Hello Parents,

Please see the detailed list below of important dates to have on your calendar for October and November. Our make up Back to School Night is scheduled for Wednesday October 25 at 5:30.

ELA: Lucy Calkin's reader's workshop on a daily basis. It is important to be sure your child is reading 40 minutes nightly and applying the strategies taught in class. We are focusing on theories about our characters.

Read Aloud books: Wringer, The Tiger Rising, Indian in the Cupboard

SC Symphony: daily musical compositions are introduced and enjoyed every morning.

Harmony: best practices school-wide curriculum for building a strong social-emotional community within our classroom.

AR Reading: Accelerated Reader continues to be an important part of our reading program.  Students are reading appropriate AR books found through the AR book find link and then quizzing on them within 24 hours of finishing their book.  It is critical to support your child in book selection (most books are in our school and classroom libraries) and to remind them to read, read, read whenever the opportunity arises--in the car, while waiting for an appt., to and from school, before bed time, on a Sunday in your jammies, etc.  These books should travel to and from the classroom in a daily fashion for classroom DEAR (drop everything and read) sessions as well as nightly reading homework and beyond.  Students have a goal of 14 points for this first trimester.  Each book has a certain amount of points it is worth.  This information is listed with reading level and appropriateness (grade school, middle school, high school, for example).  Points per book range from 3 to 5, generally, with longer books being worth more points.  On an average this is going to mean your child is reading anywhere from 3-5 books by November 1.  That said, help your child select books that are on their reading level, and have high interest for them.  This will allow them to accomplish reading books from start to finish successfully.
    
Math: 4th the 4 operations; 5th the order of operations

In addition, students are expected to have their times tables memorized by the end of October (2's through 12's).  If your child isn't saying times tables in the car on the way to and from school and every night for a 5 minute run through (and driving you a bit crazy), something is amiss.  These are goals that were set in early September.  In order for your child to be successful with the math in this grade level, it is important to have these skills down.  Please have some fun with these and have your child rehearse daily so that they can test on these math facts by the end of the month. multiplication music

Science: Experiments with magnets and electricity.

Social Studies: Early colonial settlements

Writing and Grammar and Spelling: Weekly lessons, word work and quizzes

Upcoming Announcements: 
Oct. 17--Picture Day 
Oct. 20--Movie Night 6 p.m.
Oct. 25--4/5 Back to School Night 5:30
Oct. 31--Halloween Parade 8:45
Nov. 1--Staff Development Day, no school
Nov. 8--Board Meeting
Nov. 10--Veteran's Day, no school
Nov. 13--Report Cards
Nov. 13 - 17-- 12:35 early dismissal for Parent Teacher conferences 
Nov. 17 Turkey Trot 8:30
Nov. 22-24--Thanksgiving Break

Thank you in advance for supporting me and the growth of your child in every way.

Warmly,

Mrs. Young