I'm sure by now, you know that I will be back on November 2nd. It's a bittersweet moment for myself and the children. I know that the children must be very attached to Mrs. Barrick and hate to see her go, but yet might be a little excited about what's ahead with me. I, too, am feeling mixed emotions. Staying home with our little Eli has been an absolute joy. It is very hard to leave him, even though he will be in very capable and loving hands, but I love teaching and I feel that it's where I am designed to be. The first week or two might be a little hard with them missing Mrs. Barrick and me missing Eli, but I have a great feeling that it won't take long for us to transition and bond! There are a lot of super fun things ahead as we get into Fall and then the holiday season! I am sending you a paper copy of this post from my blog, but from now on just be sure to check the blog for updates. Please let me know if you are lacking internet access. I will be glad to send you a copy home.
Here is a rundown of what is ahead for the week of November 2nd:
Reading/Science - We will begin one of my favorite units on owls!! We will be reading a book called Owls in the Family. It is a very funny, yet informative book about owls. I will be checking for literal and inferential comprehension each day of the story. The first day of the unit, we will talk about what they already know about owls and read some info about owls and distinguish between facts and myths. My owl unit covers both reading and science PASS skills. We will be doing owl research papers and also be doing a very exciting science project towards the end of our unit!
Math - Pictographs, bar graphs, double bar graphs We will also continue to do daily math practice in the morning as well as multiplication timed tests. Please make sure your child knows his/her math facts. It is so crucial for future math success! The need for mastering the facts will never go away as the children get older, I can assure you! I have taught both 5th and 6th grade and math becomes quite painful for children who do not know their facts. Those facts are built upon with large number multiplication, division, and fractions to name a few. I will teach your child a fun way to practice the facts with a deck of cards, so have a deck of cards handy and have him/her teach you the trick. If he/she is struggling, make sure you practice every day for 10 or 15 minutes. Have him/her earn rewards........anything to get him/her over the hump.
Spelling - Our spelling words for the week will be our Owl Unit vocabulary. I will try to get my spellingcity.com account up and running again so the kids can go online and practice their words. Maybe Mrs. Barrick or last year's teacher used this site, but if you are not familiar with it....it's awesome! I will also put the enrichment words on too.
English - Adjectives We will also continue daily English review in the mornings.
Social Studies - We will begin the week talking about the USA and its regions. We will focus on the NE region...its geography, products, and the states that make it up. I will send home a study guide for the locations of the states and capitals of the NE region. The tests will not happen for a few weeks, but sometimes it helps to start studying early for these kinds of tests! Put the study guide on your frig or in a safe spot. :)
A couple other things: We will be doing a major leaf art project on Friday, November 6th. I have noticed that the trees are absolutely beautiful right now!! Here's some fun homework that is due on November 5th: Go on a leaf hunt with your child. Collect a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors of leaves. Make sure you get several of the same kinds too. Press the leaves after you get home. You might soak them in some warm water for a little while, pat them dry, and then put them in between newspaper with some heavy books on top. The leaves MUST be pressed for the art to work. This project is worth 100 points.
We will be doing an extremely special Christmas project soon. This is a project that I did as a child and my parents still have it. I've had wonderful feedback from parents in previous years! It is a secret because it is a gift from your child to you. :) It is a costly project though, so I need your help. If your child wants to participate, it costs $6.50. Since it is a gift for you, you might want to make your child earn the money.......:). We have to start the project really soon, because it requires sending it off to be processed. If your child wants to do it, please send the money by Nov. 4th. I will be sure and show your child some examples when I get back.
I think that is everything for now, but check back often in case of updates. I will also post pictures on the blog every now and then, if I have a permission slip from you.
