Catching Up

It has been a while since the last post.  The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity.  From NECAPs (Hunter said, "Wow, my kneecaps hurt!" as he walked into the classroom on the first day of testing), to Polar Caves, we sure have been busy.

First of all, thanks to our many parent chaperones.  Even though we gave the option for driving, many took the bus and enjoyed the ride.  Mrs. McCullar, Mr. Dustin-Eichler and I all crowded into the front row barely containing our trio of bus sickness.  Perhaps the option next year should be for the teachers to drive!  Mrs. Poirier, Mr. Sneddon, Mr. Nalette, Mrs. Derosier, Mrs. Lebrun and Mrs. Noyes were our volunteers and guides.  Mrs. Peoples, the fifth grade special educator, enjoyed the Polar Caves so much that she went the following weekend with her own kids.  Here's a bit of trivia:  one Polar Caves group did the cave tour three times!

Here's the group at the annual photo.

For those of you who have never been to the caves, here's an example of the intricate walkways and paths built into the side of the mountain.  At this particular spot, kids would rush out screaming, "I made it through the Lemon Squeeze."

Trips aside, we are back into the academic swing following NECAPs.  In reading, we've moved away from character studies, and as soon as we finish our most recent book groups, we'll be focusing on shorter, non-fiction reading until after Thanksgiving.  As the kids get older, more and more of their information will come from different types of nonfiction text and it is important to study the text features of those.  Kids will still be expected to read for pleasure from fiction books during this time.

In math, we've wrapped up a unit which is a mixture of different topics to kick off the year, and are moving into area models of multiplication.  We will spend a lot of time on modeling multi-digit multiplication.  This is the time of year where a lack of math fact fluency will begin to slow the students down.  I also have been doing a lot of research on how to help the kids master their facts.  Basically I have found that constant repetition, a variety of activities, and a tracking system to monitor progress are key components.  I am always brought back to articles published by NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), and here's one for you to look at if you're so inclined.

Click the blue words to access article.

Please encourage your child to write the facts, say the facts, rhyme the facts, or sing the facts.  Quizzing them in the car, in the shower, in line for the movies, or ANYWHERE will help!

In science, we've started our study of Earth's Changing Surface.  We've studied the layers of the Earth, the rock cycle and are now exploring rapid and slow changes to the surface.  Be sure to ask your child how the Earth is like a kiwi!

In writing, we're working on writing thesis statements, and are working toward an independent response to literature.