Almost Spring Break

What beautiful weather we have been having.  Spring is here, as is spring fever.  Break always comes just when needed most. 

We are finishing up our fantasy unit in Language Arts.  It was a huge hit for the kids and, I have to say, for me as well.  It has been fun watching their excitement for reading continue to grow.  This week, they are working on end of unit projects which are due on Friday.  Each child chose one of four options and should work on completing it at home for DLA this week.  I will provide some class time as well on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to ensure they have enough time to complete their projects.  On Friday, we will have presentations.   When we return from Spring Break, we will dive into historical fiction.   I will email you by Thursday with the title of the next book.  It will be a book we read as a class. 

We have also been doing a lot with non-fiction reading and writing.  We are practicing extracting information and meaning from non-fiction text and have been writing non-fiction essays.  When we return from break, we will continue with non-fiction reading/comprehension and will move into a poetry unit in writing.

In Math, we have talked about polygons, points, lines, rays, segments, parallel and perpendicular lines, and much more.  We will finish out this week with angles and classifying shapes.  After break, we will work on symmetry, tesselations, and shape construction and deconstruction.  Following Geometry, we will move into decimals and fractions, and will continue with measurement and computation.

In Social Studies, the kids are finishing up with Philadelphia. They have been writing poems about the Liberty Bell, the American Flag, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.  Please ask your child to share what s/he has been learning.  Once they wrap up, they will be heading to New York and the Northeast Region where they will focus on immigration to the United States. 

In Science, we are finishing up our unit on the solar system.  The kids are putting final touches on their models of the planets and are preparing for Thursday presentations.  Next, we will be moving into a unit Chemistry which is sure to be a ton of fun. 

The kids have earned a WOW Day Celebration and we will have our special day on Friday.  While ice skating was the first choice, we have agreed on the alternative Free Choice/Read-In/Wear Pajamas Day.  So, please encourage your child to wear PJ's on Friday.  It will be a fun, celebratory day.  Some kiddos are dressing up as a character from their fantasy books for their project presentation on Friday.  The pajama version of the character is just fine, or they can bring pj's to change into.  We will have popcorn for a snack as well.

This is a week of wrapping up.  I am certainly going to miss all of the kids over break.  When we return, we will be diving into a lot of new material.

Reminders and Announcements

- Please send your child to school with water every day.  As it is warming up, they are quite thirsty throughout the day.  Having plenty of water is important, especially on Meade days.

- The kids have been having a blast exploring the creek at Meade Park.  Please send your child to school with boots, water shoes, or any other shoe they can wear in the creek without ruining them. 

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

All the best,

Annelise