Week of October 10th

Students received a homework packet on Monday.  The directions should read as follows (I removed the second sentence). 

1. Make 2 columns on a piece of lined paper. Write the words below in the left column. Rewrite each word in the right hand column and scoop between the syllables.
2. Read a book of your choice for 30 minutes daily. List the title of the book and the page number where you stopped to complete the CROP-QV. Remember to use examples from the book to justify your answers. You must stop reading at 3 different sittings and complete a CROP-QV’s at each stopping point. You must fill in the entire CROP-QV at each stopping point.
3. All written answers must be in complete sentences.
4. Read the attached Social Studies Weekly newspaper. You will have a quiz on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 on your reading.
5. Homework is due on Tuesday, October 18, 2011.
6. Study for syllable & Social Studies test to be given on 10/19/11.

Students will need to bring their Social Studies Weekly newspaper back to school with them to use for the test on Wednesday.  They can use the newspaper to help answer the questions, but I do not have any extra copies to to hand out on test day.  Therefore, if they do not bring their copy back, they will have to take the test without the newspaper as a resource.

Week of October 3rd

For those of you who missed it on the blog last week, there's no homework due tomorrow.

We finished up on CROP-QV today!  Reading strategies used to help us with our comprehension.  Connections, reactions, opinions, prediction, questions and visualizing.  We use all of these skills before, during, and after reading.

Homework was given today that is due next Tuesday, October 11th.  They are working on contractions and document based questions.  Document based questions include reading a passage, looking at a related document, and answering questions.  The questions incorporate different levels of understanding based on Bloom's Taxonomy.  We worked on an example as a class today which should be in their big binder for future reference.  The homework has an explanation of how to answer each question.  Students must write in complete sentences and justify their answers with examples from the passage. 

There will be a contraction test on October 12th.

Not sure what happnened

I'm not sure what happened but my post last week never posted (probably operator error).  Homework due on Tuesday:  homonyms and reading questions.  Students need to stop during 6 different 30 minute reading sessions and answer one of the three questions.  Each question must be answered twice.  Wednesday's homonym test will include writing sentences using the correct word and spelling in dictated sentences.

Homonyms to study: they're/there/their; to/too/two; by/buy/bye; which/witch; right/write; no/know; deer/dear.  The expectation from this point forward will be that students are using and spelling these words correctly in all of their writing (both in class and at home).  Assignments will be graded based up this expectation.

Please return conduct sheets by Wednesday.  I complete conduct sheets over the weekend, therefore if your child turns it on Monday (the day it's going home) you will not receive one for the previous week.  These conduct sheets enable me to communicate your child's behavior and academic progress for the previous week.  If you have questions regarding these reports, please feel free to contact me. 

Our first field trip is Thursday 9/29.  This field trip will be on campus from 8:30 - 2:15 pm.  Students will be visiting different centers featuring a variety of activities related to Colonial times.   This was a great event last year.  We are still in need of parent volunteers for the day!  If you are able to help, please email me at  pfoster1@hotmail.com

Don't forget that Friday is teacher workday (no school for students).  Next Friday 10/7 is an early release day.  Students will be dismissed at 1:15 pm. 

If you need to contact me, please feel free to use my home email pfoster1@hotmail.com or you can text or call me 696-3762.

Homework

I was impressed with most of the homework from last week.  The majority of students answered the comprehension questions with complete sentences!  Please be sure to check your child's agenda on Monday evenings.  The agendas should have their homework and studying requirements listed as we work as a group to complete agendas when homework is handed out.

Please check with your child to ensure that they are bringing at least 4 pencils to school daily.  They need 2 for math & 2 for reading at the beginning of each class.

8th Day of School Already?

It's hard to believe that we finished our 8th day of school!  Great work is being done in language arts.

Your child brought home a conduct/behavior report today along with their first homework assignment.  I'm making a change from last year.  Homework will come home in Monday folders and be due on Tuesday the following week.  We talked today about homework -- homework is due at the beginning of class on the due date.  Your child must walk into class with homework ready to be gone over and collected.  I will not count any homework that is not complete and brought to class by your child (ie:  not faxed, brought at lunch time, brought at the end of the school day, etc.).  If you, by chance, take your child's homework out of their backpack, THEY are still responsible to make sure that it is back in their possession ready to be collected at the beginning of class.  In order for a student to be working above grade level they must complete all grade level work (on time) -- including in ALL homework.

Word work tests (spelling, syllables, synonyms, etc.) will be on Wednesdays.  We will go over homework on Tuesday and students will have the homework to use to study for the tests.

We begin a whole class literature circle book today.  We will be reading The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake together as a class and completing the packet as a group and individually in order to learn the procedures and expectations relating to literature circles.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday night for Open House.  We will go over more procedures and expectations.