Trimester 2 is coming to an end next week. Starting this week, and finishing next week, our students will complete several literacy/writing assessments to demonstrate their progress on T2 learning targets.  They have worked so incredibly hard!

Check below to see what we've covered over the last couple of weeks:

Reading

We just wrapped up our exciting novel, George’s Secret Key to the Universe. The kids enjoyed the plot twists and the character development of George, Eric, and Dr. Reeper all throughout the book! They especially fell in love with George, who discovered the mysteries of the universe while he learned about various aspects such as stars, planets, and moons.  This is the first in a series of books.  Students showed so much interest that they have asked for other books in the series.  Unfortunately our library does not have any copies of the other books, but your local library should have a few copies available! I have loaned out several copies of sequels from my personal collection! I'd love for anyone with an interest to read other books in the series, to be able to do so!

We have also been working hard on digging deeper into fiction and nonfiction short text, with a focus on our learning targets. This week we solidified our skills in finding an author's main idea, the reasons for that idea, and the evidence to support the reasons. We read several nonfiction texts to help us practice. One article was about an endangered species of penguins, and the other explored how owning a dog can have tangible health benefits!

Writing

Connecting to the theme of the universe, the students are finishing their own science fiction narratives. They brainstormed characters, events, and others ideas to include within their stories.  It was wonderful to see their creative juices flow!  Remember to ask your student all about the sci-fi narrative he/she wrote! Students will share these with you at student-led conferences next month!

Math

We're currently strengthening our abilities to multiply fractions while utilizing the area model and the traditional method. Most recently, we have been learning different methods to multiply mixed numbers by a fraction, using both the area model and improper fractions. We're learning how to solve these problems utilizing models, as well as more traditional strategies. We will be moving on to division of fractions next week!

Students are also enjoying the "math talk"routine we've been having several times a week at the start of lessons. They are absolutely loving an estimation routine where there are shown a picture and asked to estimate the number of items being shown. Afterwards, they are given a series of clues in order to eliminate the possibilities! Be sure to ask your student about this fun routine!

**Please note: Students will take the first math placement test next week, on Wednesday, February 22nd.

Please know that because of the nature of this performance assessment, there is no preparation possible that students can be doing for this particular test.

Social Studies

We are wrapping up our second unit in social studies, on the Colonial Era. Most recently, we have explored the way that slavery and social structures influenced the colonial era. We will wrap up our unit by creating quilt squares as a project to demonstrate our understanding of how complexities of the past can help us meet challenges of the present. We are excited to share these at conferences next month!

Important Dates

Monday, February 20th- No School (President’s Day)

Wednesday, February 22nd- 6th Grade Placement Test- Math

Friday, February 24th- Student Council Mismatch Day

Friday, February 24th- Trimester 2 Ends

Friday, March 3rd- No School (Institute Day)

Monday, March 6th- No School (Pulaski Day)

Tuesday, March 14th- Early Release

Friendly Reminders

**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.  Nothing feeds the brain better than something healthy!

**Please continue to have your child practice his or her multiplication facts up to 12.

**Band and orchestra students should remember to be prepared with their instruments and music books on the days that lessons take place.