Important Dates:
Wednesday, September 12 @ 1:30 – Book Fair Buying
Wednesday, September 19 – Discovery Lab
Oct. 4, 5, & 8- No school for students
Technology Reminders: BYOT forms went home today. I have attached a copy of the letter. I will send an email once forms are returned and students are permitted to bring their devices to school. Once devices are brought to school, the same rules for cell phones apply. If you require them to bring their cell phone for safety reasons, please email and let me know. If a child has a cell phone, it should be off in their lockers. No phones should be ringing during class instruction. Please help us to remind students that cell phones should be off, and they should not be using their cell phones during class, especially for texting or calling.
Lunch Reminders: As a reminder, when you come to eat lunch with your child, other students are not permitted to join them on the stage. We will remind your students of this rule as well. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!
Grammar: We will continue working on our commas and quotes unit. Last week we covered all the comma rules (items in a series, direct address, in an address, in friendly letters, in dates, between city/state, compound sentences, with an appositive, and after introductory word/phrase). This week, we’ll learn the rules for writing quotations different ways (whether direct quote or divided quote). We’ll have a unit summative test in about a week.
Spelling: Students will continue working with list 2 this week. There will be a quiz next week. These lists should stay in their binders through the school year. Remember to study both the spelling and the definitions. If you would like for your child to have extra practice with their spelling words, they may use Spelling City website. https://www.spellingcity.com/pratta
Writing: We are currently studying the narrative genre. This week we will continue to work on techniques to develop the plot. We will work with adding transitions words, vivid verbs, specific nouns and descriptive language in our writing. We will also work on developing endings to our narratives.
Reading: This week we are continuing our novel which is either Old Yeller or Island of the Blue Dolphin depending on your child’s reading level. We will continue to learn about the story elements including the following: protagonist/antagonist, characterization, point of view (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd limited, and 3rd omniscient), setting, and identifying types of conflict (person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. nature, and person vs. society). We will also work with figurative language and applying it to our novels. Students will have notes in their novel folder, reading notebook, and reading section of their binder.
-Students are responsible for creating a HOTS question for each chapter they read. They will use their HOTS questions to have meaningful discussions with their book clubs. We created flipbooks with HOTS question stems last week. There is also a color coded wheel of question stems on the back of their agenda as well.
-Students will be defining vocabulary related to their novel. They need to be studying this vocab, because words will be on comprehension checks as well as the novel quiz/test.
-Students have constructed response questions for their books in their novel folder. Students will work on these questions both in class and for homework. We are working with using the TEACH strategy to answer questions correctly and thoroughly.
Please monitor your child’s monthly Book Log. Students are required to read two, 150 page books in September. Students may use their classroom novel as one of their books for the month. The second book needs to be a personal choice book on their reading level. The Book Log should be signed by a parent, and it, along with the completed book review, are due Friday, September 28. It will only be accepted if signed by parent so we can make sure the book was read and finished at home.
Wednesday, September 12 @ 1:30 – Book Fair Buying
Wednesday, September 19 – Discovery Lab
Oct. 4, 5, & 8- No school for students
Technology Reminders: BYOT forms went home today. I have attached a copy of the letter. I will send an email once forms are returned and students are permitted to bring their devices to school. Once devices are brought to school, the same rules for cell phones apply. If you require them to bring their cell phone for safety reasons, please email and let me know. If a child has a cell phone, it should be off in their lockers. No phones should be ringing during class instruction. Please help us to remind students that cell phones should be off, and they should not be using their cell phones during class, especially for texting or calling.
Lunch Reminders: As a reminder, when you come to eat lunch with your child, other students are not permitted to join them on the stage. We will remind your students of this rule as well. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!
Grammar: We will continue working on our commas and quotes unit. Last week we covered all the comma rules (items in a series, direct address, in an address, in friendly letters, in dates, between city/state, compound sentences, with an appositive, and after introductory word/phrase). This week, we’ll learn the rules for writing quotations different ways (whether direct quote or divided quote). We’ll have a unit summative test in about a week.
Spelling: Students will continue working with list 2 this week. There will be a quiz next week. These lists should stay in their binders through the school year. Remember to study both the spelling and the definitions. If you would like for your child to have extra practice with their spelling words, they may use Spelling City website. https://www.spellingcity.com/pratta
Writing: We are currently studying the narrative genre. This week we will continue to work on techniques to develop the plot. We will work with adding transitions words, vivid verbs, specific nouns and descriptive language in our writing. We will also work on developing endings to our narratives.
Reading: This week we are continuing our novel which is either Old Yeller or Island of the Blue Dolphin depending on your child’s reading level. We will continue to learn about the story elements including the following: protagonist/antagonist, characterization, point of view (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd limited, and 3rd omniscient), setting, and identifying types of conflict (person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. nature, and person vs. society). We will also work with figurative language and applying it to our novels. Students will have notes in their novel folder, reading notebook, and reading section of their binder.
-Students are responsible for creating a HOTS question for each chapter they read. They will use their HOTS questions to have meaningful discussions with their book clubs. We created flipbooks with HOTS question stems last week. There is also a color coded wheel of question stems on the back of their agenda as well.
-Students will be defining vocabulary related to their novel. They need to be studying this vocab, because words will be on comprehension checks as well as the novel quiz/test.
-Students have constructed response questions for their books in their novel folder. Students will work on these questions both in class and for homework. We are working with using the TEACH strategy to answer questions correctly and thoroughly.
Please monitor your child’s monthly Book Log. Students are required to read two, 150 page books in September. Students may use their classroom novel as one of their books for the month. The second book needs to be a personal choice book on their reading level. The Book Log should be signed by a parent, and it, along with the completed book review, are due Friday, September 28. It will only be accepted if signed by parent so we can make sure the book was read and finished at home.