Back to reality...

I hope you all had a nice week off! Although it was freezing, my family and I were able to find a lot of "warm" things to do and took advantage of having the time off together! As nice as it is to be off, I think we're all looking forward to getting back on a "schedule" and are anxious for the weather to start warming up!

Here is a brief rundown of what we'll be doing in class this week:

Reading: We will be diving into biographies! By the end of the week, your child will be paired with a biography of a person from history that interests them.

Writing: This week we'll finish putting non-fiction text features in our non-fiction writing and learning how to edit with a partner.

Math: We are embarking on the "Wonderful World of Fractions!" We also will continue to work on multi-step word problems and learn some vocabulary associated with geometry.

Science: We will wrap up our solar system research this week!

There wasn't a Friday Letter before break. Friday Letter will resume this Friday. I did ask that students jot down what they read over break, so I'm expecting a Reading Log to be handed in tomorrow. Your child will be bringing home their spelling list for this week tomorrow. A March and April Current Events calendar will come home tomorrow as well.

NYS ELA and Math Exams: A brief note on the upcoming exams in April...our students have never taken an exam of this nature. Both exams are given over a three day period for 70 minutes each day. We will begin to learn test taking strategies as well as practice some sample exams so students become aware of their structure and become familiar with what will be expected of them. I feel that by being aware of the format, understanding how to take a test, and explaining that this is a "show what you know" test, helps to alleviate any anxieties. We do not spend a lot of time discussing this, but I do try to answer all questions students have openly and honestly. I let them know that this is to see if they have learned anything while being in school! :-) I encourage you to give them the same message.