CLASS BLOG POST 4/8/19

Parents,

Some things to take notes of this week:

1. Spring picture forms are due by Thursday AM (first thing). Students who do not pre-pay for Spring pictures will not have pictures taken.
2. We have had some problems (in all grade-levels) with blankets, hoodies, little backpacks, etc. They have become distracting. Please ask students to leave blankets at home. Students are allowed to have their little backpacks, but our classroom rule is to have them hung up with other bookbags. If they need a “safe” area, I have offered for students to keep them at my desk. We want the best learning environment for all students, and we lose at least 10-20 minutes of valuable learning time each morning.
3. Our first 45 minutes of ELA is designated to close-reading of EOG passages, testing strategies, and building vocabulary. Please ask students about different strategies they are learning with their ELA passages! This past week, we read “Animals and Rabies” and learned a bunch of new vocabulary words! We have started keeping an EOG vocabulary word book to record all these new vocabulary words we are using.
4. Please remind students to bring back folders daily. Please also remind students to keep these in good condition, as they will be reused.
5. Yearbooks are $20 and due by April 12th.
6. The classroom is in need of Kleenex and Clorox wipes, if you feel compelled to donate. We appreciate it.
7. Our Student of the Month for March is Anthony Pena-Gavidia. Anthony works hard each day, offers great insight in our daily discussions, and always makes us laugh. Keep up the great work, Anthony!

English Language Arts

We have officially begun Treasure Island! We’re learning a lot about the time in which this novel was written and a lot about pirates (or buccaneers)! There’s a lot of vocabulary in this unit due to there being a lot of Tier 3 vocabulary words and lots of maritime-specific vocabulary (especially parts of ships).

We are creating character charts of each character we meet by writing down what we remember about each one: actions, physical descriptions, etc.

We will continue to practice the root word “bio” meaning “life” and look at different words that use this root word, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences.

Below are this week’s vocabulary words. Students can practice these words on quizlet at https://quizlet.com/_6fb2xk

Vocabulary Words from Treasure Island

Test 4/12/19

Math

We will be moving on to defining and identifying angles – obtuse, right, and acute angles. We will also be learning how to draw different angles.

Science

We will read about the Skeletal System this week, including why bones are important and what function they serve to support survival

Social Studies

This week’s lesson will be on the Bill of Rights: what are they, how they calmed people’s fears of a strong, central government, and how they protect personal freedom.

Folders

Students will have fluency passages this week as well as comprehension questions which are due on Friday 4/12/19. Please remind students to bring their folders back daily.