Oh the rain! It caused us to cancel our bike safety lesson in PE and reschedule the 5th grade picnic. Nonetheless, the kids remained in good spirits for a wonderful week of learning and play. We bid a very fond farewell to Mrs. Weiss on Thursday. We are so grateful for the dedication and extra effort she put forth this year as Mrs. Madsen's and my substitute. She loved our kids and they loved her back; we will miss her but look forward to her visit near the end of our year!
Reading: We completed MAP testing this week, as well as the cyberbullying articles and response. I had the kids revise their responses after seeing the criteria for a PR vs an EX. Their revisions improved their work. This shows self-evaluation and the ability to look at their own work with a critical eye. I look forward to rereading their responses. Ask your kids about their independent reading logs, how many novels they've read, and what they're currently reading.
Writing: Our writers are nearly done drafting their persuasive pieces. We used some exemplar texts to pull out good writing techniques during mini-lessons this week and I could actually see the kids applying what they learned. I'm pleased with their investment in these pieces. Next week we'll revise and begin typing. Ask your kids about the topic they chose- what "RAFT" did they pick?
4th Grade Math: The beginning of our geometry unit has been very successful. We've worked on identifying, constructing, labeling and naming lines, rays, and angles. Now we are learning how to measure angles. If your son or daughter does not have a ruler and protractor, please try to get them one this weekend. You can purchase them at stores like Walgreens, Target, or CVS.
Science: We've had a ton of fun completing several Land & Water experiments this week. I'm so proud of the kids for working together to share, take turns, and collaborate on some messy and complicated instructions. When I say our unit is about land and water, I literally mean that we are flooding boxes of soil/ clay/ sand and letting it run out of a hole in the corner! Much responsibility is required :) Ask your kids about how they made it rain, and then made a waterfall- what were the differences in erosion? Ask them about what it means to simulate something.
5th Grade Math: Check out Mrs. Madsen's website and newsletter for updates: http://www.op97.org/swennerberg/
Social Studies: Check out Mrs. Madsen's website and newsletter for updates: http://www.op97.org/swennerberg/
Miscellaneous
- Schools for Salone: Join the Whittier Community on Saturday, May 17th to welcome Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars. This afro pop band will answer questions and play a few songs for us. Check them out at http://
sierraleonesrefugeeallstars. com Put on your dancing shoes and get ready for some fun!!
- There has been a change to the music concert information. - Performing at 7:00: Boult, Mangiantini, Lukeheart , Weiss/Madsen, Suggs (Arr. in homerooms at 6:45) - Performing at 7:30: Recorder Club and Whittier Chorus (Arrive in MUSIC ROOM at 7:15) - Performing at 7:45: Boult, Darley, McDaniels, Roskos, Suggs (Arrive in homerooms at 7:30)
