Weekly Update 5/29/2017

Updates/Reminders - Mark Your Calendars!! 

• Spring Pictures went home a couple of weeks ago.  Please remember that if you plan on purchasing your child's photos, to return the photos that you do not want along with a check purchasing the ones that you plan to keep.  If you are not interested in purchasing these photos this year, please just return them to school with your child. 
• School yearbooks went home last Friday.  If you would like to purchase your child's yearbook, please return $16 in the envelope or pay online (checks can be made out to Strawbridge Studios).
• Student Led Conferences are happening this week and next.  Please visit this link to sign up for a conference: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4dafa62fa13-endofyear1
• Reading EOGs are scheduled for Wednesday, June 21st and the Math EOGs are scheduled for Thursday, June 22nd.  If you know that your child will be absent for this assessment, please let me know as soon as possible, so a make-up day can be planned. 
• Meet the Teacher for the 2017-2018 school year will be on Tuesday, June 27th from 5:30-6:15PM.  
• End of the Year Class Picnic will be on Wednesday, June 28th from 1:15-2:00.  Parents are welcome to attend.  You may bring your child a special lunch that day or they may purchase one, as usual from the cafeteria.  

What We Are Learning This Week:
Reading: 

This week the students will work on studying the genre of traditional literature (folktales, tables, myths, and legends).  On Friday, they will take a fiction assessment on both realistic fiction and traditional literature texts.  The students will learn to apply the following strategies when reading traditional literature:

         •Readers identify how a character changes throughout a text.

         •Readers identify the problem and lesson learned

         •Readers make a mind movie to better understand how a character feels.

         •Readers make inferences about a character based on their dialogue and actions. 

         •Readers reread and reword test questions to better understand what is being asked.

         •Readers use “read around the word” and “fill in the blank” to determine the meaning of unknown words.

Students will continue to have two reading passages to complete for homework each week that coincides with the genre we are currently focusing on.  Students are required to annotate their thinking by showing their thought process as they are reading, as well as applying the strategies they have learned thus far.  

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*What are the characteristics of the traditional literature genre?

*What reading strategies do good readers use when reading traditional literature texts?

*Show me how to annotate your thinking when reading traditional literature..

*What inferences can you make about the main character? 

Writing: 

This week in writing, the students will continue to work on their free choice persuasive writing assignment.  The students are all working at their own pace and are working on adding the following items that are below:

•The introduction should include:

*clear wording

*stated opinion

*supporting details

*a hook

•The body paragraphs should include the "FAB FIVE" (topic sentence, 3-5 details, strong vocabulary, 3-5 transition words and end with a concluding sentence) t

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*What changes did you make to your paper?

*What do you feel you need to work on most as a writer?

*Who will be your audience?

*In which format would you like to write? (blog, letter, essay, etc.)

Math: 

In math, the students will take the customary measurement assessment on Wednesday.  Starting Thursday, the students will work on line plots.  They will be working on plotting fractional numbers on a line plot and then interpreting what that data describes.  On next Tuesday, they will take an assessment on this standard.  For the remainder of next week, the students will work on reviewing past taught math concepts in preparation for the EOG.  

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*Why are line plots used?

*Can you show me how you would construct a line plot?

*What areas in math do you feel like you need the most help with in preparation for the EOG?

Science: 

This week, the students will begin this quarter's science unit: Landforms.  To begin, the class will brainstorm what they know about landforms.  Then, they will define landforms and learn many examples of landforms.  They will learn that the earth's surface is constantly changing.  Finally, the students will study how weathering, erosion, and deposition contribute to these changes.

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*What is a landform? 

*Can you give me some examples of a landform? 

*How is the earth's surface constantly changing?  Can you provide me with some specific examples? 

Weekly Update 5/22/2017

Updates/Reminders - Mark Your Calendars!! 

• Spring Pictures went home a couple of weeks ago.  Please remember that if you plan on purchasing your child's photos, to return the photos that you do not want along with a check purchasing the ones that you plan to keep.  If you are not interested in purchasing these photos this year, please just return them to school with your child. 
• School yearbooks went home on Friday.  If you would like to purchase your child's yearbook, please return $16 in the envelope or pay online (checks can be made out to Strawbridge Studios).
• Student Led Conferences will be held in the next few weeks.  Please visit this link to sign up for a conference: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4dafa62fa13-endofyear1
• Reading EOGs are scheduled for Wednesday, June 21st and the Math EOGs are scheduled for Thursday, June 22nd.  If you know that your child will be absent for this assessment, please let me know as soon as possible, so a make-up day can be planned. 
• Meet the Teacher for the 2017-2018 school year will be on Tuesday, June 27th from 5:30-6:15PM.  

What We Are Learning This Week:
Reading: 

This week the students will study the genre of realistic fiction texts.  The students will learn to apply the following strategies when reading realistic fiction and traditional literature texts:

          •Readers identify how a character changes throughout a text.

          •Readers identify the problem and lesson learned

          •Readers make a mind movie to better understand how a character feels.               

          •Readers make inferences about a character based on their dialogue and actions. 

          •Readers reread and reword test questions to better understand what is being asked.

          •Readers use “read around the word” and “fill in the blank” to determine the meaning        of unknown words.

Students will also continue to have two reading passages to complete for homework each week that coincides with the genre we are currently focusing on.  Students are required to annotate their thinking by showing their thought process as they are reading, as well as applying the strategies they have learned thus far. 

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*What are the characteristics of the realistic fiction genre?

*What reading strategies do good readers use when reading realistic fiction texts?

 *Show me how to annotate your thinking when reading realistic fiction texts.

*What inferences can you make about the main character? 

Writing: 

This week in writing, the students will either be finishing publishing their first persuasive writing piece or starting their second one. In their new persuasive writing piece, they are allowed free choice in their topic selection.  They will create a tree map that organizes their three body paragraphs and with their second writing piece, they will work hard to conduct research on this topic to strengthen their supporting details. They will then continue to progress through the writing process by composing a strong introduction and body paragraphs with topic and concluding sentences and transition words.  

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*What have you chosen to write about?

*Who will be your audience?

*In which format would you like to write? (blog, letter, essay, etc.)

Math: 

In math this week, the students will be working on solving word problems involving the customary terms of measurement.   It is very important that your child memorize the following conversions.

•12 inches = 1 foot

•3 feet = 1 yard; 36 inches = 1 yard

•1,760 yards = 1 mile; 5,280 feet = 1 mile

•4 quarts = 1 gallon

•2 pints = 1 quart

•2 cups = 1 pint

•8 ounces = 1 cup

•16 ounces = 1 pound

•They will have an assessment on customary measurement on Wednesday May 31st or Thursday, June 1st. 

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*How many inches are in a foot?  Feet in a yard?  Yards in a mile?

*How many quarts are in a gallon? Pints in a quart? Cups in a pint?

*How many ounces are in a pound?  How many pounds in a ton?

Social Studies: 

This week in social studies the students will be learning about the different cultural traditions in the three regions of North Carolina.  They will be presenting their geography Google Slides presentations to the class on Tuesday.  On Thursday and Friday (for those students who may need more time) the students will be taking an open notes Social Studies assessment, which will cover the material that we have discussed so far this quarter. 

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*Tell me about some of the cultural traditions in North Carolina.
*Are your social studies notes complete?  Are there any areas that you might have missed that you need to catch up on?
*Can you tell me how the environment, communication, transportation, and/or population has changed in North Carolina? 

Weekly Update 5/8/2017

Updates/Reminders - Mark Your Calendars!! 

• Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) is the practice of assigning a student to a higher-grade level than is typical, given the student's age, for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.  SSA is an accelerative practice that allows students to show mastery of the content of a course without having taken the course.  If you want to learn more about SSA, there are a number of upcoming Parent Information Sessions that you can attend.  You can view the schedule here: http://bit.ly/2m0U7pC or by visiting the WCPSS Accelerative Practices website at http://wakeacceleration.weebly.com/.                                            *The Nomination Window for Track Four is May 5th to May 18th  (All forms MUST be received by the end of the school day on May 18th.  Late nomination forms will not be accepted.)
  *Morrisville's Anticipated Testing Dates: Wednesday, May 31st or Thursday, June 1st
• Mark your calendars for Morrisville's Got Talent!  Tracks 3 & 4 will perform on Friday, May 12th at 6:30PM.  Online registration will be open until April 28th.  Please check the MES website for more information. 
• Track Four Field Day is Friday, May 19th.  More information will follow closer to the date. 
• It is time to CELEBRATE!!!!   Morrisville Elementary School is celebrating it's 25th Year as well as our newest National Blue Ribbon Award distinction.  On Monday, May 22nd at 10 AM all students, staff, and parents are going to physically encircle the school building with a blue ribbon in honor of our continued success. BE SURE TO COME DRESSED in royal blue in honor of our award!  We would love to have as many parents as possible join us.  
• Reading EOGs are scheduled for Wednesday, June 21st and the Math EOGs are scheduled for Thursday, June 22nd.  If you know that your child will be absent for this assessment, please let me know as soon as possible, so a make-up day can be planned. 
• Meet the Teacher for the 2017-2018 school year will be on Tuesday, June 27th from 5:30-6:15PM.  

What We Are Learning This Week:
Reading: 

This week the students will continue to study the genre of informational texts.  The students will learn to apply the following strategies when reading informational texts:     

         •Readers identify the text structure to help them determine the main idea, or the “so what?”

         •Readers think about the author’s purpose or intent for writing the text.

•Readers pay close attention to the type of question it is and indentify the question type before answering: Main Idea, Inference, Right There, Vocabulary, or Author’s Purpose

         •Readers use the strategies “read around the word” and “fill in the blank” to gain information about the meaning of an unknown word.

Next Wednesday, the students will take a common assessment on the genre of informational texts.  The students will be expected to create a roadmap of their thinking and answer multiple choice style questions.  Students will also continue to have two reading passages to complete for homework each week that coincides with the genre we are currently focusing on.  Students are required to roadmap their thinking by showing their thought process as they are reading, as well as applying the strategies they have learned thus far.  

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*What are the characteristics of the nonfiction genre?

*What reading strategies do good readers use when reading nonfiction texts?

*What should you do when you come across an unfamiliar word when reading?

*Show me how to “map out your thinking” when reading nonfiction texts. 

Writing: 

This week in writing, the students will continue to work on drafting their persuasive writing.  They will work on writing three strong body paragraphs, and a complete conclusion this week.  As they draft their writing, below are some important guidelines to remember:

•The body paragraphs should include three reasons, each supported by three facts and/or details.

•The ideas should be linked with several  transition words or phrases, and  use a variety of transition words and phrases.

•Their writing should be wrapped up with concluding sentences in each  paragraph , and a concluding paragraph which clearly  restates their opinion and the reasons their opinion.

Near the end of the week, many of them will work on revising and editing their own writing independently and with a peer.  

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*Who is your intended audience?

*What ideas do you have that support your topic?

*What techniques did you use to conclude your persuasive writing? 

Math: 

In math this week, the students will be learning all about the metric system.  They will be investigating meters, liters, and grams.  They will learn about all of the metric system prefixes (kilo, hecto, deca, deci, centi, and mili), the value that they hold, and how to apply it to the different forms of metric measurement. The students will practice converting metric numbers (2,000 meters = 2 kilometers) and solving word problems involving metric measurements.  The students will take on assessment on these concepts next Tuesday.  Below are some helpful instructional videos that your child can watch at home:

•http://learnzillion.com/lessons/2631-compare-and-convert-metric-units-of-weight

•http://learnzillion.com/student/lessons/2571

•http://learnzillion.com/student/lessons/2498

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*What types of things would you measure in meters? Grams? Liters?

*1,000mg = ____g?

*250m = _____km?

*12L = _____mL?

Social Studies: 

This week in social studies the students will be starting a research project where they will be working in small groups to investigate how a geographic area in North Carolina has changed over time and whether people have had had a positive and negative impact on it.

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*How has people impacted NC’s natural resources?

*How have people adapted to the changes in NC’s environment?

Weekly Update 5/1/2017

Updates/Reminders - Mark Your Calendars!! 

• Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) is the practice of assigning a student to a higher-grade level than is typical, given the student's age, for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities.  SSA is an accelerative practice that allows students to show mastery of the content of a course without having taken the course.  If you want to learn more about SSA, there are a number of upcoming Parent Information Sessions that you can attend.  You can view the schedule here: http://bit.ly/2m0U7pC or by visiting the WCPSS Accelerative Practices website at http://wakeacceleration.weebly.com/.                                            *The Nomination Window for Track Four is May 5th to May 18th  (All forms MUST be received by the end of the school day on May 18th.  Late nomination forms will not be accepted.)
  *Morrisville's Anticipated Testing Dates:  Wednesday, May 31st or Thursday, June 1st
• Morrisville 5K Stampede will be on Sunday May 7th from 2:00-5:00PM at Morrisville Elementary.  To register, please visit this website: https://morrisvillepta.org/5k-stampede/.
• Mark your calendars for Morrisville's Got Talent!  Tracks 3 & 4 will perform on Friday, May 12th at 6:30PM.  Online registration will be open until April 28th.  Please check the MES website for more information. 
• Track Four Field Day is Friday, May 19th.  More information will follow closer to the date. 
• It is time to CELEBRATE!!!!   Morrisville Elementary School is celebrating it's 25th Year as well as our newest National Blue Ribbon Award distinction.  On Monday, May 22nd at 10 AM all students, staff, and parents are going to physically encircle the school building with a blue ribbon in honor of our continued success. BE SURE TO COME DRESSED in royal blue in honor of our award!  We would love to have as many parents as possible join us.  
• Reading EOGs are scheduled for Wednesday, June 21st and the Math EOGs are scheduled for Thursday, June 22nd.  If you know that your child will be absent for this assessment, please let me know as soon as possible, so a make-up day can be planned. 
• Meet the Teacher for the 2017-2018 school year will be on Tuesday, June 27th from 5:30-6:15PM.  

What We Are Learning This Week and NEXT:
Reading: 

This week the students will continue to work on finding textual evidence in a variety of different genres.  Today the students work tomorrow they will focus on finding textual evidence in fiction texts by seeking out specific support for character traits.  Then the students will move onto poetry where they will be finding textual evidence to support the inferences that they make while reading.  On Friday, the students will start their next reading unit that will carry them through the end of the quarter.  With this unit, the students will “journey” through all of the genres that we have read this year.  They will start this journey by focusing on nonfiction texts and strategies that good readers use to be successful.  

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*Make sure and have your child point out to you specific evidence in the text to support their answer/thinking.

*Tell me more about what good readers do when reading nonfiction texts.  

Writing: 

This week in writing, the students will continue to work on their persuasive writing.  They will finish planning out their first piece of writing by organizing it onto a modified flow map.  Then they will work on drafting their introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusions this week.  As they draft their writing, below are some important guidelines to remember:

•The introduction should include:

*a hook

*introduce your three reasons

*end with your thesis statement

*persuasive vocabulary

•The body paragraphs should include three reasons, each supported by three facts and/or details.

•The ideas should be linked with several  transition words or phrases, and  use a variety of transition words and phrases.

•Their writing should be wrapped up with concluding sentences in each  paragraph , and a concluding paragraph which clearly  restates their opinion and the reasons their opinion.

Questions You Can Ask You Child At Home:

*Who is your intended audience?

*How did you hook your reader?

*What ideas do you have that support your topic?

*What techniques did you use to conclude your persuasive writing? 

Math: 

In math this week, the students will finish up the decimals unit.  They will work on the following concepts: 

•Writing decimals as fractions and words

        •Recognizing how a decimal number can change when a tenth or hundredth is either      added or subtracted

        •Comparing and ordering decimal numbers

        •Rounding decimal numbers to the nearest tenth and hundredth

       On Friday, the students will take their first math assessment of the quarter on these concepts. 

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*Can you write the following decimal (0.34) as a fraction?  In words?

*How would the decimal  0.7 change if you added two tenths? What if you subtracted 3 hundredths?

*Order the following decimals from lease to greatest: 0.4, 1.2, 0.38, 0.04. What strategy did you use to help you?

* Can you round the following decimal (0.67) to the nearest tenth? To the nearest hundredth?

Social Studies: 

This week in social studies the students will learn more about the natural resources that are important to our everyday economy and where they can be found in our state. They will also investigate how the different forms of communication have changed and the benefits and challenges that they pose. Finally, the students will work on understanding the effect that North Carolina’s population has had on its environment.  

Questions You Can Ask Your Child At Home: 

*How has people impacted NC’s natural resources?

*How have people adapted to the changes in NC’s environment?