I was just helping some of my students with their homework and came across a really fun, useful website that I thought other families might enjoy exploring. The address is puzzlemaker.com and kids can make their own crossword puzzles, word searches etc. to share with their family members. My students had a great time...
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Congratulations to all of the students in Mrs. Gould’s and our class for putting on two spectacular drama performances last week! We are holding on to the drama spirit this week and doing Reader’s Theater during reading time. Reader’s Theatre scripts are leveled play scripts that students can perform in the classroom. Reading scripts...
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This week we will complete our exciting class novel, “Twenty and Ten”, set during WWII as the Germans invaded France. We will view the movie made from the book and compare and contrast the two. We had a wonderful introduction with our buddies recently, Mrs. Swan’s second graders. We had breakfast together and then...
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I hope you have had a chance to check out my December newsletter, which went home yesterday. I mentioned the curriculum for this month, homework for winter break, and the possible play for January 25th. If your child has been struggling with spelling this school year, try helping your child with this spelling technique....
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In all our music classes we are working hard to wrap up our units before winter break. Our 5th and 4th grades have been working on a hand drum piece, the canon “Catch Me…”. This piece is culminating with drummers in concentric circles playing the canon, while xylophones add a melodic B section. 3rd...
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*Last Thursday, I invited my choir friend, Rosalind Bell to visit our classroom. She is an accomplished folk dancer. Rosalind brought Dick Heijdeman, originally from Holland. They are quite the dancing duo and expertly taught us the following dances: The Grand March (USA), Siriul (Romania), Seven Jumps (Scandanavia), Zemer Atik (Israel), and Pata Pata...
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December themes for room 5 feature the color SILVER and the star shape. There is silver aluminum foil on the classroom door which is the visual cue to let the students know they have arrived at the classroom. Everyone has a silver star for morning circle. The December poem is: Silver, Silver is my...
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This week your child brought home a new project about explorers.  This project will be due late in January.  We are beginning a new Investigations unit called Containers and Cubes which is about geometry and volume.  We will also begin a new writing assignment which will be a personal narrative in January.  This week...
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Hh starts the word, Holiday and Winter Break Holiday begins next Monday. This week we are busy with more literacy and math activities revolving around our proud and naughty friend, The Gingerbread Man…(boy, baby, masubi, cowboy, matzah and pancake too)! We also formed and cooked our own Gingerbread creations on Tuesday, YUM! Learning more...
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This is our last week before winter break and we continue our Literacy focus on versions of The Gingerbread Man. Children are working on settings, characters, predictions, endings and retellings. When we met with buddies last Wednesday, each child/buddy began illustrating and writing their own versions of The Gingerbread Man, creating their own versions....
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Are you looking for activities for your child to practice their speech and language skills over the long winter break?  Here is a web site with a variety of articulation games.  Just select a game with the sound your child is currently targeting and have fun!  There are also many language activities if your...
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Reminder!! There is a practice tournament at James John Elementary this Saturday.  Everyone is invited!  Chess players should arrive by 8:45.  We will be finished at 12:00.  Please see Ms. Davis or Mrs. Parks to let us know you are coming and/or get more information.
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Thank you for all the work you have put into the holiday posters!  Students have really enjoyed sharing them.  After the poster is shared, the class asks questions about how they were made and how families celebrate holidays.  Today we got together with our fifth grade buddies to read.  It is always a wonderful...
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The Book Bonanza was a big success. Many teachers, students and their families made donations and cleared out many old books. Donations will go directly to the library. Mountains of appreciation go to our PTA Library Committee and especially to 5th grader Jakob Noguerola for hours donated helping prepare and cleanup the event. Way...
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Still need to buy some gifts for the holidays? Why not get some wonderful books for the kids on your list. Reading Rockets website has a great book list if you need ideas. Go to readingrockets.com and click on 2006 Book Gift List.
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This week we are finishing our Investigation unit on fractions.  Watch for a new parent letter with more math information about the next new unit on Monday.  Several students recently moved up a spelling group.  If you feel your child is ready for a more challenging list, let me know.  Also next week we...
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This Friday will be a teacher’s planning day, and there will be no school for students. The teachers will be reviewing students’ work in order to fill out the report cards, which will go home the following Friday. Third grade transitions into the intermediate grades, which has more challenging standards. This is a big...
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*Have you ever wondered what happens when you put an egg in a cup of vinegar? Be sure to ask your child about the observations we have been making in class. *Thank you to Christine for all of her wonderful help around the classroom and to Laurie for the bookmaking. We couldn’t do it...
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This month we are working on measurement in math. We found out that lots of students in our class have feet that are about nine inches long (with shoes). We are finishing up our writing piece on the three special things that were put into the brown paper bags. Students have done a great...
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. This week we started an all-class novel in reading. It is called “Twenty and Ten”, and is a very exciting survival story with the setting in France during World War II. Twenty French children are staying in the mountains of France at a convent, to protect them during the German invasion of the...
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We have begun the short month of December. Winter break begins on Saturday, December 16th. Also, students do not have school on this Friday, December 8th. The teachers will spend the day preparing report cards and progress notes. Look for your students progress notes in the mail near the end of December.
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The days continue to get colder and windy as December progresses; please make sure your child is dressed for the weather. Our class will go outside for a short recess each day if it is not raining and hats, scarves and mittens are necessary for all. Thank you so much. During the next two...
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