McFarland-Mayberry-Begley Bulletin

for the week of January 19, 2016

Due Dates / Upcoming Events:

Monday, January 25th - Reading logs due

Tuesday, January 26th - Home link due

Wednesday, January 27th - Early Release Wednesday

Thursday, January 28th -  Spelling due

Friday, January 29th - Home link due / Progress reports will be sent home in your child’s HW folder

Read to Lacey at Prince Memorial Library!   

This is a program that happens year round, through the entire school year and into the summer too. It is an opportunity for kids in grades K—5 to sign up for 15 minutes to read to a therapy dog at Prince Memorial Library. They bring in what they are currently reading or choose a book from the library collection. This is a wonderful way to encourage beginning readers to practice their reading and for older readers to make the time to read for just 15 minutes out of their busy days.  Stop by or email Lauren Isele at lisele@cumberlandmaine.com for more information.  

Academic Updates:

Reading Workshop

Readers have selected animals to research and are working their way toward a digital slideshow project!  First, we are using research maps to collect, sort, and categorize information as we read multiple texts about a chosen animal.  Through a collage activity, we saw how organizing things into categories helps our brains to remember and learn information more effectively.  Other skills and strategies we are using are:

• ask questions about the text
• attempt to answer your own questions
• identify the main idea of a text
• identify supporting details
• understand the author’s purpose
• teach others

We’ll also incorporate some science learning into this project, specifically life cycle, physical & behavioral adaptations, and food web.

Writing Workshop

Almost all of our writers have completed their informational texts!  They are looking great, many pages bursting with information, diagrams, and text features!  Soon, I will start reading a few stories to the kids, texts that we’ll use to focus on during our upcoming unit: Literary Essay.  This unit is tied for My Favorite (along with Poetry).  From the first year 4th graders started this unit -- I thought, “What?  Nine year-olds writing essays about literature?” -- I’ve been blown away by how the children demonstrate their deep understanding of texts through the writing of an essay.  We will see the fruits of our reading-instruction-labor with this one.  WARNING: In upcoming newsletters, I will be gushing about our writers’ progress throughout this unit.

Math

This week students were introduced to multiplying large numbers using two methods. The first is called partitioning rectangles, and the second is called partial products. We will continue to practice both methods during the coming week. In addition, students learned to convert liquid volume (liters to milliliters) using extended multiplication. Next week students will have homework involving all of these skills. Please encourage your child to check out my homelink tutorial (on my web page) if they are having trouble with their homework at home.  Students know how to access this.

Spelling

***This week students looked at patterns for the /yu/ and /u/ sounds, which are ew, ue, u-consonant-e, and oo, and u.  The distinction between the two sounds is subtle, and it proved to be a good challenge for us.

Theme

This week we explored lots of things with circuits.  Students built simple circuits with bulbs and motors.  We learned about parallel and series circuits and how each type of circuit affects the output of the user.  Also, we added switches and resistors and talked about the function of each.  

    I’ve been teaching students a different kind of notetaking called “sketch notetaking”.  As we built working circuits and learned about the different parts, students made sketch notes.  It’s been exciting to see the creativity students bring to the table and how they represent different concepts.

    Next week, we will take a short quiz on magnets and electricity.  A study guide will come home on Monday & we will make study cards in class.  During the last two weeks before vacation, students will be presented with an engineering challenge where they will have to apply their knowledge of magnets and electricity.

    Kids have been LOVING our Snap Circuits.  Lots of kids have asked where they can purchase a kit.  They can be found on Amazon and at Island Treasure Toys in Yarmouth and Freeport.

kids being kids (photo taken from our classroom window at lunch recess today)