CURRICULUM UPDATE:
In math, we are having a test next Friday on fraction and decimal number sense. A study guide will be sent home next week. Our next unit is probability and since it is a shorter unit, I'm anticipating having the test before the winter break. Please encourage your child to bring home their math notebook when they have homework or a test. There is a lot of material/notes that can be studied or used for clarification for work. And as always, students should keep correcting the Friday Folder papers. Any questions, please contact Ms. Ruotolo.
In science, we have just wrapped up our unit on Matter. We are now studying Light. We will be working on the parts of a wave, electromagnetic spectrum, colors and their wavelengths, behaviors of light and types of materials that light can/ cannot travel through. We are hoping to have a light assessment prior to winter break. We continue to have our weekly THUNK quizzes. Remember- these are weekly open note quizzes and all material has been covered in class prior to the Friday quiz. Any science questions, please contact Mrs. Rhodes.
In reading we just finished up our last book club before winter break. We will resume book clubs in January. In reading groups we have been working diligently on main idea and cause and effect. Whole group instruction (and our reading notebooks) has been working on problem/solution and sequencing in fiction. Next week we are moving on to nonfiction. All nonfiction text structures. This means how a passage is organized: problem/solution, sequencing, cause/effect, compare/contrast, and description. These can be difficult to identify in nonfiction. Please start asking your child to bring home his/her reading notebook and reviewing all reading concepts with them. This will be a great tool to study when it comes time for the SOL test, so studying a little bit each week instead of cramming in April will make everyone happier, more relaxed, and better prepared. Please make sure your child is reading nightly. The only way to become a better reader is to read. I tell them it is just like practicing for a sport an instrument, to get better take PRACTICE! Make sure to talk to your child about what he/she is reading! Ask questions. Make them tell you the conflicts and resolutions, the climax, the theme--they know all these terms! Make sure they are engaged and comprehending what they read. It is not only an important educational skill, but it is a LIFE SKILL! As always, thank you for your continued support at home to ensure your child's success! Reading questions, please contact Mrs. Lint.
In writing and social studies we are learning about people of the Southeast Region of the United States and students are completing a little research on a specific person of their choice. We are also working in small groups on a variety of reading strategies including sequential and chronological order, and comparing and contrasting. Writing or social studies questions, please contact Mrs. Ross.