Our class definitely got into the idiom contest. Seven partnerships had over 300 idioms. Ashley S. and Ashley T. won bragging rights for gathering the most idioms - 1,007! It was an entertaining week watching the kids gather idioms. This week the kids will work on similes, a comparison using like or as. There will not be a simile contest.
In Monday's Dragon Folder you will see the paper work and permission form for Family Life. Please read the letter and return the form informing me of your wishes.
Friday we took the addition and subtraction test. The graded tests will be in the Dragon Folder for you to review. Monday we begin our next fraction unit - I love this unit! The kids will be making fraction cards that include proper, improper and mixed fractions. We will study equivalent fractions, fraction landmarks and comparing fractions. This unit can be challenging for some students, but we will draw a lot of fractions to provide evidence.
November 1 is the 100 in 5 minute celebration. I want all of my class to attend, but it does take determination from the students to learn those facts. Please encourage your son or daughter to memorize their multiplication facts.
I hope you already know that we will not have the literacy parade during October. Our staff voted to move it to Love of Reading week to place more emphasis on reading. We just finished reading The Lightning Thief so our class will be watching that movie on Thursday. Two families have already talked with me about bringing in a treat on Thursday. That is plenty. Please do not send any food or candy unless it has already been arranged.
I think the kids are going to love the electricity unit! They were very excited lighting their bulbs last Friday. Our investigations this week will help us understand the parts of a light bulb and a circuit.
May we all have a wonderful week full of learning activities!
Love,
Mrs. Figueroa
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Homework week of October 28, 2013
Monday - vocabulary 42 & 43, math 28 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 39 & 41, math 31 & 32 and reading log
Wednesday - similes, math 34 & 35 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 37 & 38 and reading log
Friday - Have an enjoyable weekend!
Tuesday - spelling 39 & 41, math 31 & 32 and reading log
Wednesday - similes, math 34 & 35 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 37 & 38 and reading log
Friday - Have an enjoyable weekend!
Spelling list: How to Babysit an Orangutan
1. ground
2. frown
3. downtown
4. bounced
5. council
6. about
7. scout
8. counter
9. background
10. amount
11. bound
12. shower
13. mountain
14. county
15. thousand
16. allowance
17. counselor
18. discount
19. countless
20. rebound
Bonus words
displeasure
jealous
endangered
smuggled
facial
coordination
2. frown
3. downtown
4. bounced
5. council
6. about
7. scout
8. counter
9. background
10. amount
11. bound
12. shower
13. mountain
14. county
15. thousand
16. allowance
17. counselor
18. discount
19. countless
20. rebound
Bonus words
displeasure
jealous
endangered
smuggled
facial
coordination
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Teacher's note October 21, 2013
One of our language arts goals for the week will be to understand figurative language. Idioms, similes, metaphors, hyperboles and personification will be introduced, but we will focus on idioms this week. The students may enter an idiom contest to see who can list the most idioms, they may have one partner. The contest will start on Monday and end on Friday. The winners will receive a homework freebie and bragging rights. I hope we don't drive you up the wall with our idioms and that the winners feel on top of the world.
We will work on writing summaries again this week. The Garden of Happiness is a fictional story and so we will have our first opportunity to write a summary based on literature. We had a few challenges remembering all the guidelines of writing a summary last week. Hopefully we learned from last week's and this summary is easier.
Learning subtraction strategies is our main math goal for the week. We will also work on place value to one million, writing expanded notation, writing word form and rounding. The unit test is scheduled for Friday. Our 100 in 5 minutes multiplication celebration is on November 1. I would be tickled pink if all of my All Stars attend the celebration. Please assist your son or daughter in learning the multiplication facts.
We should have a far greater understanding of the three branches of government soon. The kids will learn the responsibilities of each branch and how they check and balance each other. We will be studying the federal, state and local government for the next month.
The kids seem very excited to jump into the electricity unit. Our first discussion will be on electricity safety. Our investigations will be safe, but we want to make sure the kids respect electricity and what it can do.
I sincerely hope we all have a wonderful week full of learning opportunities.
Warmly,
Mrs. Figueroa
We will work on writing summaries again this week. The Garden of Happiness is a fictional story and so we will have our first opportunity to write a summary based on literature. We had a few challenges remembering all the guidelines of writing a summary last week. Hopefully we learned from last week's and this summary is easier.
Learning subtraction strategies is our main math goal for the week. We will also work on place value to one million, writing expanded notation, writing word form and rounding. The unit test is scheduled for Friday. Our 100 in 5 minutes multiplication celebration is on November 1. I would be tickled pink if all of my All Stars attend the celebration. Please assist your son or daughter in learning the multiplication facts.
We should have a far greater understanding of the three branches of government soon. The kids will learn the responsibilities of each branch and how they check and balance each other. We will be studying the federal, state and local government for the next month.
The kids seem very excited to jump into the electricity unit. Our first discussion will be on electricity safety. Our investigations will be safe, but we want to make sure the kids respect electricity and what it can do.
I sincerely hope we all have a wonderful week full of learning opportunities.
Warmly,
Mrs. Figueroa
Homework week of October 21, 2013
Monday - vocabulary 38 & 39, math 53 & 54 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 36, math 57 - 59 and reading log
Wednesday - idioms, math 63 & 64 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 67 - 69 and reading log
Friday - Have an excellent weekend!
Tuesday - spelling 36, math 57 - 59 and reading log
Wednesday - idioms, math 63 & 64 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 67 - 69 and reading log
Friday - Have an excellent weekend!
Spelling: The Garden of Happiness
1. curve
2. learned
3. curly
4. pearl
5. purse
6. further
7. turtle
8. urgent
9. burning
10. hurried
11. earth
12. earned
13. purpose
14. surface
15. overheard
16. rehearse
17. current
18. disturb
19. furniture
20. research
Bonus words
inhaled
lavender
mural
skidded
haze
2. learned
3. curly
4. pearl
5. purse
6. further
7. turtle
8. urgent
9. burning
10. hurried
11. earth
12. earned
13. purpose
14. surface
15. overheard
16. rehearse
17. current
18. disturb
19. furniture
20. research
Bonus words
inhaled
lavender
mural
skidded
haze
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Teacher's note October 14, 2013
Welcome back to the second quarter of this school year! I hope your Fall Break was very enjoyable - mine sure was! Now we are ready to get back to learning and working.
You will notice the first quarter progress reports in Monday's Dragon Folder. Please take everything out of the envelope, sign the back and return the empty envelope to me on Tuesday. If you have any questions or concerns please send me an email or note on the back of the envelope to call you. I would be happy to discuss with you any concern you may have.
The first week in October Federal Aid cards were sent home to be completed and returned. Unfortunately, our class has many cards that have not be returned yet. If you already returned your card, thank you very much. If you have not, please return it as soon as possible. I do have extra cards if one has been misplaced. I appreciate your help in completing this task.
Our class will be reading one of my favorite selections from our anthology this week. It is Night of the Pufflings and describes how kids help baby birds survive after their first flight. I think the kids will love reading this selection too. We will work on writing a summary about the main events. The most difficult part will be for the students to select the most important ideas and leave out interesting details. We will discuss the KISS strategy, Keep It Short and Sweet. The summary should be short, but contain the most important details.
We will continue our study of the base ten number system and graduate to larger numbers. The class will work together to build a 10,000 chart - that will be fun! We want to understand place value and patterns to one million. Plus the kids will be rounding, estimating, and using a road map to plan a trip. We have great math activities planned for this week.
Our first Strive for Excellence Assembly is Friday morning at 9:15. Seven of our students will receive a certificate in honor of the life skills cooperation or friendship. If you received an invitation in the Dragon Folder then your son or daughter will be receiving an award and we would love for you to attend the assembly. Each student will receive one Strive for Excellence certificate sometime this school year.
May we all have a wonderful week full of learning experiences.
Best wishes,
Mrs. Figueroa
You will notice the first quarter progress reports in Monday's Dragon Folder. Please take everything out of the envelope, sign the back and return the empty envelope to me on Tuesday. If you have any questions or concerns please send me an email or note on the back of the envelope to call you. I would be happy to discuss with you any concern you may have.
The first week in October Federal Aid cards were sent home to be completed and returned. Unfortunately, our class has many cards that have not be returned yet. If you already returned your card, thank you very much. If you have not, please return it as soon as possible. I do have extra cards if one has been misplaced. I appreciate your help in completing this task.
Our class will be reading one of my favorite selections from our anthology this week. It is Night of the Pufflings and describes how kids help baby birds survive after their first flight. I think the kids will love reading this selection too. We will work on writing a summary about the main events. The most difficult part will be for the students to select the most important ideas and leave out interesting details. We will discuss the KISS strategy, Keep It Short and Sweet. The summary should be short, but contain the most important details.
We will continue our study of the base ten number system and graduate to larger numbers. The class will work together to build a 10,000 chart - that will be fun! We want to understand place value and patterns to one million. Plus the kids will be rounding, estimating, and using a road map to plan a trip. We have great math activities planned for this week.
Our first Strive for Excellence Assembly is Friday morning at 9:15. Seven of our students will receive a certificate in honor of the life skills cooperation or friendship. If you received an invitation in the Dragon Folder then your son or daughter will be receiving an award and we would love for you to attend the assembly. Each student will receive one Strive for Excellence certificate sometime this school year.
May we all have a wonderful week full of learning experiences.
Best wishes,
Mrs. Figueroa
Homework week of October 14, 2013
Monday - vocabulary 33 & 34, math 32 & 33 and reading log
Tuesday - spelling 33, math 39 & 40 and reading log
Wednesday - reading 7 & 8, math 42 - 44 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 49 & 50 and reading log
Friday - Have an excellent weekend!
Tuesday - spelling 33, math 39 & 40 and reading log
Wednesday - reading 7 & 8, math 42 - 44 and reading log
Thursday - study spelling words, math 49 & 50 and reading log
Friday - Have an excellent weekend!
Spelling list: Night of the Pufflings
1. cared
2. dairy
3. unfair
4. rarely
5. stared
6. dared
7. glare
8. airplanes
9. barely
10. farewell
11. software
12. staircase
13. everywhere
14. declare
15. square
16. therefore
17. despair
18. prepared
19. beware
20. repair
Bonus words
uninhabited
burrows
venture
stranded
nestles
instinctively
2. dairy
3. unfair
4. rarely
5. stared
6. dared
7. glare
8. airplanes
9. barely
10. farewell
11. software
12. staircase
13. everywhere
14. declare
15. square
16. therefore
17. despair
18. prepared
19. beware
20. repair
Bonus words
uninhabited
burrows
venture
stranded
nestles
instinctively
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