The Week Ahead 9/19-9/23
Updates
It was great to see everyone at Back to School Night! I'll touch on a few of the big topics that were discussed in this blog post, but if you weren't able to attend and you have any specific questions please let me know. Students will have their first vocabulary test on Tuesday, 9/20. They will be tested on six figurative language terms. We been spending about 10 minutes a day in class studying the words, however students are encouraged to study their words at home as needed. In addition to taking their vocabulary test, students will also get their new vocabulary words that will be tested the following week.
Math
Last week we started our math curriculum. You can expect your student to have math homework each night, except for Friday nights. If you find that you are not quite sure what the students are expected to do on a lesson please take a look at the math videos in the Websites section of our class website.
Reading
At the end of the week I started reading goal conferences. In these conferences I have the student read me a page from the book they are reading and then we chat about their book and reading life. I point out something the student is doing well and then give them a strategy to work on for the week. Not every student has had their first goal conference yet, but by next Wednesday each child will have a strategy they are working on during reading. They are responsible for knowing this strategy and working on it throughout the week. Asking your student to tell you about the strategy they are currently working on will be a great way to stay informed about their reading.
Writing
Last week in writing we started narrative writing. So far our main focus has been on using dialogue to enhance our storytelling. By using the actual words that were said in our story we give the reader a chance to feel like they are seeing the story take place. We have also worked on giving our reader more information about how things were said by putting "said to bed." Next week we will attempt to use figurative language in our writing.
Volunteering
I love having volunteers in my class! There are a few different ways that you can volunteer your time with us. If you want to work with students and are able to commit to a weekly schedule, we could use you for math (10:25-11:25) or reading (12:20-1:40). I understand that not everyone can commit to coming in every week, other opportunities include helping with the three class parties, chaperoning field trips, or working on something from home. At Back to School Night there was a sign up to indicate if you were interested in volunteering. If you didn't sign up, but are interested in volunteering, please send me an email. One final note on volunteering, my wife and I are expecting our second child anytime. I will be taking a two week paternity leave when the baby is born. I won't be setting up the weekly volunteer schedule until I return from paternity leave.
Paternity Leave
Like I mentioned above, my wife and I are expecting our second child soon. When the baby is born I will be taking a two week paternity leave. Ms. Aston will be taking over my class. She is an excellent teacher, who has spent a lot of time at West TV and in my classroom. She and I have been in communication and she has a good understanding of where we are headed in this class. Your children will be in good hands.
Out of School Activities
If your student participates in an out of school activity like a sport, a play, or a musical instrument, please consider giving me a copy of their schedule. I love getting a chance to see students outside of school!
Upcoming Dates
It was great to see everyone at Back to School Night! I'll touch on a few of the big topics that were discussed in this blog post, but if you weren't able to attend and you have any specific questions please let me know. Students will have their first vocabulary test on Tuesday, 9/20. They will be tested on six figurative language terms. We been spending about 10 minutes a day in class studying the words, however students are encouraged to study their words at home as needed. In addition to taking their vocabulary test, students will also get their new vocabulary words that will be tested the following week.
Math
Last week we started our math curriculum. You can expect your student to have math homework each night, except for Friday nights. If you find that you are not quite sure what the students are expected to do on a lesson please take a look at the math videos in the Websites section of our class website.
Reading
At the end of the week I started reading goal conferences. In these conferences I have the student read me a page from the book they are reading and then we chat about their book and reading life. I point out something the student is doing well and then give them a strategy to work on for the week. Not every student has had their first goal conference yet, but by next Wednesday each child will have a strategy they are working on during reading. They are responsible for knowing this strategy and working on it throughout the week. Asking your student to tell you about the strategy they are currently working on will be a great way to stay informed about their reading.
Writing
Last week in writing we started narrative writing. So far our main focus has been on using dialogue to enhance our storytelling. By using the actual words that were said in our story we give the reader a chance to feel like they are seeing the story take place. We have also worked on giving our reader more information about how things were said by putting "said to bed." Next week we will attempt to use figurative language in our writing.
Volunteering
I love having volunteers in my class! There are a few different ways that you can volunteer your time with us. If you want to work with students and are able to commit to a weekly schedule, we could use you for math (10:25-11:25) or reading (12:20-1:40). I understand that not everyone can commit to coming in every week, other opportunities include helping with the three class parties, chaperoning field trips, or working on something from home. At Back to School Night there was a sign up to indicate if you were interested in volunteering. If you didn't sign up, but are interested in volunteering, please send me an email. One final note on volunteering, my wife and I are expecting our second child anytime. I will be taking a two week paternity leave when the baby is born. I won't be setting up the weekly volunteer schedule until I return from paternity leave.
Paternity Leave
Like I mentioned above, my wife and I are expecting our second child soon. When the baby is born I will be taking a two week paternity leave. Ms. Aston will be taking over my class. She is an excellent teacher, who has spent a lot of time at West TV and in my classroom. She and I have been in communication and she has a good understanding of where we are headed in this class. Your children will be in good hands.
Out of School Activities
If your student participates in an out of school activity like a sport, a play, or a musical instrument, please consider giving me a copy of their schedule. I love getting a chance to see students outside of school!
Upcoming Dates
- Tuesday, September 20th - Vocab Test - Next set of words assigned
- Thursday, September 29th - Track Trot
- Thursday, October 6th - Math Night
- Friday, October 14th - No School - Staff Development