10/31

Happy Halloween!  We have had a fun day!  Our characters are quite the characters.

Please finish AM if you did not in class.
Also, finish math WB p. 83 & 84.
Study for spelling & vocabulary tests!

*Flu forms are due tomorrow!

10/30

Scroll down to see our CPA winners!

Finish spelling & vocabulary choices.
Finish candy cane mystery genre report.

Please work on math WB p. 83 (7-11) & p. 84- DUE FRIDAY.

Tomorrow is book character day!

CPA Winners!

Everyone did a great job presenting their CPA speeches today!  I do not envy our judges having to rank the presentations.  I am so proud of each and every student.

The judges selected...

3rd place: Clayton, Jordan O., Hannah P., & Aliceyn

2nd place: Zeke, Kaston, Morgan, & Ella

1st place Eli, Trey, Michael, Allie, Hannah T., & Mollie

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

10/29

Practice for CPA TOMORROW!  Be sure to get a good night's sleep tonight so that you're well rested for the big day.

Finish p. 349 in your reading textbook.

Make any AM corrections (if you have them).

10/28

Welcome back from a nice week off!  I hope that you had a great one too.  It was fun seeing some of you at the Sorghum Festival and at the Hometown Halloween on the Square!

Tonight, everyone except Chloe, Morgan, and Hannah T. need to complete an AM practice.
Begin your spelling and/or vocabulary choice (due Thursday).
Finish reading My Great-Grandmother's Gourd if you didn't finish in class.
PRACTICE YOUR CPA SPEECH!  Read through it a few times, for an audience if possible. The judges will be here Wednesday.

Tomorrow is "teaming up against drugs," so wear your favorite team jersey to show your commitment to remain drug-free!

This Week's ELA

Unit 3, Week 4 My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd

Spelling: Accented syllables

Monday: Begin a spelling choice if you made less than 100% on last week’s test or this week’s pretest (due Thurs.). Start writing your spelling words 3x each IF YOU MADE 85 OR BELOW on last week’s test (due Wed.)!

Wednesday: Finish a spelling choice.

Study your spelling words Monday – Thursday for your test on Friday!

1. dozen 11. reserve
2. beside 12. embrace
3. motion 13. coastal
4. appoint 14. python
5. season 15. govern
6. phony 16. scorching
7. observe 17. flurry
8. active 18. canvas
9. restore 19. copper

10. expert 20. cocoon

Vocabulary

Complete a vocabulary choice if you made less than 100% on last week’s test (due Thurs.).

Study vocabulary words and definitions each night Monday through Thursday for your test on Friday.

1. gnarled – (adj.) having many rough, twisted knots
2. parched – (adj.) dry or thirsty
3. landscape – (n.) the stretch of land or scenery viewed from one point or place
4. scorching – (adj.) causing intense heat to dry or burn the surface of something
5. gushed – (v.) poured out suddenly and in large amounts
6. brimming – (adj.) full to the upper edge of a container
7. scrawny – (adj.) thin, bony, or skinny
8. progress – (n.) a forward movement or gradual betterment

TESTED READING SKILL: compare and contrast

NO IRA because your genre project is due by this Thursday, 10/31!

GRAMMAR: Linking Verbs

Math Website Update

Our math series, Go Math, has launched a Go Math Academy with video tutorials and more!  I haven't had a chance to explore the site yet, but it might be a valuable resource for all of us.  You can always find it linked up on the Math Websites tab (above).

Writing Websites Updated

I just wanted to let you know that I have updated our Writing Websites tab at the top with some links for research possibilities.  This might be especially timely if your CPA speech isn't 5 minutes long yet.  (Presentations for the judge is this Wednesday!)

10/18

Please read your AR book over the break.  Don't forget that your mystery genre is due by 10/31!

Also, practice, practice, practice your CPA speech for presentations 10/30.

Have a happy and safe Fall Break!  See you on Monday, 10/28

10/17

In class CPA presentations went well today.  If your child's time is under 4 minutes, he/she probably needs to add more info.  Practice speech daily over break!

Study for Ch. 2 Landforms science test.

Wear sneakers Friday for the walk-a-thon!

Computer Lab 10/17

Go to Brainpop.com and log in.  Choose Science, then Earth System, and scroll down to Erosion.  Watch the video and take the quiz.  Be sure that Mrs. Dyer records your quiz grade!  (Do not try to email or print it.)

When you have scored 80% or higher, then you may have free computer time to visit an EDUCATIONAL website of your choosing.

10/16

Finish CPA note cards and posters to bring in for tomorrow's practice presentations!

Finish spelling & vocabulary choices.

Finish AM if you didn't finish in class.

Write IRA summary #3.

Study for social studies test: cattle drives/black cowboys; Native Americans and westward expansion; Spanish-American War; Panama Canal; immigrants.

Red Ribbon Week 10/28-Nov. 1

When we get back from Fall Break, our school will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week and our commitment to stay drug free.  Here's the schedule of events:

Monday: Wear RED to show your promise to be drug free.

Tuesday: Team up against drugs and wear your favorite team jersey.

Wednesday: Drugs turn you inside out, so wear your clothes backwards/inside out to show that drugs mess you up! (*This is our CPA day, so kids can change their clothes AFTER presentations if they wish.)

Thursday: Good characters don't do drugs!  Dress up as your favorite book character.

Friday: Put a cap on drugs.  Wear your favorite cap or hat.

10/15

Please wear sneakers for music tomorrow (per Ms. V.).

Please sign & return signed papers in the orange communication folder.  There will not be a weekly goal insert (unless parents or I request it) because most of the kids are doing great!

Make Module 6 math corrections IF necessary.

Write your 2nd summary after you read today (IRA #2).

You have three things due Wed. (CPA in-class presentations, spelling choice, & vocab choice) so please don't wait until tomorrow to do them all!

10/14

Students have received a t-shirt order form today, and all orders with payment are due by Friday.

Work on CPA presentations!  Add to your speech as needed, make note cards, finish posters, and practice.  In-class presentations will be given Thursday.  The students will be judged on 10/30.

Begin spelling & vocabulary choices (due Thursday).  Students who made 100% on spelling pretest are excused from spelling HW this week. :)

Write IRA summary #1.

*Spelling & vocabulary tests will be given on THURSDAY this week due to Friday's early release day.

This Week's ELA

First, I have updated the spelling & vocabulary choices links at right.  Each student received his/her own copy today of these choices.
Also, our spelling & vocabulary tests will be on THURSDAY this week due to Friday's early release day schedule.  Thanks for your understanding!

Spelling and Vocabulary Lists: Unit 3, Week 2 When Esther Morris Headed West

Spelling: Words with the V/V pattern

Monday: Write spelling words CORRECTLY in your agenda in ABC order (due Tues.).

Tuesday: Write your spelling words 3x each IF YOU MADE 85 OR BELOW on last week’s test (due Wed.)!

Wednesday: Finish a spelling choice if you made less than 100% on last week’s test or this week’s pretest (due Thurs.).

Study your spelling words Monday – Thursday for your test on THURSDAY!

1. video 11. fluid

2. poet 12. rodeo

3. riot 13. cruel

4. piano 14. genuine

5. diary 15. casual

6. radio 16. trial

7. ideas 17. fuel

8. ruin 18. meteor

9. diet 19. diameter

10. patriot 20. meander

Vocabulary

Complete a vocabulary choice if you made less than 100% on last week’s test (due Thurs.).

Study vocabulary words and definitions each night Monday through Thursday for your test on THURSDAY.

1. attorney (noun) – a lawyer; one who helps with legal matters
2. representative (noun) – a person who is chosen to represent or stand for another or others
3. qualify (verb) – to make fit, as for a certain job or task
4. legislature (noun) – a government body having the power to make laws
5. postpone (verb) – to put off to a later time
6. satisfactory (adj.) – good enough to meet a need or desire
7. submit (verb) – to give up; to give in to someone’s power
8. colonel (noun) – one of the ranks of a military officer

IRA: Each night (Mon.-Thurs.), write a summary of what you’ve read in your AR book that day. Be sure to include the page numbers you read. You may do this all on one sheet of paper.

TESTED READING SKILL: fact and opinion; verbs and verb tenses

10/10

Don't forget about today's 5:00 Title I parent meeting.  Thanks!

Finish IRA and study for spelling & vocabulary tests.

10/9

CPA rough drafts are due tomorrow!  Please time yourself reading your speech as if you were presenting it, and write you time at the top by your name.

Finish spelling & vocabulary choices.

This month's genre is mystery! [Insert evil laugh here.]  Students will receive a form to fill out after fall break.

10/8

Work on CPA report (due Thurs.).

*Report cards went home w/the orange communication folders!  Please sign and return ASAP.  I am so proud of our kids!  We have 17 students who made honor roll and 6 who earned honorable mention!

Finish sci. WB p. 18-21.

Work on spelling & vocabulary choices.

10/7

Finish math WB p. 67 (7-11) and p. 68 AND finish any AM that wasn't finished in class today.

Work on CPA report (due Thurs.).

Sp in ABC order in agenda

10/3

If you haven't already started, work on writing your CPA report.  I told students today to read them aloud as if they were giving their speech and time themselves.  If the report is 4 minutes or longer, they are probably on track.  The actual report is due next Thursday, 10/10.

Study math p. 91-148 for Unit 2 TEST tomorrow.  Even though we didn't complete every lesson in the book, we have worked on the concepts. 

Study for spelling & vocabulary tests.

READ!  Tomorrow is the end of the nine weeks and the last day to meet the 6 book/250,000 word goal! 

10/2

Today has been a great day!  The kids earned two stars for good behavior while I was in a meeting, so we are up to 60 total.  That called for a reward, so we grabbed our lunches and went to the playground for a picnic and extra recess.

We have started a fun little project to put dull, overused, boring words to rest.  Each child drew a "boring" word from a box.  Their job now is to come up with more interesting synonyms for their word.  (A few students are partners.)  We will be making tombstones to put these boring words to rest- and to display better word choices.  Feel free to help your child come up with "better" words.  I have not set a date yet to make our tombstones, but it will be either Friday or early next week.

HW:
Finish CPA intro paragraph.
Finish spelling & vocabulary choices.

*Unit 2 math test Friday (+/- decimals)

*This month's genre is mystery.

10/1

*In the communication folder today you will find a pink letter from the principal and an orange newsletter.  Please keep these home and mark your calendars.  Thanks!

For HW:
Finish sci. WB p. 10-15.
Work on spelling & vocabulary choices (due Thurs.).