November 26-December 7

November 26-December 7

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are thankful for our school, our students, and their supportive families. Thank you for all the support with my recent microfracture surgery of my torn meniscus. The surgery went as planned and I am following doctor's orders of staying off it until further notice.  I keep in daily contact with Mrs. Tomlinson and I have heard the students are doing well behaviorally and academically. I am doing a lot of the behind the scenes work and she is executing the plans. If there are any concerns please contact one of us. Her email is: carol.tomlinson@ccsd21.org

Report cards will be sent home Friday, November 30th. Please sign and return the envelope as soon as possible.

Language Arts

Our next focus skill in reading is cause and effect. We will be developing this skill through reading stations, differentiated small group instruction, and whole group lessons.

In writing, we are working on developing realistic fiction; specifically, we are creating believable characters by imparting to them struggles and motivations. We hope to end these two weeks by developing a plot with a story arc.

Book Talks are due on Friday, November 30th. We are looking forward to this second round of presentations. Please continue to have your child practice at home. It makes a big difference! Also, the signed November RAH is due that same day. Here is a link to the Book Talk Organizer in case you need another one.

The next set of spelling and vocabulary words are taken from our Social Science Unit (see section below). The test will be on Friday, December 7th.

Math

For the last half of Unit 3, we are focusing on decimals (to the hundredths) by comparing them, exploring their relationships with fractions, and applying them to measurements such as meters, centimeters, and millimeters. Our Unit 3 assessment will be around December 10th. Please be on the  lookout for a study guide to help review for this test.

There will be many multi-digit multiplication problems and new algorithms introduced in Unit 4. At this point in the year, it would be ideal for all students to have automaticity with their multiplication facts. While we provide some time in class for our Reflex Math program, it is not always possible to do a complete session. Please consider implementing this effective and engaging program as part of your child's weekly homework routine.

Social Science

We started our Colonial America Unit by studying the three early English settlements.  This was especially enlightening for the students during the Thanksgiving season. We will continue this unit by studying the three colonial regions: New England, Middle, and Southern. Within each region of study, students will be comparing and contrasting the following characteristics: reasons for settlement, geography, natural resources, economy, and way of life.

*We will resume science after Colonial America.

Social Emotional Learning

For the past few weeks in SEL, we have been working on cultivating a spirit of thankfulness. The students worked on various projects to help them reflect on the people and things for which they are thankful. Even though we are moving on to our next project, we hope that this will be a lifelong lesson.

Our next project is a secret, which will be unveiled during the upcoming winter holidays. It will incorporate writing, art, and family.

Important Dates

• Tuesday, November 27 and Wednesday, November 28: PTO Kids Holiday Craft Shop (optional opportunity for students make crafts for holidays), 11:30-1:00 PM each day in LMC and 3:30-5:00 PM on Tuesday
• Friday, November 30: Report Cards sent home, Book Talk & RAH due
• Friday, December 7: Spelling and Vocabulary Assessment
• Thursday, December 6: PTO Meeting, 7:00 PM
• Monday, December 24 - Friday, January 4: Winter Break
• Monday, January 7: Welcome back!  Longfellow resumes in 2019!