Week of January 19, 2016

Special guest Mr. Lewis Randa, founder of the Sherborn Peace Abbey, speaking to students about his work in defending human rights.

Highlights from Last Week:

​Students were delighted to meet Officer Smith at our first session of DARE on Monday. Officer Smith asked students about themselves so he could build a good relationship with them and help them see the friendly face of law enforcement.
 
We had an enlightening special guest on Tuesday –Mr. Lewis Randa, the founder of the Sherborn Peace Abbey, also the father of our favorite special educator, Mr. Chris Randa. Mr. Randa senior came in to speak to students about defending human rights through pacifism. He shared an inspiring story about “Stonewalk” (ask your child!) that showed students how a person can put their beliefs into action. Hopefully Mr. Randa left students inspired and motivated for their own Citizenship project.
 
Fourth and Fifth Grades watched the Geography Bee lead by Mr. McGourty. The questions ranged from identifying states in the US to guessing obscure locations around the world. In a harrowing final round, the amazing Alex Chen from Ms. Scobie’s class was able to take first place. Congrats to him and all of the contestants. What a challenging competition!
 
Parents, remember how much you hated long division growing up? Instead of torturing children with that universally loathed method, I’ve taught them a method that uses their number sense, their mathematical intuitions, and their skills with estimation while reinforcing their understanding of place value and multiplication. Students have learned how to do all of the same calculations normally done with the unintuitive long division algorithm except with a new, more kid-friendly method. Ask them to show it to you. It is pretty impressive when students can explain why the method works rather than just what steps to take.
 
Book groups continue to be riveting. Students are growing immensely in their discussion skills and critical thinking capacity. They come to groups prepared with insightful questions and an eagerness to support their claims with evidence from the text. Students are able to analyze a story like never before and engage in thought-provoking discussion. Now the hope is that this way of thinking shows up in their independent reading!

 
 
What we didn't get to:
A lot! We did not make expected progress in a number of areas this week. It was a combination of my overly ambitious planning, my lack of foresight with meetings and events, and my absence on Friday.

• Math –we spent longer on decimals that I originally intended, but I think students will really benefit from the extra work. Also, we had to take the Term 1 math assessment, which I almost forgot about!
• Spelling and vocabulary –we didn’t get to spelling groups nor vocabulary activities beyond the Word Hunt.
• Writing –we didn’t get to write about theme this past week.

This Week's Plan
 
Special:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day –No School on Monday.
 
  

Math: 
Numerical Expressions & Grouping.

• Correct our Term 1 Math Assessments –I like students to assess their own progress, so we will correct the assessment as a class. I plan to use these assessments to give grades on report cards.
• Division Review –To make sure students have mastered division of decimals and whole numbers, we’ll take some time to reinforce and review.
• Using Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces –We’ll solve expressions like this: {20 –[2 x (3+2) ]} x 3
• Order of Operations –We’ll evaluate expressions using the secret rules of PEMDAS.
• Numerical Expressions –In a preview of algebra, we will use variables, operations, and our understanding of mathematical language to write and evaluate expressions

 
Writing:  
Spelling and Vocabulary.

• Spelling Groups –For students that need work with basic spelling rules, such as the doubling rule, we’ll be working in small groups to practice.
• Advanced Spelling Rules –As a class, we will learn some common yet advanced spelling rules and apply them in our writing.
• Latin & Greek Root Word Hunt –We will continue our exploration of Latin and Greek root words to increase our vocabulary.
• Vocabulary Activities –We will use scales, word wheels, and other strategies to play with and practice new vocabulary.
• Writing About Theme –In connection to Reading, students will write about theme using a fun format called a RAFT, which gives students a role to take on, and audience to write to, a format to write within, and a topic to write about.

 
Reading:
Book Groups. Determining Theme.

• Book Groups –Groups continue to meet using Reading Reports to prepare for insightful discussions.
• Determining the Theme –We will continue our practice of how to determine the theme of a text. We will explain the theme by describing how characters respond to challenges. I will read aloud short stories with various themes.
• Reading Response Journals –Students will write a response on a topic of their choice about their independent reading.
• Informational Text –As part of our exploration of early American Colonization, we will read informational texts and primary sources. See the Social Studies section for more details.

 
Social Studies:
Colonial America.

• Colonial Region Research Project –Working in groups, students will embark on a research project about a group of colonies, choosing from the Northern, Middle, or Southern colonies. We will learn how to delegate responsibilities among group members.
• Taking Notes and Determining Importance –To help students with their research, I will teach them some effective note-taking techniques. Within that, I will help students learn how to evaluate what is important information in their research and how to differentiate between essential understandings versus fun facts and trivial information.

Homework:
Please visit the Homework Page for more details.

• Homework Project: None this week! Students have been working diligently on their Human Rights project and we’ll be sharing them this week.
• Math: There will be a page or two of math practice each night.
• Reading: 25 minutes of daily independent reading is expected. Students should log it in their Planners. 
• Reading Response Blog: There is a new Blog #10 that students must respond to by Friday.

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback.