Sunday, January 25, 2015

Hi All,

I hope you enjoyed this beautiful weekend weather!

Last week we wrapped up our Biography Unit with A-Z Reader about Gandhi. I hope your child shared something they learned about this great world leader. In RTI we will now be enjoying the Historical Fiction novel, By the Great Horn Spoon. Students will be keeping a reading journal as we enjoy this fun book about a boy and his butler's Gold Rush adventure.

In addition, your child should now know which mission their Mission Report and Project will be on; however, all research is still happening in class. The project and final draft of the report will be homework in a couple of weeks. I will send home a list of potential projects after more research has been accomplished.

Finally, I'm making a shift with the weekly homework. We will no longer have spelling words and tests, but will be focusing instead on weekly Grammar, or short Writing tasks. The rest of the weekly packet will remain the same, with Math homework continuing to be assigned and due daily. Please remind your child that we are still reading and taking AR tests.  I've reset the goals for the second half of this trimester, but found that several children missed their point goal by a long shot. These goals are individualized, based on your child's reading level, and should be achievable if they're using their homework and in-class reading time appropriately.

Take care, and have a great week,
Carroll Mayer

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Hello All,
Welcome back!  I imagine you all had a terrific vacation. It seemed long (in a good way!)

Over the next several weeks we will continue exploring various division and multiplication strategies, including the standard algorithm we've all grown accustomed to. Here's a video on the topic:
Common Core Math
In Social Studies, we'll read the text about missions, and then begin research projects about missions. The at-home portion of the project is scheduled for about 3 weeks from today, with more info. to follow.

We continue to use pencils and dry erase pens at an amazing rate. After we use up the thick pens, I'm shifting to the thin ones as they seem to work better for math. Any donations of these 2 items, as well as Kleenex and prize box supplies, are welcomed!

Finally, while it was way back in 2014, a big thank you to the parents who organized and attended our class party. The kids had a terrific time! In addition, thank you all for my class gift. It was fun to spend!

Take care,
Carroll Mayer