November 29-December 3

Welcome Back!

Math: This week we are focusing on graphing and order of operations. There will be homework every night except Friday.

Writing: We are writing persuasive letters to Santa.

Spelling/Reading: The spelling packet is due and the test will be taken Friday. The spelling words for this week are: dollar, honor, collar, closet, common, lobster, quantity, hospital, solid, copper, wander, problem, object, comma, watch, bother, bottom, shock, honest, and promise.

November's book report is due Wednesday December 1. I am giving a 1 day extension due to the holidays. The book report for December is any choice of genre; however it must contain at least 150 pages. Students will receive their book report project packets this week. The book report for December will be due December 16th.

Social Studies: We will be taking the Early European Settlements test this Thursday. Students have a study guide and should know all of the information within it. If they know the material in the study guide they will do very well.

November 15-19

Remember the kids have all next week off November 22-26! Enjoy Thanksgiving!

This week:

Math: We are beginning ordered pairs, bar and line graphs, mean, median, mode, and range. Students will have homework every night but Friday.

Writing: Students are writing persuasive papers entitled, "I'm the BEST turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner."

Spelling: The spelling packet is due Friday. We will also take the test that day. This week's words are: mild, library, science, guide, idea, quite, awhile, ninth, pirate, polite, tried, decide, remind, revise, island, grind, knife, climb, invite, and blind. I will give students about 40 minutes in class this week to do it and they will be expected to do the rest for homework. Look at the side bar for ideas to study the words.

Social Studies: We are finishing our unit on the Colonies. On Friday we will have a Thanksgiving feast. Students can bring 6 healthy snacks to contribute.

There will be a quiz on the 13 colonies this Friday. Students have maps that they are to memorize this week.

Our class needs tissues and Clorox wipes. If you donate any of these items, students will receive class fake money.

Just a reminder: Book reports are due November 30th. This project will take longer than last months. Please plan accordingly! The genre this month is non-fiction. Students should be done reading.

November 8-12

Math: This week we are reviewing division, factors, prime factorization, and multiplication. Students will take the unit test this Friday. They will have math homework Monday-Thursday.

Spelling/Vocabulary: This week we are working on plural words. The spelling packet is due and the test will be taken Friday. The words this week are: stories, wives, benches, skis, calves, sandwiches, branches, athletes, parties, companies, neighbors, hobbies, exercises, penalties, degrees, vegetables, speeches, crashes, wishes, and businesses.

The students will be tested on the following vocabulary words this Friday as well:

1. Indentured servant: a person who agreed to serve a colonist for a period of time in return for ship fare, food, shelter

2. Burgess: A landowner who could vote in colonial Virginia

3. Puritans: A group of people who wanted to purify the Church of England

4. religious toleration: The willingness to allow people to worship according to their own beliefs.

5. plantation: Large farms, usually in the Southern colonies, where one crop was grown

6. Quakers: A religious group from England who believed that all men and women were equal and who refused to fight in war.

7. Jamestown: The first permanent English settlement in America

8. Plymouth Plantation: A settlement in Massachusetts started by the Pilgrims

9. tabacco: A crop grown and sold to England by the Jamestown colonists

10. Roger Williams: A minister who started the town of Providence, Rhode Island

11. barter: to trade by exchanging goods instead of money

12. pillory: A wooden frame with holes for head and arms, used to punish people

13. pilgrim: A person who travels for religious reasons

Reading: The book report this month is non-fiction. Students are writing their own non-fiction books. This project will take a little more time than last month. Please plan to finish reading your book by the end of this week so that you can have sufficient time to work on this. The book report is due November 30th. Students received the instructions for the book report last Friday.

Social Studies: We are learning about the different New England, Middle, and Southern colonies this week.

Writing: We are finishing up the format for persuasive papers.

On Monday students received their scores from the IOWA testing they took at the beginning of the year. This is a copy for parents to see and keep. If your child has not shown you this paper, please ask to see it.

November 1-4

This week is Parent/Teacher Conferences!!! Your child will bring home a note reminding you of the time you signed up for this Monday! If you have any questions, write them in your child's planner. Also, make sure to bring your child! I look forward to meeting with you!

Due to Parent Teacher Conferences, there is no school Friday! That means Thursday is an early out day.

Look below to see Biztown and Halloween pictures!

Math: We are working on division and reviewing multiplication. Students will be taking a test on both of these concepts next week. Look at last weeks blog for some helpful hints to help your child at home. Students will have homework Monday-Wednesday.

Writing: We will be working on the format for beginning persuasive papers.

Reading/Language: This week we are focusing on verbs and summarizing. All work will be done in class. Reading minutes for last week are due Tuesday November 2. The genre for the book report this month in non-fiction. Students must pick a book on their reading level that is at least 100 pages long.

Spelling: There is spelling this week. Students will take the test this Thursday. The spelling words are: business, system, package, skill, chicken, mystery, arithmetic, film, message, picnic, kitchen, damage, village, sixth, garbage, pitch, insect, cottage, insist, and timid. For ideas to study spelling at home look at the side bar.

Social Studies: We are focusing on Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay Colony.