 
great job with using their voice, adding spice and using those descriptive 
words to describe their place!!  I can't wait to see the final product.  

In Reader's Workshop, the students have all selected a Just Right book from 
my library and we are focusing on different mini-lessons within the book.  
For example, setting, inferencing, characterization, etc...

Science has been busy with introducing non-living systems and how they work 
when one of the pieces are taken out.  Is it still a working system?  It 
would be fun for you to see what kinds of systems you have around the house 
and if they would provide the same service without a piece of the system.  

In Math we have been having so much fun learning about decimals.  The 
students loved the website we went to in the computer lab yesterday, I added 
it to my links.  They played all sorts of decimal games working with ordering 
and placement.  Fun Fun Fun!!  Today they had a decimal quiz and they did 
very well!! 

And Finally...E-Slot has been a big change from last semester.  The classes 
are rotating based on their interest survey.  Some students are attending 
Yoga with Mrs. Strand, Drama with Mrs. Guerra, Cooking with Mrs. Joy, and 
even The Fun Run with Mrs. Hammond and myself.  Everyone is having so much 
fun learning about having a healthy lifestyle while incorporating a form of 
exercise.  At the end of the year, our group will be planning a fun run that 
we are hoping the entire school will take part in.  We are going to be 
looking for some sponsers to help us with our t-shirts :)  More to come on 
that later!!  

Okay, that is enough rambling for now.  Have a great weekend and hopefully 
the sun comes out...I hear it is suppose to!!  Yay!!  

Important Dates to Remember:
* Our Valentine's Party is next Friday, Feb. 12th.  If you are sending in 
something, and it doesn't need refrigeration or heating, you may send it in 
anytime
* Box Tops ends Feb. 12th.  Please send any in and let's see if we can win a 
trip to the park :)
* Souper Bowl of Caring ends next week, the 12th.  Please bring in your cans 
so we can get to our goal of 300, we are over halfway there!!
* Wednesday, Feb. 10 1/2 day for students
* Monday, Feb. 15 holiday for students
* Author Tim Green ex. NFL player will be coming to visit on March 24th, 
flyer will come home Wednesday