Week of September 13

 Hey all!  Sorry for the delay in the post this week.  We were without internet yesterday so this didn't get to happen!  Here's what's going on this week!

Classroom Happenings:

• Grades and Assignments:  Each afternoon during FIT time we remind the kids to get on PowerSchool to check their grades and see what work (if any) they are still missing, so they can work to get those items completed and turned in.  As we continue to make them more responsible for their assignments and scores, check in with your child and ask to see how they are doing!  Your accountability of their work in the classroom really helps, too!

Language Happenings:

We have finished our Narrative Writing unit and I'm working now on grading those stories.  This was a HUGE undertaking and will count towards a very large part of their grade thus far.  Check back in at the first of next week to see how your child did with their story.

This week we began our first novel study and are reading "Freak the Mighty" in class.  We will be taking this VERY SLOWLY as we work to really understand the plot and master our ability to cite the book as we answer comprehension questions about the text.  Moving forward, your child will now have NIGHTLY HOMEWORK they will be expected to complete.  This will be comprehension questions over the pages we read in class each day.  This homework is counted for a grade, so be sure to check with your child that they are getting these questions answered each night.  It will also be their responsibility to bring their homework sheet AND the book from school to home and back to school the next day!  

Science Happenings:

This week is the start of a new week as we begin talking about overservations and inferences.  We discussed today that observations are something we make using our 5 senses.  Inferences are what we then assume is happening or going to happen, based on our observations.  We also talked about the 2 types of observations we can make:  Quantitative (observations using numbers) and Qualitative (observations that look at little details like colors and shapes).  We will continue to look at various scenarios and pictures this week to work on our understanding and ability to make observations and inferences.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!  Keep reaching out if you need anything!

-Sarah