February...

WOW!  Another month is complete!  We have been working hard this month.  Here is a snapshot of our month:

This was an activity that helped us learn that our actions and words affect many, even indirectly.  THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!

Career Education

Career Education has been a focus in our class since September.  We have weekly discussions about social issues that arise in the class.  Students are working hard at THINKING BEFORE THEY SPEAK, being in the role of a student, and manners.  They are learning strategies on how to resolve conflicts and following leadership traits (like compromise). We also have set some classroom goals and personal character trait goals that we would like to work on this term.  To help us focus and be the best we can be we are learning to take mental breaks through movement and breathing.  I am using a program called gonoodle at gonoodle.com.  We do this on a daily basis.

Math

We started multiplication and division.  Our focus is on learning and becoming familiar with basic facts.  Students are working on strategies like skip counting, repeated addition, equal groups and "what I already know" (eg. 8x10=80, so 8x9 is 8 less than 80).  Our next step is word problems and 2 digit by 1 digit and 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication.  The Prodigy program is also helping us develop these skills.  You can follow their progression using their account at prodigygame.com

Language Arts

Students are learning to use the program Google Read and Write on the chrome books.  This is assisting them with spelling, researching and writing down thoughts orally.  We have taken notes in social studies and written journal entries using the program.

We are progressively learning about poetic devices and writing poetry.  Our themes have been about the earth sciences (the sun, the moon, the seasons and weather).  Types of poems we have covered are the Haiku, Concrete and Cinquain.  Through writing poetry students are also working on writing in more detail and with expression.  We are using parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs), similes, metaphors, and personification.

We are also collaboratively working in guided reading groups with Mrs. Baldwin, Mr. Sadik's class and Ms. Yanko's class.  This has proven to be successful and students are receiving more feedback on their reading as they are in smaller groups.  This also allows us to focus on reading strategies and concepts like  idioms, defining vocabulary words, and contractions.

Science

Our focus this term is on the relationship and patterns between the sun, the moon and the earth.  We just finished learning about the sun and we are now discovering the moon.  There is a new moon on February 4th.  I would like students to track the moons phases until the full moon on February 19th.  This would require your child to observe the moon each night and draw it.  A chart will be coming home on Friday.  Students will also be exploring the seasons, the tides, and solar/lunar eclipses. A final project will be a model or poster exploring one of these concepts.

Digital Literacy

We just finished a great unit on Digital Literacy with our librarian, Mr. Staginnus.  This unit taught us how to be safe on the internet, how to give credit to people's work and how to research topics in a focused way.  PLEASE review these concepts with you child and also go over the safe expectations when online.

The Arts

Poetry about the earth sciences is our theme in learning through the arts.  In drama, they are expressing their thoughts poetically about the tilt of the earth.  In dance and music, we are collaboratively working with Ms. Yanko's class.  We will be performing a moon song, adapted from our choir song "The Moon".  In choir, we are learning a 4 part piece called "Haiku of the Seasons" and an expressive song about the moon.  We will have a informal performance at the end of the month.  A date to come ASAP.