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