Weekly Update!

Good evening!  I hope your families are staying healthy.   My daughter, Matilda, made a cameo in the classroom this morning while I waited for my husband to come rescue her and take her home sick. We have had quite a bit of illness surrounding us lately.  Thankfully, we have been sanitizing those desks!

Curriculum Update:

Reading:  This week's main selection is called Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey.  Our comprehension strategies are determining cause and effect and using it to summarize what we have read.  The small group books will help to reinforce these skills.

Spelling:  Students are practicing spelling the vowel sounds heard in the words boot and cook. 

Grammar:  We are identifying how to appropriately use the past tense of irregular verbs.  Ex:  He will come to the house.  He came to the house last week.  He has come the house before.

Writing:  Students will begin brainstorming ideas and planning a persuasive essay this week. 

Math:  We started Unit 7:Multiplication and Division this past week. Unit 7 extends the basic multiplication and division skills that we learned in the first half of the year. Unit 7 has four main areas of focus:

• To review multiplication and division patterns
• To extend basic multiplication facts
• To practice making estimates of costs
• To explore ratios and geometric figures

Students have fact triangles that they have cut out at school. They keep these in the zipper pocket of their Leopard Books. Students should be bringing these home to practice each night.  

Here is the Everyday Mathematics website below. I encourage your child to play Baseball Multiplication. If it seems too difficult at first, have your child use a multiplication table to help them.  Please let me know if you would like me to print off a copy for your use at home.

https://emgames.everydaymathonline.com/demosite/demo_chooser_3.html

Science:  We started our new unit called Structures of Life.  The students are very excited about it!  Today we discussed our thoughts when completing the sentence, "When I think of seeds, it makes me think of..."  Tomorrow, students will observe the properties of bean pods.  Thank you to all of you who sent fruit in with your child!  We will be using those fruits on Wednesday to observe and count seeds. 

**Students should continue working on their Optimist Good Reader Program reading and summaries.  The due date for this program is Friday, February 15. 

**Please help your child remember to share his/her planners with you on a daily basis, especially if a signature is needed for late assignments. 

**Stay tuned for an introduction to our fabulous student teacher, Miss Head!  She will be "guest posting " very soon!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Johnsen

johnsen.jill@iccsd.k12.ia.us