Weekly Letter September 17th-21st

Dear Parents,

We are beginning our second theme in Language Arts this week.  The theme is Celebrating Traditions.  The first story we are reading is called The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Pollacco.  It is a personal narrative about her Russian culture.  Our grammar focuses are contractions and verbs.   Our reading strategy focus is evaluate.  Our spelling focus is on the long vowel sound patterns in a and e. 

We began Proficiency Block last week.  This focus block of time will be on the standards Main Idea and Words in Context.  This first block of time will last for 4 weeks. 

In Math, we are focusing in on their Multiplication Facts.  They will begin having timed tests daily.  We will also focus on their division facts, area, and subtraction with regrouping, which is a review standard/skill from 2^nd grade.

**Parents your child has 2 weeks or 10 school days to learn their multiplication facts by memory. Please work with them daily on there facts.  Their math tests on Friday showed me that only about 5 students are practicing this standard. 

In Science, we are beginning on our Solar System Unit.  They will learn about our Solar System, our Sun, Mercury, and Venus this week.    

Our literature focus, we have begun reading Number the Stars by Lois Lowry today.  This has the same theme as our anthology stories, Celebrating Traditions.  The story is about World War 2 and the Jewish people in Denmark. 

Spelling Words this story are:

1.    paint          5. neighbor                  9. eight                13. need

2.    clay            6. clean               10. play               14. weigh

3.    feel             7. seem               11. speak             15. needle

4.    leave          8. paid                 12. lay                 16. crayon 

Ways to help your child this week:

* Multiplication Facts Flashcards.  They will soon have to know all of their facts by memory.

*Go to our class website and review concepts already taught.

* Check out Solar System books from your local library. This will be our first Science Unit starting next week.

·      Our next classroom chapter book will be Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.  If you would like check it out from the library or purchase it at a book story for about 5 dollars.

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·Important Dates this week:

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·      Friday is Library Day: remember your library books!

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·      Early Release Day is tomorrow 9/18 at 1:00.

·      Please return back grade folders if you haven’t already done so. 

·      Please return back parent/teacher conference form as soon as possible.

  Mrs. Monroe