Our week was filled with science activities. We have been closely monitoring our growing grass seed, and have found that some of our hypotheses were right on the money! We will continue to grow and water our grass for another week or two, and then develop a conclusion to our experiment. We also had a chance to look in microscopes at salt and at pond water. We worked with Mrs. Williams' class and enjoyed sharing our water samples.
We also learned some new games in math to help us to practice our multiplication facts. This week we had a chance to play Baseball Multiplication and Multiplication top it. Both of these games can be played at home with dice or playing cards, and are excellent ways to practice math facts.
From the Teacher's Desk:
Our first science quiz/assessment is scheduled for Tuesday. The children have a study guide, with the vocabulary needed written on the back. I have asked all students to bring home their science folders. In addition, we took some time today to look at the test, so that the children will not be surprised when they see it. I have explained that tests are not to "trick" students, a test is simply one way to determine what they are learning.
I have seen some improvement with students completing homework and returning it to school, however it continues to be a struggle for some children. Please check in with your child to see how homework is going. Remembering to pack it is just as important as completing the assignment. If you are looking for some suggestions on helping with homework, you can find some here.
School hours ~
Our school opens the doors at 8:15 each morning. This allows the children to enter the building, arrive at their classes and unpack before school officially begins at 8:30 AM. Many of the children are entering our classroom at 8:30 or later. If the children enter the classroom later than 8:30, they are marked late for school. Additionally, I begin some type of announcement or discussion after the school wide announcements in the morning. If your child is arriving at 8:30, taking 5-7 minutes to unpack his/her bag and get settled, he/she is missing some important information for the day. Often times assignments required at that morning time are not completed, and the day begins with a challenge. I've been encouraging the children to arrive sometime between 8:15 and 8:25, so that they have ample time to get organized and unpacked before instruction begins. I realize that this isn't always possible, and that the morning time can be hectic, but I wanted to be sure all families were aware of this.
No comments:
Post a Comment