January 23, 2013

The kids enjoyed the long weekend and cam back ready to get things accomplished!  In language arts, we had book club today, and it was great to hear all of the rich discussion about The Woods Runner.  Each member did their part to make the activity meaningful and worthwhile.  The students have new roles for next week's book club on Thursday.  After reading aloud "George Washington's Teeth," by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora , the students chose a President of the United States to research information about.  "George Washington's Teeth" is nonfiction; however, it is written in the form of a rhyming couplet poem.  The students are sharing what they learned about a President by writing rhyming couplet poems of their own.  Presidential rhyming couplet poems are due this Friday, and most of the students are finished.  Stop by and check out the creative, fun way our kids shared things they learned about a President of their choice.  Next week we will begin writing persuasive letters.  The students received and we went over the guidelines and instructions in class today.  They will be writing letters to King George III from the point of view of colonists trying to convince him to revoke the unfair laws he is imposing on them.  This links directly with our social studies unit about the Revolutionary War period.  Students switch math groups today, as it was the start of a new unit, Patterns and Algebraic Thinking.  They will spend the next three weeks on this unit. We began by reviewing the order of operations and learned about parentheses, brackets, and braces.  In science, the students are investigating the respiratory system and understanding how different systems work together to perform body functions.  The students will be taking the Case 21 Science Assessment about Human Body Systems on Friday.

We are going on a field trip to the Art Museum on Friday, February 8 from 10:15am- 12:30pm and need chaperones.  If you are interested by e-mail me!! We would love to have you join us!

Ms. Burston would like to invite you to visit her blog page for middle school information.  bit.ly/jyjcounselor.  Her school e-mail address is aburston@wcpss.net if you have any questions or concerns regarding middle school.  The deadline to apply for a magnet school is this Friday, January 25. 

Homework 1/23/13
L.A: 1. Vocab Test on Tuesday, January 29, 2013  (vocab list posted on blog page Jan. 7)
        2.  Complete one vocabulary contract activity
        3. Read the next 15 pages of The Woods Runner