Week 18

I'm hoping that we can be done with rainy weather soon!

Winter Survival - We are still holding out hope for Winter Survival this Wednesday. By now you should have seen your child's group list with the items that he or she needs to bring. Please be prepared for Wednesday, but also be flexible in case we have to change to another day due to inclement weather. The biggest concern in that the wood will be soaked and the fires will not start.

Math - We are working on Unit 4 which included decimals and coordinate grids. So far the students have been doing a great job on it. They can always work on additional problems using Khan Academy or playing games using the Connect Ed. All students have their own user names and passwords. They are taped in the front of the planner.

Science Fair - Students should be well underway with science fair projects. We should be getting project boards this week. The science fair is Wednesday, February 22. Boards and projects should be brought to school that morning. Students who need to work with their partner at school should be doing so by now. If this is a necessity, please ask your child if he or she has done that yet.

Reading - We are continuing to study myths and legends in reading class. All students should be reading for at least 30 minutes every night. Included in this could be reading aloud to a younger sibling or being read to by a parent at night!

NWEA - Our dates and times are: Tuesday, January 24 at 9am for math and Friday, January 27 at 1pm for reading. Please try to avoid scheduling appointments or being late on these dates. Testing is difficult for the kids at times and it can be stressful to be late or miss a test with the rest of the class.

Week 16 - January 9 - 13

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a safe, fun, and restful vacation. We are hitting the ground running with a lot going on now that we are back.

Winter Survival - By now your child should know what his or her group is bringing for winter survival and what they will need to help our the group. We are encouraging them to go beyond simple hot dogs for lunch. Creativity is encouraged but not required. We don't want anyone hungry by the end! Each group will need to gather wood, build a fire, cook their lunch, and put the fire out. There will be several environmentalists there to support the children in this work. Because of this, it is not necessary for us to have parent volunteers. If your child has not shared their group list with you, please ask them to do this right away. If you have any questions about the trip, what your child should bring, etc. you may email me and I will get back with you. The trip is from about 9:30 - 2:30 on Thursday, January 12.

Math - We will be starting Unit 4. Students should continue to work on their multiplication  facts as well as Khan Academy.


Science Fair - All students should have chosen an experiment for their science fair project. The Science Fair will be at Pattengill on Wednesday, February 22 from 6:00 - 7:30pm. Students should bring in their completed experiments (including labeled boards) that morning. They will be set up in the gym for the fair. If your child needs time to work with a partner to complete the experiment, compile results, print out information, or anything else, they are welcome to stay in the classroom during lunch recess time to do this.

NWEA - We have a schedule for the winter round of NWEA testing. We will be taking the reading portion on Friday, January 20 at 1pm. We will be taking the math portion on Tuesday, January 24 at 9am. Please be sure your child has had plenty of rest, arrives to school on time, and does not have any appointments during this time if possible. They are both longer tests that can be stressful when not taken with the class or allowed to have enough time to complete with the class.