Happy Friday!

Hello, everyone...we had a great week...read on to find out what we've been up to...

Language Arts
We have finished King of the Wind...and I am enjoying reading the kids' letters to next year's third graders...what an insight! Our next unit is reading functional documents...we will spend a few days looking at recipes, advertisements, brochures, websites, and menus...all in preparation for the creation of our own functional document...should prove to be a creative adventure!

I am in the process of scoring their "How To" essays...and 1/2 the class is finished with their PhotoStories...can't wait to get them on the blog for you to view...be patient...I'm hoping by Wednesday.

Today we visited the computer lab to pick out our favorite pieces for the UES Quill...our school's literary publication...I am so proud of these kids...they had so many writing pieces to choose from...diamante poems, color poems, biographies, persuasive essays, informative essays, our Dinorella stories, etc...I can't wait to see the 2009-2010 Young Hawks Quill!!

Math
In math this week we dove back into fractions (tougher indicators)...we are using the GCF (greatest common factor) and the LCM (least common multiple) to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators...this is a tough concept...some will master, others will just benefit from exposure...we will continue fraction work next week. We have also been working on problem solving...we have "warm ups" each lesson and the kids are given problems to solve. I LOOOOVE to try to stump these kids...and they CAN'T STAND being stumped! :-)

Many of the kids have completed their math writings...stories, poems....they are very creative and the kids are proud of their work! I'll send them home by the end of next week (did I just put that in writing?!?!)

Science
Have your kids talked much about science lately? I'm sure by now you've heard all about our green, sometimes brown friends: "angel", "david", "color changing pickles", "fatbobbuddyluigi", "chris", "chameleo", "billybobjoe" and "shelvin mack"...these names were actually agreed upon by small groups! We feed the anoles every other day...crickets are part of their diet...this feeding inspires great conversations about food chains. The kids watched a Magic Schoolbus video entitled Gets Eaten and then they illustrated a food chain of their own.

We received another living organism this week...daphnia...the kids will meet them next week and we will be learning first hand about "biotic potential"...we will visit the wetlands next week to observe food chains "in the wild"...this is a very fun unit for the kids!

Report Cards go home Monday. Also in the envelope will be a transportation form that needs to be filled out...this form will designate how your child will travel to and from school next year in our magnet program. I am BEGGING you (can you picture me?) to return this form in the signed envelope on Tuesday...I need to turn these forms into the GT office ASAP. Thank you.

Important Dates:
April 19 - Report Cards
April 20 - Signed envelopes and magnet transportation forms due
April 22 - Math Night - will be a lot of fun...please join us!
May 11 - Field Trip....check last week's blog

Have a great weekend...if you're near the Walmart on Rt. 26 this Saturday between 3:00 and 4:30, stop by and purchase some chocolate...my kids and I will be selling chocolate for the UES PTA!