Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I hope you had time to preview Trimester One Report Cards. I will see everyone in February for our second trimester conferences. I am available to answer any questions you may have.
In Reading and Writing Workshop we have begun a Realistic Fiction Unit. This week we have identified which books constitute being realistic fiction or not.  Realistic has been identified as what could really happen. We then extended our conversations into identifying the problems and solutions for our character. We used a chart to help us sort out the components of the books, which we will then use as a structure to help us with writing. The areas talked about were title, setting, characters, problem and solution. Please try to incorporate the same conversations at home with your child when they are reading.
In Math, we have begun learning the quarter hour. Remember telling time by the five minute increment is exactly the same as counting nickels. I try to incorporate as much repetitive experiences to such difficult  concepts. We have been counting by fives for a while. I just put the same skill onto the clock. We are presently learning how to tell time to the quarter hour. Please help your child recognize quarter hour on an analog clock only. They can also review half hour as well. Enjoy the pictures of the students sharing their SPCA information at Town Meeting.

In our Solar System study we learned all about the moon. Ask your child about the moon. The full moon was this past week. It was the beaver moon. It was named after the beavers actively preparing for winter. Please watch our Human Body voice thread project we completed.

We had a great time at the SPCA. They were so appreciative of all of the donations they received. All of things were in giant tubs, behind where the kids were sitting.
My students will be leading the town meeting on MONDAY, NOV. 26TH AT 8:00 A.M. Please join us if you can. Come and hear all that they learned about the animals at the SPCA. This is the only time all year, that they will be doing this.
I sent home a copy of the Gulf Coast newspaper that has the article in it, from when ChikFilA came to our class. Enjoy!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Monday! We again will have a busy week before our Thanksgiving break next week.
We will be going to the SPCA on Wednesday. If you would like to meet us, we will be there at 11:00. We will be eating lunch there. I sent home lunch forms. If you want Sage to pack your child a lunch you needed to indicate so on the lunch form, otherwise you need to send a packed lunch to school.
Our Thanksgiving party will be on Thursday, November 15th at 2:00. Please come if you can.
I think Poetry in the Park was a big hit. I received so many compliments regarding their costumes and their ability to speak loudly and clearly. Thank-you parents, you outdid yourselves!

We will be spending this week working on our human body projects and some pilgrim, native american, and Thanksgiving things. I began a realistic fiction unit in Writers Workshop. Taking information that is true and blending it with a made up story, is how we began. In Readers Workshop our focus is all comprehension.I will be sending home the Math Unit 3 Checking Progress. Please review the necessary skills with your child.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. Help your child remember things they did for our Writing ideas.

Happy Monday! I will see the students on Tuesday. I am at my daughters college doing the Mommy thing and taking her to her pre-op Dr.'s appt. for her tonsils being taken out on the 21st. I'd rather be at school. We have a busy week of assessments. I am retesting quite a few skills, to get updated information before I begin working on Trimester One  report cards. You will be able to preview them by the end of the month.
Book Fair is this week up in the Student Activity Center. Our time to buy is at 1:00 each day. You may come and shop with your child or Mrs. Rauman will be with them to help.
I am assessing the students this week so we will not be beginning any new skills except for spelling. They all received a new November/December note that shows you what skills we are working on in reading.
I can't wait for Poetry in the Park to see which Dr. Seuss character they are dressed up like. They have been writing Poetry. Come and see their scarecrows and poems, acrostic name poems, and shape poems in their journals. We have been busy.
Don't forget about our service project with the SPCA. Please send your donations to school. We will be bringing what we collected to the SPCA within the next couple of weeks.

Halloween was a blast! Enjoy the pictures.