Well hi there! Here we are, about to hit the halfway point of October. Time marches on!
Before you read about what to expect this week, I'd like to bring up a tricky topic: distractions. Specifically, two seemingly innocent little things have become a challenge in our classroom. The first is chewing gum. I have a simple guideline about gum that I'd like you to follow. Gum is okay, as long as I don't see it, I don't hear it, and I don't smell it. So, no bubbles, no smacking lips and gnashing teeth, and avoid the super-smelly brands. If I notice your gum, I'll politely ask that you toss it away. Thanks.
The other distracting element is fidgets, and for these I have a similar guideline. Please let your fidgets live a low-profile life: they're not really toys so they should not be treated that way. Keep them out of sight. Don't let the way you keep your hands busy with them become a distraction - for you or for others. Of course, they should be silent and should not make a mess. And avoid having more than one at your desk. If your fidget becomes a distraction, I'll ask you to take it home.
Swimming: Our first official field trip is this Friday afternoon. We're headed to the Rec Center for a swim. Please remember to bring:
- reasonable shoes for walking to and from the rec center
- swimsuit
- towel
- a quarter for a locker
Things to leave at home on rec center field trip days:
- your phone, Apple watch, or other expensive tech (mistakes happen, theft happens... losing your device on Friday afternoon has a tendency to ruin your weekend)
- your scooter or bike (unless you plan to return to the school after swimming, in which case it will stay here at the school until you return at the end of the day)
Parents, look for an email later this week about sending permission to be dismissed directly from the rec center. Some families live nearer to the rec center than to the school and some students like to avoid the extra walk back to the school before heading home.
Here's what to expect on this holiday-shortened week:
Math - let's really dive into the "adding on" strategy for subtractions. The idea? Why subtract to find the difference when you can add instead?
Science - our look at the excretory system continues.
Reading - Refugee continues this week. Please ensure you are staying current with the reading, even if you miss time at school. (Parents, in class we are listening to the audiobook version of the book while reading along in our hard-copy novels. You can find the unabridged version of the novel on Spotify Premium if you subscribe.)
Also this week, I will spend a couple of minutes with each of you for a reading assessment. My goal is to get a baseline of your current reading skill. I'll use this assessment to tailor partner-reading assignments. More to come on this.
Writing - I have begun to trickle out expectations and criteria for our Halloween story project. Be sure to land on a plot idea this week, okay? It will be important to get started promptly when it comes time to craft your story. Don't get left behind! Find the
Halloween Story page, and take a minute and review the criteria that's been posted here on the blog.
Science - We'll continue our look at the excretory system. Expect demonstrations and a "learning lab" about how our body deals with wastes.
That's all for this week, folks! Enjoy!
