November 29 - December 3, 2010

I hope all of you had a Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for braving the weather to make a conference with me.

You should have received a green form home on Monday asking for volunteers and supplies for our gingerbread celebration on December 17th. Please let me know if you can help.

We will be starting our Money unit in reading. If you have foreign currency to share, please send it in with your child. I am not responsible for any lost or stolen money. :) Students should be at 40% of their AR goal. Please check on the AR site to see where your child is.

In math, we will be completing our units on multiplication. Please be practicing math facts with your student at home nightly. Be looking for flashcards to be part of nightly homework. A great math site is www.coolmath-games.com

Spelling words for this week are:
have, book, move, cut, stood, stop, leave, begin, leaving, foot, having, beginning, moving, stopping, cutting, problem, and explain

November 15, 2010

Please remember that conferences are:
Friday, November 19th (early release)
Monday, November 22nd (no school)
Tuesday, November 23rd (early release)
I would request that your child attend the conference with you.

We have early release on Wednesday, November 24th and no school on the 25th and 26th for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Please make sure your child is studying their spelling words weekly. Tests are on Friday. Also, be sure your child has an AR book read each night to test on the following day. You may have heard from your student that we have been challenged by Mrs. Earley's class on who can reach 2,000 AR points first. Right now, we are leading!!! Go room 15~

Last Post For The Year!

End of the Year Theme Days!

May 31 – June 4, 2010

In place of an End-of-the-Year party, we will have a special theme for each day the last few weeks of school. All daily activities will pertain to that day’s theme. Listed below are the themes for this next week along with special “assignments” or supplies needed.


Monday, Memorial Day—No School

Tuesday, June 1st – Puzzles, Brainteasers, Math Whiz Day
• Students may bring math games, puzzles, or brainteasers to school. Some ideas include – Yahtzee, Rack-O, Monopoly, etc.

Wednesday, June 2nd – Art Day
• Bring a book about art or an artist.

Thursday, June 3rd – Creepy Crawly Day
• Bring a bug to school!
• Bring insect-related books to school.
• Students will be writing and researching about their critters.
**Anyone want to make and donate a large “Dirt Cake”??

Friday, June 4th – Read In / Author Study Day
• Bring your favorite books, blankets, pillows, healthy snacks, etc. (all must fit inside your backpack
• Early Release 11:22 – Report Card Prep


June 7-11, 2010

Monday, June 7— Sports Day / Field Day
• Wear sports uniform or clothing representative of a sports team.
• Bring sports-related books.
• Bring sports equipment and teach the class a new game!
• Our class will have Field Day from 1:00-2:30...dress comfortably, bring a water bottle, and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

Tuesday, June 8— Field Trip to Broetje Orchards
• Students must wear closed toe shoes and have permission slips signed
• Students will be need a sack lunch or will get a sack lunch from the kitchen

Wednesday, June 9—Career Day
• Bring books or stories about a career that may interest you
• Invite a guest speaker to talk to us about their job! (Please let me know if you can come in)
Examples we have had: fire fighter, paramedic, dentist, WHL coach, police officer, scientist, geologist, humanitarian, attorney, nurse, radio advertising sales

Thursday, June 10 — Beach Day
• Dress like you’re headed to the beach! (no swimsuits allowed)
• Bring an item that will either sink or float. Choose an item you think will trick your friends...something they think will sink when it really floats or one that most people will think floats when it really sinks.
• We’ll also be designing, testing, and redesigning our own boats!
• Supplies needed: packages of blue Jello
small clear plastic cups
gummy fish

Friday, June 11— Last Day of School
• Early Release—11:22


Have a safe summer and keep reading!

April 26th

We will be taking a break from Spelling paragraphs this week. Our focus is completing WASL or MSP practice items. Paragraphs will resume next week.

In Reading, we have begun our Storytelling unit. Use this time to share a story with your child!

In Math, we will be finishing up our unit on fractions. This is a very difficult concept for students. Please be sure you check over their homework. Many students are not completing the assignment or it is done incorrectly. Your support at home will make a HUGE difference.

Your student may have told you we are conducting Chemical Tests in Room 14. This is true! Our current science unit is chemical properties. Students are enjoying learning how things react together and discovering what the white unknown chemicals are. Look for more to come.

Don't forget these dates:
Thursday, May 5th - MSP (WASL) Reading tests
Tuesday, May 11th - MSP (WASL) Math tests
Thursday and Friday May 13-14 - MAP Reading tests
Thursday and Friday May 20-21 - MAP Math tests

Please be sure your child gets a good night of rest, a yummy breakfast, and understands how important it is to take their time and try their best.

April 12th

Our spelling paragraph this week is:
Benjamin Franklin is a well known patriot, author, and inventor. He was born in 1706 and died at the age of 84. This was amazing, because most people only lived to 60 years old. Because his family had twelve children, he had to quit school at the age of ten to go to work. As an adult, he married Debbie and had one son named William. Some of his inventions include stoves, eyeglasses, and he started the first post office. However he is most remembered for his discoveries on electricity and lightening. As you can see, Benjamin Franklin greatly impacted our world.
The test will be on Friday.

We are finishing up our unit on communities. Our story is "What Ever Happened to Baxter's Place?". This story is a review of skills covered over the unit which are prefixes, suffixes, parts of speech, and genre. Students are learning MAP terms like: personification, alliteration, idioms, metaphor, simile, and theme.

In math we continue to focus on graphing. We have talked about frequency, mode, median, and just briefly covered mean. Our test for this chapter will be on Friday. Students seem to have a good grasp on this information.

Writing focus is word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice. Students will be writing their own biographies and bio poems. A good topic for home might be the difference between an autobiography and a biography. Next week, students will be reading a variety of biographies and presenting their favorite, in costume, to their classmates.

April 5th

Amazing it's April! I hope you all had an enjoyable and restful spring break.

Math this week, we will begin chapter 12 which is focused on graphing. Hopefully you noticed the labels I put on your child's folder giving you access to the Math Connects website. Another website to practice coordinate graphs is:

http://funbasedlearning.com/algebra/graphing/default.htm


We will also be working on probability next week. This is a great practice website:
http://www.hbschool.com/activity/balloon_bonanza/


In reading, we are reading a realistic fiction story entitled "The Disappearing Island". Thank you so much for making sure your child had their grade level chapter books completed for today when they returned. Many passed the AR tests with flying colors. Hopefully, this will encourgage students to challenge themselves with longer stories.

Spelling will be a bit different this week. We will be practicing writing 3 sample paragraphs focusing on word choice, details, and spelling. On Friday, the "test" will be writing their own paragraph. I will be grading this for spelling, content, word choice, etc. It is an assessment to see if all the hard work they have done this year is sticking with them.

Enjoy your week!

March 22nd

This week's spelling paragraph is a review of idioms/figurative language.
Idioms are phrases that mean something else. One example "break a leg" means good luck and hope you do well. Another idiom is "hitting the hay", which describes that you are read to go to bed. Finally, my favorite example is "that is the straw that broke the camel's back" meaning that you can't take it anymore! Definitely, learning to find hidden meanings helps you to understand what is said.

We will be finishing up chapter 11 in math. Our chapter test on geometry will be on Friday.

In reading, we are learning about paleontologists and archaeological digs. The story is "Days of Digging". A reading skill focus for you to reinforce at home would be summarizing.

I will not assign any homework over spring break other than please have your child complete the chapter book they chose to read for an AR test. Enjoy a restful break!

March 15th

Spelling this week is in letter format. The test will be on Thursday.

14 Shamrock Lane
Kennewick, WA 99338
March 17, 2010

Dear Irish friend,
Will you please join me in celebrating St. Patrick's Day? We will be wearing green and dining on Irish food like corned beef, cabbage, and soda bread. There will be folk dancing to beautiful melodies played on the bagpipes. Hopefully, we won't experience a visit from a mischievous leprechaun, but we will find his pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. may this four leafed clover bring you a year of good fortune!
Sincerely,
Blarney Stone.

In math, we are starting to learn about geometric shapes. Please be looking for examples of cones, cylinders, cubes, rectangular prisms, spheres, etc. around your home.

Our reading unit is "Communities". We are talking about how communities change over time and serve various purposes. We are discussing how we all belong to several difficult sub-communities. This week's story is "House On Maple Street". Please check to make sure your child has completed their 5 non-fiction stories book notes. They are due Tuesday. Students will be completing posters in class this week to present to their classmates.

Don't forget that Friday is no school. Teachers are in professional trainings focused on reading.

Thursday night is Lincoln Elementary's reading night. Please join us from 6:30-7:30 for many reading activities.

March 1st

This week's spelling paragraph is a culmination of our Earth, Moon, and Sun unit. It goes over the skill of comparing and contrasting in our writing.

It is:

Although the planets are in the same solar system, they aren't exactly alike. Most planets have moons. However, Earth has only one, whereas Jupiter has 61 known moons. All planets orbit the Sun. Mercury only takes 88 days, but in contrast Pluto needs 248 Earth years to make the trip. Each planet is sphere shaped. Our neighbor Venus is a rocky planet, but Saturn is quite a gas giant. Clearly, there are similarities and differences amongst the planets.



In math we will be starting a new unit on measurement. Focus will be on standard and metric units of capacity, weight, mass, and volume. We will also look at telling time.



Reading will be a review week on the skills we covered during this unit.



Don't forget Friday, March 5th is an early release day for report card preparation. Thursday and Friday of the following week will be early release for conferences - typically these conferences are for students of concern. Be looking for notices coming home.



I hope you have enjoyed following the Olympics and helped your child go for the gold!!! March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday so pick up a book and read!!!

February 22nd

This week we are taking part in our own reading Olympics. Students will have a poem to read to you each night about the Olympics combined with the a little Dr. Seuss. This must be signed and returned the following day. Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) will be remembered on March 2nd, his birthday. Students need to read 300 minutes and get 7 AR points to receive a gold medal, 200 minutes and get 5 AR points for a silver, or 100 minutes and get 3 AR points for a bronze. Please join us in the medal / Olympic fun!

Spelling paragraph:
Dr. Seuss on the Loose
The Cat in the Hat is traveling to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. There will be athletes from eighty other countries competing in events like snowboarding, skiing, figure skating, and hockey. The Winter Olympics happen every four years at different locations throughout the world and are held to promotes peace and friendly competition between nations. At the modern Olympics, each winner is presented with a gold medal, each second place Olympian receives a silver medal, and each third place finisher is awarded a bronze medal. Hopefully, with the help of our reading minutes, the Cat will return to Lincoln with a gold finish!

The spelling test will be on Friday, February 26th. We are working on adding suffixes and "jazzing" up our writing with synonyms.

In Math, we will be finishing up our measuring unit. We will be learning about area and temperature. Our unit 9 test will be on Friday.

In Reading, we will be reading the story Earth Our Planet in Space. Skills focused on this week will be comparing and contrasting and parts of a glossary. On Tuesday, we will be having a special Dr. Seuss presentation by the Kamiakin Red Shirt Players.

Please help your child bring in the United States medal count each day. This can be found on:
www.vancouver2010.com

February 16th

Wow! What a fun night we had a the hockey game. I was so proud of all the room 14 readers! It would have been nice for the Americans to win, but at least we got to see a hat trick. Thank you to all the families for being so supportive. If you have any pictures, please email them to me at school christina.brewer@ksd.org

Our healthy heart party was a huge success. Thank you to all the families that supplied food or drinks for the party.

Math this week we are continuing to work on measurement. Focus will be on metric units: millimeter, centimeter, meter, and kilometer.

In reading, we are still working on our Earth, Sun, and Moon unit. The story for this week is Journey to the Moon, which is about the Apollo mission that Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Students heard yesterday actual footage from that voyage. Skills we will be looking at are Greek roots in words, outlining, and fact/opinion.

The spelling paragraph is:
President's Day
Monday's holiday we will remember some of our forty-four presidents. George Washington, our first president, led the United States in the Revolutionary War from England. Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, freed the slaves during the Civil War. John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president, was killed while he was in office. Barak Obama is our current president and is the first African-American to be elected. undoubtedly, being president has many difficult decisions and is a very stressful job.
**Due to the shortened week, the spelling test will be given on Friday.

We have started a new morning announcement. It is called "This Day In History". It is a 1 minute informative video on what happened each day in history. Students seem to be really enjoying the information they are discovering. Be sure to ask them what makes today special.

Have a fantastic week!

Week of February 8th

We will be having a test in math over chapter 8 on Tuesday. There will not be any homework that evening for math. Wednesday, we begin chapter 9 which is on measurement.

In reading, we will be reading the story "The Moon Seems to Change". This uses technical drawings and illustrations to explain the lunar phases. Key skills for this story are cause and effect, classifying, and using diagrams. A Magic School Bus solar system book will be assigned to your child to read over the weekend and be ready to take an AR test on Tuesday as Monday we have no school.

Our spelling paragraph this week is:

We have a special homework assignment to design and build a container to hold our Valentine cards. Each student's mailbox needs to be in the shape of a particular hobby, favorite sport, animal, or collections. All supplies must be recycled from around the house and not specifically bought for this project. Each container must have an opening for the cards to be inserted and another one for them to be removed. Students are challenged to create a spectacular mailbox that will be unique, original,and creative.

This paragraph is also an explanation for the homework assignment. They can bring these boxes to school with their Valentines on Thursday. Be creative! So no child feels left out, please make sure if your child brings Valentines, they make bring one for everyone.

We will be having a healthy heart party on Friday at 2:00. Please no cupcakes, cookies, etc. We are focusing on healthy eating and good food choices. Your child may have signed up to bring something. Please let me know if this is not possible.

Don't forget our Room 14 night with the Americans is Friday night. It is breast cancer awareness night so make sure you wear pink! Thank you for all your support.

February 1st

Tomorrow is Groundhog's Day. Hopefully Spring will be on it's way!

These sites tell you about Phil: http://www.groundhog.org/ or www.theholidayspot.com/groundhogday/

Our spelling paragraph this week is:

Roy G. Biv

There are many colorful objects on our Earth. We see the primary colors of blue, yellow, and red in the bright, blue sky; shining, yellow sun; and in beautiful, red roses. When stirred together, the primary colors create wonderful secondary colors. We observe these hues in fashionable, purple shoes; healthy, orange carrots; and thick, green grass. Obviously, all these colors are pleasing to our eyes!

We are working on base and root words as well as adjectives to dress up our writing.

In math, we are studying solving problems, using number sentences and expressions, and will also start function tables.

Some students have not been coming to school with their AR books read or math homework complete. Homework should take about 30 minutes each night. It is VERY important to their growth and learning for this to be completed each night at home. I appreciate your dedication and support!

January 25th

We are OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!

Room 14 has begun the new year studying outer space. A great website for kids to learn more to share with our class is:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
Another great site is :
http://www.kidsastronomy.com


Our Imagine It! story takes a look at the Sun. In spelling, we are learning about Galileo. The paragraph for this week is:

Star Light Star Bright
Galileo Galilei, an astronomer and scientist, lived in Italy 400 years ago. He curiously wondered about things in space. He heard by using concave lenses, which inwardly curve, and convex lenses, that outwardly curve, in a tube you could make things far off look like they were right in front of you. Galieleo was able to determine that the Milky Way had countless stars twinkling closely together and that the Earth wasn't the center of the universe. Clearly, his inquisitive mind prompted many discoveries.

In Math, we will be finishing up our division chapter. Students are doing very well understanding how to solve problems using a fact family, pictures, memorizing facts, or arrays.

Mid-term progress reports will be coming home on Friday. Please sign the envelopes and return them back to school with your child on Monday.

January 11

This week we will be reading Uncle Jed's Barbershop. This is a historical fiction story about the Great Depression and segregation - as well as following your dreams. We will be discussing Martin Luther King Jr. and how this story connects with his dreams for our nation.

In math, we will be finishing up chapter 6 and starting chapter 7. Chapter 7 is also on dividing numbers.

Our spelling paragraph this week is:

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 Corretta 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 18th.

Don't forget there will be Tri-City Americans information to come!

January 4, 2010

2010! What an odd feeling! I remember being in 3rd grade and thinking the year 2000 was a long way off - but 2010! Incredible! I hope you all had a wonderful winter break and enjoyed time with your families.

In math, we will continue working dividing. Friday will be our test on chapter 6. Some students have been struggling to remember homework. Last chapter, I saw this dramatically effected test scores. Please make sure your child is completing nightly math homework and returning it to school the following day.

In reading, we are continuing with our Money unit. Our story this week is Madam CJ Walker: Self Made Millionaire. I also told students that IF they make their trimester reading goal BY February 12th, they can earn a ticket to go to the Tri-City Americans game with me. There will be more information to follow if you would like to purchase tickets for your family we can get a group rate. This game is also a special game for me - it is breast cancer awareness night. My grandmother passed away from this. The Americans will be wearing pink, the ice is pink, and pink t-shirts are for sale. So encourage your child to be reading and find your pink!

Spelling paragraph:

A philanthropist helps others by giving their time or money. Madam CJ Walker helped African-American women get jobs selling her hair products. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his time giving speeches and protesting equal rights for all. Now, Bill Gates donates money and computers to schools all over Washington state. Helping others with time or money can benefit everyone!

The spelling test will be on Friday this week since the students didn't get it to study until today.