Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah!!!

Greetings from Room 10,

            Wow!  We had a vey busy week in Room 10!  I was out two afternoons this week and thankfully, Mrs. Landrigan was my substitute.  We have worked together for years, so it’s a very smooth transition from Betor to Landrigan.  The District offered two professional development opportunities, both of which focused on Common Core math standards.  I got good reports from Mrs. Landrigan both days.

            It was really nice having the opportunity to have so many of you stop into class on Monday.  The kids loved it!  I mentioned to them on Wednesday that they are wonderfully enthusiastic singers.  They LOVE going to the piano each morning to sing.  Of course, there is a method to my madness.  Reading lyrics to a song helps with reading fluency.  So doing readers’ theatre and singing songs strengthens my reading program!!

            This week in geography the children learned about latitude and longitude.  Ask your child how they were taught to remember the difference.  It is actually very effective but very annoying!  On Friday they worked in groups and, using globes, located various cities using latitude and longitude.  We also continued to play the cardinal direction game.

            As a part of our reading program, I taught the children how to read a textbook.  Reading non-fiction, especially a textbook, is quite different from reading a novel.  The children focused on the non-fiction text features as we maneuvered through the text.  Each year I focus on the skills required for reading a textbook so that the children can easily transition to this type of reading when they become middle school students.  In addition, Ms. Casucci worked on cause and effect in small, guided reading groups.  We bid Ms. Casucci farewell as she begins her career in education.

            By Tuesday of next week, I expect all of the children to have completed drafting their historical fiction story.  I have given them plenty of class time to work on their drafts, and some of the children have taken it upon themselves to work on it at home.  After Thanksgiving, I will need help in the classroom to edit the pieces.  Details will follow.

            Next week, because we will only be in class for two days, there will be no spelling, no weekly reflection and I will not update our class blog.    Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate.  

American Education Week 2013

Greetings Parents of Room 10,

ON THE STORE FRONT…

         The school store is about to be opened and we need your help.  The store is generally open Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 9:10 to 9:30.  Are you available to help out for about a ½ hour one of these mornings?  I am looking for one parent per day to help manage the store (and children) from 9-9:30.  This includes set-up, sales and break-down.  5Betor will be in charge of the school store for the next month or so.  Please let me know if you can help us out.  Drop me an email with your availability.

ON THE SOCIAL FRONT…

We are looking forward to American Education Week and your visit on Monday, November 18^th.  Please stop by about 9:50am.  The children are excited to share readers’ theatre with you as they have been polishing their performances.  In addition, you may wish to join your children for lunch/recess which begins at 11:05am.

Eat, Shoot and Read is Thursday night from 4-7.  We are asking our 5^th grade families to send in a snack.  They may be dropped off anytime during the day to our rooms.

                                    A – H     Cookies

                                    I  – P      Brownies and Cup Cakes

                                    Q – Z      Fruit, Popcorn and Pretzels

Thank you again to those who volunteered to work at the pizza event in the cafeteria.  There is still time to order a whole pizza pie in advance.  Pizza slices and beverages will be sold the evening of this great family event!  Looking forward to seeing you all!

ON THE ACADEMIC FRONT…

         We began social studies this week with identifying vocabulary associated with geography.  We did a cut & paste activity, and the children finally had the opportunity to use the index cards they brought to school in September.  I also introduced them to a Cardinal Direction game I developed several years ago.  They seemed to enjoy the challenge, and they are looking forward to having me share it with you when you visit on Monday.

         Ms. Casucci, our Graduate Intern, has been working with the children for guided reading as a part of our literacy stations.  Author’s purpose has been her focus.  The children have enjoyed working with her.  This week will be her last week with us.  In addition to guided reading, I have been working with the children on fluency.  They even had the opportunity to hone their skills for their buddies on Thursday.  They are doing nicely.

         After researching a memorable time in history, developing three characters, coming up with at least three problems and deciding on their story’s point of view, the children started to draft their historical fiction pieces at the end of the week.  I will be looking for volunteers to help edit their pieces in a couple of weeks.  Think about helping out.  It’s pretty interesting to see how a student’s piece shapes up with a little bit of help.
        Looking forward to your visit tomorrow!                           Lester B. and Class

Week Ending November 8th

Greetings from Room 10,
           We have had a vey productive week, despite the excitement generated by the Lip Sync.  As I write this blog, the children are researching a memorable time in our history in preparation for writing their historical fiction piece.   Students are researching a variety of memorable times including the 9/11 tragedy, the Revolutionary War and World War II to name a few.  They are all very motivated and excited by this writing unit.
          Ms. Casucci, our graduate intern from the College of St. Rose, taught guided reading this week.  Her lesson was related to Author's Purpose.  I listened in, and the children were very responsive to her. It was nice to see how excited they seemed while working with Ms. Casucci.
          Tomorrow the children will be participating in the Veteran's Day celebration.  They are working on a chant, as well as a song.  They practiced quite a bit yesterday and did a fine job.  I am very anxious to hear their song, Thank You Soldier!
          Although I have not yet had the opportunity to correct their Crayfish Unit Test, I looked them over and they look pretty good.  We will begin our geography unit on Monday, starting with cardinal directions.  I use a game I developed to hone this skill.  The children usually enjoy playing the game daily.
         Transitions are getting a bit better.  I have found it necessary to refocus the children as we enter a transition, and provide reminders about their "jobs" during this time.  We will continue to focus our efforts on quiet and respectful transitions throughout the month.
         Have a wonderful long weekend, and I look forward to seeing everyone this evening at our Lip Sync Extravaganza!!                                                                     Take care, Lester B. and class