Geo Bee

Congratulations to Alexandra for winning our class Geo Bee! We were so proud of her performance in the school wide spelling bee with 4th through 8th graders. Great work, Alexandra! Kudos, also, to Campbell for being our class runner-up.

Word Study Update

In word study, we are doing word sorts over the next few weeks with words that are influenced by the letter "r." Students already have a working knowledge of the seven parts of speech, but we are looking at each one in more depth. This weeks focus is on verbs, specifically the distinction between action verbs and linking verbs.

Social Studies Update

We are diving headfirst into our unit on Colonial America!

We began last week by discussing the sources of history, and how historians classify their sources into primary and secondary sources. After some practice on identifying the different types of sources, we have small discussions each social studies period when students discuss the different types of sources we are using.

Because our focus is on British Colonial America, we started the official study of history with an overview of the Lost Colony, perhaps the most famous and mysterious event in North Carolina history.

We watched the following videos to look at some sources and to watch a narrated re-enactment of the Lost Colony:

After exploring the Lost Colony, we moved on to Jamestown, which will be the focus for the next few social studies sessions. On Friday afternoon, we played a fun National Geographic for Kids game that simulates the settling of Jamestown called On the Trail of Captain John Smith. Ask your child to tell you what they learned about the Jamestown settlement from playing the game! In the coming days, some text reading and a simulation will give us a better idea of the types of people who began settling the Jamestown colony, and what motivated them to depart Britain.

Happy New Year!

While the Christmas break was wonderful, we are genuinely happy to be back at school with your children. The rest of this year brings continued learning and growth, and we are excited for all that is to come. Hope that each of you had a restful and joyful holiday!

Math: 2-D Geometry and Measurement

This week we started Unit 4, our first geometry unit of the year. Our classroom has been covered with rulers and yard sticks and meter sticks as the students have been busy measuring things around our classroom.

This week we have been working to:

• Review the lengths of units of measure
• Use U.S. standard and metric units to accurately measure length
• Estimate lengths based on common units
• Determine when estimates or exact measurements are needed
• Find perimeter using standard units
• Recognize and explain possible sources of measurement error

Parent Letter

Activities to Try at Home

Science: Human Body

I don't know who is more excited about our new science unit...the students or me! Our focus this week has been to understand that our bodies are made up of many systems. Throughout our study we will learn about each system and how it is essential to human life. Students learned that the organs in all systems are made up of tissues, and tissues are made up of cells.

We are focusing first on the skeletal system. Our work back in the fall learning many of the bones in the body has given us a leg up, no pun intended, on this system. Ask your child about the various parts of the bone; the periosteum, haversian canals, and spongy bone. Quiz your child on the various types of joints: hinge, ball-and-socket, pivot, gliding, and fixed. Later this week we will put a bone in vinegar and will observe how the bone reacts to the mild acid in the vinegar. We'll keep you posted!

Reminder to order books!

We have sent home flyers from Scholastic which might help with the book shopping. Please help your child to log in and order 2 books up to a $5 value each by this Wednesday night! We will then place the order and the student's Christmas gift books will be delivered to our classroom. The free book code is on the coupons we gave to them in their Christmas card. Let me know if you have any questions.

The class activation code is MK4MW    


Click here to order!