This fall is blowing right on by. . . literally!  The wind, the days, the weeks, everything is moving so quickly.  This weekend I will be working on report cards, which seems so strange that conferences already here.  Even though is sneaks up on me, I always look forward to conferences with the parents.  I love sharing about students with their families and partnering together to help each student be the best they can be!

READING

We have become detectives and learned that anyone can be a suspect in our mystery books.  Students are paired up with a partner and discussing parts of their books and working to solve the crime before the author reveals who made the crime and how.

WRITING

We are writing persuasive speeches.  Students have been writing ideas about opinions they have of either something they want to see changed (reorganizing the class library) or recognizing something or someone that may be overlooked (Mr. Rob).  Yesterday, students picked their best opinion that they want to continue working on through the end.  Our focus is audience and writing in a way to convince our audience to think the way we do.

MATH

We are working on two-step word problems.  This is VERY difficult for students.  Each problem is set up differently and it’s hard to know what is the first step and which is the second.  We have spent several days on these problems, and now we need to move on to multiplying by multiples of 10 (40×10, 60×10).  We will revisit two-step word problems when we add and subtract three digit numbers later this winter.  This is an “I don’t understand this….YET” situation.  Usually after a little time and a little more growth as a learner, many more students understand these better later in the year.

Keep practicing math facts at home!!  Each Monday their previous multiplication test will come home with a note of which fact to practice next.  Please remind your child to practice a little each night!

FIELD TRIP

I have received many permission slips back already for the field trip to the GRAM.  On Friday morning, I will draw for the chaperones that can come along.  I wish all of you could go, however the Art Museum only allows a certain number due to space with our already large classes.