Week of December 9th

 

Monday we will start our new reading unit, historical fiction. I am very excited about this unit as we will be reading aloud one of my favorite books, Number the Stars.

During this unit, everyone in class will be reading books from this genre and participating in book clubs. Students will start out reading independently and then will quickly transition into book clubs.  As they read these books, they will be discussing them with their partners or small group. For this reason, it is important that they read the amount their partnership/group decides each day. They should also write down thoughts in their reader’s notebook or on post-it notes to make their conversations more meaningful. We are discouraging students from reading other books unless they are finished with their historical fiction book assignment. Please take the time, especially as we begin to launch these book clubs, to ask your child if they are caught up with their  book and have flagged their thinking, a minimum of 3 to 4 jottings each night. 


In order to make have enough books for successful book clubs, we have to borrow many copies from other libraries.  Students will "checkout" these books with their classroom teacher and are responsible for them.  If the book fails to come back or is damaged, it will be the students responsibility to replace the book or pay the fine.  This way, we can continue borrowing titles from other schools for many years to come.

Language and actions in our books often directly and accurately mimics true historical time periods.  We will be having a conversation about being mature readers and asking questions for clarification if necessary.  If these questions arise at home, please view this as a teaching moment.  History is not always appropriate but valuable and should be apart of our students' lives!  Let me know if you have further questions or would like to preview some of the titles.

 On Thursday your child brought home a book order. It is due on Wednesday, December 11th. I am hopeful that the books will be here before the long holiday break. If you would like to order the books as a gift for your child, please let me know and I can keep them for a time that would work for you to pick them up.

 
 

On Thursday, December 12th, students will take their unit 4 math test. This test will cover solving open number sentences, reading and writing decimals to the hundredths place, locating decimals on a number line, and ordering decimals. We will begin our review for the test on Monday. Thank you for your support at home to help your child prepare for this test.

Friendly Reminder: German Star money and shoeboxes are due on Monday! The $2.50 is used to help purchase paper, wax, and glitter. We will start to making our stars on Thursday!