Some need to know news...

Hello!  Below you will find some important reminders and dates...feel free to email or call if you have any questions.

September 29- Picture day!

October 5- Field trip to Great Bay Discovery Center.  Please get your permission slip to school ASAP.  The cost of the trip is $6.50/student.  We are still in need of 2 more chaperones.

October 3-12- NECAP testing.  Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep and a hearty breakfast, as we will be taking the New England Common Assessment Program on these days.  All 3rd and 4th graders in NH will be taking this test in reading and math.

October 14- Scholastic orders due.  A new book order went home today.  Orders can be placed online at scholastic.com or can be sent in with your child.  If you choose to do it online, the activation code for our class is J424Q. 

Our school now has a Tumble Books account!  Tumble Books is an online "library," containing hundreds of books that your child can listen to and read.  There are comprehension questions, games, and actvities that accompany each book too!  Students had fun exploring the site yesterday and many were interested in doing it at home.  Just go to www.tumblebooks.com.  Our username is rgs and the password is books.

Welcome to our blog!

I am happy to present to you our new class blog!  The purpose of this blog is to share what we've been up to in the classroom.  There will be updates about what we've been doing, important information, and reminders.  Be sure to check back often, as I will be updating our blog frequently!  

This week the classroom has been abuzz with lots of learning!  

During Daily 5, we have been building stamina while reading and writing and practicing comprehension strategies.  Students have been enjoying reading to themselves, writing, and reading to a partner.  Be sure to ask what books he and she have been reading! Each child completed a reading assessment and set reading goals.  Last week we started our read aloud book Bunnicula by James Howe.   See if your child remembers any of the main characters.  Many students also wrote personal narrative stories.  This first writing assignment gave us experience with the writing process of pre-writing, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing.   

This week your child also wrote his or her first letter to a pen pal.  This year the class will be writing to a class of 4th graders in Oregon (it just happens to be my old class...)!  I always love pen pal projects; they are a great way to connect with other children while teaching the lost art of letter writing.  Be sure to find out who your child is writing to!

We began social studies this week with a unit on geography.  Students became "experts" on one continent and taught the rest of the class what they learned.  We used the ipads to go deeper and discover more about each continent.  By the end of the week, they should be able to name each continent, locate it on a map, and describe 3 facts about them.  

Don't forget these important dates:

September 23, book orders due

September 29, picture day

October 5, field trip to Great Bay Discovery Center

Well, that's it for this post!  Remember, check back often!!