Happy March, Crew!  

Language Arts:

Tomorrow is the state writing test- students have been working very hard on crafting and drafting their writing pieces through Response to Literature, Narrative, and Summary Writers’ Workshops.  Ask your child about the Narrative Prompt Story Glove, or the key ingredients to writing a perfect summary, or what a Response to Literature is.  Students were just given their first monthly literature review: The Tattered Cover Book Review.  This is an at-home review that is due the first week after Spring Break.  Please take a moment to go over the project proposal and rubric to help your child meet the deadlines.

Students have paused in their Daily 5 work to practice for the writing test.  Reader’s workshops will resume this week after the assessment is over.

 

Math:

The fourth graders will be starting Unit 6: Decimals and Fractions.  Throughout this unit students will learn how to identify fractions and decimals that are equal to each other,compare decimal numbers to fractions, and +/- decimal numbers using a variety of strategies.  Students will also continue to work on their goal to master all multiplication and division facts 1-12. Please continue to practice these facts at home.

5th graders are working in Unit 4: Fractional Relationships and are learning how to convert mixed number fractions to improper fractions, and back again.  We are supplementing their learning with some textbook practice to reinforce the lesson learned that day.  Students in the 5th grade are also going to kick off a mini math expedition in the coming weeks titled “MathMusicians” in which they will explore the musical relationship  imbedded in mathematics.  We are looking for experts to come in and play!

Expedition “The Name’s Bond.  Brisbin Crew Bond”:

Our Chemistry BBK is in full swing- students are learning about the scientific method and exploring how to craft a lab write up.  Ask them about the Edible Candle lab.  We also just finished a Microscopic Explorations lab in which the students completed 8 mini centers focusing on becoming familiar with microscopes.  Our science order is now complete and will be delivered in the coming days.  We are going to embark on some serious chemistry labs!  If you have any connections with any Chemists, please let me know.

 

Upcoming Important Dates:

March 6- 4th grade writing test

March 19-  11:45- 1:45  TERC Science Expo

 

Proudly,

Julie