Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

We had a fabulous week and hope you did also!

Thank you to everyone who sent in supplies or helped with Colonial Day.  The kids were amazing and had a lot of fun!  Be sure to check out Twitter for pictures!

As a reminder, we will not be sending home Friday folders or a blog post next week.  This week's blog will cover next week and the week after break.  Be sure to check out Twitter for pictures from all our activities and learning.

Important Upcoming Events

• Grinch Day: Thursday, December 19
• We will have fun Grinch related activities for the kids to do during the day.
• Students can dress up as characters from the Grinch if they would like to.
• Holiday Party: Friday, December 20 from 1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0c4fadac28a3fe3-winter
• No School: December 23-January 3
• Return to School: Monday, January 6
• January 14: Ross kids saying the Pledge of Allegiance on KOMU
• January 16: Mottaz kids saying the Pledge of Allegiance on KOMU

Our Learning
Reading

• Next week, we will wrap up our genre study of narrative nonfiction.  The students have learned that narrative nonfiction is a true story about someone's life.  The difference between expository and narrative nonfiction is that narrative nonfiction is written as a story and expository is more facts.
• After break, we will start our next genre study.  This genre study is over fiction.  The main characteristics of a fiction story are it has made-up characters, setting and events, has a beginning, middle and end and is sometimes told by a narrator instead of a character in the story.
• We will be discussing different types of fiction as well. 

Writing

• Next week and the week after break, we will be working on our personal narrative stories.  This week student's chose their topic and their three main events.  Next week, we will start adding details to the events and then after break, we will be editing and revising their writing.

Math

• Thank you to everyone who has sent back in your student's Unit 4 math test.  If you have not sent it in yet, please do so.  This allows us to know you have seen and reviewed the test with your student.
• Our next unit is over word problems and different strategies to solve word problems.  Please continue to practice basic facts with your student as it makes the word problems easier when they know the facts in a snap.  

Science

• Yesterday, we did an activity in science to identify how the sun affects the temperatures on earth.  We will continue to discuss this and then move into how the temperature and the sun change determine the temperature of water and if it is solid or liquid.
• We will then move into identifying where salt water and fresh water are located.

Fundations

• We have been learning about open syllable words and how the vowels make a long sound.
• Next week, we will be learning about the different sounds "y" makes at the end of a word based on the number of syllables.
• The trick words are city, every, family, eight, large and change.
• Our goal is to finish Unit 7 before break, if not, we will wrap it up after break.
• After break, we will start Unit 8 which includes r-controlled syllables.  

Have a fabulous weekend!

Kate and Elizabeth

Happy Friday

Happy Friday!

We have had a wonderful week back at school!  We can't believe that we only have 2 weeks until Winter Break!  Wow!  We will be very busy these next 2 weeks!

Friday Folder

• Six Flags Read to Succeed
• If students read and log (online this year) 6 hours of reading, they will receive one free ticket to Six Flags for the summer.
• The log is to be submitted online this year.  You do not need to send in the form.
• The due date April 17.
• The website is www.sixflags.com/books or click here
• Ross code: ZSHMG
• Mottaz code: 2XQXD
• Nothing like a free ticket to Six Flags for doing some reading.  
• Unit 7 Fundations Letter
• This is the family letter and optional practice for Unit 7 in Fundations.
• Students can use the activities for Homework Bingo, but do not need to return the sheets to school.
• Unit 5 Math Letter
• This is the family letter about Unit 5 in math.  This is an overview of the unit.  
• RBE Eat Out: Shakespeare's
• December 12 at all 3 locations, all day, RBE will get 15% of the sales when you present the flyer.
• RBE Giving Tree
• Information sheet in the Friday folder about the giving tree.
• If you would like to get an ornament to purchase a gift, you can return the bottom half of the sheet.
• Dental Screening
• If your student participated in the dental screening, there is a sheet coming home with information regarding the screening.
• Lots of fabulous work from your students

Colonial Day

• Colonial Day is next Thursday, December 12.  This is a celebration of all our learning about Colonial Times.  We will have different stations for students to participate.
• If your student would like to dress up in Colonial clothes, they can do so.  They can bring other clothing to change into if they would like.  We will be making hats for all the students.  
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• If you are able to help out at Colonial Day, here is the link to sign up.  Colonial Day is from 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.  
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c45aca62ca2fb6-colonial1

Important Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, December 10: Planetarium Field Trip
• We will be gone from about 9:15-10:45 a.m.
• Thursday, December 12: Colonial Day
• More information below.
• 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
• Thursday, December 12: RBE Eat Out at Shakespeare's
• All 3 locations
• All day!
• It's a great excuse to not cook dinner (and lunch if you so choose).
• RBE will get 15% of all purchases made.  
• Flyer is in the Friday folder.
• Friday, December 13: Dress as your favorite holiday spirit day
• Friday, December 20: Holiday Party from 1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Monday, December 23-Friday, January 3: No School/Winter Break
• Monday, January 6: Return to school from Winter Break

Winter Party

• Our winter party in Friday, December 20 at 1:45 p.m.
• JaKhia's mom, Jalisa, is setting up our party again.  She has a craft, a game and cookie decorating planned.  Below is the Sign Up Genius if you are able to send in supplies or are able to help.
• https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0c4fadac28a3fe3-winter

Next Week's Learning
Reading

• We will continue learning about Narrative Nonfiction next week.  The students have learned that narrative nonfiction is a real story about a real person, it is often told as a story, it might have a beginning, middle and end and it may include photographs/text features.
• The students have been learning about identifying author's purpose and also asking questions while reading. 

Writing

• On Monday, we will do a Hershey's Kiss taste test on Monday and doing a quick opinion writing about their favorite Kiss.  Don't tell the kids, it is a surprise for Monday.  
• We will start our next piece of writing next week.  The students will be writing a personal narrative.  This is similar to a nonfiction narrative.  It is a story about their life.
• This personal narrative will be about a time they have helped someone.  This weekend, you can help your student brainstorm some ideas of times they have helped people.  This will help them plan their writing next week.

Math

• We will be testing over Unit 4 (time, place value and measurement) on Tuesday.  We will start Unit 5 on Friday.  This unit covers money and making change.
• We will be reviewing for our test on Monday and hitting on any areas where students still have misconceptions.  

Social Studies/Science

• We wrapped up our Colonial Unit today by finishing our journals.  They will come home next week.  Be sure to ask your student how Colonial life was different than their life.  
• We will celebrate all their learning with Colonial Day on Thursday.
• We will start our next science unit next week.  This unit is geographic features.  They will be identifying where water is located on earth.  They will be identifying where salt and fresh water is located, as well as where solid and liquid water is found.  They will also learn how water flows.  

Fundations

• We took our Unit 6 Fundations test yesterday.  Some students struggled with writing the long vowel patterns and then using them in words.  We will continue to practice these.
• Our next unit is over open syllables which also create the long vowel sound.  

Have a fabulous weekend!

Kate and Elizabeth