Week of January 24th

Hi Families!  Can't believe it's already the last week of January!  I don't know about you, but I am so ready for the Spring already.  This cold weather is not for me!  I think being in the portables makes it tougher! We are warm in our class, but traveling outside to go anywhere gets old!  Take a look at this week's agenda:

Reading - Last week on the genre, Mystery - Your child should have picked out a 2nd mystery book on his/her level by now.  This book needs to be read and an AR test taken by February 4th.  Skill focus - Cause and Effect

English - Daily English Review, Figurative Language

Spelling - List 13 on spellingcity.com (Suffixes) I will let the kids know Tuesday what the enriched list is for the week.

Math - 2 and 3 digit times 2 and 3 digit multiplication
We will also begin reading, saying, and writing decimals to the tenth place this week, as well as take another cumulative review test.

Science - Continuous study of the planets

Social Studies - Partner projects on important events, places, and people of the Southeast

Spanish - Test on Thursday over family member names.  Study guide will go home on Tuesday.  We will also begin a new unit this week over habitats and plant parts.

*******Things to note and remember************

Super Bowl Challenge - I have been so very proud of the kids on their reading!!  We have 3 teams:
     Ligers, Flaming Flamingos, and Grizzly Bucks.  The Grizzly Bucks started out way in the lead.  Then the Ligers came back with a vengeance, so they are now in the lead with the Flamingos in second.  Keep reading!!!  We will have a Super Bowl Party on February 4th to celebrate all the reading the children have been doing and to gear up for the Super Bowl on February 6th!  The winners of our challenge, however, will get to eat lunch in the classroom with me and get a prize!

We will be starting a new challenge this week that involves MATH!!  This challenge will last about 3 months!I will divide the class into 2 teams.  Our objective is math mastery of skills we have covered.  I try not to move too fast and work to mastery before we ever move to the next concept, but sometimes the kids will still forget unless they constantly see the old concepts.  We do math twice a day.  Our morning math is going to start being skills that we have already covered.  I will be testing them over old concepts periodically.  Before the test, I will send home a study guide to work on.  The contest will involve the completion of these study guides.  The children will earn 5 points for their team for the study guide being completed, and 10 points if it is signed by a parent.  The children will also earn 15 points for an A on the test, 10 points for a B, and 5 points for a C.  We will have a math celebration in May for all their hard work with an extra privilege for the winning team!

I need clean, empty, labels peeled off,  vegetable or fruit cans.  I need 25 by Friday.  If every child brought one, we will have enough.  Please remember. :)  If you could send more than one, that would be great, just in case!  I have a cool project planned!

I almost have enough to do our space habitats, but am missing several children's money.  I went ahead and purchased all the duct tape myself, but I need your help to purchase the expensive plastic.  If you have not sent your child's $2, please help us out.  Thank you.