Week Of May 10, 2010

ArtStart! This is the week we build houses and public buildings, using the assortment of boxes I’ve asked you to collect. Our Architecture ArtStart program has enhanced learning in so many ways. For last week’s lego hourses, and this week’s box buildings, we are practicing how to determine the perimeter and area of each. Next week we will be urban planners, and design a community using all of our buildings.

We are at the final stage of our dinosaur research writing process: sharing! The students have done a fantastic job, having had consistent, dedicated support from Kai’s and Julian’s moms!!! Most students did their own typing, and we now we can share our published work in 3 ways: reading aloud to the class, making a class Big Book, publishing on the internet! I hope to have it linked on both my blog as well as the school webpage.

For reading and social studies on the different cultures within our country, this week we read “The First Americans”; this nonfiction work is full of interesting information about the native people of different regions of our country. Vocabulary: wampum, tundra, tepees, warriors. Our spelling words are all prefixes: redo, retake, rename, retry, retest, uneven, unpack, unlock, unroll, unsure.

Math: Our work with fractions continues. The most important concept for the students to master is that the bottom number (denominator) tells the total number of equal parts, and the top number (numerator) is the number of parts we are talking about. Parents, look for real-life situations at home where you use fractions, especially in the kitchen.

Social Studies: We finish our study of Government by studying the national government, democracy, and nations working together around the world. Test on Friday.

Homework
Daily: read for 20 minutes, plan now for your final book report (Kudos to Jane who has already done hers!), do cursive & home link the night they come home; practice spelling, math facts (for mental math quizzes) and vocabulary
Due by Wednesday: 10 or more boxes, no larger than a shoe box; also, Spelling workbook, pages 122-125 (or substitute challenge sentences for 124-125).
For Friday: twin day; be ready for tests: social studies (Government), spelling, reading, vocab.

Coming…
Tue, 5/18, 6-7 PM: Mark your calendar for the special Room 203 Open House, celebrating creation of “Our Town” (note change of date)
Thurs, 5/20: Last day for book reports
Fri, 5/21: Olympic Day! Last day to turn in PBIS Pool Party permission slips.
Wed, 6/2: 2nd Grade End-of-the-Year Picnic at Fox Park
Thurs, 6/3: Last day/hour of school. Dismissal at 9 AM; PBIS Pool Celebration at Rehm Pool from 9:45 – 11:45.

For Parents to do….
* Please call Lori Bradford if you can help spray paint our buildings this Thursday or Friday!
* Please fill out the survey of our PBIS (Positive Behavior Incentive System), either online
(http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MXJWFF5) or, pick up a hard copy in the office, which is due to the office Wednesday morning.
* Also, do your kids like Tasty Dog? My adult kids still do, so I’m treating them to Tasty Dog this Thursday, because Longfellow will receive a percentage of all sales designated as Longfellow friends or families. The district elementary school with the highest participation will also receive $200. Come out and support Longfellow School on this easy, tasty Fundraiser!

My Classroom Blog: http://d97lambshead.blogspot.com/
Digital backpack: http://www.op97.org/longfellow/digitalbackpack/ Mrs. Dolezal’s Blog: http://d97dolezalsdesktop.blogspot.com/ PTO: http://www.longfellow-pto.org