Wow- what a week! We had a wonderful time on our fieldtrip to Sci-Tech, began our second round of MAP benchmark testing, shared lots of laughs during our read aloud, and witnessed a very exciting school spelling bee! A huge congratulations to fifth grader, Lauren, who won the school spelling bee today. We're also extremely proud of Evan, who was a strong competitor today, as well. I also have to mention how supportive and respectful the rest of our kids were: they all chose to watch the bee during the lunch hour and some even made posters.By the time the competition ended, every one of Lauren and Evan's classmates were there!
Writing: We continued our "Shortcut stories" this week. I used the students' work to teach the concept of "keeping the reader in the moment." We talked about how students will often list the events that happen in the story without painting a picture or creating a mood ("We were running late. We saw the bus, but it pulled away. We had to walk.")
Today I noticed that often, the students can revise a peer's work, but they can't identify by name what they're doing to improve the writing (in other words, they can't name the strategies they're using). We did a brief exercise in which the kids revised a paragraph that I wrote. Next week, as they read their samples, I'll identify the strategies they've used to improve my paragraph and we'll compile a list for their reference.
4th Grade Math: This we reviewed double-digit multiplication and worked on place value in 'big numbers' (billions, millions, etc.). This fifth unit really packs a lot of concepts into it! Next week we'll continue with big numbers, and begin to learn about the 'Power of 10.' The kids are slated to take their Unit 5 test on Friday, January 27th.
5th Grade Math: Check out Ms. Wennerberg's website and newsletter for updates: http://www.op97.org/swennerberg/
Science: We continued to learn about the properties of light. We used a soccer ball to simulate the path of lightwaves (lots of giggling involved!), and battled an Alien Attack online to test the properties of light.
Ask your kids about our adventures at Sci-Tech. We had a learned a lot as we tested magnets and electricity in a multitude of hands-on activities. Class 303 represented Whittier in the best way possible, and we had a blast exploring!
We are a little over halfway there on the bottle collection! If you haven't sent any clear, 2-liter bottles in yet, we'd appreciate any contribution you can make! They need to be clear (not tinted or green), rinsed out, and label-free please. Thanks to those who have sent in bottles. Keep 'em coming, and spread the word to family, friends and community. We have a blue 'bottle bin' in the Whittier lobby, so bottles can be dropped off conveniently on the first floor.
Social Studies: Check out Ms. Wennerberg's website and newsletter for updates: http://www.op97.org/swennerberg/
Ask your kids about our adventures at Sci-Tech. We had a learned a lot as we tested magnets and electricity in a multitude of hands-on activities. Class 303 represented Whittier in the best way possible, and we had a blast exploring!
We are a little over halfway there on the bottle collection! If you haven't sent any clear, 2-liter bottles in yet, we'd appreciate any contribution you can make! They need to be clear (not tinted or green), rinsed out, and label-free please. Thanks to those who have sent in bottles. Keep 'em coming, and spread the word to family, friends and community. We have a blue 'bottle bin' in the Whittier lobby, so bottles can be dropped off conveniently on the first floor.
Social Studies: Check out Ms. Wennerberg's website and newsletter for updates: http://www.op97.org/swennerberg/
Miscellaneous:
- I sent an email to begin to schedule conferences for Wednesday, February 1st and Thursday, February 2nd. Timeslots are available on Wednesday between 3:00 and 7:00 and on Thursday between 1:00 and 4:00, & 5:00 and 7:00. Please email me mklemchuk@op97.org with your preference!
- For those who've already emailed me, thank you! I'll confirm your times early next week.
