Don't forget the Six Flags Read to Succeed Program is underway. If your child completes six hours of extra reading at home, they can earn a free ticket to Six Flags! The reading must be done at home, and it must be done in addition to reading done for homework. That means reading log minutes do not count. Please make sure to fill out the reading log on the yellow form that was sent home a few weeks ago, and initial it. Students can turn in completed forms any time between now and February 26th.
Our school Spelling Bee will be coming up in January. We will be holding a classroom spelling bee to determine who our class's representatives will be for the school-wide Bee. All students received a copy of the Spell It newspaper, which contains word lists they can study if they are interested in qualifying for the Spelling Bee.
Our classroom Winter Party will be held Thursday, December 17 at 2:00 PM. Parents are invited to attend the party. Thank you in advance to all of the parent volunteers who are helping to plan and organize the party for the students!
There will be no school for students December 18 - January 3 for Winter Break. Enjoy the time off!
Class Updates:
In math, we are wrapping up Chapter 5 on adding and subtracting decimals. The children have been learning how to round decimals to various place value positions, use base 10 models to solve decimal problems, and how to find the sums and differences of decimals. We will be reviewing concepts from the chapter on Monday and Tuesday, and there will be a chapter test on Wednesday. Students received a practice test/study guide. If students turn in the study guide with a parent signature that they studied at home, they can earn a bonus point on the test. Here are some videos to help students study:
Adding and Subtracting Decimals
Rounding Decimals
Place Value of Decimals
In reading, the children having been doing a great job of participating in student-led book clubs. Each reading group has their own book club where they choose the novel they want to read, create their own assignments for reading and responding to the text, and have discussion meetings about the book twice a week. They have shown great responsibility with the book clubs, and I am proud of their work! Ask your child about their book club novel!
Students are working very hard in writing to finish their informational reports on topics of their choice related to our study of Native Americans. Popular choices among the children have been Native American food, shelters, and artwork. Recent lessons have included how to draft conclusions for informational pieces, how to include transition words for a variety of purposes, and how to keep a teaching tone for this genre of writing.
Students will need to be finished publishing their final drafts by Wednesday. This may require additional work at home for some students if they are behind in research or writing for any sections of the report. Please check the homework page on the blog to see if writing homework is needed. All students are publishing using a Google document. I have been leaving feedback and comments for each child on the Google document to help them improve their writing. All students also have checklists and scoring guides to help them ensure they are including all the required parts of the assignment. On Monday through Wednesday, we will be peer editing and making final changes that are needed.
In social studies, the students have completed their Story Jumper Digital Books. Each group was able to present their book to the rest of the class. They worked hard to make the books both factual and engaging. Print outs of the books were sent home in the students' mail folders. In addition, you can view the digital version of the books if you like by following these steps (Make sure to enter the password under the "Mrs. Groh" collection, not the "Groh" collection):
1. Go to https://www.storyjumper.com/profile/groh12
2. Look for Class Collection: Mrs. Groh
3. Enter this password: learning
When we return from break, we will begin a new Unit on European explorers.
Finally, students got a chance to take a break for a little holiday fun. They participated in the popular game relay called "Santa's Sleigh"!
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