Mid-Term Already!

You read it correctly!  It's mid-term already for our third quarter.  Please be sure that you are checking Power School and keeping up-to-date with your student's assignments.  Time is passing very quickly and it's always best to be on top of the game!


Here are some updates for the past couple of weeks:


Math - We wrapped up our unit on fraction computation.  We have now moved on to some geometry and are currently covering area and volume.  We have learned formulas for calculating area of rectangles and triangles, and today we learned the formula for calculating volume of rectangular prisms.  We did this after we did some experimenting with open prisms and centimeter cubes.  We also discussed how finding volume can be similar to counting the layers of a cake; once we know how big one layer is, it's much easier to find determine the volume of all the layers!  We will be testing on Friday over this unit, so be watching for a Test Alert to come home tomorrow!


Reading - As we continue to work through our unit on adapting, we have also begun some novel studies.  Students are currently reading a novel in their lexile range.  We are meeting once a week to discuss content and use the novel material to reinforce the skills and strategies that we practice during our literacy time each day.  So far, this is going VERY smoothly and students are really enjoying the novels they've been assigned.  We will continue to focus on the skills of generalizing, using graphic sources and drawing conclusions for the next several weeks.


Writing - Last week concluded our unit on Fractured Fairy Tales creative writing.  The stories that have been written are amazing!  It's not often that we are able to cut loose and be whimsical with our writing and this certainly paid off!  The kids had a great time with it!  With that now coming to an end, we are turning our focus towards preparing for the ISTEP+ test that will take place later this month.  The test is currently being revamped and changes are quite drastic in comparison to what the students are accustomed to seeing each year.  The writing portion now includes a reading passage with an essay question at the end.  Students will be required to pull text evidence from the passage to support their essay answer.  We are hitting this hard and heavy right now!  We will continue to focus on this and some planning strategies that will help our students be successful writers, both on ISTEP+ and in future academic years.


Social Studies - Mid-term seems to be when a lot of things come to an end, and Social Studies is no exception!  We wrapped up a unit over the American Revolution last week.  Students spent several weeks reading about the causes of the war, creating timelines of the events and battles, and taking notes.  They are now putting all of that knowledge to use with a final project!  Students had about nine different options for their final project and we are using our class time this week to work on those.  This is always a fun time each year, but the projects do require creativity and sometimes a little help from parents in the form of supplies.  Students are welcome to use whatever supplies we have here at school, but don't be surprised if your student asks you to purchase something such as poster board or index cards for this project.  All projects will be due on Friday, February 6th.  We will then prepare for the ISTEP+ testing in social studies and continue studying the history of our nation after the war ended.


Science - Students in Science have been learning about the earth, it's location in our solar system and how the moon's gravity affects things such as eclipses and tides here on earth.  Students have been reading, discussing, taking notes, and watching videos.  There will be an open-book, teacher-guided test that will take place over the course of Thursday and Friday's class times this week.


As always, have a great week and feel free to contact me should you have any questions or concerns!