Week of January 23rd

Dear Parents,

     We have a lot going on this week. We will celebrate our love of reading and literacy this week. On Wednesday we will participate in the Wacky Word Walk. Students were assigned a word in Mrs. Pavlinek's class. They should bring/wear their completed costume to school on Wednesday. On Thursday we will buddy read with a primary class. Finally on Friday we will Rock, Read, and Relax. Students will get to enjoy some independent reading time while snuggling up with their blankets.

     We will be going on our field trip to the zoo on this Friday. Please send in your child's money and permission slip by Wednesday. Students are asked to wear their JBE class shirt and comfortable walking shoes. Students may also want to wear and a long sleeved shirt under their class shirt and bring a jacket. The high on Friday is forecast to be 60 degrees. Students may also bring hats, sunglasses, and a camera. Students will not need any money as we will not be visiting the gift shops. We are planning to leave the school at 8:45 and return at 2:00.

     If you are chaperoning on Friday you can follow the bus from school or plan to meet us out side of the gate. If you paid your admission with your child's fee then please meet us right outside of the entrance. All parents in this group must enter the zoo together. If you are using your Zoo Membership please go ahead and enter the zoo and meet us just past the gate. Following these directions will ensure a quick entry into the zoo therefore giving us more time to enjoy our day. We will meet for lunch at 12:00 at the Shaba Terrace which is right above the main gate. We will meet at the main gate at 1:30 to begin boarding the bus.

     In math this week we review for our fractions test. The test will given in three parts. Two parts will be standards mastery tests given on the computer, and the third part will be a written test. The written portion of the test will be on Wednesday. The first part of the computer test will be on Thursday and the second session will be given next Tuesday 1/31.

     Report cards are going home this week. The report card and awards are yours to keep. Please sign the envelope and return it school no later than this Friday. Gifted progress reports will be sent home early next week.

     After we complete our testing we will begin working on decimals. During the decimals unit we will work with decimals through the hundredths place, compare and order decimals, and learn about the relationship between fractions and decimals.

     In science this week we will begin plants and animals unit. This week we will focus on the parts of flowers, how flowers are pollinated and fertilized. We will also learn about seed dispersal and germination of seeds. Students will be working in groups to plant bean seeds. We are in need of potting soil. If you can donate potting soil it would be greatly appreciated.

     Due to our field trip we will work on social studies on Thursday this week. Students need to read and be ready to discuss chapter 4 lesson 3 and have the vocabulary words completed in their journals. In this lesson students will begin to learn about the events that lead up to the Revolutionary War. Students will also become more familiar with the skill of using a timeline. Which is also something that they are learning in reading.

Have a GREAT week,
Aesha

Week of January 16th

Hi Everyone,

     I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend. Please remember that if students are interested in participating in this year’s Invention Convention, they must return the form requesting an information packet. The due date for requests are tomorrow, Wednesday 1/18.

     Students were given permission slips for the field trip to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. The field trip is on Friday January 27^th. If you would like to be a chaperone please send in your payment with your child’s. All chaperones must be cleared to by DCPS to be a volunteer.                                                                                                Go to http://dcps.duvalschools.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=7416 to apply.

     Students have also been given information about this year’s Literacy Week activities. Students should be working on their Amazon book summary for the door decorating project. Students were given their word for the Vocabulary Parade. Be creative!!

     In math this week, we will begin using a new computer program called Prodigy games. You can find it by going to www.prodigygame.com/play. Students logged in today in the computer lab and should have their user name and passwords in their trappers. This week for homework students may either complete 15 minutes of i-Ready or 15 minutes of Prodigy. The assignments on prodigy are aligned to our state MAFS standards. I will go on each week and make a new assignment. The assignments will come from both current material and previously taught material.

     In class we will be finishing up our unit on fractions. The students will take their test sometime next week. After fractions we will begin working on decimals.

     In science this week, we will complete our unit on force and motion. Students will take an open book test on Thursday. We will then begin our study of plants and animals. Our unit will start off with how plants reproduce. Did you know that plants have male and female parts? We will be dissecting flowers to see the parts on next Monday.

     In social studies this week, students need to read chapter 4 lesson 2 and complete vocabulary in their journals. In this lesson we will learn about how the British took over control of Florida from Spain. Last week we learned about Fort Mose, the first African American settlement in Florida. It is located between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. According to the website it is open to the public.                                                         Go to https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Fort-Mose for more information. 

Week of January 9th

Happy New Year Everyone,

     I hope that everyone had a wonderful winter break!! I know I did! It was hard coming in last Thursday. The students must have had a great vacation too, because they have been attentive and eager to get back to work. 

     It is hard to believe but we are now at the midway point of the school year. Please check your child's pencil pouch to see if they are in need of a supply replenishment. Many students have come to class with out pencils or checking pens. Students need those two items everyday. Students may also need new glue sticks, scissors, and colored pencils. 

     Don't forget we will be going on our first out of the building field trip on Friday January 27th. We will be traveling by bus to the Jacksonville Zoo. We will be ordering our lunches from the zoo. Students should have brought home a lunch order form to you last week or the beginning of this week. We need to have these forms back no later than this Friday 1/13. We have to call the zoo and give a final count for lunch. Students have a choice of a hamburger, hot dog, or peanut butter and jelly uncrustable.  Each lunch also comes with chips, animal crackers and a drink. If students also have the option of not ordering a lunch. In that case students will need to bring a bag lunch with a drink on the day of the field trip. 

      You may also order a lunch. Just fill out that portion of the lunch order form. Also if you are planning to chaperone for the field trip, please make sure your DCPS volunteer status is up to date. 

     In math this week we will learn how to add and subtract fractions using a variety of strategies.

 subtraction with a tape diagram

subtraction with a number line

subtraction with decomposition

Students will also learn how to use a line plot. A line plot is a graph that shows frequency of data along a number line. It is best to use a line plot when comparing fewer than 25 numbers. It is a quick, simple way to organize data.

The line plot above shows data for the amount of snowfall for the month of December. Each time a number appears in the data you place an X above that number on the number line. In addition to constructing a line plot students will also be asked questions about the data. For example, How many total inches of snow fell during the month of December?

     In science this week, we will become physicists and learn about forces, motion, and speed. Did you know that the gravity is considered a non contact force. This means that the object that is affected by gravity doesn't need to be touching anything. Chapter 6 is a very short chapter, there are only two lessons. We will take an open book test next week. Students are also not being assigned vocabulary words or choices for chapter 6.

     In social studies this week we will begin working on chapter 4. In chapter 4 we will learn about how the English, French, and Spanish all fought over Florida. Did you know that today's South Carolina was part of Spanish Florida and the British wanted the land? The French wanted the land near Pensacola. Students need to read and be ready to discuss chapter 4 lesson 1 on this Friday.

     Have a GREAT week,

    Aesha