February 17th, 2011

Hi Parents,

I am sorry for the lack of posting. This week as been a little off with the Valentine's Day party and then early release.

Here are the spelling words for this week:
Prefixes and Suffixes
re-,un-,-ful, -ly,-er
1. helper
2. unfair
3. friendly
4. unhappy
5. remake
6. careful
7. hopeful
8. unlike
9. retell
10. sadly
11. farmer
12. unhurt

Challenge Words
13. refresh
14. unimportant
15. silently
Word Chunk /ism/
16. racism
17. heroism
18. organism
19. pessimism
20. realism
Word Wall Words

21. sometimes
22. one
23. winner
24. something
25. buy
Bonus:
Technophobia
Fear of technology

In reading this week we have been working on determining fact verses opinion. The kids do a pretty nice job with this, but one way for you to work with your kids at home is to read them an article from a magazine or newspaper and ask them what they thought was the author's opinion and what they thought was fact.

In Science we worked on a calcite test. We observed different rocks and tried to determine which rocks had calcite in them. The big idea is that students should know there are many test scientists do to determine what is in a rock.

In Social Studies they are studying the Civil War and then the movement from the civil war to the Industrial Revolution.

In writing, we are wrapping up our poetry books, focusing this week on quatrains and couplets.

Remember that there is no school on Monday of next week, and that our CRT testing will be March 7th-11th. PLEASE make sure on those days your students have a good breakfast and are in school. It is very, very important!