At a class meeting last Friday, many students in Mrs. Neil and Mrs. Zimmerman’s class chose fall as their favorite season… apples, pumpkins, decorations, and Halloween were repeatedly listed as reasons for their choice. Fall is a great time of year, especially at Prairie Crossing, and we are excited to enjoy the crisp days ahead. Both classes will be busy working in the 5/6 gardens to harvest any remaining vegetables and prep our garden spaces for the winter. Look for photos and a student written blog coming soon as we document our progress!
In ELA this week, we will continue our reading of Esperanza Rising. Your student should read up to Chapter 4 by Tuesday and up to Chapter 6 by Thursday. Reading homework will not be assigned over the long weekend, so if you feel that your child falls behind during the week, that would be a good time to catch up. One of the things I love about this novel is the way the author, Pam Munoz Ryan, uses figurative language to bring her words to life. This will be a focus for us throughout the novel. We will also be looking closely at the journey of the main character, and we will write a five paragraph essay describing this journey after we’ve finished the book. Groups 1 and 2 will have a spelling test tomorrow (10/7) and Groups 3,4, and 5 will have their test next Tuesday, (10/15). Please encourage your student to complete two spelling activities to prepare for this test. There is a menu of activities for them to choose from in the back of their ELA folder and each completed activity is worth two points on their spelling test.
In social studies, we have completed our review of the Thirteen Colonies, and we’re moving on to a review of the reasons for the Revolutionary War and an introduction to our Constitution. There is a lot of material to review so students’ understanding will be assessed periodically along the way. Tomorrow we will begin reviewing vocabulary from our Thirteen Colonies skits and both classes can expect a quiz on these words on Thursday.
Using data from our recent NWEA and AIMSweb testing, we will start working with students to set individual goals and empower them to reach those goals throughout the year. We see so much potential in your students, and we are excited to help them discover and outline a path to success. Please note that we have an Early Release on Thursday and no school on Friday and Monday.