Week #8 October 14-18
This may have been a shorter week in school, but it was sure full of fun and learning.  We did say "good-bye" to our classmate, Javieno.  His family moved, and he will be a new school beginning Monday.  The students were very kind in making sure he had a positive departure knowing that he was leaving good friends who were nice to him.

Here are some highlights from our 4 days together:

This week we learned:

• how to stretch out our stories, use precise words and choose font carefully to add detail to our personal narratives.  We used Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell as our mentor text.
• two new word study activities to enhance our work as "word wizards": sound boxes and Think Pink.  The sound boxes help us isolate sounds in any length word to support spelling and syllabication, and Think Pink helps us not only with rhyming patterns, but word definitions as well.
• a structure for our reading block that includes independent reading, repeated reading, listening to reading, writing about reading, word work, and teacher station.  We are calling it "Reading Menu".  We will also have a whole-group mini lesson to begin our block and finish our time reading with partners.

This week we experienced:

• a unit post-assessment, counting 1330 beans and math menu work with high school volunteers during our math block.
• a scavenger hunt to practice using features of an Atlas
• a guidance lesson with Ms. Amblo to review what we can learn from a sloth and to make our visual reminder to slow down and breathe.
• an assembly lead by 3rd grade to begin our Penny Drive to support schools in Honduras.

Other things to ask your child about this week:

• Where's Blue Dude?
• Clementine
• Mindful movements: hip circle, frog, sky & ground

Thank you for sending in a white t-shirt for your child to tie-dye during Art class the week of October 28.

Thank you for donating change to the Penny Drive.  Our jar as a nice collection already!

Thank you for signing up to contribute items to our Harvest Party on October 31.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0c4caea92ca0f94-harvest

Enjoy the weekend!

Mrs. Hock