Happy Monday. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.
This week testing continues with the ITBS tests. As mentioned last week, homework will be light. Students should get plenty of rest and eat a healthy protein rich breakfast and bring a healthy snack. I was very proud of the good effort the students put into the CogAT tests lasts week. There will be plenty of brain breaks during testing to help the students maintain their best focus. The tests will be taken in the morning, usually at 8:35 or right after first recess at 10:30, depending on our schedule each day.
Tomorrow we are having a visit from Scott Davies who will share some of the history of the Pike Place Market and prepare us for our upcoming field trip on November 13th. This is such a wonderful trip and a great way to not only learn about the early history of our city, but also see some of the behind the scenes areas of the Market. The Market does not charge for this guided tour, but they appreciate donations for their Pike Market Food Bank. It would be great if each student could bring in a can or two of food for a classroom donation. I will have a box in the room to collect cans. Thank you!
Friday, October 31st, is the All Saint’s Day Mass. The 4th grade classes are leading this Mass. We have begun preparing for this very special event, and will begin our practices this week. The students should come to school on Friday the 31st dressed as their saint. They may want to carry a small symbol that represents their saint as well. Thank you for assisting your child in finding an appropriate outfit. Let me know if you have any questions.
Encore! The 4th grade students are also being asked to attend the November 2nd 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass in their saint costumes and help celebrate the Mass for the rest of the Holy Rosary community. We are hoping that most 4th grade students will attend and participate in this Mass. We will need to know which students will and will not be able to attend so that we can have the pews reserved for the 4th grade saints and their families. Look for a half sheet yellow note in your child’s filer next Monday the 27th, on which you can indicate if you will or will not be able to attend. Thank you!
Our Halloween party will be taking place in the afternoon on the 31st. More to come…
Reading: Last week while I was administering the oral reading assessments with the students, Ms. Corrigan was doing the pre-reading, vocab and prep work for our Charlotte’s Web unit. This week we will read the first three chapters. We will focus on setting, vocabulary and character traits.
Reading homework for this week! This week I would like each student to visit the ThinkCentral site and take the online benchmark tests that have been assigned. This is a component of our reading series that we would like to use regularly this year. For the first time I would like the students to try out the test at home. It would be great if mom or dad could assist with getting set up and making sure there is a quiet time to take the test. Parents are welcome to assist as this is a practice test. Our goal is for the students to be familiar and comfortable with this type of online interactive tests as the students will be seeing more and more of them in the years ahead. I will show the students how to access the test at school, so they should know what to do when they arrive at the page. Let me know if you have any problems. Students may complete the test in one or two sessions. I would like all students to complete both tests by this Friday the 24th. Thank you!
Religion/LA: Our focus this week will be on our Saint Reports, the Saint Mass and an introduction to the Beatitudes, which tie in perfectly with a study of Saints. I am editing the rough drafts as the class works on other sections of their saint report. Creative Halloween stories will be started as the students finish up their saint reports.
Math: Our math work will focus on skill review and some strategies to use when taking the ITBS math sections. The review will bring us into our next unit of study on multiplication and division. All students have been moved to multiplication on Xtramath. As I mention often to the students, knowing the multiplication facts automatically is one of the most important and helpful skills you can have. We use multiplication in so many math concepts. Daily, quiet, focused practice time to master the facts is time well spent! I encourage a variety of practice activities not limited to Xtramath. Flash cards, paper/pencil tests, and other online resources like songs or raps can help to solidify this important skill. Thank you for reinforcing regular practice time at home.
Social Studies: The students have their SE State Test this Friday the 24th. In class we will be looking at the first inhabitants of our states, the Coastal and Plateau Native People.
Homework: SE State test on Friday. Take the ThinkCentral online benchmark test. Visit Xtramath at least three times or show proof of some other type of math fact practice. All students need to be able to recite the Prayer of St. Francis by October 29th.
Have a great week.