Newsletter

February 8, 2010  

       
    
     General News~~~~~~~~

    1)You couldn't order your yearbook at the beginning of the year, so now 
is the time. They will only be for sale until February 18th. If you're not 
sure if you already placed your order or you have any questions, please send 
an email to rebecca@hallzone.net . Remember your friends at Spicewood by 
reserving your copy today. Ordering instructions are at www.spicewoodpta.org.
    2) RRISD's Summer Enrichment Fair is coming up!  Mark your calendars 
for Saturday, February 13th from 10-12 at the PAC (next to McNeil HS).  This 
is a great way to find summer camps for your children.  There will be 
numerous vendors with examples of what each has to offer your child.  Bring 
the kids---Mention it to your neighbor---All are welcome---See you there!!!
    3) TAGT Parent Conference:  Saturday, Feb. 13th in Houston.  If you're 
interested in attending or looking for more information, please visit the 
TAGT web site: txGifted.org/parent-conference



 
     Third Grade~~~~~~
                  
          Happy Monday!  The rain has stopped (for now!) and the sun is 
shining----must be an omen for a good day!  
          Today, we began a new S/V unit.  Unit 10 has a shorter word list 
than usual, but more activities.  Please note:  The homework assignment is 
due on MONDAY, February 22!   That means, the test will be on Tuesday, 
February 23rd. Why the additional time, you ask???  TAG classes will be 
canceled on Thursday, Feb. 18th and Friday, Feb. 19th due to a district 
meeting, so we can't possible turn in the homework or take a test if the door 
is locked and no one's "home"!  I've told the kids to mark their personal 
calendars and budget their time well.  No procrastination or sloppy work!
           The historical fiction novel study is off!  Today, the reading 
groups read the second set of assigned pages.  Some may need to finish up 
tonight and return the book tomorrow.  The groups also discussed just how 
they plan to present the summaries of what they've read.  I heard some really 
clever ideas:  a game show format, a newscast, vegetation with a "birdseye" 
view of events...    On Wednesday, the groups will meet to write out scripts 
of their oral presentations for Thursday.  You may find both the grading 
rubric for the written composition as well as the oral presentation on my 
DOWNLOADS page.  
  
    

   Fourth Grade~~~~~~
        S/V Unit 10 is coming home today!  This is a very challenging list of 
words!  I suggest paying special attention to the definitions.  How best can 
you study these words so that you fully understand them when written in 
context?  Write your own fill-in-the-blanks questions using a lot of context 
clues that convey your understanding of the words' meanings.  Or, write a 
fill-in-the-blank story using the clues in surrounding sentences.  
This sort of preparation will help you become more successful on your 
vocabulary tests.

      Persuasive essays: Bodies 2 & 3 were on tap today.  Before we began 
writing these parts of our rough drafts, we reviewed the list of transition 
words kept in the writing binders.  This list is extensive.  Locating the 
appropriate word/situation is the trickiest part.  But, we realized today 
just how handy the list can be.  These transition words add so much to our 
writing.  ****If you did not finish writing bodies 2 & 3 in class today, it 
is homework---due tomorrow.  We will finish the rough draft tomorrow by 
adding the conclusion, revising and editing.  Then,we'll share.  Wednesday 
has been set aside for writing the final draft.
       
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