Here we go!

Welcome to the Room 32 Blog!  This will be one of the many ways I will communicate what is going in our classroom this year.  Many of you should have received a newsletter,  authored by your student and brought home on Friday.  This will be the case every other week.  I want to also keep you updated in my own words, just in case THEY left something out!  The best part about this resource is its interactivity.  The links on the side will take you to many sites and resources that are used in our classroom, as well as ways to stay updated with Room 32.  Here is what's happening this week:

Math
Last week we reached the halfway mark of Module 1: Place Value and Decimal Fractions.  We completed our "Mid-Module Assessment" on Friday, and the scores were impressive!  This week we will cover Lessons 9 and 10; adding and subtracting decimals (up to the thousandths place).  You can anticipate Math homework on Wednesday and Thursday.  I encourage you to use the link on the side that will take you to "Homework Helper" tutorials to support your little mathematician at home!

Science 
This week we continue our first unit in Mystery Science: Web of Life - Ecosystems and Food Webs.  Our mystery of the week will be "Where do fallen leaves go?", and will take us into an experiment of growing and observing MOLD!  Prepare for some really cool stories by the end of the week!

Language Arts
Vocabulary
Every two weeks we will focus on a different list of 10 words that include different Greek or Latin roots.  This and next week our words will all include the root "man" or "manu"; meaning "hands".  All vocabulary work will be done in class, unless there is unfinished work that may need to be completed at home.  Look for at-home lists and flash cards to come for continued practice.

Reading
Since it's September is many of our lessons this month will revolve around stories and characters that help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!  Our focus for the week is to review and examine the many different genres of Fiction.  We will engage in a book sort, write situations using different genres, and read LOTS of different stories in order to compare and contrast the characteristics of fictional genres.

Writing
Most of our writing so far has been journal-based; giving the kids an opportunity to build their writing stamina throughout the day.  Their "Daily Page" notebook is assigned every day and checked at the end of the week. Also, the kids are given an opportunity to connect to our lesson of the day through "Stop and Jot", where they read a fictional book of their choice and reflect.  This week we will add a reader's response (mini essay) around genres and its characteristics.

A few important upcoming dates:

• Tuesday and Friday we are MAP testing in the mornings.  Please make sure your students are here for the tests!
• Thursday, Sept. 5th is Curriculum Night.  Sessions are from 6-6:30 and 6:40-7:10.
• Picture Day is next Friday, September 13th.

Have a great week!  Remember to follow us on Twitter at @misterholmes25, check Class Dojo occasionally, and respond to my emails if you have any questions or concerns.