9/12/14
Dear Families,
The Endeavor 4th graders are continuing to settle in nicely!
I'm sure you heard all week about the Monarch Larvae that we had to wait so patiently for.... Well they arrived Friday just before lunch! Students got to set up their jars and do some scientific observations about their larva. Most kids were VERY surprised at just how small the larvae actually were!! It will be so exciting to watch and wonder about this process over the next month!! If you or your child wants to find out more, the Journey North website is packed with information! Here is a link: http://www.learner.org/
We continue to set up the classroom community. This week we began using our writing notebooks and discussed their use. We also got reading logs, reader's notebooks and talked about Reader's Workshop expectations. I hope you have seen the reading logs come home. Students will be expected to bring them home each night, along with their "Just Right" reading book. ( I am asking them to stick with one book at a time and keep their home book and school book the same.) This reading log is a way to keep both them and me accountable for their nightly reading. It is also a great way to log and keep track of the increased reading stamina that WILL happen over the next few months. Additionally, its a tool for reflection; it is a way for me and the students to reflect on the reader's interests, challenges, etc. Please help remind your child to log their reading over the next few weeks. They'll need to note the time and page number they start on before they start reading because they log total minutes read, and start and end page each time they read. They should get the hang of it by October. Thank you for your support with this.
Speaking of, you should also have seen the 1st goal sheet come home Friday! Students will bring home a goal sheet, along with their HW for the following week every Friday. The signed goal sheet and HW will be due the following Thursday. This allows students more flexibility in when they complete the HW. I reminded the them last week that HW should be done independently and shouldn't take more than 1 hour each night. If students are struggling with a part of the HW, they can bring it in and ask for help. I do not want to cause tears at home, or give parents homework... :)
Other notes about the weekly goal sheet :
- This week is just a small amount of HW while we get into the routine of it. Typically there will be 2 math sheets, spelling, nightly reading, writing/grammar/project work, facts practice.
- Goal sheets always start with a Habit of Mind for students to reflect on. This is intended to be done at home. Students should be sincere and thoughtful in their reflections. They are also expected to use complete sentences.
- The bottom of the goal sheet will typically contain reminders/dates for families to keep in mind.
OK, that is enough for now. We're off to a great start and you should know that everywhere in the school we go, we get complimented on what a "great class" we are already!!! :)
A few photos from Friday with our monarch larvae!!!
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