September 2, 2013- Labor Day!

Math: We have been using "Math Workshop" this week in class. I have 3 groups that rotate between stations. This week we will revisit the divisibility rules we began on Friday. We will then look at prime/composite numbers, square numbers, and finding the square root. The following links can be used as extra practice and will also be incorporated into our daily work.

****Before using Khan Academy this year, you need to join my coaching group. Use your district "d25" login and password to do this. You can then join this class by entering the code 9H39JJ on the "Coaches" tab of your profile page:   Please do this before clicking the links below! You should see your user name in the upper right hand corner if you do this correctly.  PLEASE WRITE YOUR USER NAME/PASSWORD in the front of your assignment notebooks, next to your Everyday Math info/password. 


Math Videos:
Miss P Reviewing the Rule for Dividing 3 & 9

Factors Tutorial/Practice on Khan Academy
Divisibility Practice
Divisibility Rules Tutorial
Practice Divisibility Rules
Brain Pop Square Roots
How to Find Square Root (unsquare a number)

Writing:  Our focus of writing this week is on "Showing" and not "Telling". Students will be asked to use descriptive writing rather than recounting events in sequential order. Our grammar focus is on subjects/predicates.

Words Their Way:  Students took a pre-test last week & I have scored their tests & analyzed them to place them in an appropriate word study group. We will begin on Tuesday. Students have a calendar of activities in which they are to practice their words on days they do not meet with me.

 

Treasures/Novels:  For Treasures, we will be reading "Miss Alaineus" and will do some accompanying work with it.

For novels, our thematic unit for until October will be "acceptance". We will be reading "Crooked Kind of Perfect" as our read aloud, and the following 3 novels: "Faith, Hope, and Ivy June", 'Rules", and "Because of Winn Dixie". All three novels are relating the overarching theme and fall under the realistic fiction genre. Students will also be asked to read a realistic fiction novel independently during the month of September. At the end of the month, they will do a book project by creating a Photobooth movie in which they review the book of a their choice.

Each child has a calendar for their daily schedule & expectations. They will read daily to themselves, weekly with another student, and respond in writing on a daily basis. Reading strategies and patterns found within the realistic fiction genre will be discussed as well.

Use this link to help your child find an independent reading book: Scholastic Book Finder 

Science:  Students began building a limb model in which they were provided with many materials to represent ligaments, joints, and tendons. They will finish constructing their models on Tuesday & record their explanation of what it represents.

Special Events this week!

-No School Monday- Labor Day
-Picture Day forms were sent home on Friday

Curriculum Night 2013

I hope you will be able to join us Wednesday the 28th! If not, please view the link for helpful information that was passed out. A paper version will also be sent home.

Miss Papadimitriou's Parent Packet

Week of August 26, 2013

Math: My math students will be taking a "Beginning of the Year" benchmark assessment in the computer lab on Monday to help me get a better sense of where they are at & what concepts they retained from last year/need more help with. We will continue through lessons 1.5 this week. We will cover topics such as rectangular arrays, factors, and divisibility rules. Your child will also start using Xtramath every night for math fact practice. Remember, your child should be using their 4 digit pin to log in. 
Factors Tutorial/Practice on Khan Academy
Divisibility Practice

Writing:  We will begin WEX (Writer's Express) on Monday. We will also start grammar this week, which focuses on sentence types. 

Treasures/Novels:  We will start Treasures after Labor Day. This week we are learning about the Daily 5 routines, learning how to pick a "just right book", and just being introduced to our new Reader Response notebooks. Please make sure your child has a book that is appropriate for him/her by the end of this week. 

Science:  We will begin the year with learning about the human body! Our science curriculum is fun & engaging for kids. This week we will learn about how our bodies respond to exercise, learn the 3 types of joints, and learn how our bones/muscles move. Students will be creating limb models to demonstrate their understanding of joints. Students will also use their senses and see how our body has reflexes. All work will be done in their student notebooks. Family links will be the homework component (usually one per week). The expectation is for students to write in complete sentences, and write at least 3-5 sentences.

Special Events this week!
** Come to Curriculum Night Wednesday! 

1st Day of School 2013!

Here are a few pictures of our first day!