Week of January 26, 2010

It’s the online computer age… In case you didn’t see last week’s Thursday packet… we will now save paper by publishing it online at: http://www.op97.org/longfellow/digitalbackpack/. If you do wish to continue receiving paper copies you need to let the office know.
Also, you can fill out the optional Scholastic Book order online… go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs → parents →You’ll need to register & use our class activation code: 1FFAG. I’ve extended the due date to this Thursday, 1/28.

This short week will fly by, with Thursday’s field trip, and all the students’ wonderful book report presentations! Another special event is Friday’s celebration of the Wellness Committee theme for January: to get a good night of sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. So sleep in a bit on Friday morning and come to school in your PJs, for a healthy breakfast in the classroom! Olivia’s mom is organizing a potluck breakfast; please contact her (528-4032) to arrange what healthy food your child can contribute.

In reading this week we will finish our story map summaries of the book, Kate Shelly & the Midnight Express. Then we’ll learn more about individual dinosaurs by reading Dinosaur Time, and make a chart organizing the characteristics of these different dinosaurs. During our field trip we’ll “dig up” dinosaur bones in “the field”, and also work “in the lab” studying the bones to determine where they fit in the skeleton of a suchomimus. Back at school we will use what we experienced, as well as our fossil reading, to write about being a paleontologist. This week’s spelling words all use the consonant blends of wh or sh.

Math: As you can see from our last Home Link, we are learning to be observant of shapes, and notice how things are alike and how they are different. This is foundational to seeing & understanding how shapes are classified. This week we will study polygons (closed shapes with many angles or corners) and learn the difference between a line and a line segment.

Science: While we’re loving our Sink & Float study, this week our science is being paleontologists!

Homework
Daily: read aloud for 20 minutes and fill in your January Book It calendar; Home Links and cursive papers are due the next day; practice your spelling
Due any day this week: January book report
Due Thursday: Parent-teacher conference confirmation forms; Field trip – wear comfortable Paleontologist’s clothes & bring a healthy snack as well as your lunch. Final day to submit paper or on-line Scholastic Book Orders & money; Spelling workbook, pages 74-77 (or meaningful sentences if you have challenge words).
For Friday: Spelling test; PJ & breakfast in the classroom day! Also, this is the last day for contributions for the St. Jude’s math-a-thon, and the Longfellow blanket drive.
Due next Monday: January Book It Calendar;
Capture 5 recording sheet of your moves in the game you play with an older member of your family.

Coming home: reading, spelling & math tests! The last reading test was quite difficult; and many students did very well on the last math test! Keep the important green packet about our March 18 Science Fair in a safe place for frequent referral. Also, parents, please note your conference time, attached, and return the confirmation slip!