October 19
Fall Party
We will have a small fall party on the 30th. Your student is welcome to wear a costume or holiday attire all day if they wish. Please be mindful that all costumes worn are free from items that could get lost, broken, or pose a hazard to others. Also, students will need to be able to use the restroom independently. If they are unable to get in and out of their costume by themselves please choose an alternative outfit. Please email me if you would like to help provide snacks or drinks.
Homework
Homework is now being sent home on Friday and is expected to be completed and returned by the following Friday. The weekend should give students more time so they don't feel so rushed during the week. Also, please note that I have a relaxed personality. If you don't have an item at home (like food coloring) for a mini science experiment, please just use something else. Never feel like you need to run to the store to buy something. Your students and I talked today about being creative... use ketchup, mustard, milk, or any other liquid. If an assignment calls for a certain crayon color for underlining or whatnot and you don't happen to have that color, use whatever you have. This should be low stress for everyone.
Word Study
Students will continue to practice spelling words each week in class (and at home I hope:). I expect that your students are able to read these words easily. I've noticed that during writing time there are many students spelling simple sight words incorrectly. There won't be a test on Friday. We will keep track of how they are progressing on their spelling by looking at their daily writing. For all other spelling inquiries your student may have we will begin to consult the dictionary, both online and a physical text.
We will begin studying words next week- their origin, syllable types, sound patterns... These words are more challenging and intended to assist primarily in reading and second in writing. Click HERE to see the words we will be working on. The focus is closed syllable patterns. The link will give you a redirect notice. Just click on the link within the notice.
NWEA
A family report from the NWEA assessment will be coming home this week. This is one measurement that will be used this year to help your student grow. It provides me with in-depth information as to what your student knows and is able to do in several math and reading domains. Miss Grimm and I will use this information to create lessons and small group instruction that specifically targets areas of need. I do not share scores with students or let them know "how they did". What we will do in class over the few days is look at areas of strength and areas to bolster. It is important for your student to have an idea of what they know, their next steps, and their end of the year goal as it pertains to a specific area of learning. This knowledge puts your student in the position of owning their learning and having a say as to how and what they need to work on. It also is a great lesson on charts and graphs. :) We will create these growth goals as a class and individually. Your student will keep track of their progress throughout the year.
