Hello parents--Ms. Pratt here,
How about that SNOW! I hope you were able to enjoy the snow day!! Please continue to encourage your students to continue following our big three: Show respect for myself, Show respect for others, and Be 100% accountable.
Important Dates:
February 4-11 – Valentine Gram Sales $1
February 10-13 – Staff Appreciation Week
February 13 – Class Valentine Exchange
February 13 – Show the Love, Relay for Life Fundraiser—wear Red and Show some Love!
February 14 – No School for Students, Staff RFF day
February 17 – No School- Presidents’ Day
February 19 – International Day
February 26 – Spring Picture Day
Middle School Connections and Foreign Language Forms:
Students are coming home today with a yellow form for them to choose their middle school connections classes and their foreign language or reading options. The first connections option is general connections and the second option is the Performing Music Connection which allows students to choose between Band, Chorus, or Orchestra. lease select one before sending back...I cannot choose this for you. Students also have the option to take Spanish, French, or Latin as a foreign language. Their other option is to take an additional reading course. All students will still have reading as part of their language arts class-this is for an additional reading class for extra help. I strongly suggest reading for those students who continue to struggle with reading comprehension and other reading skills. If your child scored below grade level on their 4th grade Milestones (2- or 1), they will be required to take reading next year. If your child scored a 3 or 4 on Reading Milestones, then they could take the foreign language. Students may also be recommended to take reading by their 5th grade reading teacher. Forms are due THURSDAY.
Valentine Exchange: Each homeroom class will be having a Valentine Exchange on Thursday, February 13. Your child does not have to participate, but if they do choose to participate, they need to bring a Valentine for each student in the class (Pratt’s homeroom=26 students). We have a new student, so please be sure to include 26 Valentines! I hope you have a LOVEly day that day, too! Thanks!
International Day Coming Soon!
If you are interested in helping with International Day, please see separate email and attachment.
Coach Digital:
Now that we are in the 2nd semester of school, many of you have asked about how you can help your child prepare for the upcoming the Georgia Milestones Assessment. Our AMAZING Dolvin Foundation purchased the rights to the Coach Digital electronic platform for all our students to access from home and school in order to prepare for the assessment. To access the platform, please go to www.coachdigital.com
Once there, select Georgia for the first drop down, Fulton County for the second drop down, and Dolvin Elementary for the third drop down. Your child's username is their 10-digit lunch number (which they know) and the password is 123456.
Word Work: Spelling/Vocabulary: Word Work list 9 was passed out today. All lists should stay in their binder. For extra practice, please visit spellingcity.com/pratta. I have loaded all lists onto this site for practice (some might change throughout the year). We have changed the quizzes slightly this semester to reflect the fact that our "Word Study" time in class is not just about spelling, but also about morphology and vocabulary. Due to this, our tradition spelling quizzes will now be updated to include a different vocabulary section as well as sort sections based on the affixes discussed in class.
Grammar: We will continue our grammar unit on Verb Tense. We will review verb phrases (helping verbs and main verbs), basic 3 verb tenses and principal parts of verbs (participles). Next week, we’ll continue participles, verb tense, and begin learning about perfect tense (past-perfect, present-perfect, and future-perfect). There will be a unit test toward the end of February.
Writing: We will continue our unit on opinion writing. We will continue brainstorming to choose a stance by making a pro/con chart. Then we will use the pro/cons to help us develop counterarguments and started learning about the structure of an introduction. They’ll continue working through the structure from beginning to end on their practice paper. They will begin by reading articles for information and creating a pro/con chart. We will work on the organizer, writing an intro, reviewing the structure of the detail paragraphs, adding citations/evidence, and adding transitions.
Reading: We will continue our unit on Folklore (fables, folktales, myths, and legends). We will continue reviewing all of the story elements, theme, setting, characterization, conflict resolution, and in addition tone. We will learn about tone/mood. We will also work with comparing and contrasting two characters in a folktale/myth. We will also be comparing similar stories written in different forms. Please monitor your child’s monthly Book Log Review. Students are required to read two, 150 page books, or one 300 page pre-approved book in February. Please help keep your student on track with their reading. The Book Review should be signed by a parent. The log along with the completed book review, are due Friday, February 28th.
If you would like extra practice for your child at home, visit the Launchpad website launchpad.fultonschools.org. There are many useful links available. One is a link for i-Ready. Your child should use this link for i-Ready for additional practice at home and at school. It is a Fulton County directive, that all students complete 40-60 minutes of iReady a week.
School Dress Code:
Just a reminder of the Dress code as written in the Dolvin Handbook. We will continue to give the students reminders about “school clothes” and “play/home clothes” as well. Thank you for helping reinforce the school dress code with the students. Also please remind your students to bring warm winter coats and accessories for when we are outside at recess. We encourage students to wear long pants over shorts in the mornings and at recess. If they get hot in the building, they may remove them and wear shorts inside the building. Hats should be removed once inside the building.
All students shall dress appropriately so as not to disrupt or interfere with the educational program or orderly operation of the school. Extremes in dressing and grooming will not be permitted. Shorts and skirts must meet finger-tip rule and straps must be one inch in width. Bare midriffs, see through clothing, and apparel that designate gangs or similar are not appropriate wear. Flip flops should not be worn to school. On the first violation, the teacher will send a note home to remind the parent and student of the dress code. For the second violation, students will be asked to call home for appropriate clothing or borrow from the clinic.
Devices
Students are not permitted to bring any devices to school at this time. We have not signed technology permission forms. If your student needs a cell phone for after school safety reasons, please let me know. The phone must be off and in their locker at all times. Please direct all necessary communication through the teacher.
Hello parents--Ms. Pratt here,
How about that SNOW! I hope you were able to enjoy the snow day!! Please continue to encourage your students to continue following our big three: Show respect for myself, Show respect for others, and Be 100% accountable.
Important Dates:
February 4-11 – Valentine Gram Sales $1
February 10-13 – Staff Appreciation Week
February 13 – Class Valentine Exchange
February 13 – Show the Love, Relay for Life Fundraiser—wear Red and Show some Love!
February 14 – No School for Students, Staff RFF day
February 17 – No School- Presidents’ Day
February 19 – International Day
February 26 – Spring Picture Day
Middle School Connections and Foreign Language Forms:
Students are coming home today with a yellow form for them to choose their middle school connections classes and their foreign language or reading options. The first connections option is general connections and the second option is the Performing Music Connection which allows students to choose between Band, Chorus, or Orchestra. lease select one before sending back...I cannot choose this for you. Students also have the option to take Spanish, French, or Latin as a foreign language. Their other option is to take an additional reading course. All students will still have reading as part of their language arts class-this is for an additional reading class for extra help. I strongly suggest reading for those students who continue to struggle with reading comprehension and other reading skills. If your child scored below grade level on their 4th grade Milestones (2- or 1), they will be required to take reading next year. If your child scored a 3 or 4 on Reading Milestones, then they could take the foreign language. Students may also be recommended to take reading by their 5th grade reading teacher. Forms are due THURSDAY.
Valentine Exchange: Each homeroom class will be having a Valentine Exchange on Thursday, February 13. Your child does not have to participate, but if they do choose to participate, they need to bring a Valentine for each student in the class (Pratt’s homeroom=26 students). We have a new student, so please be sure to include 26 Valentines! I hope you have a LOVEly day that day, too! Thanks!
International Day Coming Soon!
If you are interested in helping with International Day, please see separate email and attachment.
Coach Digital:
Now that we are in the 2nd semester of school, many of you have asked about how you can help your child prepare for the upcoming the Georgia Milestones Assessment. Our AMAZING Dolvin Foundation purchased the rights to the Coach Digital electronic platform for all our students to access from home and school in order to prepare for the assessment. To access the platform, please go to www.coachdigital.com
Once there, select Georgia for the first drop down, Fulton County for the second drop down, and Dolvin Elementary for the third drop down. Your child's username is their 10-digit lunch number (which they know) and the password is 123456.
Word Work: Spelling/Vocabulary: Word Work list 9 was passed out today. All lists should stay in their binder. For extra practice, please visit spellingcity.com/pratta. I have loaded all lists onto this site for practice (some might change throughout the year). We have changed the quizzes slightly this semester to reflect the fact that our "Word Study" time in class is not just about spelling, but also about morphology and vocabulary. Due to this, our tradition spelling quizzes will now be updated to include a different vocabulary section as well as sort sections based on the affixes discussed in class.
Grammar: We will continue our grammar unit on Verb Tense. We will review verb phrases (helping verbs and main verbs), basic 3 verb tenses and principal parts of verbs (participles). Next week, we’ll continue participles, verb tense, and begin learning about perfect tense (past-perfect, present-perfect, and future-perfect). There will be a unit test toward the end of February.
Writing: We will continue our unit on opinion writing. We will continue brainstorming to choose a stance by making a pro/con chart. Then we will use the pro/cons to help us develop counterarguments and started learning about the structure of an introduction. They’ll continue working through the structure from beginning to end on their practice paper. They will begin by reading articles for information and creating a pro/con chart. We will work on the organizer, writing an intro, reviewing the structure of the detail paragraphs, adding citations/evidence, and adding transitions.
Reading: We will continue our unit on Folklore (fables, folktales, myths, and legends). We will continue reviewing all of the story elements, theme, setting, characterization, conflict resolution, and in addition tone. We will learn about tone/mood. We will also work with comparing and contrasting two characters in a folktale/myth. We will also be comparing similar stories written in different forms. Please monitor your child’s monthly Book Log Review. Students are required to read two, 150 page books, or one 300 page pre-approved book in February. Please help keep your student on track with their reading. The Book Review should be signed by a parent. The log along with the completed book review, are due Friday, February 28th.
If you would like extra practice for your child at home, visit the Launchpad website launchpad.fultonschools.org. There are many useful links available. One is a link for i-Ready. Your child should use this link for i-Ready for additional practice at home and at school. It is a Fulton County directive, that all students complete 40-60 minutes of iReady a week.
School Dress Code:
Just a reminder of the Dress code as written in the Dolvin Handbook. We will continue to give the students reminders about “school clothes” and “play/home clothes” as well. Thank you for helping reinforce the school dress code with the students. Also please remind your students to bring warm winter coats and accessories for when we are outside at recess. We encourage students to wear long pants over shorts in the mornings and at recess. If they get hot in the building, they may remove them and wear shorts inside the building. Hats should be removed once inside the building.
All students shall dress appropriately so as not to disrupt or interfere with the educational program or orderly operation of the school. Extremes in dressing and grooming will not be permitted. Shorts and skirts must meet finger-tip rule and straps must be one inch in width. Bare midriffs, see through clothing, and apparel that designate gangs or similar are not appropriate wear. Flip flops should not be worn to school. On the first violation, the teacher will send a note home to remind the parent and student of the dress code. For the second violation, students will be asked to call home for appropriate clothing or borrow from the clinic.
Devices
Students are not permitted to bring any devices to school at this time. We have not signed technology permission forms. If your student needs a cell phone for after school safety reasons, please let me know. The phone must be off and in their locker at all times. Please direct all necessary communication through the teacher.