Collins & Co. Room 204
Week 18 update: January 11th-January 15th
Welcome!
Hello Families-
We had an eventful week at school. The weather was inconsistent and we had a variety of recess choices. Students had some indoor and some outdoor recesses. They also chose to watch videos in the room and play in the gym. Just a reminder to send your students to school with proper winter apparel just in case the temperature rises, and they head outside for lunch recess.
We are headed to The Grove on Tuesday morning. This field trip is part indoor and part outdoor. However, the indoor part is not as warm as it will be at school. Please send your students to school with warm socks and layers. Boots, gloves, hats, scarves and warm coats are highly recommended. Students will be making their own food and lunch, so they do not need to pack a lunch or snack that day.
When we return from the field trip on Tuesday, the students will be attending a presentation by Fred Outa, from Nairobi, Kenya. He will talk to the students about St. Ester's Girls High School, the school that District 28 helped to build.
Don't forget that we are off of school on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We hope you had a wonderful long weekend,
Ms. Collins and Mrs. Cucco
Math
This week in Math, we finished practicing the Real-World story problems and took our Chapter 4 test.
We reviewed each problem as a class and discussed the different approaches that could be taken to solve them. Your students are coming home with two tests today. The first is the test they took yesterday, the second is the one they took today where they tried a new method to solve a problem that they originally got wrong. This was a learning lesson for us to change our thinking when it doesn't make sense, and that our best lesson is from out last mistake. As a class, we discussed how its not only about if you learned it for the test, its about if you learned it at all. Students are encouraged to walk through their tests with you and to share their knowledge confidently. Please ask them to explain some of the problems that they struggled with the most.
These tests should be signed and returned on Tuesday in your child's Friday Folder.
Up next: Decimals!
Reader's Workshop
This week in Reading we turned our focus to reading non-fiction and discussed what surprised us. By looking for these ideas students were easily able to find something new and turn their reading into thinking about what they read. They practiced including reasons to support why their ideas were so surprising. We read about Land Acquisitions in the 1800's. Ask your student about what they found so surprising!
It is getting close to the time to vote for a favorite Rebecca Caudill nominee. The voting will take place in school during the month of February. The students are encouraged to submit a vote after reading at least three of the nominees. (See list below) If you are looking for a new book to read, these all come highly recommended!
Writer's Workshop
To help us get to this final draft, we discussed how good writers hook their readers. We looked at different mentor texts to discover different strategies. Students found that good writers describe actions, ask question, paint a picture, and incorporate dialogue to begin their stories. After practicing in our writer's notebooks, students revised their original stories to reflect their new introductions.
After editing our own work we had a classmate read it to offer feedback. We then published our pieces and they are ready to share. The students are looking forward to sharing their snow globes and stories with you at conferences in February!
Next week we will be discussing Op-Ed and Persuasive writing.
Social Studies
After finishing learning about Lewis and Clark through performing a Reader's Theater play, we focused on the War of 1812. We read about the war in Joy Hakim's book The New Nation, otherwise known to us as "Little Blue". We also watched several short videos about the war from PBS, BrainPop, and The History Channel. Your students learned about the key people in charge of our nation, Dolley Madison's significant role in saving George Washington's portrait, and how The Star Spangled Banner originated.
Second Step
Mrs. Mowrey's discussion this week was on consensus and compromising.
Ask your Student about:
• Our Yo-Kai obsession
• Reader's Theater
• Me gusta / Me gustan
• The Star Spangled Banner
• Snow globes
• Bart Reynolds
• Our discussion about The State of Union Address
Other Important News / Valentine's Info:
If your child is participating in the "Read To Succeed" program, the forms are due by Friday, February 5th. Feel free to turn them in earlier if you are finished!
It's time for Parent/ Teacher conferences! Information will be sent home soon to allow you to sign up online. I look forward to meeting with each of you and sharing your students successes.
Our Valentine's Day party will be on Tuesday, February 9th at 2:45pm. Students are welcome to bring in a bag or box to collect their valentines. We will not be creating anything at school, so this should be done at home if they would like to make a Valentine's collection box. While students do not need to pass out valentines, please remember that it is school policy to include all students in the classroom if you choose to give out any valentines. A class list of students will be coming home next week.
Things to come:
- Monday, January 18th
- No School MLK Day
- Tuesday, January 19th
- Field Trip to The Grove (Sanchez & Collins)
- Friday, January 22
- School Spirit Wear Day
- GB Family Event (6:00)
Collins & Co.
Greenbriar Elementary School
Email: ecollins@northbrook28.net
Website: http://fs.greenbriar28.net/~elisabethcollins/Ms._Collins_Class_Webpage/Welcome_to_Collins_%26_Co..html
Location: 1225 Greenbriar Lane, Northbrook, IL, United States
Phone: 847-504-3711