Thank you for reading the updates and upcoming events below. Please note that there are two new “Helpful Documents” on the right side of this blog. There is a Riggs Marking Guide (still a work in progress) as well as the 5 jobs of “silent final e”. I hope that they are helpful to you!
Language Arts:
- Riggs - We have been continuing with learning how to spell and mark new words nearly every day. The students have been doing a great job of using their learned spelling words to create sentences as a part of their homework. We have also been learning how to form capital letters, and we will soon learn the differences between homophones, homographs, and homonyms.
- I.E.W. - We have continued to work with, and examine different poems for:
- Parts of speech; synonyms of verbs and adjectives
- Identifying the sequence of the story using the I.E.W. Story Sequence Model, and then writing K.W.O.s (Key Word Outlines) of those sequences
- Retelling the story from a K.W.O.
- Writing a paragraph from a K.W.O.
- Rewriting the story by changing the characters, setting, and maybe some events. (i.e. the rewritten Goldilocks and Three Bears picture book which was sent home, rewritten Little Miss Muffet with complete sentences soon to come)
- Summarizing, and then retelling, information learned during science using a K.W.O.
- Reading - The students are continuing to participate in reading groups each day where they read and examine texts on their level with a teacher. During read aloud, we have been focusing on:
- Author’s Purpose: Is the purpose of the text to entertain or to inform?
- Who’s talking in the text at different points: Is a character talking? If so, which one? Is a narrator talking?
- Poetry - Nearly everyone in the class has had the chance to recite The Swing, By Robert Louis Stevenson, and we will soon move on to another poem to practice for recitation! I’ll keep the title a secret for now.
Support Idea(s):
- While reading with your student, ask them to stop at certain points in the story. Ask:
- Who is telling the story now?
- What is the author’s purpose in making this story?
- Don’t forget about www.Raz-kids.com! Reminder: my teacher username is “varis”, your student’s password is the initials of their first and last name and student number (i.e. jf11).
Math
The current math concepts we have been and will be focusing on include:
- *Numbers can be shown using a drawing or picture
- When adding two-digit numbers, the sum may be greater than 100
- There are five-minute intervals between each number on the clock
- The median is the number in the middle of a set of numbers ordered from least to greatest
Support Idea(s):
Have your student answer these questions when working through their homework:
- *How can I draw a picture to show the amount for a three-digit number?
- How can I tell if the sum of 2 two-digit numbers will be greater than 100?
- How can counting by 5’s help me tell the time?
- How do I find the median in a set of numbers?
Science
We are currently studying about the solar system. We will also learn about what’s inside our planet Earth. Here are some major concepts we have been, and will be covering:
*A. Astronomy: Introduction to the Solar System
- Sun: source of energy, light, heat
- Moon: phases of the moon (full, half, crescent, new)
- The eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) (Note: In 2006, Pluto was classified as a dwarf planet.)
- Stars
- Constellations, Big Dipper
- The sun is a star.
- Earth and its place in the solar system
- The earth moves around the sun; the sun does not move.
- The earth revolves (spins); one revolution takes one day (24 hours).
- Sunrise and sunset
- When it is day where you are, it is night for people on the opposite side of the earth.
- Inside the Earth
- The shape of the Earth
- Layers: crust, mantle, core
- High temperatures
- Volcanoes and geysers
- Rocks and minerals
- Formation and characteristics of different kinds of rocks: metamorphic, igneous, sedimentary
- Important minerals in the Earth (such as quartz, gold, sulfur, coal, diamond, iron ore)
Support Idea(s):
- Talk with your student about what they have learned during our science and history lessons at school. Ask questions and see if they are able to answer them. If they are unable to answer your questions, provide extra support for them by reading books (from the library), or finding appropriate websites on the topics we're studying. Ask questions during and after the reading to encourage involvement and comprehension.
Family Reading Night - Thursday, March 7th, 6:30-7:30PM
You are invited to join the CHPCS community for a free night of literacy fun! Each classroom teacher will be reading a fabulous book and leading a fun project for child and adult pair to enjoy. Sessions will be filled on a first come, first served basis, so get your slip in soon. This night is NOT just for primary students. Middle school students are encouraged to attend. Please remember that every student needs an adult to work with them. The main objective of the night is to provide a fun literacy night for families to enjoy together. Each session is 30 minutes beginning at 6:30 p.m.. Don’t forget to stay for cake in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday at the end of session 2 AND to get the Battle of the Book list.
P.S. The activity for the book I will be reading is sock decorating--so that you can wear your creative socks! However, if you would like to make a sock puppet... that would be just fine!
Battle of the Books
Battle of the Books, BOB, is a reading incentive program for students in grades 3-8*. Students read books and come together as a class to demonstrate their abilities and test their knowledge of the books they have read. This year marks the 4th year for Cascade Heights and we are very excited to see who will win. The official book list will be revealed at Family Reading Night on March 7th, 2013.
*Grades K-2 will have a “B.O.B.” light with books on/near their level. They will be given the opportunity to read those books at home, by themselves or with an adult. They will need to remember key details from each text, and be able to cite the title and author of the book where those details come from in order to successfully participate in the battle.
Calendar At a Glance
| Thursday, February 28th | All School Assembly, 3rd grade hosting - 2:30PM |
| Saturday, March 2nd | Riggs Class for Parents, 9:30 - 11:30AM |
| Thursday, March 7th | *Family Reading Night (Dr. Seuss’ Birthday) - 6:30-7:30PM *Battle of the Books (B.O.B.) kickoff for grades 3-8 |
| Friday, March 8th | Field Trip Friday, first grade field trip to the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village in Salem - 8:00AM-3:30PM |
| Thursday, March 21st | *All School Assembly, 2nd grade hosting - 8:15AM |
| Friday, March 22nd - Sunday, March 31st | Spring Vacation |
Thank you for reading!
-Mrs. Varis
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