EPIC HOUSE FEBRUARY NEWS
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What have we been up to?
Reading: I am in the process of finishing running records on all students that did not yet achieve a reading level of V and a MAP score of 210 or greater. I will have this updated information to share at conferences. The students have just finished their unit on Inferencing and we took the assessment. They also took an assessment on the vocabulary words that we have learned so far this year. Our next unit will be on Main Idea and Details.
Word Work: Students are continuing to work on word sorts that are differentiated based on their spelling needs. As students progress with their spelling, the sort patterns are geared more toward Greek and Latin roots. If students know some of the common roots and their definitions, it will help them with figuring out difficult words by chunking up the word into parts that they might now.
Writing: We have been working on informative writing. The students wrote a piece about matter. The piece needed to include an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement. It needed to include paragraphs organized by specific topics. I was looking for the usage of transition words (however, therefore, nevertheless, etc.) and also specific science vocabulary. The writing piece also needed to have a conclusion paragraph.
Social Studies: We are finishing up the Revolutionary War unit. Students received today or will receive tomorrow the study guide. The assessment is scheduled for Tuesday (2/4) for Day 2 students and Wednesday (2/5) for Day 1 students. Any assistance that you can provide to help your student go through the study guide and practice key concepts and terms would be greatly appreciated.
Science: We are finishing up our unit on matter. The students have learned about the different forms of matter. They learned how to change from one form to another by adding or taking away energy. We also spent some time talking about atoms and the Periodic Table. We made some Element Trading Cards and we are currently working on an Element Baby Book. The final assessment will be next week.
Achieve 3000: This past month we were lucky to have an actual trainer from the Achieve 3000 company come into our classroom and share tips and techniques with the program. The trainer was very impressed with the performance of our class and the number of activities that we have completed! Way to go EPIC House!
Math 1st Hour: We finished Unit 5 which was on multiplying and dividing decimals. We started Unit 6 today. This unit is on story problems. I have decided to do this unit as a self-paced unit. The students were given the assignments that are to be completed. They will be able to work at their own pace to complete the work. Our class time will be used to work on our assignments, ask questions, and discuss problems that we are struggling with. All assignments are due Tuesday, February 11th. This is something I've never tried before, so I will closely monitor the students' progress.
Math 6th Hour and Mr. Vandenelzen's Math: We are working on Unit 4. This unit will cover multiplying multi-digit numbers and multiplying decimals. Remember to be checking our Schoology course for support with the lessons being taught. If you need assistance with this course, please contact Mrs. Chrisman.
Upcoming Events/Reminders:
2/3 Spirit Week Begins: Dress up: International Day and Lunch Activity: Spelling Bee
2/4 Spirit Week: Dress up: TV, Movie or Book Character and Lunch Activity: Quiz Bowls For All Major Subjects
2/5 Spirit Week: Dress up: Dress Alike Day and Lunch Activity: Price is Right
2/6 Spirit Week: Dress up: Opposite Gender Day and Lunch Activity: Guesstures
2/7 Spirit Week: Dress up: House T-shirts and School Assembly
2/7 Lineville Early Release at 1:08
2/20 Group Picture Day: Wear your house t-shirt.
School Supplies
Replenish Supplies: It is that time of year to review your child’s supplies to see if they are in need of new writing utensils (pencils and red pens), eraser caps, notebooks, or even a new Trapper Keeper or binder. Several students seem to be in short supply and these are items that are not supplied in our classrooms. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.
EPIC Teacher's Wish List
*We would love any donations of candy for our classrooms. It is amazing what our students will do for a Jolly Rancher or a Starburst!! Any kind of candy would be wonderful.
*Our classrooms supply of hand sanitizer is getting low. If you would be interested in donating hand sanitizer to our classrooms please send it to school with your child.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!