January 26th, 2009

Hopefully your child shared with you about our field trip to Ramona Quimby. Our spelling paragraph this week is based on it. We are also working on oy/oi words, punctuation, and a/an articles. Please enjoy Beverly Cleary's website:

http://www.beverlycleary.com/characters/ramona.html

What An Act Ramona!

Full of anticipation, we boarded a bus for Richland. Beezus, an actress, started the play. We thought the most enjoyable part was the Quimby's voyage to Whopper Burger because of the kind, old man. Our favorite character was Ramona because she was a funny and annoying sister. At the end of the play, we were excused to ride the bus back to Kennewick.

Our story this week in reading is Madam CJ Walker. Students can be looking for hair product ads or information about Madam Walker to bring in for our concept / question board. I have added this link so you can read the story at home and practice with your student. Each child has their login and password information.

http://www.wa.sraimagineit.com/g_login.html

If you have any questions, please email me.

Math: We will be finishing up unit 6 and completing our mid-year assessment. Next unit - MULTIPLICATION! YAHOO!

Mid-Trimester reports go home on Friday. Please sign the envelope and send it back with your child on Monday. There will not be yellow slips this week. The mid-trimester reports will take the place of those.

January 19th

There will not be a spelling paragraph this week due to the limited class time.

Thursday is "field trip" day. Please have your child on time or they will miss the bus to Richland. We will depart promptly at 8:45 am. If your child has a Lincoln Leopard shirt, please have them wear it or yellow/black that day.

Friday is a no school professional day. Teachers will be in a training on our reading series "Imagine It!". Enjoy the 3 day weekend!

January 12th, 2009

We have started studying Geometry. This was one of the weakest areas for our class on the MAP tests in the fall. We have been learning about lines, segments, and rays. Other terms include parallel, intersecting, obtuse, acute, and isosceles. Below is a good site for practice with this concept.:

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_270_g_1_t_3.html?open=instructions

Students have also started taking multiplication time tests. Each timed test they pass, they will earn parts to a banana split. At the end of the year, we will have a banana split part. A good site to practice is:

http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/apples/savetheApples.htm

In reading we are studying money. I am AMAZED at all the different kinds of money that your children have been bringing in. Please help them to find pictures and information online to share with the class and post on our concept question board. A good place to look might be http://www.kids.gov/k_5/k_5_money.shtml. This week's story "The Go Around Dollar" helps to explain the parts of a dollar.

Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Day. We will not have school. This week's spelling paragraph is about this great leader.

Honoring a Great Man
Martin Luther King Jr. was a famous African American man. He was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor who wanted equal rights for all people. He believed black and white people should no longer be separate. In 1953 he married Coretta Scott and had two children. He is famous for his speech “I Have A Dream” which he gave in 1963. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. At the age of 39, he was killed in Tennessee. We honor him this year on January 19th.

Enjoy your 3 day weekend!