Updates

Again, the endless "improvements" to our internet here at school have mostly resulted in teachers and chidren being unable to connect to the network! So, while it is up again, let me bring you up to speed on a few things happening in room 19.

First, we have completed our first Open Court unit, the one on Friendship, and the students took their first formal assessment. The good news is that most of them are doing wonderfully in reading fluency and in story comprehension. The biggest area for improvement, for most students, is in the area of vocabulary. And there's just one remedy for improving reading vocabulary -- more independent reading! Check the gradebook to see how your child is doing in this area. Many are lagging a bit. By this time in the semester we'd like to see them reading about 500 to 600 pages in total.

Second, we're starting on our second Open Court unit. This one is called "City Wildlife" and it focuses on the animals who live in the city and the plants that are a part of their habitat. It is a challenging unit for the children because they are not used to reading nonfiction carefully and closely. To be honest, many of the children find it a little dull. But we are livening it up with dance and art and our upcoming trip to Placerita Canyon next month. Incidently, that has been rescheduled to December 10 to avoid conflict with the parent conference days.

Third, we will be taking our first math quarterly assessment tomorrow. The children has been getting ready for this all week, and it looks like they will do quite well on it. Results should be posted on the gradebook Friday.

Fourth, Friday is our walking field trip to the Peterson Museum. Please let me know right away, parents, if you can help with this. We need a driver to carry over lunches, and it would helpful to have another parent to two to walk with the classes.

Homework: Continue to study spelling. Complete the Science questions on E 26 and 27. Remember to copy questions 1-9. The rest are answers only. Continue to work on the math assignments. Also, review the quarter test practice sheets. Bring in a leaf (preferably yellow or red, though green is fine, too) for the art project tomorrow.