Sunday, January 26, 2014

Hi All,

Last night I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Booka thanks to the generous gift certificate I received from the class at Christmas. Thank you all, once again; it was a real pleasure!

This week the class will be learning about government during our Social Studies block. In writing, the kids are working on the text for their "Little Red Ridinghood" pop-ups.  The geometry unit in math wraps up on Tuesday, and then we will move on to division.

Many people have been asking about the Famous American projects. At this point, students should be reading the biographies that they were to have selected by the 17th. We will start working on the project in class in a couple of weeks, and will be doing the rest of the research and first drafts at school. I will keep parents and students up-to-date as we set various deadlines, and there will be plenty of notice as they approach.

Finally, the permission slip for our field trip to the MAH was sent home on Tuesday. If you haven't already returned it with your child please do so ASAP.  Thank you Sandi Kolassa for coordinating this trip, along with all the others!

Take care, and have a great week.
Carroll Mayer

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome back!  I trust you had a great vacation, and are ready for the second half of the year.  Thanks to all of you who sent us off with such a great party in December, especially Kristen and Amy.   Thanks, as well, for my fun gifts. I will be enjoying the various gift certificates and the museum membership for all of 2014.   Happy New Year!

This week, we will begin Dogzilla, one of the most popular stories in our anthology. We will be studying the ways that authors inject humor into their writing, as well as comparing elements of fantasy and reality. In math, we will review perimeter, and then study area.  There will be a test on these concepts later in the week.  In Social Studies, we will learn about some of the various individuals who have worked for our freedoms, from the Founding Fathers to Martin Luther King, Jr.  

As for homework, students should have a plan as to who they want to read about for their Famous American research project. The homework packets now have an additional page, so that students can practice grammar skills addressed in class.

Finally, we have a field trip coming up in early February, to the Museum of Art and History. Please be on the lookout for the permission slip for this trip on 2/4/14.

Take care,
Carroll