Lunches on Tuesday, November 8

Please note that there will not be any hot lunches served on Tuesday, November 8 due to the election. Students may still order a school lunch, but please note that it will be a cold bag lunch option.

Pathway to the Presidency

Just what path do you need to follow if you would like to run for President?  Ask the researchers in room 302 who completed an activity outlining the steps.

Picture Retake Day

Picture retakes will be done on Friday, November 4th.  Please return the original envelope with the pictures enclosed to school on Friday, November 4th if you would like your student's pictures retaken.  Remember to send a smile with your student:)

Reader's Theater

Oral reading fluency was the focus of today's Reader's Theater activity.  Students worked in small groups to build their oral reading fluency using the script of 'Don't Wake the Mummy.' Groups were eager to perform for the class after practicing.

Fish in a Tree

Today students responded to thought questions about the book Fish in a Tree by Lynda Hunt.  They wrote their responses on fish-shaped panels and then assembled a 3D fish.  This was a great follow-up activity to a fantastic novel that really got us thinking about themes.

Trunk or Treat Cancelled

The PTA sponsored Trunk or Treat event scheduled for this evening (Wednesday, October 26th) has been cancelled due to inclement weather.  We hope that you will be able to join us for other upcoming PTA events.

Thank You

Thank you for another great evening of conferences.  Students worked hard preparing for the evenings and were excited and proud to share their learning and goals.  Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to schedule a follow-up conference.

Reading responses

We just finished our first read aloud novel, Fish in a Tree. Students realized that Ally's mindset changed from the beginning of the story to the end. We shared the themes or messages that were developed in the book and provided text evidence to support our ideas.

Conferences

Thank you to everyone who attended conferences last evening. I hope you found them informative and enjoyed listening to your child provide a tour of their learning progress and goals. Please let me know if you have any questions or need clarification about anything that was discussed. I look forward to meeting with those of you who have conferences scheduled for this evening.

Reading with our Book Clubs

Dry Ice Investigation

Today the scientists in room 302 completed an investigation with dry ice. We used the science skills of observing, describing, and making conjectures.

Conference Reminder

Conferences for all 4th graders and those 5th graders who requested a conference will be held next week Monday, October 24 and Tuesday, October 25.  (Please note that all 5th graders will be having an intermediate school planning conference later this school year).  Confirmation letters were sent home with each student who has a scheduled conference noting the specific date and time.  Please plan to have your student attend the conference with you.  Students will be actively participating in the conference sharing their learning and goals.  Please contact Mrs. Wilke with any questions.  I look forward to seeing you next week!

Lessons Learned from a Purple Crayon

Harold and the Purple Crayon is a little book with a big message! After listening to the story, students had an "aha moment" and realized that we could learn about a growth mindset by following Harold's adventures with his crayon.

Back to the Workbench

Today the writers in room 302 took their writing back to the workbench. Using the narrative writing checklist as a tool, writers revised and edited their personal narratives.

Reading Reflections

Today we spent some time reflecting on the independent reading we have been doing and reflecting on our reading habits. Students analyzed their reading logs and updated their reading goals based on their analysis. 

Focus on Learning

We are working hard in room 302 to make each moment count and maximize our learning time at school.  Please help by making sure that any items that are not necessary for learning are kept at home.  This week in particular there have been multiple instances of items (jewelry, small toys, batteries, trading cards, etc.) being brought to class that have distracted students and interrupted our learning.  Items that are causing distractions will be secured in the classroom closet until arrangements have been made by a parent for them to be returned.  Thank you for your help in creating a distraction-free learning environment.

Conference Reminder

Conferences for all 4th graders and those 5th graders who requested a conference will be held next week Monday, October 24 and Tuesday, October 25.  (Please note that all 5th graders will be having an intermediate school planning conference later this school year).  Confirmation letters were sent home with each student who has a scheduled conference noting the specific date and time.  Please plan to have your student attend the conference with you.  Students will be actively participating in the conference sharing their learning and goals.  Please contact Mrs. Wilke with any questions.  I look forward to seeing you next week!

Debating

Today we realized that sometimes two people can read the same book and develop different viewpoints on questions related to the book. The differences of opinion can spark a debate. Students took a position on a debatable question from the book Home of the Brave and supported their position with evidence from the book.