The Day After...

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. I know I did!

This morning in reading, I reviewed and handed out the new reading logs. Students will be expected to read for AT LEAST 20 UNINTERRUPTED minutes 4 times each week. This can be done in school or at home, in the morning, afternoon or even on the weekend. Students can read anything that is on their reading level, including books and magazines.

Each time the students read they MUST make an entry into the reading log on the chart provided. Students may read two times per day and mark both sessions but no more than that.

Once each week, after the fourth uninterrupted 20 minute reading session, the children are expected to write a letter to me, in their log, on the lined paper provided, using one of the ideas listed in the packet. This will be collected each week and scored. The date of collection will be noted in their homework planner.

The first time I will collect the reading logs is THIS Friday, December 2.

Next, we learned about the different tenses of verbs and how they need to "agree" with the subject. Our primary focus was on present tense verbs and the general rule is that if the subject is singular, add an -s or -es, if the subject is plural you add nothing to the end of the verb.

After that, I introduced the new WOW, heed (to obey; listen to) and we practiced using the word in sentences. Finally, I distributed and went over our next spelling packet which focuses on words with -ough and verbs. This packet is due December 9.

Believe it or not, this took up our entire morning reading block. So, this afternoon I will meet with all three groups while the students work independently.

In math we began to construct rectangles on a grid when given a specified area. We had to end early, as we were treated to a special performance of The Star Spangled Banner, as composed by some of our 5th grade students and performed by members of the BSO. When we returned to class, the students received a measurement worksheet (review) for homework.

Following music, lunch and outdoor recess, I met with all three reading groups while the students worked on independent activities.

Bears: We continued reading Leaving Home and focused on comparing and contrasting the immigrants lives to ours.

Crabs: We finished reading and discussing A Wolf Pup Diary and practiced breaking down unknown words.

Lions: We used the heading s in the book to orally identify the main idea of each section. Then I explained that by doing so, we had basically done a summary of the book.

We ended the day by visiting a jeans production site , on line, and charting the capital, natural and human resources needed to produce a pair of jeans.