Room 219 Update - Week of February 1, 2016
Dear Families,
Here is what we are working on in our classroom:
Math: On Monday we wrapped up our review of rounding/estimation in Topic 8. We will
jump ahead to Topic 12 beginning on Tuesday in order to work with fractions! This week
students will begin by learning to understand the parts of a fraction, and will end the
week by exploring fractions on number lines. Also, our Math Core Extension time will
begin to have an emphasis on multi-digit addition and subtraction with carrying and
regrouping. A pre-assessment will be given to students on Tuesday, and I will use this
information to best meet students’ individual needs.
Reading: Students have been loving our mystery read aloud, Joe Sherlock! Ask your
child about the mystery board that we are building together to keep track of all of the
character relationships, clues, and suspects that we gather along the way. This week
students will learn how to notice details as they read, how to consider a character’s
motivation, and how to grow theories about characters. Mystery Book Club discussions
will take place on Tuesday and Thursday; you can help at home by encouraging your
child to fully prepare for these meetings by jotting post-it ideas or adding to information in
his/her detective case file.
Writing: Students ended last week by being their own “job captains” and making
specific plans for early revision of their persuasive speech drafts. This week students
will learn how to add more evidence to their speeches by interviewing others and
incorporating quotes or mini-stories. Ask your child about the question they asked some
classmates in order to gather more evidence. They will also work hard to add a
compelling introduction and conclusion to their speeches. Students are well on their way
to being close to publishing their speeches!
Social Studies: Our next chapter in social studies is all about how people can have a
voice in their community. Students will be able to use their acting skills to bring to life
images about public meetings, demonstrations, and voting.
Upcoming Events:
2/3 – Parent Information Night on Internet Safety @ SLMS – 6:45pm
2/11 – Valentine’s Day Celebration; Early Dismissal – 12:00pm
2/12 & 2/15 – No School for Students
SAVE THE DATE…
…for the afternoon of Wednesday, February 24th! The students of room 219 will be
presenting a performance of The Movie Star Mystery. More information to come soon!
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your
dedication to your child’s education!
Sincerely,
Kaylee Viscuso