Weekly Wrap Up

Today your child brought home the permission slip for our field trip to Indian Rock in Bristol. There’s a very short turn around time for this to be returned. Please sign and return it as soon as possible, but no later than Thursday of this week. This trip is the day after our Thanksgiving break, and we go rain or shine. We are outside for most of the day, so it’s important to dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. We need 2 chaperones, so if you’re interested be sure to return those forms, too! Those are needed by this Wednesday.

Don’t forget to try to set aside time from 2:45-3:15 this Friday, November 18 for Curl Up and Read time at Toffolon. Join your child in the classroom for a special half hour of reading together. Let them share some of their favorite classroom reads with you, and see a little of what they’re learning in action! Siblings from other classes are welcome to join us, as long as you send a note to their teacher. Also, if you want your child to leave our room and go to a sibling’s room, please send a note.

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Unit 1 test and unit 2 pretest
• Science: States of Matter, and physical and chemical changes of matter
• Social Studies: Cultures Across CT
• Math: Multiplication

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

Please try to set aside time from 2:45-3:15 on November 18 for Curl Up and Read time at Toffolon. Join your child in the classroom for a special half hour of reading together. Let them share some of their favorite classroom reads with you, and see a little of what they’re learning in action! Siblings from other classes are welcome to join us, as long as you send a note to their teacher. Also, if you want your child to leave our room and go to a sibling’s room, please send a note.

This week we started learning about the meanings of multiplication. Later next week we start with the facts. Our math program does not do them in order (0-10). Topic 5 covers multiplying by 2, 5, 9, 1, 0, and 10, in that order. I also throw in 11 since it’s so easy. Late in the week or early the following week, ask your child to show you the nine’s trick with their hands. I’ll also tweet out a video of the trick on the day we learn it.

Along with studying addition and subtraction facts, your child can begin studying multiplication facts. The website multiplication.com has some great games that kids tend to love. The “Just for Kids” page on our class website has many resources listed by topic, as well as basic fact sites. I hear that the dollar stores also have traditional flash cards. One thing I find is that in their excitement to learn something new and “grown up” kids often fall back in their subtraction progress as they focus on multiplication. So, they’ll need to keep circling back to study subtraction facts (and addition too).

Once again we are collecting treats for troops. This is a great chance for your child to be a Goodness Gorilla (ask them what this means). Please send in a bit of extra Halloween candy between Nov. 7-11. It will be distributed to our troops serving around the world!

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Unit skills review with summarizing, character traits, and predicting.

• Science: States of Matter, and physical and chemical changes of matter

• Math: Meanings of multiplication and multiplying by 2 ,5, and 9

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

This week we started our new topic of study in math, fractions. Students are learning that fractions are equal parts of a whole, of a set, or of a length. This week they learned to name fractions with the help of M&Ms! That made for yummy math!  :) Next week they’ll learn to locate fractions and mixed numbers on a number line. At home you can help by asking your child to identify fractional parts of a set. For example, you could ask them what fraction of the silverware on the table are forks, or what fraction of items (such as toy cars or rubber bands) are a certain color. Keep the objects in the set to 12 or less, and ask your child to also use the fractions 1/6, 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 to identify the fractional set when possible. Example: Of the 12 rubber bands, 6 are red, so 6/12 or 1/2 of the rubber bands are red.

Also this week, your child learned a framework to use when summarizing a narrative (fiction) or narrative nonfiction (biography) story or chapter. It’s one you can ask them to use at home when they talk about their reading with you. We'll continue practicing this framework next week.

Don't forget that Curl Up and Read is next Friday, January 29! Please join us from 2:45-3:15.

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!

Weekly Wrap Up

Thursday is our trip to Indian Rock. We leave about 9:00, and return around 1:00. Most of our time is spent outdoors and walking through wooded trails, so it’s important that your child be dressed for the weather and wearing appropriate footwear. All drinks and lunches need to be in labeled, disposable containers. There will not be snack time on the trip, so just their lunch and a drink are needed.

Remember, Curl Up and Read is from 2:45-3:15 on November 20. Join your child in the classroom for a special half hour of reading together. Let them share some of their favorite classroom reads with you, and see a little of what they’re learning in action! Siblings from other classes are welcome to join us, as long as you send a note to their teacher. Also, if you want your child to leave our room and go to a sibling’s room, please send a note.

By mid-December we should be done with multiplication and starting division. Division can be tricky for students who don’t know their multiplication facts. So, it’s really important that your child keep working to learn their multiplication facts. It doesn’t matter whether they are memorizing facts written down, playing games, or using an app, do whatever works best for your child. It’s just important they are working on it.

A couple of reminders...

• Notes are needed each week a student brings electronics for Fun Friday.
• We have gym every Wednesday. Your child should be wearing sneakers on that day, or bringing them to change into.

Here's what we're learning about next week:

• Reader’s Workshop: Reading for information and main idea/supporting details
• Writer’s Workshop: Personal narrative assessment, then information writing.
• Math: Topic 6, Multiplying by 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
• Social Studies: Northeast Woodland Native Americans

Please remember that my door is always open if you have any questions or concerns. I also check email frequently. Together we are partners in your child’s education!