Hello to my favorite parents...I hope you're being able to stay dry this weekend! Your kids get an extra day this weekend....Monday! They will be at home while I'm at school working on third quarter report cards...WHERE HAS TIME GONE!?!? We still have SOOOO much to do!!
This Tuesday your child will be bringing home the argument/opinion piece that she/he wrote. Please review the rubric, the grade, and the comments...then sign the pink sheet and return the entire packet, please. This piece goes into their portfolio. I'm very excited for you to see these pieces. So many of the kids have made great strides in their writing this year!
We will now work on our last "formal" piece of the year...a narrative. I am looking forward to once again, seeing the creativity of your kids come alive on paper.
We have entered the world of DECIMALS in math...this past week we explored the relationship between fractions and decimals and even dabbled a little in percentages! We will continue with decimals this week and we will take the Quarter 3 post test at the end of the week. I am adding a link on the website side of the blog that has great resources in math...if your child is having difficulty on a particular subject or if they just want to hone their skills, the publisher of our textbook has a fantastic website. I showed it to the kids on Friday, so they may be on the lookout for it...it's titled "Houghton Mifflin Math."
Boy, did we have fun experimenting with the mystery powders!! During this science unit of "Chemical Tests" we used all the processes of science to cover many curriculum indicators...all the while having a ton of fun. The "big reveal" was this past week...and by the time we had concluded with our tests, the kids had all but one of the powders figured out!! After reading an article to gather some more information, the kids found that alum was the powder they weren't familiar with...so it was the last mystery to solve! We are "rolling" right into our next science unit (pun intended)..."Rocks, Soil and Fossils." We spent Thursday and Friday building compost piles for our red worms that arrive sometime this coming week...we talked about the items that can be put in a compost pile, the items that shouldn't be put in the pile, and the benefits of composting. We also learned the term "vermicomposting" which means using worms as decomposers in your compost pile. This is another fun unit that the kids will enjoy!
And our Literature Circles are going SOOOO well...as I told the kids yesterday, right now about 85% of the class is completely engaged in the Literature Circle discussions...those kids are gaining SO much meaning from their discussions. Unfortunately, I can only model and encourage great literature circle participation...it is up to each child to take advantage of the rich discourse that is being shared each time they meet. I wish you could hear some of these conversations...it is like being in a room full of high school students...I have to remind myself they are eight and nine years old!! This coming week, the kids will be completing Reading Responses, as well as answering questions to check their comprehension of what they are reading. I rotate between the literature circles and can tell that most kids fully comprehend what they are reading...and I work with those who seem to be having some difficulty. Ask your child about the book he/she is reading...they have read 6-7 chapters at this point and should be able to give you a good idea about what the book is about!
I hope you all have a great weekend...below is some information about the Maryland Summer Centers offered by the Maryland State Department of Education...there is a link with more info if you're interested. Tell your kids I'll see them Tuesday...enjoy tomorrow!
MARYLAND SUMMER CENTERS
for Gifted and Talented Students
Continuing a tradition of excellence for forty-five years, the Maryland Summer Centers engage gifted and talented students entering Grades 4-12 in unique summer programs. Centers located across the State offer one- to three- week residential and nonresidential programs with a focus on the arts, sciences, technology, engineering, and world languages.
Please consult the Maryland State Department of Education website www.marylandpublicschools.org/summercenters for more detailed descriptions of the Centers and application forms.
The deadline for applications is April 15. Directors will accept applications after April 15 until the Center enrollment is filled.
