Monday, October 22nd

We wrote in our journals about things we like to do with our best friends.  Then, we learned about abbreviations.  We will be practicing writing abbreviations for the days of the week, months of the year and for people as well this week.  We will add more difficult ones as we start to realize that all abbreviations need capital letters and periods.  You will notice on your child's papers that we will be practicing writing the date with abbreviations every day.  Then, we completed the DLP, talked about adjectives, and learned about irregular plural nouns.  We also set up our Book Bags for this week and completed a handwriting center.  In Social Studies, we worked to finish our Landform Booklets.  We will be planning to make Landform Models in groups this week.  This afternoon we read more of Matilda.  Then, in math we learned how to add multiple two-digit numbers.  It was challenging!  We are about to wrap up our addition unit and will move on to two-digit subtraction. At the end of the day, we went to the computer lab.

Friday, October 19th

We learned how to evacuate a bus today in case of an emergency.  After our drill, we added a new poem to our binders and turned in our Book Bag logs.  Thanks for helping your child complete his/her activities every night!  I appreciate your support!  We reviewed words with -ack and -ock and finished our DLP for this week.  Then, we took our Spelling test.  We had centers/guided reading.  We also took our Reading test.  This afternoon we had gym and music.  Then, in math, we learned how to rewrite math problems from horizontal to vertical.  All students have one page of math homework. 

Don't forget to start planning with your child about what dinosaur he/she would like to research for the dinosaur project!  It is due on November 2nd, two weeks from today.

Thursday, October 18th

We learned how to write acrostic poems today! Students chose to either write one about pumpkins or ghosts. We will hang them in the hall until Halloween. Then, we clapped out words in syllables and wrote them down in our workbook packet. We reviewed main idea and details and practiced finding them. We completed our DLP and watched a BrainPop video on nouns and plural nouns. We had centers/guided reading. In Social Studies, we started working on a Landform Booklet.  We are writing definitions for and illustrating each type of landform.  After lunch we read Matilda.  Then, we introduced the dinosaur project.  Today you will receive a packet of information about the project.  The final paragraph and diorama is due on November 2nd.  Please make sure your child gives you the information today so you can plan your time in the next two weeks to work on the project.  The children are VERY excited to get started!  In math, we added two-digit numbers with another two-digit number.  The lightbulbs are going on!  It was a very exciting day to feel the energy of children learning.  All students have one page of math homework.

Reading and Spelling tests will take place tomorrow.  Reading books were sent home with the children.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

This morning we started a using a new tool called a "whisper phone" to help us with our fluency when we read. Ask your child how it works.  We re-read our story Helping Out.  Then, we drew pictures to show the meanings of our vocabulary words.  We completed a worksheet on nouns, too.  After we went to the library, we had centers/guided reading.  Some of us got to read books about dinosaurs!  In Social Studies, we started learning about landforms.  We will make a landform booklet in class.  This afternoon we read more of Matilda.  Then, in Science we learned how to research dinosaurs on zoomdinosaurs.com.  Tomorrow, a dinosaur project will be presented to the students and it will be due on November 2nd.  Be on the lookout for details.  Then, we acted like paleontologists and attempted to put together dinosaur skeletons.  It was fun!  In math, we learned how to add two-digit numbers with regrouping. All students have one page of math homework.

Don't forget that the Spelling Packets are due tomorrow!

Tuesday, October 16th

We got a lot done today!  This morning we made a list of jobs we do in our journals.  Then, we reviewed words with -ear.  We did a Making Words activity to practice our spelling words.  Then, we made a web about ways we help out at school.  We learned our vocabulary words for the story Helping Out.  We talked about the main idea of paragraphs.  Then, we read our story for this week.  After art class, we finished our DLP, talked about adjectives and plural nouns.  This afternoon we read more of Matilda.  Then, we went to music and gym class.  In math, we used manipulatives to add two-digit numbers.   Both classes have one page of math homework.  It was a great day!

Don't forget the spelling packet is due on Thursday. 

Monday, October 15th

This morning we wrote about different ways we help at home.  We will be talking a lot about chores and jobs children can help with.  Take this opportunity to have your child help at home!  We learned about words with -ear and sound like -ur.  This is a very difficult phonics pattern and students will need lots of practice with their spelling words this week.  The packet is being sent home today and is due on Thursday, as usual.  We introduced the spelling words and added words to our word wall.  We completed our DLP, talked about writing personal letters, and about plural nouns.  In Social Studies, we started a new unit.  We cut apart vocabulary cards, read about cause and effect, and completed a geography packet together.  This afternoon we started reading a book by Roald Dahl, Matilda.  We're off to a good start!  Then, in math we learned how to regroup numbers.  We used tens and ones blocks to show that we can trade ten ones for a ten stick.  Since this concept is so important, we are taking two days for this lesson.  There will be no math homework tonight and we will continue regrouping tomorrow.  At the end of the day, we went to the computer lab.

Happy Monday!

Friday, October 12, 1012

This morning we had many things to do!  After we wrote in our journals and shared, we talked about sequencing, practiced our vocabulary words, and completed our DLP.  We got a new poem about dinosaurs for our poetry binders.  Make sure your child is reading those over the weekend.  Then, we took our Spelling test.  We had centers/guided reading.  Then, we took our Reading test.  This afternoon we had music and gym class.  Then, we learned how to take numbers apart to add two-digit numbers.  There is no math homework over the weekend.  We will practice more adding next week!  It was a busy week!