2.1.11

Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits to youuuuuu...my friends!!!  Happy February!!  Can you believe January of 2011 has already come and gone?!?  We moved desks today - time for a change (and hopefully FARRRRR less talking...)

Reading:
We learned about the roles in a Literature circle and began practicing how to complete one of them: the role of Discussion Director.  Each student will be placed in a reading group (or, Literature circle, as we call them) and each student will be assigned a job to complete with his/her group's chapter book they select to read.  Jobs MUST be completed with the coinciding chapters each night BEFORE meeting with the group so you can come to the group prepared and ready to do your job. 

Homework is reading chapters 5 - 6 in Sarah Noble and creating NEW questions on a CLEAN sheet of paper for the Discussion Director role.

Also, now that we are switching on Friday, spelling packets are due when we take the test on Friday.

Math:

We continued practicing with different strategies for multiplying beyond the place value pieces method which is what we learned yesterday.  Today, we practiced with the "Partial-Products Method" and the "Lattice Method" which is so cooool!  Hopefully, one of these methods will be a suitable method for you to use all through multiplication.

NO HOMEWORK tonight (I forgot to give out new quiz sheets...sorry!)

PM activities:

due to out area warm up, we actually got to go on an outside 'walk for exercise'!!!  When we came in, we began our introduction to fossils so watching a video from www.unitedstreaming.com and taking notes on whiteboards about things we did not about fossils prior to watching the video.  Fossils are clues to the past because they are remains or contain traces of remains of plants or animals from many, many millions of years ago.  I look forward to an exciting unit ahead on fossils!

Have a terrific Tuesday evening!

xoxo
Mrs. Thomas

PS, tomorrow is GROUNDHOG Day!!!  Will he see his shadow?!?

ALSO, a note was sent home today about our Valentine's party which is NEXT Friday, February 11th.  We need many supplies and appreciate anything you are able and willing to send in!  The kids expressed an interest in having some homemade treats (mini-crescent pizzas, pigs-in-a-blanket, sausage balls, queso dip, etc.) so if you are willing to make a homemade savory treat, we will have extra special gratitude and smiles for you!