2.9.12

ALERT, ALERT!  We are in DESPERATE need of pencils, glue, EXPO markers, regular markers, and construction paper!!!  We started the year with 3,000 pencils...yes, you did indeed read that correctly...THREE THOUSAND.  This is the amount of pencils that we would go through in 2-3 school years!  The students and I have had a serious discussion about our wasteful behavior and the importance of conservation of resources.  I let them know that they will need to bring in pencils!  I supplied them with the first 2,000 of our total...yes, TWO THOUSAND and they are obviously all gone. 

We also need EXPO markers, regular markers, glue (sticks AND squirt), and construction paper.  All of these are DAILY necessities.  Obviously, our pencil need comes first though!  So, if you are out and about this weekend and are feeling in the "giving" mood, we would be so very grateful for your generosity...you might even get a VERY sweet "thank-you" from your friends up in Room 105!

Now, onto the events of February 9, 2012...

The week is almost over, friends, and I feel like we have really hit some tough content...hard!  Yay for us stepping up our working game! 

BE SURE TO see the bottom of this post for a very important note about our Valentine's party!

READING:
Students had opportunities to review and practice will all text structures: a text structure sort game, text structure analyzation by mapping of articles through organizers specifically made for each, and peer scoring neighbor's short-answer responses to identification of these structures.  Students were also able to give each other a practice assessment for their vocabulary tests tomorrow.
HOMEWORK: Complete "Book 3, Lesson 9 Vocab. Test"; AND read, "Wilma Rudolph, a Special Hero" article and complete short-answer response on back (<--this WILL BE a TEST grade!).

MATH:
We continued our practicing of "adding fractions with UNLIKE denominators" by reviewing homework from last night and practicing with more of these concepts on activity sheets.  We also began SUBTRACTING with UNLIKE denominators which is approached the same way as addition: by finding the common multiples and then completing the computational process. 
HOMEWORK: complete

SCIENCE:
Students explored circuits with Ms. Frederick.  They did a scavenger hunt to test lightbulbs and which objects can conduct energy to light this lightbulb. 
HOMEWORK: none.

WRITING:
We were able to continue typing our 4-square pieces!  Students are loving getting the opportunity to put these pieces in a typed format!
HOMEWORK: none, but next week, we are starting narratives!  Be conjuring up some ideas of memorable experiences in your life that you can write with great sensory details and description!

Look what John brought me today for an early Valentine's Day gift! 
Since I call John "my boo", I named him "BOO"!  Isn't it PRECIOUS?!?  I love, love, loooove it!

Have a thrilling Thursday evening!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

NOTE ABOUT OUR VALENTINE'S PARTY:

Mr. Kirk has ruled that we are only allowed to have our party during our recess time...which is only 30 minutes.  Thus, I will set up the food station while they are gone to special area classes that day and will have them gather food on their way to lunch (since recess is immediately before lunch).  This means that we still need all of the food items I suggested before and students can still bring in valentines.  They were just need to prepare their boxes at home before the 14th and then when they get to school on the 14th, they can drop their valentine's in the boxes of their peers.  I will still work have the students make each of the crafts (I may let them choose 2 to make), but we will not be making the ambrosia salad.