Upcoming Events:
May 12-Field Trip to the Washington State History Museum
May 13-Pajama and Pancake Day
May 26-Grandparents and Special Friends Day
May 27-May 30-No School
June 3-Beach Day
June 6 (tentatively)-Publishers' Picnic
June 9-Field Day
June 10-Last Day of School, noon dismissal
As you can see, there are many things happening in the last 5 1/2 weeks of school. There are some fabulous things happening in the classroom as well.
In language arts, students are really enjoying The Horse's Tale. They are enjoying reading about different times and locations. They must mark the location of each chapter on a map, so they eagerly jump up from reading to do that. They also love creating their Venn diagrams. One of the things I am enjoying is watching the kids when they encounter a word that is unfamiliar to them. This book has a glossary in the back, so they look any unfamiliar words, discussing with each other the meaning. What responsible students!
In math, we are testing on decimals on Thursday and will begin a chapter on multiplying multi-digit numbers next. I will be presenting the students with the opportunity to "invent" their own method for multiplying, and we will find a strategy that works best for each student. They are eager to multiply larger numbers!
Much to the disappointment of the students, we have concluded our month of poetry. They were eager learners of all kinds of poems and created some fantastic work. We will conclude our year with a persuasive paper. The students will be writing a multiple paragraph argument about why others should move to Washington State. We will begin brainstorming on Friday and begin the writing on Monday. Please note on the calendar that I have tentatively scheduled the Publishers' Picnic for June 6th. This is a great opportunity for you and others to join your Beacon for a picnic lunch and a look at all of the writing your student has done this year.
Has your student told you about their jar ecosystem? Students are watching water levels, aquatic plants, and seeds sprouting in their jars with their partners. It is interesting to hear them make some conclusions about why certain things are happening and how everything works together in that ecosystem. Students are also researching their biomes, as next week we will begin to recreate that biome. Students will be able to show the web of life from their ecosystem and how human impact effects it.
In Social Studies, students are finishing up their information packets so they can begin creating questions for our Jeopardy game. Care to play kids vs parents??? Stay tuned for details!
Thank you to all families for making this a great Teacher Appreciation Week. All of the plants, flowers, goodies, classroom enhancements, brunch items, etc. are very appreciated.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms. Have a wonderful week!
