Update for Week of 3/2/15

I hope you all had a great weekend! There was no update sent home last week since we missed 2 days! I hope everyone was safe and warm!


From Mrs. Ary:
In reading, we are reading and discussing Amelia's Road by Linda Altman and Enrique Sanchez. The students will be making inferences to understand characters and learning how to determine text structure.

In writing, we will be beginning to research topics based on social or cultural movements that have happened in history. This is one of my favorite units of the year. The students love working independently! Be on the lookout for more information about this and how you can assist your child at home!

In social studies, we are discussing territorial expansion with an emphasis on the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the Oregon Trail.



From Mrs. Broman-Fulks:
In math, we will work on multiplying fractions by whole numbers. We will use the same strategies as multiplying whole numbers by whole numbers. We will do this in isolation and in word problems. Moving forward, we will start with tenths as fractions and decimals.

In science, we are exploring forces: causes of movement, direction, and speed. Our new central idea is "Behind every movement is a force that causes it."


Announcements:
•    Report cards will be in your child's red communication folder today. Please also find graded papers to be returned by this Friday, RSVP form for the spring luncheon, and information about the Spring Variety Show. Pennies for Patients has been extended until this Friday! Please send in any contributions by then.

•    Tour deCatur is next Saturday, March 14th (Pi day)! In the spirit of all things pi... or pie... the Friday night Expo will offer a chance to throw pie in a teacher's face. Teachers who have volunteered so far are Mrs. Radford (Ms. Art), Mrs. Goodman-Terrell, and Mrs. Broman-Fulks!!! Find more information about signing up and the expo [ https://decatureducationfoundation.org/community-events/2015-tour-decatur-to-be-held-on-pi-day-3-14-15/ ]here.

•    The Spring Luncheon will be Thursday, March 12. Our scheduled lunch time is 12:20-12:50 (this is not our usual lunch time).

•    College and Career Explorations will be next Friday, March 13 1:00-2:30. If you are interested in leading an exploration, please read the following from the State Department of Education: http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Pages/Elementary-Cluster-Activities.aspx. There is also more specific information if you go to the sign-up link: http://goo.gl/forms/vb891XWn3l

•    Student-Led Conferences are this Thursday. Please refer to the email I sent last Friday for signup information. This is information that Ms. Newton sent last night. Please pay particular attention to the information about visiting other teachers before or after your classroom conference:



Portfolio Night Thursday, March 5th

This night is designed for students to have an opportunity to inform parents about what they have learned, demonstrate new understandings and articulate personal goals for the remainder of the school year. Please make sure that you have signed up with your homeroom teacher to attend with your child(ren).  Our goal is to have students independently lead parents through their portfolio of learning for the IB unit of inquiry, How We Express Ourselves.  However, if you need additional information or clarification there will be an opportunity to indicate that.  Teachers will respond to all inquiries via email soon after this event.

This sharing of work also includes Spanish, the Arts and Physical Education.  Additional areas of the building will be open so that students can share how their learning in these areas also connected to the unit of study, How We Express Ourselves.  Feel free to visit these areas before or after your scheduled conference time in the classroom.

•    Music:  Room 227
•    Art:  Cafeteria & Falcon's Nest
•    Spanish:  Media Center
•    Physical Education:  Multi-Purpose room

Also, feel free to stop by room 135 if you need to briefly speak with LINKS or EIP teachers. 




Have a great week! As always, let me know if you have any questions!