Kindness Week!!!

Next week we will be recognizing Kindness.  As an effort to make kids more aware and develop motivation to be kind everywhere, we are having lots of fun things going on!

Dress-up Days:

Monday 1/26 - Kick Kindness into Gear ... wear fun, colorful, mismatched shoes
Tuesday 1/27 - Caps for Kindness ... pay $1 to wear a hat (donation to Best Friends Program)
Wednesday 1/28 - Sports Day... Show good sportsmanship, wear athletic, sports team apparel
Thursday 1/29 - Dream of Kindness ... wear Pajamas (no stuffed animals)
Friday 1/30 - Spring Road Kids are Kind Kids .... wear red and white or SR apparel

We will have a food drive all week which will be donated to a shelter.  Bring in cans/ non-perishable food items all week!

Students will have a chance to complete kindness challenges (tasks) which are every day things that are kind to their selves, others, property and the community.  Once 15 challenges are completed, it can be turned in for a chance to win a prize.

We will also meet with our Character Education groups (5th grade buddies) to discuss and represent kindness around us.

Reading Responses.

Students will be receiving a reading response to complete with at-home reading more frequently. We are increasing the amount we respond to our reading at school, too.  We will be focusing on discussing our reading and sharing our ideas on another level.  Students will build the confidence to participate in book clubs and enhance their comprehension.  Please continue to discuss your child's reading.

Thanks for your continued support!

Poetry in Writer's Workshop.

Students are experimenting with a new genre in writing.  We have been exploring poems and noticing how Poet's write.  Students are learning to look at things in a new way.  We are not forgetting the importance of choosing meaningful topics, but poems can be written about anything!

Students have learned how to add rhythm or music to a poem by using line breaks. 

Subtraction Methods.

Students are working hard to learn and practice many subtraction strategies with 2 and 3-digit numbers.  Students are building the confidence to share their methods with others. After solving an equation, it's important for students to check their answer by adding.  It's been a challenge learning to ungroup and explain why.  We will continue to focus on this in math and soon apply it to word problems as well as creating our own.

Check out the poem we are using to help when solving problems.

Spelling Practice.

Thanks for all of your continued support at home with spelling.  As a reminder, each week your child is assigned five high frequency words.  In addition, students are assigned five pattern words based on their individual spelling stage. They have something in common and follow a similar pattern.  Students are learning to associate and categorize words which helps them become a more well- rounded speller.

Last week, students were assessed on their spelling (mid-year routine). This week, students are getting individual spelling lists to focus on during independent literacy work. A list will also come home so you are aware as well.

*High frequency words are words that appear most often in printed materials.  They do not typically follow common phonics rules and cannot be stretched out.  They are words students learn and memorize to be able to recognize them by sight.

Learn more about High Frequency Words Here

Updates.

Six Flags Reading Program- It went home last week.  Simply record your child's reading on the log and return in February to earn a FREE ticket to Six Flags.  Please continue to record reading on book bag reading log as well.

Conference slips- These are coming home tonight and are due back Wednesday, January 21. Please select times that are available for you to ensure you get a time that works! I can't believe it's almost that time again.  I can't wait to celebrate your child's growth and successes!

We love our class.