Our Week In Review

This week we began a new Interactive Read Aloud book.  We are reading The Family Under the Bridge. This story is about a homeless family in Paris during the holiday season.  While reading this book, we are discussing cause and effect, and we will begin to discuss ways to write a brief summary.  In addition, we have really been focusing our efforts on "Talkworthy Questions".  These are questions which inspire discussion about a topic, often without an exact, right answer.  The children are doing very well with this, and I often must stop the discussion long before they are ready to end it.  We will tie this story in with our community of Franklin with our Franklin Food Pantry next week.  We will begin a holiday food drive. More details will follow after our presentation from the Food Pantry.

In math, we have been working hard at understanding decimals.  The children are progressing nicely.  We have our decimals math test this coming Wednesday, and the study guide was sent home today.

In writing we have started our second personal narrative. This time, the children are writing to a topic ~ a holiday.  This is very general, so the holiday may be Halloween, Thanksgiving, or even their own birthday!  I am hopeful that this will be a motivating topic for the children.

Creative Arts Fridays have been going great!  Mrs. Williams has finished with the children's November Acrostic poems, and they will begin to learn about a new poet next Friday.  I can't wait to see what she has in store!

We have begun to work with a new website called Glogster.  The children have a user name and password, to access their information. They may access this site from home if they like, but I've asked them not to make changes to their glogs at this time.  As we all become more fluent with the site, this may change.  I began a glog for the children, and then have asked them to complete it with details that they remember from our presentation with Mrs. Silvia last week. Look for some finished glogs posted here next week!  In the meantime, ask your child to share his /hers. They would love to !


From the Teacher's Desk
Next week, we will begin a new term.  I am hopeful that the second term will be one where we all see a big improvement with homework completion. Many of the children struggled with homework during the first term.  Some of the areas that have been challenging are:

• completing all pages of the homework and returning it the next day
• following the directions so that all parts of the assignment are complete 
• bringing home or bringing back the proper materials
• returning reading logs and getting assignment books signed

As we move toward independence and responsibility, this is something that we will work through together. When you sign your child's assignment book on Thursday nights, it is a great time to check in with him/her to see if assignments were completed that week.  I am sure second term will see 100% homework completion!