Week of 10/27

Hi Families! Hope you are enjoying your weekend! I also hope you enjoyed student-led conferences. Your children did so well. I am very proud of them! I'm sure you are too. It was fun for me to watch them with you. Wow! This week will be a full week! I am kind of ready for it! I am so glad Halloween is on a Friday this year! Here is what is on the agenda this week:
Reading - We will be working on vocabulary as well as doing an independent book study. Tomorrow I will have the children check out a mystery book from the library. They will have 2 weeks to complete the mystery. I will allow them time to read in class, but they can read it at home as well. We will be studying the literary element, setting, with this genre. When they complete their book, I will give them a "setting" project to do.
English - Friendly letters, Adjectives
Spelling - "u" sounds
Science - We will finish up our geology unit. The test will be on Thursday. I will send home a study guide on Monday. This test is not a big as the Oklahoma History test, but the kids will still need to take time to study a little each night.
Math - We will begin a unit on graphs. This week we will look at pictographs, bar graphs, and line plots. Please continue to practice telling time and elapsed time with your children. Overall, they did pretty well, and we need to move on, but they will still need some practice at home to retain it.
There will be no social studies this week. Next week, we will begin a unit on the Northeast Region of the United States. The children did awesome on their Oklahoma History test! I am so proud of them! I know that you played a big role in that at home. Thank you for being so supportive in your child's education! It makes all the difference! You should have seen your children's faces when I gave bonus bucks out for good grades (A's, B's, and C's)! They were so proud of themselves. Success breeds success!

Friday, as you know, will be our Halloween Parade at 8:00 and the Halloween party following right after. The children will need to come to school dressed in their costumes. They will need to bring a change of clothes though, for after the parade/party. We will also be having a Read and Feed that day. Your child may bring an extra snack and a drink to school.

Our Christmas present project is coming up. If your child would like to participate, please send cash or check for $6.50 to school by next Friday, November 7th.

This week, I am assigning a fun homework assignment. I want you and your child to go on a leaf hunt! Look for a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Collect at least 10 or 12 leaves. Once you collect them, press them by soaking them in warm water for a few minutes, blot them dry, then press them between newspapers in between books. Press them for about a week. We will be doing a leaf art project next Friday, November 7th. You need to get started pretty quick this week. They do not do well if they are not pressed, so don't procrastinate. I have noticed some of the leaves have turned, not like I had hoped, but maybe enough for you to get a variety of colors. Good luck and have fun!

Here are this week's spelling words:

blush
crutch
crunch
grumpy
much
umpire
uncle
none
does
fuel
cute
cubicle
human
future
usual
uniform
used
beautiful
university
unicorn

The following are this week's enrichment words:

stalactite stalagmite metamorphic martyr pandemonium aghast sensible sedimentary quaint perplex despair croquet chromium igneous considerate