May 28, 2010

Calliope Weekly Update
May 24-28, 2010
Week Thirty-five

Reading & Writing: Students tried their best to ‘cool down’ with good books this week during the heat wave.  Students have begun work on their benchmark reading assessments for the last time this year.  We will be sharing student instructional levels in reading with you come report card time.  Mr. Bolger's class began a new read aloud: The Time Warp Trio's book -- It's All Greek to Me. Ms. Schoolcraft’s class began a new read aloud too: Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.

Math: Both third and fourth graders exclaimed ‘we have the same homework!’ Thursday afternoon (their geometry work looked similar with dot patterns)…as both grade levels are studying geometry.  Third graders’ math work is on display outside the main office in the lobby…our work included rotating designs using polygons from an earlier problem.  Come check it out!  Third graders also began to explore elements of area and geometric solids during an activity called “boxes” on Friday. Fourth Graders are hard at work studying the world of fractions.

Word Study: Mr. Bolger's Spelling Class took home their second-to-last spelling list for the year. The kids are ramping up for a year-end spelling bee covering all the spelling words and rules they have learned! Ms. S’s group began unit 10 this week, examining syllables with double vowel teams.  Students learned that vowel teams are either vowel digraphs (two vowels making one new sound) or diphthongs (pronounced diff-thongs; where the first vowel glides into the succeeding vowels). 

Science:  Tuesday marked the final NECAP assessment of the year.  Fourth graders worked in pairs or trios and then independently to complete an inquiry task.  The assessment took about 90 minutes (on arguably the hottest day of the year)…  and third graders “chilled out” in the [air conditioned] computer lab during testing, brushing up on keyboarding skills and enjoying spellingcity.com.  As for a chick update…at the writing of this update, we have hatched 1 chick.  This, although incredibly exciting, was a disappointing turnout from the 28 eggs we set on May 5^th.  We have decided to leave the incubator running over the long weekend, in the hopes that we will have a late hatch, to join our first chick, “Early.”  The eggs that are not successful will be laid to rest in the woods on Tuesday by our class.

Responsive Classroom: The heat may have played a role in both student and adult behavior this week -- cranky, cranky, cranky :)

Ask me about:  

·        How we problem-solved soccer play at recess

·       Mrs. Wirsing’s hatch

·        Vista’s Performance

Other:  Please help your child remember to bring a water bottle to school these last few weeks.  Our classroom can be quite hot, and it is easy to get dehydrated in such warm weather.  As always, thank you for keeping consistent home routines (even throughout May Madness © The Warren Family).  Please see the note in the School Bell regarding parent feedback surveys (found online).  Please complete these as soon as possible, as your feedback informs our practice and is greatly appreciated.  Finally, we look forward to several Calliope events in June!  Have a fun, relaxing and safe Memorial Day weekend!

 -- Sarah and David