Math Update

I am glad to be back.  I am very tired from working a full week but it is good to be with your children again, I missed them.

We are still working on fractions and will continue with it more next year.  They should know how to make equivalent fractions, add and subtract unlike denominators.  This is a good start.

For the summer I am encouraging students to practice their math at least 15 minutes each day.  I will keep Edmodo and Moby Max available until the end of August. I suggest 5 minutes of fact practice and 10 minutes of math each day.  Let me know if you have problems accessing Moby Max on an android and I can give you some other way to login.

I am proud of the growth each child has made in math.  They really have worked hard. 

Have a good summer

Mrs. Frostad

Final writing update

This post is a bit early since I will be out of town this weekend. For the last time this school year, here is the latest news in writing...

Language Notebook
We have studied the following roots: ang/flect/flex (meaning bend), len/fac/ify/ize (meaning make or do), and hab/hib/tain (meaning hold). We also discussed adages and their meanings.

Lessons
We are currently starting our final writing assessment for the year. The students are writing a nonfiction narrative about an act of bravery or a story their family likes to tell. Last week we completed the state writing test on the computers. Prior to that we wrote nonfiction narrative stories, with a focus on using our five senses in the description.

Dictado
Due to the short week this week and the state test last week, we have only had one dictado test since my last update. The focus was on capitals (in a title and beginning a sentence), punctuation (ending a sentence), commas (in a list and when sing a clause), and spelling (region and semi-nomadic).

In the last weeks of school we will be completing our final assessment and reflecting on the year. Have a wonderful summer!

Ms. Vizzini

Writing News

Greetings,

We have just sent off three of our classrooms to The Special Olympics and my heart is full of love. It's a beautiful Woodland tradition that makes me proud to be here!

On to the writing update...

Language Notebook
We have studied the following roots: cieve/cept/donat/trib (meaning give and receive), fig/form/morph (meaning shape), and path/sens/sent (meaning word and shout). In addition we also learned about idioms.

Writing Lessons
The students continue to work on our last type of writing for the year, narrative non-fiction. Some of the prompts have included losing a tooth, getting lost, a haircut, hurting yourself, your best day, a time you disobeyed, a memorable birthday, and a family trip. We also spent some class time completing a Mother's Day project.

Dictado
The dictado has focused on the regions and tribes of Oregon. Some skills we've worked on include capitalization (for beginning of sentences and proper nouns), punctuation (ends of sentences, clauses, and lists), and spelling (temperate and climate). I have also added a bonus question on Friday's test. For example, this week the question was "what are permanent settlements?". This is something we've discussed throughout the week. If students answer correctly on the test they receive a wolf paw.

Reminders

• The Annual Talent Show will be next Friday at 1:30. 
• Books 2 U will be here next Tuesday, May 12th
• The next round of testing will begin on Monday, May 18th. Please help your student by making sure they have a good night's rest (about 10 hours), a healthy breakfast (especially protein!), and plenty of time to play and exercise.

It looks like we will be having another beautiful weekend. I hope you will enjoy it with your mothers and loved ones.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Ms. Vizzini

Another Week off from Testing...

Hello! 

The kids will have a week of regular classroom work next week but the week of the 18th is a week of state testing again. They will be tested in Reading and Language Arts this time. The reading test consists of reading multi-paragraph selections and answering multiple choice and short essay questions. It's not easy and can be frustrating for those who find reading very challenging. 

Let your child know how proud you are of them and the accomplishments they have made this year. This is a fabulous group of children and we have really enjoyed getting to know them and working as hard as we do together. We all know a test can tell us important information about our learning and teaching but it's only a snapshot and does not tell a complete picture. Celebrate their strengths please and let them know how much you love them and all tell them what has made you proud. 

Hope you are enjoying this lovely weather and are getting to play as a family! 

Much appreciation, 

Mrs. Dryer

Math Update

It has been a very busy end of April.  We have been working hard at understanding division.  Fourth graders are focused on one digit divisors and Fifth graders two digit divisors.  Many students understand the process but many more are still unsure of the process to do it independently.  I am hoping a few weeks off might allow some understanding to form in the mind.

This last week we have been working on word problems.  Not a topic that is gladly welcomed.  We have worked together on some very hard 2-3 step problems.  Many of the students have started to see how you think through a longer problem.  We will continue to practice as these types of problems are what we really solve as adults.

We are still working on getting all students to 90% or better on multiplication facts.  Then we will continue to review.

Next week we take the state test in math.  I feel the students are ready and will do fine.  Please help to make the testing go smoothly by having your child arrive at school on time, eat a good breakfast and lunch as well as getting at least 8 hours of sleep.  We will only be testing 1 hour a day so it shouldn't be too much at one time.

Because of the testing, Mrs. Dryer, Ms. Vizzini and I have decided we want the students to work on preparing themselves for the test.  They will  not have the regular homework next week EXCEPT the weekly evaluation.  Instead we want them to be sure they get a healthy breakfast, rest up with sleep, and exercise (play outside, not on video games) at least 1 hour for homework.

If you have any questions, please call.  I hope you  have a good weekend.

Mrs. Frostad

Writing News

Greetings!

We are just wrapping up conferences, thank you for taking the time to come in and discuss your child's progress this year.

Here is what we've been up to in writing for the past few weeks...

Language Notebook:
We have studied roots that mean to work or do (act/funct), to shout or say (claim/clam/log/noun), as well as common roots, types of reference materials, similes, and metaphors.

Writing Lessons:
As the culminating activity for our narrative fiction unit, the students chose their best piece of writing to revise, edit, and submit for a grade. After that we began our final writing unit of the year, narrative non-fiction stories. The students created a timeline of important events from their lives. We also worked on 'zooming in' from a larger topic (like a vacation) to a more specific idea (when I went swimming in the ocean for the first time). These activities are designed to help the kids have a list of story ideas for next week when we begin writing stories every day. This unit will last for the remainder of the year.

Dictado:
We have had two dictado tests since my last update. They are based on Oregon History, which is what we are learning about during our Social Studies time. The focus has been on capitals (in a title, for proper nouns, and at the beginning of sentences), using commas (in a list and when a clause is added to a sentence), end punctuation, and spelling (region).

As a reminder, the fifth grade students will visit Reynolds High School for a demonstration of the music programs offered at Walt Morey Middle School.  This will occur on Friday, April 24th.

School will resume on Monday, April 20th. See you then!

Ms. Vizzini

Guest Speaker

Today your children welcomed a guest speaker to Woodland. Thomas Doty is a Native American story teller from Oregon and he spent the day with us in order to kick start our unit on Native American studies.

The students listened to, told, and discussed the art of story telling. What a wonderful, engaging way to begin our unit of study! They loved it.

Please take time in the coming days to tell stories with your child. What can you share with them about your childhood? Do you have stories about something exciting that happened to you when you were their age? Telling stories will be an important part of our writing curriculum here at school in the coming weeks.

Remember to attend your child's conference next week. The three of us are looking forward to meeting with you.

Have a great weekend! See you soon.

Warmly,

Mrs. Dryer

To see more on Mr. Doty, check out his website: http://www.dotycoyote.com/home/index.html