Winter Break

I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC winter break with their family and friends!

Students return to school on Wednesday, Jan. 2nd.
Our Weekly Word test will be on Friday, Jan. 4th.

Tree Hill Nature Center Trip

We had a great time exploring at Tree Hill.  The first part of the trip, we took a hike around the center.  For the second part of the trip, we did different experiments.
Weather could have been better, but we all had an awesome time.

Here we are with Ms. Hanley and Mrs. Kephart's class

We stopped along the trail to observe different animal habitats.

We were looking for animal tracks.

Here are some of the different stations we took part in after lunch.

Tree Hill Field Trip

Tree Hill Field Trip is on Monday, December 3rd.  

Please make sure that students arrive on time, wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and bring a bag lunch!

Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving Break is from Wednesday, November 21st - Monday, November 26th

Students will return to school on Tuesday, November 27th.

Be safe and enjoy this time with family and friends!

The Talking Cloth (Summarizing)

In Readers Workshop, we are practicing a reading strategy, summarizing, which is helping us as readers to understand the text better.  Today we broke into pairs and worked on summarizing the story, The Talking Cloth.  We used a flow map to help us sequence the events.
                                                        
                                         Here are some pictures of the students working hard!

                      

                                          Here a two examples of the finished flow map.

Edge Rock Club!

We had such a great time on the field trip today!  All the students had a BLAST!  Check out some pictures from the day.

Looks like they are all excited to start our adventure!

Class Picture inside Edge Rock Club

Coleman and Hazel loved climbing really high!

Reyone is getting a few pointers from Mrs. Bronfman.

Star Student

                                              Star Student of the Week is Anaya.  Way to Go!

Readers Workshop

This week in Readers Workshop, students have been reading several books by Patricia Polacco.  Today, students broke into pairs and had to figure out the author's purpose, a significant event, and the author's message or viewpoint.  When they were all done, the students had the opportunity to present their information.  They did great!!  Check out the pictures of the students in action.

Keith and Reyone working on author's message.

Anaya and Nyisha thinking about a significant event from their book.

Coleman practicing with Grace before they present their information.

Hazel and Ryan presenting their information.

Mayas, Andrew, and Joshua did a great job with presenting!

Upcoming Events

Rock Climbing Field Trip on Oct. 24th from 11:30-1:30

Math and Reading Carnival on Oct. 24th from 6:30-8:00

Planning Day (No School) on Oct 25th

Readers Workshop

As part of our Readers Workshop, we are incorporating the Weekly 5.  This is when students are doing different literacy based activities around the room.  Students are either:  Listening to Reading, Reading to Someone, Reading to Self, Work Work, or Working on Writing.  Check out some the pictures of students during Weekly 5!

                                                                  Word Work

                                                           Listening to Reading

                                                          Reading to Self

                                                                Reading to Someone

                                                                Working on Writing

Star Student for the week of Oct. 5th!

Our Star Student for this week is Juliea Lynch!  She was chosen as Star Student because she has a great attitude and she works well with her peers.

Collection Match Game

This week, we have been solving problems with more than two addends and solving addition problems with 3-digit numbers. Today we played "Collection Match" to help reinforce adding 3 digit-numbers.  The students really enjoyed the game!

The Lost and Found

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Theme 1: Off to Adventure!         Selection III - Genre: Fantasy            

   

                     The Lost and Found by Mark Teague

    

      Our Standards:  Remember: Reading is Thinking!

Reading Strategy: Summarize

When we summarize a story, we identify the most important parts in a quick way. We think about the main characters, the setting (where and when the story takes place), the problems the characters face, and how they solve the problems. We retell the important ideas that happened at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the story.

Comprehension Skill: Sequence of Events

Sequence of events is the order that the events in the story happen. Sometimes we also call this chronological order. Events happen in a certain order and one event leads to another. Organizing the events in time order can help us better understand what we read. To find the sequence of events, we pay attention to transition (or signal words) that give us clues about the order of events. Some common transition words are: soon, then, finally, a moment later, just before, next, while, and  later.

Lost and Found Vocabulary Words: Study these words, know their meanings, and how thye are used in the story.

Key Vocabulary:

directions – lines or paths along which someone or something goes, lies or points

rumpled – wrinkled or creased

situations – sets of conditions at certain moments in time

unusual – not usual, common or ordinary

visible – able to be seen

worried – concerned or anxious

Additional Vocabulary from the text:

furious – really angry

suggested – offered as a possible course of action

examined – looked at or studied carefully

dismay – a feeling of upset and worry in the face of trouble

burgundy – purplish-red in color

fez – a cone-shaped hat with a flat top

lectured – scolded or warned

Star Student

Star Student for the week of Sept. 17th was Hazel.  Hazel is a model student at working hard in every subject to be a successful student!

Ballad of Mulan

Theme 1: Off to Adventure!        Selection II - Genre: Folktale 

The Ballad of Mulan by Song Nan Zhang

When Mulan disguises herself to take her father’s place in the Emperor’s army, she becomes a great general. The Emperor offers her anything her heart desires. Mulan chooses only one thing – a swift camel to return her to the family she has heroically fought to protect.

              

         Our Standards:  Remember: Reading is Thinking!

Reading Strategy: Monitor & Clarify

This strategy helps us when we are confused about something we read. We use this strategy to check, or monitor ourselves as we read. We want to make sure that each sentence we read makes sense. If it doesn’t, we need to stop and look for ways to make it clear, or to clarify what the text is really saying. This helps improve our reading comprehension and better understand the text. Ways to help clarify our reading when it doesn’t make sense include going back and re-reading, looking at the illustrations, or reading ahead to see if that helps.

 

Comprehension Skill: Making Inferences

Authors do not always tell readers everything we need to know. Sometimes we have to use story clues plus our own personal background knowledge and experiences to figure out, or infer what the author wants us to know.

Remember: To make an inference, we use clues from the story + our own background knowledge to read between the lines and figure out what things the author doesn’t say directly. We have to read between the lines!

 

Ballad of Mulan Vocabulary Words:

Study these words, know their meanings, and how to use them correctly in sentences.

Key Vocabulary:

 armor – body covering, often of metal, worn for protection in a battle

comrades – companions who share one’s activities
endured – put up with or lasted through
farewell – good-bye
triumphant – successful
troops – soldiers
victorious – having won by defeating another

 Additional Vocabulary from the text:

sorrowful – very sad
draft – selection of people to serve the army
scrolls – rolls of paper with writing
frail – weak
bridle – straps, bit, and reins placed on a horse’s head and used for control while riding
bank – ground along the edge of a river or lake
astonished – very surprised; amaze

Star Student

Star Student of the week of Sept. 10th is Ryan!  He was chosen for Star Student because he always has a great attitude towards learning! 

Star Student

Star Student for the week of Sept. 4th is Grace George!  She is a great model student!

Benchmark Testing

Students will have benchmark testing this week.  They will have 2 sessions in reading and 2 sessions in math. 

Star Student for the week of August 27th

Our first Star Student of the Year was Sean Walrath.  He was chosen because he followed ALL of our classroom and school CHAMP rules!  Way to go Sean!

Partner Reading

Here is a few pictures of students helping each other during partner reading time in Readers Workshop!

What is a Community? What is a law?

In Social Studies, we are learning about communities and laws.  Today we used our "Circle Maps" to help us define what is a community and what is a law.  They did a great job!

Representing Numbers

                                    
 In Envisions, we have talked about representing numbers in different ways.  Students got together in groups and decided on a three digit and a four digit number.  They had to represent each number in standard form, expanded form, and word form.

          Example:
   standard form:  356
   expanded form: 300 + 50 + 6
   word form:  three hundred fifty six

Great Readers!

We have been discussing "How to become a better reader" during Readers Workshop.  Here we are practicing reading daily.