Friday, April 8, 2016

Highlights 4-8-2016

Hello again friends and families,

Another full week of fun and learning. This week we dove head first into our nonfiction reading and writing. Mrs. Woodard helped us collect books from the library (and a few more from our classroom library) on the 22 different animals that students chose to research! This week we learned how to read just a page or a paragraph at a time and then stop to check for understanding. Students then put any important information, or a new fact, into their own words before writing it down. This can be a big challenge but it is important work. Students are able to do research on their own during literacy, during small group time with support from me during literacy, and also during our writer's workshop. Everyone is excited and learning so much about these animals!

We read a news article in science about four different habitats and worked to describe the habitat (while a desert is dry and hot a swamp is wet and shady). We brainstormed what types of animals would want to live in the different habitats. Why do animals live only in certain places? What makes a habitat a good fit? We also started to learn about the 6 types of animals: mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, and insects. We are learning to classify animals as we identify how they are all part of an ecosystem.

After finishing Clementine by Sara Pennypacker on Wednesday we switched gears and began to read books to learn more about the 6 different types of animals. To introduce us to all the classes of animals we read Many Creatures: A Song About Animal Classification by Laura Purdie Salas. We also discovered the wide spread of habitats that different kinds of birds can live in by reading A Place for Birds by Melissa Stewart.

On Thursday we were wowed by the amazing students who are in the school's drama production of Willy Wonka. The show will go on again Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. This really is an amazing show. Many kids in our class were excited to see their sixth grade buddies acting, singing, or helping with the set and lights for the show! It's worth seeing Willy Wonka again for family enjoyment and to support our amazing students and parents who made it happen! (Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for children.)

We have one more week before vacation. The weather continues to vary to please keep sending in all outerwear, boots, and indoor shoes!


Dates to Remember:

Thursday April 14 -- All School Meeting **Time Change -- 11 a.m.**
Monday April 18 - Friday April 22 -- SPRING BREAK
Monday April 25 -- School resumes
Tuesday April 26 -- 4 Winds 2:45-3:20 (Contact Honi if you'd like to help out!)
Friday May 13th -- Field Trip to the Flynn Theater to see Henry and Mudge

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