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May 13-17
We will finish our novel study (The Get Rich Quick Club) this week. When we finish, there will be a short quiz that will include vocabulary. Vocab words and definitions have been posted to Dojo. On Friday, there will be a review test over the various reading genres we've learned about this year.
In English grammar, there will be daily reviews of lessons 35, 36, and 37 (Unit 5, pronouns.) There will be a quick quiz on Friday, p. 188, #1-12.
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April 29-May 3
Our next novel study will begin on Monday, April 29 - The Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman. The classes are moving through this humorous book very quickly! Ask us how to make MILLIONS in a very short amount of time! There will be short content and vocab quizzes each week.
We will be reviewing COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS (note change! Unit 4 in the orange Grammar Workshop book). There will be short quizzes each Friday.
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April 22-26
Mrs. Majors' and Mrs. Agresta's homerooms will finish the novel Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan this week. There will be daily reading and review, as well as vocab notes and practice.
Mrs. Cook's homeroom will read the book, Ramona Quimby, by Beverly Cleary. There will be daily reading and comprehension practice and vocab review.
All classes will review Unit 4 (Adjectives) in the Grammar Workshop book; lessons 24-27. Additionally, there will be an added emphasis on writing persuasive pieces as we continue to review for the Milestones.
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March 11-29
We have completed our grammar workshop book and are now applying those skills in our writing. We will be writing on a wide variety of topics as we prepare for the Milestones tests. It will be necessary for the students to formulate AND TYPE a five-paragraph essay during the testing period. Please practice typing at home as often as possible!
We are wrapping up our study of American Tall Tales. Our story for March 22 is HEAT WAVE! in our large classroom textbook. New vocab is posted to Dojo each week, as is the Quizlet link. After the break, we will begin reading the novel Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan. As always, a copy for home study and review would be optimal.
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Week of March 4-8
Our study of American Tall Tales will begin with Mike Fink, King of the Keelboatmen. The vocab words have been posted to Dojo, and there will be a quick matching quiz on Friday, March 8. Members of our awesome Knight's Debate team will be expected to take their quizzes in ELA/Reading on Thursday,March 7.
We will finish our orange grammar book this week with quick review lessons on the uses of commas, correct capitalization and punctuation of quotations, and abbreviations. Expect the last unit test (Unit 6) on Monday, March 11.
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Week of Feb. 25-March 1
Thanks to all who supported our poetry cafe! I was so proud of the students! Did you see our video on the school website? Check us out!
We're supporting our social studies curriculum (westward expansion) this week with some non-fiction reading about traditional cowboy clothing and equipment. Next week we'll begin a unit on American Tall Tales.
There will be a short vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday, covering the words that were posted on Dojo - Boss of the Plains, the story of John Stetson.
We are reviewing our writing skills as Milestones test approach. We are currently working on short, informational essays based on our daily reading.
Following our American Tall Tales unit, we will read HEAT WAVE! in our large classroom anthology, and then will begin our next novel study: Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan. That will take us up to spring break the first week of April.
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Week of February 11-15
Mrs. Cook's homeroom will be reading a new story this week: Tanya's Reunion, by Valerie Flournoy. The vocab words and definitions have been posted on Dojo, and students will receive notes and study guides on Monday. There will be a quiz on Friday, 2/15.
Mrs. Majors' homeroom will present their poetry cafe on Thursday, 2/14, at 11:00 in room 1128. Mrs. Agresta's homeroom will present their poetry cafe on Thursday, 2/14, at 1:00 in room 1128. We'd love to see you there - programs are less than 30 minutes long.
Week of February 4-8
Our poetry unit will continue through the February break. This week, we will be exploring poetry forms and figurative language. We will be ready to "publish" our works for display by the end of the week.
Looking ahead, we will read two stories from our textbook that support our Social Studies curriculum: Boss of the Plains, and Heat Wave. Our next novel study will begin in March: Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan.
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Week of January 28-February 1
We will begin our exploration of poetry this week. Students will have the opportunity to explore different genres of poetry, read about famous children's poets, and will write and memorize poems of their choice. Our assignments will vary from class to class, as this will be a highly-individualized unit. Please be watching for invitations to our Poetry Cafe on Valentine's Day!
We will step out of the grammar book for the next couple of weeks as we explore various types of imagery and descriptive language.
Week of January 22-15
We will complete our study of Marven of the Great North Woods this week, extending and enriching the story with more non-fiction reading. There will be a comprehension test on Friday. We will also be rereading and studying the story itself as we prepare for the test. There are no new vocabulary words.
Please access www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf to practice for our Unit 5 (Pronouns) test. Unit tests count 45% of the overall grade, so success will be very important to the mid-term and end-term grades. The tests is scheduled for Thursday, January 24.
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Week of Jan. 14-18
Our new story is Marven of the Great North Woods. We will spend two weeks on this story as it's quite long. We will only be quizzing vocabulary this week; words and definitions are posted on Dojo and a Quizlet has been created. There are 14 words this week, so diligent practice is recommended.
We will complete lessons 37-40 in English grammar. We are still working on pronouns: www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf.
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Week of January 7-11
Our story this week is Akiak, by Robert J. Blake. The vocabulary words are posted on Dojo. There will be a brief vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday. There is quite a bit of nonfiction reading that will accompany this story.
In English grammar, we will begin Unit 5, Pronouns.We will complete lessons 35-36 this week for a quick quiz on Friday, p. 188, #1-8.
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Happy New Year!
Our first story of 2019 will be Akiak, which is in our large classroom anthology. Any supplementary reading about the Iditerod Trail, the Iditerod Race, sled dogs, or Alaska would be awesome background information!
Cobb County Library Monthly Newsletter
December 2018
Plan Ahead for Winter Break ActionSchool will be out for Winter Break December 24th through early January for Cobb County and Marietta City schools as well as for many private and homeschool students. Public libraries throughout Cobb will have plenty of activities packed throughout the holiday break.
Here are a few of the Winter Break 2018-19 events after classes are out:
Holiday Movie Saturday at Switzer Library on December 22 from 2 pm – 4 pm will feature White Christmas, the classic 1954 holiday musical following the tale of two song and dance men and a sister act that pull together to help a retired military man save his Vermont inn.
Books to Movie Time at Sibley Library on December 26 from 4 pm – 6 pm. We will be screening a movie that started out as a book, so bring your favorite snacks and enjoy!
TWEEN ONLY Movie at West Cobb Regional Library on December 26 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm. Ages 9 – 12.
Classic Movie Thursday at Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center on December 27 from 2 pm – 4 pm. Enjoy a screening of the classic The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Celebrate Pete the Cat at West Cobb Regional Library on December 28 from 11 am – noon. We’ll be celebrating everyone’s favorite cat by sharing stories, playing games, and making crafts. Ages 4 and up.
Noon Years Eve at Vinings Library on December 31 from 11 am – noon. We will be ringing in the new year with story time, dressing up in our fanciest clothes, and having our very own balloon drop.
FORT Night at Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center on January 2 from 5 pm – 7 pm. Bring blankets, clips, pillows, and all of your favorite fort-making materials. We’ll be reading stories, dancing and more.
CAREing Paws: Read to Murray at Mountain View Regional Library on January 5 from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. Sign up for a 15 minute session of reading to a certified CAREing Paws therapy dog. Spaces are limited. Register at the Children’s Reference Desk or call 770-509-4964.
Teen Movie Event: The Dark Crystal at East Cobb Library on January 5 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm. Teens of all ages are welcome to join us for a showing of The Dark Crystal (PG). Feel free to bring your favorite movie snacks.
To learn more about these or other activities during Winter Break visit www.cobbcat.org.
Sewell Mill in Spotlight for Modern Design
The Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center is featured in a recent issue of Library Journal (LJ). The facility is one of the four notable “Community & Culture” public buildings highlighted in the much-followed publication.
“[A] true embodiment of a ‘modern library'," LJ states, the library located at 2051 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, “has staked its claim as a hub of ‘knowledge, diversity, art, and technology’” with such features as its black box theater, maker space and green screen video production studio.
CAS Architecture and Batson-Cook Company were the design-build contactor for the Sewell Mill project, which was completed one year ago. Sewell Mill is a joint-use complex of the Cobb County Public Library and Cobb PARKS. Chad Alexander Smith, AIA, LEED AP is president of CAS Architecture.
Community & Culture/Year in Architecture 2018, Library Journal
Vision To Learn @ Switzer on January 4th
The Vision To Learn mobile clinic will return to Switzer Library in downtown Marietta on Friday, January 4th from 9 a.m. to 3 pm. Vision To Learn will offer vision screenings, eye exams, and, if necessary, glasses for children ages 5-18.
These services are free and will be provided at no cost to you.
Space is limited and registration is required. For the Registration Form for the January 4th clinic and more information, please visit here.
Vision To Learn’s Atlanta area program is supported by the Atlanta Hawks Foundation. Launched in Los Angeles in 2012, Vision To Learn entered Georgia in 2017 and is now in 13 states.
Collective Impact in Action: The upcoming Vision To Learn event is part of Cobb County Public Libraries’ efforts to collaborate with organizations offering “bright spots” identified by Learn4Life (L4L), the Metro Atlanta Regional Education Partnership, for improving “cradle to career” success.
L4L is powered by the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and the United Way of Greater Atlanta together with metro school districts, non-profits, businesses, and communities. www.l4lmetroatlanta.org
Time is Limited for Open Enrollment
Saturday, December 15th is the final day of the open enrollment period for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Learn about the Health Insurance Marketplace and new coverage options at HealthCare.gov.
The Cobb County Public Library and dozens of other public libraries and library systems across the U.S. have received "Libraries Connecting You to Coverage" grants from the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association, as part of a national partnership funded by Community Catalyst and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Cobb County Public Library wishes everyone a happy holiday season! We look forward to seeing you at the library soon and throughout 2019!
Cobb libraries will be closed on the following dates:
- Christmas: Closed Sunday, December 23 through Tuesday, December 25
- New Year's: close at 5 p.m. on Monday, December 31; reopen on Wednesday, January 2
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 21
Week of December 10-14
Our novel study, The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman, has begun. The vocab words and definitions will be posted on Dojo, and there will be a very short vocab and comprehension quiz on pp. 51-99 on Friday.
We will be completing lesson 34 in Grammar Workshop this week. There will be a UNIT TEST ON FRIDAY! Check Grammarworkshop.com for review help!
In Science, we'll be starting our unit on Food Webs. Mr. Donnelley will be starting an on-going lab with the students on Wednesday. We'll be doing some preparatory reading on Monday and Tuesday.
Because our Genie arrives on a meteorite, the science topic of Night Sky is an appropriate one! We'll review moon phases, stars, and seasonal changes as well. There will be a very short, multiple choice quiz on Thursday.
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Week of November 26-30
Our new story is in our classroom anthology: The Stranger, by Chris Van Allsburg. This popular author writes mystifying fantasy fiction, and illustrates his books himself. Most students are familiar with his most popular book, The Polar Express. There will be ongoing vocabulary activities in class every day - words are posted on Dojo and in the classroom. Most students have already made their Cornell notes for home study. There will be a quick quiz on vocab and comprehension on Friday, Nov.30.
https://quizlet.com/_5n8u3t
In English grammar, we will be working on lessons 27, 28, and 29 - Comparative Adjectives. Friday's quiz will be in the orange Grammar Workshop book, p.156.
We will begin a novel study on December 3: The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman. If you want your child to have access to a copy of the book for home study and review, and to assist with any make-up work from absences, please purchase/order or check the book out in the next few days. Thank you for helping prepare your child for reading class in December.
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Week of November 12-16
We will be reading two stories retold and illustrated by Tomie DePaola this coming week: Legend of the Bluebonnet and Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. The students have started a picture dictionary using our vocab words which will be completed in class this coming week. There will be a multiple choice quiz on these words on Friday. If your child will not be in school on Friday, they will take the quiz on Wednesday due to our field trip on Thursday.
We will be working on adjectives in English grammar, Unit 4, pp. 114-117.
After the Thanksgiving break, we will begin our next novel study, The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman. Please be prepared with student copies, electronic or paper.
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Week of November 5-9
Our study of Native American tales continues with Knots on a Counting Rope.
This story is from the Navajo people. Vocab words will be sent via Dojo, and, as usual, there will be a quick quiz over the vocab and story content on Friday.
Please be mindful of all our special events in the upcoming week. These will impact the amount of class time devoted to practice and study, so please use time wisely.
We will start Unit 4 in English grammar on Wednesday, with an overview of adjectives. We will complete lesson 22, pp.112-113, on Wednesday and Thursday. There will not be a quiz on Friday.
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Week of October 29-Nov.2
Our next story is Little Firefly. The vocab words are posted on Dojo and are updated on Quizlet.
We will be finishing Unit 3 (Verbs) in English grammar.
We will be working on lesson 23 and will then review the complete unit before the unit test on Friday.
www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf
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Week of October 22-26
Our study of Native American tales begins this week with The Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin. Vocabulary words are posted in the classroom and are on Quizlet.com. (Search ssobermeyer for games and activities.)There will be a brief vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday.
We are continuing to study Unit 3, Verbs, in English grammar. We will be working on lessons 20-21 this week, pp.92-97. Our Quick Quiz this Friday will be p. 109, #22-30.
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Week of October 15-19
There will be no new content delivered this week due to early release/conferences.
We will be completing a unit on Native American tales during the remainder of October and the month of November.
Our next novel study will be The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman, and it will begin on December 2. This is a student-favorite; funny and easy to read. As always, a copy of the book for home study and review is suggested but is not required.
We will continue with our study of verbs and verb tenses after conference week,
Unit 3 in Grammar Workshop.
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Week of October 8-12
We will finish Sign of the Beaver this week, and will have our final test on
Friday, October 12. Use the graded quizzes that have been returned as your study guides. There will be no new vocab this week, and no vocab on the final test!
We will be completing a unit on Native American tales during the remainder of October and the month of November.
Our next novel study will be The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman, and it will begin on November 25.
We'll be continuing Unit 3, Verbs, in the Grammar Workshop book, lessons 18-19. There will be a quick quiz on Friday, p. 109, #16-21. For home study and review:
www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf
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Week of October 1-5
Please continue reading Sign of the Beaver, chapters 16-20. Be sure to keep all graded quizzes, as they will be valuable study tools for the final test (October 12.)
Our vocabulary words are posted in the classroom, on Dojo, and on Quizlet.com. It's never too soon to start practicing them!
We are in Unit 3, Verbs, in English grammar. We'll be working on past, present, and future tense verbs, lessons 14, 15, and 16 (pp. 68-77) if you'd like to get a head start. (www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf level 4, orange)
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Week of September 17-21
This week we will be reading and discussing Chapters 11-15 of Sign of the Beaver. There will be ongoing vocabulary activities as well as comprehension checks and non-fiction reading. See Class Dojo for a list of the words and definitions for this week, and don't forget to go to Quizlet.com for more fun practice. Our quiz on Friday will cover Chapters 6-15 in comprehension, but only chapters 11-15 for vocabulary.
We will take the Unit 2 (Nouns) test on Monday, Sept. 17.
(www.grammarworkshop.como/sadlier-connect-bookshelf, level 4, orange)
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Week of Sept. 10-14
We will continue reading and discussing Sign of the Beaver, chapters 6-10. There will be ongoing comprehension checks and vocabulary activities each day. These are classwork assignments; there is no homework required. If your child has a copy of the book and is anxious to read ahead, that's great! Just...no spoilers, please!! Check Class Dojo for this week's words and definitions. Also, you can go on Quizlet.com after the weekend to play games and do other vocab practices. Search on ssobermeyer, then look for Sign of the Beaver, ch.6-10. There will be a short quiz on Friday.
We will start Unit 2, Nouns, in Grammar Workshop this week. We will cover lessons 8, 9, 10, and 11. After a short review quiz, we will be ready for the next Unit test early the week of Sept. 17.
Many thanks to those of you who are supporting your child's reading by downloading that library app! (Overdrive)
Don't forget- you'll need a current library card to access materials electronically.
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Week of Sept. 4-7
We will begin our first novel study this week: Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare. There are copies available for classroom use, but a copy for home would be very helpful. Students who have signed contracts for electronic devices are welcome to download e-versions and use them in class so long as devices are being used appropriately.
Additionally, the Cobb County Public Library has an app - Overdrive - that will allow e-books to be checked out electronically. This is a great convenience! All it takes is a current Cobb County library card, which can be issued at any branch in just a matter of minutes.
We will work through this novel over the course of about 5 weeks, covering about 5 chapters per week. There will be short vocab and comprehension checks each Friday. Vocab words will be posted on Dojo, and Mrs. Obermeyer will be creating Quizlet games and activities each week
(quizlet.com - ssobermeyer - no need to register or sign in!)
SAVE THOSE GRADED QUIZZES! There will be a comprehensive final test, using questions taken directly from the weekly quizzes!
We will complete the first unit in our grammar book this week, lesson 7 - sentence fragments and run-ons. There will be a UNIT TEST on Friday, 9/7/18.
Be prepared! - Review these skills at
www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf
level 4, orange
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Week of Aug. 27-31
Our story this week is Cendrillon, a Caribbean version of Cinderella. It's by Robert D. SanSouci and is illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Our new vocab list is posted in the classroom, is on Dojo, and will have activities for home practice on Quizlet after Monday. Here are the words:
orphan
godmother
peasant
hollow
pallet
riddance
gilded
elegant
shift
chaperone
commotion
charged
hesitation
There will be a short matching quiz on Friday, 8/31/18.
In English grammar, we will be working on compound and complex sentences, lessons 5 and 6 in the Grammar Workshop book. Again -a short quiz on these skills will be on Friday.
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Week of Aug. 20-24
Library check-out will begin on Monday, 8/20.
Our new story this week is Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. There will be vocab activities ongoing in class each day as well as non-fiction connections. The story is set in Zimbabwe. Is anyone willing to share African artifacts with us for a couple of days?
In English grammar, we will be working on Unit 1, lessons 3-4, pp. 16-21. The main theme will be simple and compound subjects, simple and compound sentences. If you're following along: www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect (level 4, orange.)
Another reminder about Moby Max - we have a goal of 100% class participation in this excellent program! Your child has received his/her log-in information stapled into his/her agenda. Please help us meet our goal - and improve student achievement at the same time!
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Week of Aug. 13-17
We will finish the very silly story of The Fairy's Mistake on Monday and Tuesday of next week. I'm delighted to hear students reporting that they've
checked out/downloaded copies to read at home because they've become so hooked on this book!
Our next book will be The Paper Crane, by Molly Bang. If there are any origami experts out there - this will be your time to shine!
In English Grammar, we will be reviewing sentence subjects and predicates. For those of you following along in the online version of the book (www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect)
we'll be mainly focused on lesson 2, pp. 10-13.
Please make a habit of nightly reading! I've posted some very interesting data on our Dojo page. Just twenty minutes of reading per day will yield an average reading ability in the 90th percentile! And it's time to start making Moby Max a part of your nightly routine as well. There will be little to no written homework in reading, but Moby Max COUNTS!! Please log on and fill in those learning gaps!
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Week of Aug. 6-10
WOW! What great discussions we've had this week about our folk tale, Talking Eggs, by Robert D. SanSouci! My goal with this unit is to have the students explore and discover the commonalities in a number of different stories, and so far they are astounding me with their thought-filled comments. Next week, we'll add a couple of new stories: Fairy at the Well, and The Fairy's Mistake. The humorous teachings communicated by these stories are always excellent reminders!
Students will begin a review of basic sentence structure in English grammar next week. They have each been given two pages of Cornell Notes this week, which should stay in their binders for the remainder of the school year. We will need to access that information frequently.
Our grammar book is called Grammar Workshop, and will be used here in the classroom. There will be NO HOMEWORK assigned from that book! While it is readily available for purchase online, you really shouldn't need to spend the money on it! If you'd like your child to do a bit of reviewing before a test or quiz, just go to www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect and click on the orange, level 4, book. Use the arrow at the top right to access the correct unit and lesson.
Your child (or your child's agenda!) will be able to guide you to the current topics of study.
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Quarter 1
Reading overview: Folk tales
The Talking Eggs, by Robert D. SanSouci
Fairy at the Well/The Fairy's Mistake, by Gail Carson Levine
The Paper Crane, by Molly Bang
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe
Cendrillon, by Robert D. SanSouci
Novel Study: Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
There will be very little (if any) reading homework assigned this year! All activities will be classroom-activity based. Titles and authors above are provided for your convenience, if you WISH to check out, download, or purchase them for home study and review.
We will begin our year in English Grammar (ELA) with a review of sentence types (including capitalization and punctuation rules), followed by a brief review of singular, plural, and possessive nouns. Spelling rules will be imbedded in our writing and grammar lessons.
All avid readers are invited to participate in Reading Bowl!
Please update/activate/renew your Cobb County Library Card NOW! Students will be given instruction to make it easy for them to download e-books to their devices
FOR FREE!
May 14-18
We have finished our novel, The Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman. We will begin a quick study of international folk tales this week with a variety of humorous stories from around the world.
In English Grammar, we are completing our review of Unit 3, Verbs. This week we will do lessons 19-23, for those following along at:
www.grammarworkshop.com/sadiler-connect-bookshelf.
Our spelling list this week emphasizes the "soft" sound of C - c that sounds like /s/
cellar
certain
ceiling
ceremony
cent
celebrate
century
city
centipede
circle
citizen
cirrus
citrus
cinema
cycle
cyclone
cymbal
center
circus
certificate
There will be a spelling test on Friday, as usual.
May 7-11
We will finish the book, Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman in the next few days. There will be a series of vocab activities in class each day, and a vocab quiz on Friday, May 11. Words are:
enthusiastically
mischievous
potential
reveal
solemn
credibility
postponed
composure
bailed
laughingstock
In English grammar, we will continue to review verbs, Unit 3, in the orange book. We will complete our review of lessons 16, 17, 18, and 19 this week.
Our spelling list:
gentle
gem
genuine
fudge
gently
angel
strange
average
gorgeous
general
ginger
giant
magic
margin
fragile
garage
gym
gypsy
hinge
register
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April 30-May 4
Our new novel in reading classes: The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman.
There will be a brief matching and comprehension quiz on Friday
covering chapters 7-11.
We will be working on grammar skills in review: Grammar Workshop unit 3, Verbs, lessons 12, 13, 14, and 15.
Spelling this week -
heavy
greasy
many
soapy
lady
gloomy
very
family
busy
melody
plenty
daily
entry
eighty
myster
celery
machinery
injury
grouchy
quickly
Our spelling list emphasizes the /ph/ /gh/ combinations:
photo
enough
trophy
rough
orphan
graph
phrase
laugh
tough
telephone
graphic
cough
elephant
dolphin
nephew
phase
phonics
physical
emphasize
trough
SPRING BREAK!!
Read and relax. Spend a bit of time on Moby Max. Write a letter to somebody. Review a non-fiction book or article. Be ready to show your best selves on the Milestones reading and ELA sections,
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, April 10, 11, and 12!
Week 28 -
Our study of Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan, continues. We will complete the book by Thursday this week. There will be a short vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday, March 30. Students will be given the words to study on Monday, March 26.
We will continue to review and reinforce grammar and composition skills for the Milestones test, emphasizing problem/solution writing and persuasive narratives.
Our spelling list once again reviews -ed and -ing endings. There will be a test on Friday, March 30:
caring
scraping
stored
graded
moving
replacing
reserved
named
smiled
exchanged
hopping
trapped
chatting
slammed
snapping
sipping
grabbed
shopping
grinned
hummed
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Week 27 -
We have begun our novel study, Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan. We will read chapters 6-11, and there will be a short vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday, 3/23. There are several copies of the book available for classroom use, but if your child wants a copy for home study and review, please take care that over the weekend. I've been advised that the book can be ordered from Walmart for in-store pick-up for a very reasonable price. Also, students who have e-readers will be allowed to use them for this book.
We will be working on explanatory essays in English this week as we practice for Milestones testing.
Our spelling list this week has /ie/ in every word:
brief
science
convenient
piece
efficient
pier
sufficient
chief
audience
experience
fiesta
thief
believe
friend
field
niece
ancient
grief
quiet
disbelief
There will be a spelling test on Friday, March 23 as usual.
Week 26
This week, we will begin our next novel study, Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan. This novel study will last the rest of the month. We plan to complete it before spring break. Again -a few very old, raggedy classroom copies exist, but a copy for home study and review would be ideal.
We will be putting our grammar skills to good use for the next couple of weeks as we work on our composition skills. Writing to prompts across a wide variety of topics will be very important for the Milestones test. There are no tests or quizzes scheduled at this time.
Spelling: (Test on Friday, 3/16 as usual)
deceive
ceiling
either
protein
neighbor
neither
conceited
freight
beige
height
vein
weird
their
veil
eight
sleigh
receive
foreign
receipt
seize
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Week 25
Our next story is Heat Wave! by Helen Ketteman. It's a short, fun-filled story in our classroom reader. There will be a short vocab and content quiz on Friday, March 9.
Our next novel study, Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan, will begin on Monday, March 12. As always, a copy for home study and review is preferable. Please make arrangements to purchase, borrow, or download this great story. This novel study will last until spring break.
We will finish our faithful orange grammar book this week! Complete review of Unit 6 at www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf.
Spelling for week 25
hydrant
cycle
typhoon
bylaws
hype
python
hyena
cyclone
pylon
hyphen
type
hygiene
dynasty
gyrate
tyrant
lyric
cyst
syringe
mystery
myriad
*******Six Flags, Six Hour Reading Logs will be due on Monday, February 26! ********
We will devote the rest of the month of February to reading, writing, and studying poetry and poets. After Poetry Cafe, we will be reading Heat Wave by Helen Ketteman. This is a very short, fun story in our classroom reader. Following Heat Wave, we will begin another novel study: Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan. If your child wants a copy for home study and review, NOW is the time to purchase, borrow, or download it. This novel study will conclude before spring break, by March 30.
Spelling, week 24
marine
alert
pretend
elect
relieve
select
prairie
traitor
decent
secure
biscuit
journey
engine
venture
garbage
certain
loveliest
victories
butterflies
abilities
We are quickly coming to the end of our faithful orange grammar book! We will complete lessons 46, 47, and 48 during the week following the break. These are lessons designed to review skills in comma usage and letter-writing. For extra practice:
www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf (level 4, Orange)
Save the date:
We will present our annual POETRY CAFE on Read Across America Day -
Friday, March 2 in the cafeteria.
Please plan to come support us!
..
Week 23
During the month of February, we will be completing a unit on poetry and poets. If your child has access to any books containing poetry collections, it would be great if they were allowed to bring them to school. Kids particularly seem to enjoy the poetry of Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and Brod Bagert. We will present our Poetry Cafe on Friday, March 2, as part of Read Across America Day. Please plan to attend!
We are currently working on all the review lessons in Unit 6 (English Grammar.) We plan to do lessons 44, 45, and 46 (abbreviations, commas, and titles). Don't forget that great resource: www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect (Level 4, orange).
Spelling: (words tested on Friday as usual)
enough
second
planet
music
reward
palace
delight
eager
rumor
rival
sheriff
panic
wafer
locate
pheasant
vivid
jealous
shovel
liquid
image
Week 22
During the month of February, we will be completing a unit on poetry and poets. If your child has access to any books containing poetry collections, it would be great if they were allowed to bring them to school. Kids particularly seem to enjoy the poetry of Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and Brod Bagert. We will present our Poetry Cafe on Friday, March 2, as part of Read Across America Day. Please plan to attend!
We will take our UNIT TEST IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR on Tuesday, Feb. 6! This will be the Unit 5 test, covering pronouns. All our quizzes have been taken directly from the Grammar Workshop book, and a bit of review over the weekend (www.grammarworkshop.com - look for Sadlier Connect, Bookshelf - Unit 5) should be all that's necessary for preparation.
Following the unit 5 test, we will begin a very short unit on capitalization, punctuation, and spelling rules. This should be pure review -no new information will be presented. We will complete lessons 42-44 next week.
We will continue working on r-controlled vowels in spelling. Here's the list for test on Friday, Feb. 9:
squirm
unicorn
worship
whirl
enormous
storm
torch
bored
sure
lure
chore
nature
scorn
fortune
scarlet
frontier
disturb
occur
submerge
survive
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Week 21
We will continue our study of Marven of the Great North Woods by Katheryn Lasky. There is a wealth of enriching non-fiction reading that goes along with this story, and we don't want to cut it short!
Vocab words are posted in the classroom; activities will be ongoing next week.
Vocab and comprehension quiz will be on Friday, Feb. 2.
English - Grammar book Unit 5: Pronouns
We will be working on lessons 39-41 this week. Quiz and test dates may vary; be alert to a unit test during the week of Feb. 5. Please use www.grammarworkshop.com/sadilerconnect
for review and reinforcement.
Spelling: r-controlled vowels (quiz on Friday, 2/2)
garden
camera
library
inspiration
expert
yearn
earth
search
pearl
germ
perch
herd
dwarf
swarm
earn
worry
snore
purse
worth
burnt
Week 20
For fun-- find and read some Paul Bunyan stories about lumberjacks and the Great North Woods!
Reading: Marven of the Great North Woods by Katheryn Lasky
Vocab words are posted in the classroom; activities will be ongoing next week.
Vocab and comprehension quiz will be on Friday, Jan. 26.
English - Grammar book Unit 5: Pronouns
We will be working on lessons 38-39 this week; quick quiz on Friday, Jan. 26,
p. 188, # 9-16.
Spelling list -
sighed
knead
wring
isle
aisle
scent
light
weight
prompt
receipt
sketch
dough
rhombus
wren
neigh
acquaint
fascinate
notch
judgement/judgment
(both are accepted as correct spellings)
adjudicate
Week 19
The story is Akiak, by Robert J. Blake
There will be ongoing vocab and comprehension activities in class, as well as supplementary non-fiction reading. There will be a vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday, Jan. 12.
Reading vocab.
blizzard (blinding snowstorm)
courageous (showing bravery)
experienced (having a lot of knowledge from having done something many times in the past)
rugged (rough, uneven surface)
vowed (promised)
refuge (a place of safety)
burrowed (dug down, like an animal taking shelter)
squinted (look with half-closed eyes)
layover (a rest stop on a long trip)
remote (far away)
If all library copies have been downloaded/checked out, try You-Tube for read-alongs.
Any supplementary reading on Alaska, the Iditarod Race, sled dogs, sled dog training, etc. would be great.
Students might enjoy the movie, BALTO - which shows the origin of the Iditarod Trail Race.
English grammar : Begin Unit 5, Pronouns. We will be working on lessons 35 and 36, subject pronouns, and pronoun-verb agreement.
Spelling: Unit 19, Silent letters
knee
write
wrap
knot
watch
crumb
sign
castle
half
comb
fasten
wreath
autumn
reign
design
hasten
bomb
hymn
resign
cough
Test on Friday, 1/12
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Happy Holidays to one and all!
During January and February, it's extremely important to remain flexible with us! Weather cancellations and delay can wreak havoc on our plans.Please be sure to check this page frequently!
Our plan is to begin reading Akiak, by Robert Blake, when school reopens in January. This story is available in our big anthology in the classroom, but it's also available as a stand-alone book and can be checked out of the library or purchased as you choose. Vocabulary words and quiz dates will be posted in January.
Following Akiak, we'll begin Marven of the Great North Woods, by Kathryn Lasky. We have a number of great, interdisciplinary activities to accompany this story. Time permitting, we may follow that with a brief exploration of Paul Bunyan stories. And in February, it's time to begin our famous poetry unit, culminating in our Poetry Cafe on Friday, March 2! Stay tuned!
Check this site in January for planned spelling lists and English grammar skills. Meantime, keep reading, and enjoy your vacation!
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Week 18
We will finish The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman during week 18. No tests or quizzes are scheduled.
We will review Unit 4 (Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositions) in English grammar this week. Please review the lessons at home each day by accessing those online practice tests and quizzes!
Spelling list, Week 18 (test on Friday)
hoarse
curve
hooray
information
discourage
several
gorgeous
courage
storage
tomorrow
injure
submerge
descent
nephew
frontier
entire
person
stubborn
author
regret
Looking ahead: Our January books will be Akiak, by Robert Blake, and Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathrine Lasky. These books are available in the classroom, but weather and illness often keep students away from school during the winter months. A copy at home would be great, so everyone can keep up with the reading.
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Reading:
We will continue reading The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman. Students will work on vocabulary activities and oral reading and discussion in class, but there will be no quiz grades taken!
Looking ahead: Our January books will be Akiak, by Robert Blake, and Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathrine Lasky. These books are available in the classroom, but weather and illness often keep students away from school during the winter months. A copy at home would be great, so everyone can keep up with the reading.
There will be two more spelling tests and ONE ENGLISH GRAMMAR UNIT TEST before the end of the quarter. PLEASE practice and review this week's lessons at home using the online textbook to help us be successful in these last few weeks of the grading period.
Our grammar lessons this week are: Unit 4, lessons 33-34, pp. 149-157
Spelling, week 17:
raw
mouth
crowd
count
drown
tower
around
blouse
hawk
already
daughter
pause
fought
sauce
squawk
hound
eyebrow
fawn
ounce
scowl
Our test will be on Thursday, 12/8, due to the Specials schedule change.
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Week 16 -
Reading
The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman, pp.1-51
Vocabulary notes will be given on Monday, Nov. 27 for a brief quiz on FRIDAY, DEC. 1.
English Grammar
Comparative adverbs, good/well, pp. 136-148
Thursday's class review - p. 157
For practice and review - www.grammarworkshop.com-- see Sadlier Connect Bookshelf
Spelling
foul
awkward
flower
allow
mouthful
foundry
caution
sought
applaud
exhaust
faucet
automobile
county
council
lousy
fountain
mountain
scoundrel
counter
bounty
Week 15
We will complete our first novel study this week! There will be a 25-question review on Thursday. If students have saved and filed their previous quizzes as instructed, they have access to the questions and the correct answers that will be covered. Please take some time this week to review these papers! There will be no new vocab assigned this week.
THANKS to those who have already gotten our next novel, The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman. This novel study will begin on November 27, the day we return from Thanksgiving break.
We will be covering lessons 27, 28, 29, and 30 in English grammar this week, pp. 124-139 in the orange book. The skills we will cover include adjectives, comparative adjectives, and adverbs.
Please see www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf for home study and review.
Spelling words
hair
share
clear
smart
fear
spark
steer
scarf
sheer
glare
scar
harm
rare
career
declare
appear
barnacle
barely
article
margin
Please note that due to our field trip on Friday, spelling test will be given on Thursday!
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Week 14
We will continue with our novel, Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. This week we will work on chapters 16-20. The vocabulary notes will be taken in class on Monday and will be available for home study and review every day following. Additionally, we will be completing vocabulary activities in class. The quiz on Friday will include ten (10) vocab words and multiple choice questions from chapters 16-20.
Sign of the Beaver quizzes will be returned immediately after they have been graded and recorded. Please keep these from week to week as there will be a cumulative final TEST which will contain questions from each of the quizzes. These quizzes will be handy study guides.
We will begin Unit 4, Adjectives, in ELA next week and will work on lessons 24, 25, and 26. It's a long unit - there will be a brief quiz in ELA on Friday. Please keep all quizzes for home study and review in anticipation of the next unit test!
Our spelling list is all about compound words:
sometimes
nothing
birthday
outside
grandfather
everybody
eyelash
rainbow
hideout
chalkboard
thunderstorm
bookshelf
scorekeeper
doorknob
millionaire
supermarket
yesterday
intersection
department
searchlight
Week 13
Check your child's binder for loose or missing rings, or bent rings that no longer connect. Please replace any binders that do not close properly.
Remove and replace torn or bent-up divider tabs. Please restock notebook paper, pencils and erasers.
We will continue with our novel, Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. This week we will work on chapters 11-15. The vocabulary notes will be taken in class on Monday and will be available for home study and review every day following. Additionally, we will be completing vocabulary activities in class. The quiz on Friday will include ten (10) vocab words and multiple choice questions from chapters 6-15.
Sign of the Beaver quizzes will be returned immediately after they have been graded and recorded. Please keep these from week to week as there will be a cumulative final TEST which will contain questions from each of the quizzes. These quizzes will be handy study guides.
Long-range Planning (Reading):
After Thanksgiving: The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman.
After the Christmas break we have:
*Akiak, by Robert J. Blake
*Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathrine Lasky
Our poetry unit will follow in February (Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Brod Baggert)
*Heat Wave! by Helen Ketteman
Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan.
After Milestones, we'll finish the year with The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman.
(Please be aware that these are planned, but, depending on the way our schedule falls and the interest of the children, they are always subject to change. Please be flexible with all dates and titles!)
*These stories are available in our classroom reading anthology books.
We will complete our unit on verbs by Wednesday of next week. There will be a very short quiz on p. 109 on Thursday and students should be prepared for a unit test on FRIDAY. For home study and review, see www.grammarworkshop.com (go to Sadlier Connect Bookshelf, unit 3, verbs.)
Spelling words for next week:
meadow
leather
famous
shove
steak
honey
enough
sweater
bread
hour
none
guitar
brownie
vowel
shoulder
towel
chowder
coward
drowsy
powder
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In ELA (English Grammar) this week, we will continue to work on Unit 3, Verbs. We will be completing Lessons 18, 19, and 20, pp.84-95. There will be a six-question quiz on Thursday, p. 109, #19-24.
Spelling - words with -ed or -ing endings
picked
called
tracked
peeled
watered
cheered
talked
drummed
traded
baked
wasted
liked
stored
waved
skated
tasted
flaking
shaking
making
baking
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Week 11
At last - it's time for our first novel study, Sign of the Beaver. Many students have shared their excitement with me; they've gotten a copy of the book for home study and review. I appreciate all your active participation.
Despite our shortened school days in the upcoming week, I plan to read chapters 1-5 by Friday. There will be a short, matching vocab quiz and a multiple-choice comprehension quiz on Friday, October 20.
Students reading from tablets/devices please remember - you must have a signed contract on file with your homeroom teacher and the device is to be used ONLY for reading and only during reading class!
We have begun Unit 3, Verbs, in English Grammar. This week we will complete lessons 15, 16,17, and 18 (pp. 72-85.) There will be a mid-week quick quiz on Wednesday - p. 108, #10-15.
Week 11 Spelling
illness
treatment
painful
careless
fearful
colorful
endless
beautiful
awful
restless
darkness
hopeless
statement
friendliness
firmness
sweetness
helpless
neatness
truthful
encouragement
IMPORTANT REMINDER: ALL GRADED WORK IS RETURNED IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT IS RECORDED IN SYNERGY. NO GRADED WORK IS EVER KEPT "ON FILE" OR FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO PLACE ALL THEIR GRADED ASSIGNMENTS IN THEIR BINDERS BEHIND THE APPROPRIATE BINDER TAB FOR READY REFERENCE AND REVIEW. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE ANY GRADED WORK FROM THE BINDERS.
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Week 10
Our story this week is in our big, classroom anthology: The Stranger, by Chris Van Allsburg. There will be a brief vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday.
ELA - Unit 3 - Verbs
We will do lessons 12, 13, and 14 in class this week. It's a long and complex unit, and your students are encouraged to review each night on www.grammarworkshop.com.
Spelling Week 10 -
Homophones
As you practice, please review the various meanings of each word!
hear
here
there
their
they're
your
you're
write
right
cent
scent
sent
heard
herd
bury
berry
flour
flower
plain
plane
We will begin Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare on Monday, October 16. Please note change of date! A copy for home study and review would be very helpful.
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Week 9:
PARENTS - OVER THE FALL BREAK, PLEASE MAKE A QUICK TRIP TO WALMART. YOUR STUDENTS ARE COMING TO SCHOOL WITHOUT BASIC SUPPLIES. PLEASE RESTOCK NOTEBOOK PAPER, PENCILS, AND ERASERS! THANK YOU!
Reading -
Our story next week will be The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomi DePaola. There will be ongoing vocab activities all week, and there will be a quick quiz on the story content and the vocab words on Friday.
We will begin our first novel (Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare) on Monday, October 9. Your student will have a class copy to use here at school, but these may not be taken out of the classroom. Most families prefer to purchase (or check out a library copy) for home use. We will begin with notes and a plot outline, and will work on vocabulary activities.
English Grammar -
We will start the week with a review of possessive nouns. There will be a quick quiz on Wednesday, Oct. 4. If you're following along in the orange book online at grammarworkshop.com, see lesson 11.
The UNIT TEST will be on Thursday, October 5.
Spelling - sounds of /oo/ and /u/
blue
grew
cube
drum
drew
jump
crunch
school
prune
troop
bruise
cocoon
tissue
excuse
confuse
computer
suit
whose
fume
cruise
HAVE A SAFE AND FUN FALL VACATION! SEE EVERYONE IN OCTOBER!
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Week 8
Thanks to everyone's hard work over the hurric-ation last week, we are almost right back on track! With an early-release day on Friday, we are going to have to continue our fast pace in order to cover the required curriculum before the end of the First Quarter on October 6.
We will finish up Rough Face Girl first: the picture dictionary will be due on Monday and there will be a vocab and comprehension quiz on Tuesday.
Then we will begin a different version of the same tale - Little Firefly. There will be a vocab quiz on Friday. Due to limited study time, here are the words we will be working on next week:
puckered
singe
scowl
gossip
grove
sway
marveling
soothing
In English grammar, we will be working on common, proper, plural, and possessive nouns. This is a very short unit; please review lessons 8-11 online at www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlier-connect-bookshelf
Our Week 8 Spelling words:
boot
balloon
took
room
foot
spool
hoop
booth
stoop
hoof
gloomy
cushion
fulfill
proofread
raccoon
salute
through
pollute
include
rumor
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Week 7:
The story for the week of Sept. 12-16: Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin. We will be working on vocabulary and content strategies. There will be a quick quiz on Friday.
Planning Ahead - Reading Preview:
Native American folk tales: Some of the stories we'll be doing are:
Rough Face Girl by David Shannon
Little Firefly by Terri Cohlene
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomi De Paola
The Stranger by Chris Van Alsburg
Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare is our first novel, and we will begin that after the September break. That study will probably last until about Thanksgiving. While it is not required, it would certainly be very helpful for students to have personal copies of this book for home study and review. Students are allowed to have this book on their electronic devices so long as we have your written permission ("BYOT" form). Electronic versions of this book are available from the Cobb County public library; download the OVERDRIVE app and have your library card handy.
In English Language Arts (ELA) this week, we will emphasize sentence fragments. There will be a quick quiz on Tuesday and a Unit test (Unit 1) on Wednesday. You can review at home by looking at Lessons 1-7 on grammarworkshop.com.We will then move on to Unit 2, pp. 40-41 - common and proper nouns.
Spelling words for week 7:
mind
smile
thick
wild
fight
bright
moist
soap
crop
pond
shrink
stock
pride
tight
chose
polish
lightning
desire
telephone
swallow
Week 6 -
Reading: Our story this week is a Caribbean version of the classic Cinderella story: Cendrillon, by Robert D. SanSouci. The students began reading this story on Friday, 9/1/17. They will be provided with a list of vocabulary words in class and daily vocab activities will be on-going throughout next week. There will be a quick quiz on vocab and story content on Friday, 9/8/17.
English grammar skills (ELA) will focus on compound sentences and conjunctions (which your students remember by the acronym FANBOYS). There will be a quick quiz on simple and compound sentences on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
The ELA world has joined the 21st century! You can access our new grammar book at home by going to grammarworkshop.com. Choose the first window as directed for student workbook; choose the ORANGE book. We will be working on pp. 27-31 in class. Any practice and reinforcement at home would be greatly appreciated!
Spelling: spelling the long and short /a/ and long and short /e/ sounds
clay
face
class
save
scratch
paid
three
seem
speak
leave
smell
send
street
spent
dream
champion
mascot
elect
breezy
display
Students will be updating their agendas in my classes on Fridays. They should let you know what story we'll be studying, which grammar skills will be covered, and when any tests or quizzes will be held. This information is provided as a way of keeping you "in the loop" as there is very little homework specifically assigned for reading/ELA. Outside reading is always encouraged (Pizza Hut "Book It" program begins in September) but formal reading logs are not necessary. To prepare for spelling tests, use whichever study method you find successful.
PLANNING AHEAD
We are heading into our unit on Native American folk tales. We will be reading:
Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
Little Firefly by Terri Cohlene
Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomi DePaola
In mid-October, we will begin our first novel study: Sign of the Beaver,
by Elizabeth George Speare
It would be extremely helpful if your child had a copy of this book for classroom use, for home study, and review.
We will spend almost 5 weeks studying this book, so your investment will be very worthwhile. Students will be allowed to bring their devices to read from in class if you choose to download a library copy electronically, or purchase an e-copy.
Week 5
READING:
Our study of folk tales continues. We will be studying the fabulous book, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe. We'll be updating our notebooks each day, and working on some vocabulary activities in class. There will be a quick vocabulary quiz on Wednesday, and a comprehension quiz on Friday.
IT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR YOUR CHILD TO HAVE A COPY OF THESE BOOKS FOR CLASSROOM USE! During a novel study, it will be a good idea. But for now...if you're very interested - or your child is - of course you may wish to purchase a copy for home...but it's not an expectation. THERE IS NO HOMEWORK BASED ON THE BOOK, AND NO STUDYING beyond the enjoyment of the beautiful pictures and the wonderful story itself. If you've had the opportunity to visit some of the countries in Africa and have artifacts or pictures you are willing to share with the students, we would welcome your participation!
ELA / ENGLISH GRAMMAR:
We have a set of grammar study books for classroom use. The page numbers you see on your child's assignment sheet are the pages and skills we'll be covering in class. THERE WILL NEVER BE HOMEWORK ASSIGNED IN THE GRAMMAR BOOK as we do not have sufficient numbers for them to be sent home with the children, but you can access the book online at www.grammarworkshop.com/sadlierconnect.
We will be working on simple and complete subjects and predicates. There will be a quick quiz on Thursday.
SPELLING:
pledge
bulge
brace
knew
girl
chuckle
anchor
reflect
decline
almost
porridge
misjudge
standard
brother
stampede
scarlet
nephew
regret
submerge
occur
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Week 3
Keep reading and sharing those folk tales from around the world! I love hearing you tell about your favorites!
This coming week we will read and study The Paper Crane by Molly Bang. Interested artists might wish to try to make an origami crane over the weekend!
There will be a brief ten-question (multiple choice) quiz on the characteristics of folk tales on Friday.
In English/Language Arts we will continue to review sentence types and ending punctuation. We will review common and proper nouns and have a quick quiz on Friday.
Our spelling words this week emphasize syllabication rules:
master
between
market
pepper
fortune
arrive
current
person
department
family
penalty
condition
unwanted
beautiful
unable
erosion
deliver
library
companion
vacation
*
Welcome to Mrs. Agresta's 4th grade homeroom.
This year I will be teaching Reading and English/Language Arts. Language arts will include English grammar skills, composition, spelling and handwriting.
Our homeroom class will rotate to Mr. Way, our Science and Social Studies teacher, and Ms. Cook, our Math teacher.
This year, all students will be challenged to give their personal best on a daily basis. They will be expected to think and make decisions. We believe in each child's abilities!
Week 2
Reading -
We are continuing our study of international folk tales. This week, I will introduce the stories of Good Blanche, Bad Rose, and the Magic Eggs, by Eleanor Engram, and The Fairy at the Well (a traditional Irish tale.) Additionally, your child might enjoy the book, The Fairy's Mistake, by Gail Carson Levine. This is a very humorous take on the same themes we've been discussing. It is not required reading!
To clarify - I assign VERY LITTLE HOMEWORK in ELA/Reading. Reading vocabulary activities and classroom reading and discussions/reflections are ongoing, and if your child does some pleasure reading each night, I am satisfied.
The agendas will reflect our in-class activities and assignments so that you can keep up with what's going on. Students will be keeping their assignments on pages copied from the large calendars posted in every classroom.
Any method your child chooses to study spelling is fine with me. There will be practices and activities in class, but home review and reinforcement is always encouraged. Everyone received a printed list of the new words in class today.
Week 2 words:
until
hello
invite
order
Sunday
balloon
also
supper
dinner
button
offer
injure
carpet
reptile
pattern
perfect
distance
convince
vibrate
regret
Have a great weekend, everybody! See you Monday, ready for Week 2!
Hello, Parents and Students!
I was so happy to see so many of you at Meet-N-Greet! I already know it's going to be a great year!
**** We already have additions to our supply list! If you are in my homeroom, please bring one GREEN composition notebook for our reading journals, and one additional composition notebook (your choice of color) for STEM activities!***
READING -
We will be starting with a study of international folk tales. These short stories will be read aloud in class and do not need to be purchased for home use and study unless I have already motivated you to become an avid reader! This unit will consist of the following stories:
The Talking Eggs, by Robert D. Sansouci
The Magic Eggs, by Eleanor Engram
The Fairy at the Well, a traditional Irish tale
The Paper Crane, by Molly Bang
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe
Here are a few vocabulary words from The Talking Eggs that we'll be using for classwork activities this week:
scolded
fetch
widow
gawked
underbrush
bramble
contrary
hollered
mortar and pestle
backwoods
English Grammar - Also known as ELA (English Language Arts)
We will begin with a review of basic sentence types and punctuation. You will receive a set of notes for your binders which will be used as a reference throughout the year. Please put paper reinforcements on them and keep them safe!
We will be using the Sadlier Grammar Workshop Level Orange this year.This book has an online component for home study and review. You can access this book at https://www.sadlierconnect.com/gw/grammarworkshop.com .
Spelling list, week 1
(remembering to divide words into syllables between the consonants!)
sudden
follow
forget
Monday
winter
summer
letter
rabbit
yellow
garden
hollow
compose
member
support
seldom
biscuit
discuss
journey
suggest
problem
There will be ongoing activities and spelling practices throughout the week, and there will be a quiz each Friday.
Agendas will be ready to update on Fridays and the spelling list for the following week will be distributed at that time.
Week 35
We will finish the book, Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman in the next few days. There will be a series of vocab activities in class each day, and a vocab quiz on Wednesday, May 17. Words are:
enthusiastically
mischievous
potential
reveal
solemn
credibility
postponed
composure
bailed
laughingstock
The spelling test will be on Friday as usual:
understand
elephant
ornament
consonant
butterfly
umbrella
holiday
natural
hamburger
bicycle
favorite
submarine
beautiful
popular
yesterday
exciting
tomorrow
carnival
generous
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Week 34
Our novel study, The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman, will continue. We will be completing composition and vocabulary activities in class each day, as well as reading aloud. Due to Career Day and Field Day activities on Tuesday and Friday next week, our regular quick quiz will be on THURSDAY, May 11.
There will be a very short English grammar skills review quiz covering compound subjects, predicates, and sentences also on Thursday, May 11.
The spelling list:
cellar
certain
ceiling
ceremony
cent
celebrate
century
city
centipede
circle
citizen
cirrus
citrus
cinema
cycle
cyclone
cymbal
center
circus
certificate
***Due to Field Day on Friday, spelling test will be on THURSDAY, May 11.***
Week 33
Hello, Parents and Students! Milestones is over...but the school year is not! We will begin our novel study of The Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman on Monday,
May 1. There will be vocab activities ongoing in class; there will be a quick quiz on Friday, May 5.
Don't forget the BOGO Book Fair begins on Friday, May 5! Shop early; shop often- all proceeds go to our school library!
We will be reviewing basic English grammar skills each day next week during class. There will be a quick quiz on Friday.
This week's spelling list:
gentle
gem
genuine
fudge
gently
angel
strange
average
gorgeous
general
ginger
giant
magic
margin
fragile
garage
gym
gypsy
hinge
register
Back to our usual schedule! Spelling test will be on Friday, May 5.
Week 31
Next week - our first week of Milestones! We will be taking the ELA sections on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. The reading, grammar, and composition skills are integrated in all three sections, and we are PREPARED!
There will not be any spelling lists for the next two weeks.
After testing, we will begin our final novel study: The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman. Amazon has paperback copies in the $6 range, electronic copies for Kindle in the $3 range...and as always, the library has copies for FREE! Check the Overdrive app!
Rest up, eat properly...and relax!
Week 30
As we head into Milestones testing, we will be enjoying a short, simple story in our classroom readers: Boss of the Plains, a biography of John Stetson, creator of the famous Stetson hat. There will be a 10-question multiple choice quiz on Friday.
Looking ahead - after the Milestones test, we will finish the year with one last novel study: The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman. As always, you are strongly encouraged to buy, download, or borrow a copy for home review and study.
We will be spending the bulk of our class time on the various writing genres and skills that might be on the Milestones test next week. There will be no graded material in grammar or composition this week as we review.
The spelling list was distributed in class on Thursday, March 30. The quiz will be on Friday, April 14:
heavy
greasy
many
soapy
lady
gloomy
very
family
busy
melody
plenty
daily
entry
eighty
mystery
celery
machinery
injury
grouchy
quickly
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Week 29
We will complete our novel study, Skylark, this week. There will not be any further quizzes or tests on this book. The next novel study we will do will begin right after Milestones: The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman.
We will be working on several more written compositions this coming week - journal articles, summaries, and reflections.
Our spelling list emphasizes the /ph/ /gh/ combinations:
photo
enough
trophy
rough
orphan
graph
phrase
laugh
tough
telephone
cough
elephant
dolphin
nephew
phase
phonics
physical
emphasize
trough
Week 28 -
Our study of Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan, continues. We will be working on chapters 6-10. There will be a short vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday, March 24. Students were given the words to study on Monday, March 13.
We will continue to review and reinforce grammar and composition skills for the Milestones test, emphasizing problem/solution writing and persuasive narratives.
Our spelling list once again reviews -ed and -ing endings. There will be a test on Friday, March 24:
caring
scraping
stored
graded
moving
replacing
reserved
named
smiled
exchanged
hopping
trapped
chatting
slammed
snapping
sipping
grabbed
shopping
grinned
hummed
Week 27 -
We will begin our next novel study, Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan. We will read chapters 1-5, but will not have a comprehension or vocab quiz until we get farther into the book. Again - there are several copies of the book available for classroom use, but if your child wants a copy for home study and review, please take care that over the weekend. I've been advised that the book can be ordered from Walmart for in-store pick-up for a very reasonable price. Also, students who have e-readers will be allowed to use them for this book.
We will be working on explanatory essays in English this week as we practice for Milestones testing.
Our spelling list this week has /ie/ in every word:
brief
science
convenient
piece
efficient
pier
sufficient
chief
audience
experience
fiesta
thief
believe
friend
field
niece
ancient
grief
quiet
disbelief
There will be a spelling test on Friday, March 17 as usual.
Week 26
WOW!! A super-huge thank you to all the kids and parents who participated in our Poetry Cafe! I was so proud of the students' hard work, and their excitement and enthusiasm really translated into a great performance!
So next week we'll be taking it easy on ourselves with a short, fun story called Heat Wave. It's in our classroom book, so no purchase necessary! There will be a short vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday, March 10.
But starting next Monday, March 13, we will begin our next novel study, Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan. This novel study will last the rest of the month. We plan to complete it before spring break. Again -a few very old, raggedy classroom copies exist, but a copy for home study and review would be ideal. Jamarcus's mom has done the research - Walmart will order the book for in-store pickup for only $2.99! That's a great price and a convenient location for anyone who'd like to take advantage of it!
We will be putting our grammar skills to good use for the next couple of weeks as we work on our composition skills. Writing to prompts across a wide variety of topics will be very important for the Milestones test. There are no tests or quizzes scheduled at this time.
Spelling: (Test on Friday, 3/10 as usual)
deceive
ceiling
either
protein
neighbor
neither
conceited
freight
beige
height
vein
weird
their
veil
eight
sleigh
receive
foreign
receipt
seize
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Wishing you all a fun-filled break...
BUT keep working on those poems! Our poetry cafe will be the Thursday after we get back - March 2! Mrs. McMasters, Mrs. Nelms, and Ms. Tidwell will perform at 12:15 in our media center. Mrs. Agresta, Mrs. Bell, and Mrs. Harper will perform at 1:00 in the media center. Our reading and ELA classes will focus on preparations for our performance. There will be no written quizzes aside from the usual spelling test on Friday, March 3.
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*******Six Flags, Six Hour Reading Logs will be due on Friday, February 17! ********
(This date is set by the Six Flags corporation and is absolutely firm, and non-negotiable!)
Our Unit 6 Review Test covering capitalization and punctuation rules will be Monday, Feb. 13.
We will devote the month of February to reading, writing, and studying poetry and poets. After Poetry Cafe, we will be reading Heat Wave by Helen Ketteman. This is a very short, fun story in our classroom reader. Following Heat Wave, we will begin another novel study: Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan. If your child wants a copy for home study and review, NOW is the time to purchase, borrow, or download it. This novel study will conclude before spring break, by March 31.
FRIDAY, FEB. 17 WILL BE AN EARLY RELEASE DAY, but there will be a spelling test as usual on that morning.
Spelling, week 24
marine
alert
pretend
elect
relieve
select
prairie
traitor
decent
secure
biscuit
journey
engine
venture
garbage
certain
loveliest
victories
butterflies
abilities
Save the date:
We will present our annual POETRY CAFE on Read Across America Day -
Thursday, March 2 in the Research and Development Lab/Media Center
*Tidwell, McMasters, and Nelms homerooms will present at 12:15
*Agresta, Harper, and Bell homerooms will present at 12:45
Please plan to come support us!
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Week of February 6:
Reading:
We will begin our poetry unit. We have a vocab list and activities that will be completed in class for a quick quiz on Friday, Feb. 10. We will be listening to and reading many different types of poems. Any poetry books you might have at home would be a great resource!
English Grammar -
We are finishing the faithful orange grammar book this week! We will complete lessons 46-51 fairly quickly, as they are all review skills. There will be a quick quiz on Friday, and the unit 6 test will be on Monday, Feb. 13.
Spelling: (words tested on Friday as usual)
enough
second
planet
music
reward
palace
delight
eager
rumor
rival
sheriff
panic
wafer
locate
pheasant
vivid
jealous
shovel
liquid
image
Week of January 30
We will continue reading and discussing Marven of the Great North Woods, and will be doing more non-fiction reading which supports the ideas presented in the story. There will be a comprehension quiz on Friday, Feb. 3.
During the month of February, we will be completing a unit on poetry and poets. If your child has access to any books containing poetry collections, it would be great if they were allowed to bring them to school. Kids particularly seem to enjoy the poetry of Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and Brod Bagert. We will present our Poetry Cafe in the media center on Thursday, March 2, between 12:15-1:45. Please plan to attend!
We will take our UNIT TEST IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR on Monday, Jan. 30! This will be the Unit 5 test, covering pronouns. All our quizzes have been taken directly from the Grammar Workshop book, and a bit of review over the weekend (www.grammarworkshop.com - look for Sadlier Connect, Bookshelf - Unit 5) should be all that's necessary for preparation.
Following the unit 5 test, we will begin a very short unit on capitalization, punctuation, and spelling rules. This should be pure review -no new information will be presented. We will complete lessons 42-45 next week.
We will continue working on r-controlled vowels in spelling. Here's the list for test on Friday, Feb. 3:
squirm
unicorn
worship
whirl
enormous
storm
torch
bored
sure
lure
chore
nature
scorn
fortune
scarlet
frontier
disturb
occur
submerge
survive
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Week of January 23:
Reading: Marven of the Great North Woods by Katheryn Lasky
Vocab words are posted in the classroom; activities will be ongoing next week
Vocab quiz will be on Friday, Jan. 27.
English - Grammar book Unit 5: Pronouns
We will be working on lessons 38-41 this week; quick quiz on Friday, p. 188, # 13-28
Spelling: r-controlled vowels (quiz on Friday, 1/27)
garden
camera
library
inspiration
expert
yearn
earth
search
pearl
germ
perch
herd
dwarf
swarm
earn
worry
snore
purse
worth
burnt
Week of January 17-20:
Due to snow days, field trip, and MLK Holiday, we are still working on many of the same skills we introduced right after the break. Please note quiz dates:
The story is Akiak, by Robert J. Blake
There will be a vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday, Jan. 20
Reading vocab.
blizzard (blinding snowstorm)
courageous (showing bravery)
experienced (having a lot of knowledge from having done something many times in the past)
rugged (rough, uneven surface)
vowed (promised)
refuge (a place of safety)
burrowed (dug down, like an animal taking shelter)
squinted (look with half-closed eyes)
layover (a rest stop on a long trip)
remote (far away)
If all library copies have been downloaded/checked out, try You-Tube for read-alongs.
Any supplementary reading on Alaska, the Iditarod Race, sled dogs, sled dog training, etc. would be great.
Students might enjoy the movie, BALTO - which shows the origin of the Iditarod Trail Race.
English grammar for next week: pp. 164-175, plus quick quiz on p. 188, Friday, 1/20
Spelling:
knee
write
wrap
knot
watch
crumb
sign
castle
half
comb
fasten
wreath
autumn
reign
design
hasten
bomb
hymn
resign
cough
Test on Friday, 1/20
Spelling:
sighed
knead
wring
isle
aisle
scent
light
weight
prompt
receipt
sketch
dough
rhombus
wren
neigh
acquaint
fascinate
notch
judgement
adjudicate
Happy New Year to all!
Let the Great Binder Clean-out begin!
Check your child's binder for loose or missing rings, or bent rings that no longer connect. Please replace any binders that do not close properly.
Remove and replace torn or bent-up divider tabs.
Remove ALL spelling activities and tests. You may wish to keep the lists for Milestones review.
Remove ALL ELA grammar practice activities. You may wish to keep tests and notes for Milestones review. Keep the two typewritten pages of Cornell Notes outlining grammar and spelling rules.
Remove ALL reading tests, quizzes, activities and vocab. None of these things will be needed going forward.
REPLACE notebook paper, PLEASE! Also check for pens (red and blue, for math) and pencils with functioning erasers.
New Year - Clean sweep! Fresh start in 2017!
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A big thank you to all who participated in the presentation from Kennesaw Library on Wednesday! Downloading the OVERDRIVE app was a simple process and allows students to access any library in Cobb County.
Anyone who was not able to attend has been invited to bring their devices to the public library, where a media specialist will be happy to assist with the process. Students have been so excited to see so many books at their disposal!
This coming week - and the week we return from break - will be very short. There will not be a spelling list distributed until January 6 for quiz on January 13.
In January, we will begin reading Akiak, by Robert J. Blake, followed by Marven of the Great North Woods, by Kathryn Lasky. Both of these books are in our reading textbook in the classroom. If weather conditions or a lengthy illness should keep your child out of school for more than a day or two, You-tube is a great resource for "read to me" books. (We have already noted that neither book is available electronically free of charge from the library, but hard copies certainly are...and electronic copies are available for purchase from various sites including Barnes and Noble for Nook and Amazon for Kindle.)
I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and a restful and fun-filled vacation! See you in 2017!
Week 18
Don't forget to bring your library card/parent card with log-in info, plus your device (with any passwords, etc.) on Wednesday for our class with the Cobb County Library! Great information will be provided!
We will finish The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman during week 18. No tests or quizzes are scheduled.
We will finish Unit 4 (Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositions) in English grammar this week. There will be a UNIT TEST ON THURSDAY! Please prepare by reviewing the lesson at home each day, and by accessing those online practice tests and quizzes!
Spelling list, Week 18 (test on Friday)
hoarse
curve
hooray
information
discourage
several
gorgeous
courage
storage
tomorrow
injure
submerge
descent
nephew
frontier
entire
person
stubborn
author
regret
Looking ahead: Our January books will be Akiak, by Robert Blake, and Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathrine Lasky. These books are available in the classroom, but weather and illness often keep students away from school during the winter months. A copy at home would be great, so everyone can keep up with the reading.
Week 17
*************************THIS IS A DATE CHANGE!!*******************************************
THE NEW DATE FOR THE COBB COUNTY LIBRARY CLASS ON FREE LIBRARY DOWNLOADS WILL BE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14!
All students wishing to participate in the learning opportunity provided by the Cobb County Library System will need to have a current library card (or parents' PIN number for check-out) and an electronic device. We are so excited for the options this will open up for our students! They will be able to download books from the Cobb County Library system FREE OF CHARGE! Don't forget - if your child's device is "locked" or has other parental controls, please make sure they have the password written down.
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Reading:
We will continue reading The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman. There will be a short vocab quiz on Friday, Dec. 9 covering the words not tested this past week. Students have already been given these words and definitions in Cornell Notes format.
All students will take a their mid-year reading inventory in the computer lab this week. There is no preparation or study to be done in advance. These assessments are used for data ONLY and will not impact the report card grades in any way. They will provide us with information on your child's reading (Lexile) level, which we hope will be moving toward 800-900 by the end of the year.
There will be two more spelling tests, one English grammar quiz, and ONE ENGLISH GRAMMAR UNIT TEST before the end of the quarter. PLEASE practice and review this week's lessons at home using the online textbook to help us be successful in these last few weeks of the grading period.
Our grammar lessons this week are: Unit 4, lessons 30-33, pp. 136-151
Spelling, week 17:
raw
mouth
crowd
count
drown
tower
around
blouse
hawk
already
daughter
pause
fought
sauce
squawk
hound
eyebrow
fawn
ounce
scowl
Our test will be on Friday, 12/9, as usual.
Update: We have gained two full instructional days this week with the dojo celebration being postponed, and Quest classes being cancelled! The English Grammar quiz (orange book, p. 156) and the Reading Vocab quiz will now take place on FRIDAY instead of on Thursday! Whew!
Week 16 -
Reading
The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman, pp.1-50
Vocabulary notes will be given on Monday, Nov. 28 for a brief quiz on FRIDAY, DEC. 2.
English Grammar
Comparative adjectives, pp. 128-133
FRIDAY's quiz - p. 156
For practice and review - www.grammarworkshop.com-- see Sadlier Connect Bookshelf
Spelling
foul
awkward
flower
allow
mouthful
foundry
caution
sought
applaud
exhaust
faucet
automobile
county
council
lousy
fountain
mountain
scoundrel
counter
bounty
Huge shout-out to all the kids in the downstairs rotation for memorizing "The Star Spangled Banner" and the Preamble to the Constitution for presentation in front of the whole school at Morning Meeting on today, Veteran's Day! Outstanding job!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS: WE WILL BEGIN OUR NEXT NOVEL STUDY, THE CHRISTMAS GENIE, RIGHT AFTER THE THANKSGIVING BREAK. PERSONAL COPIES ARE A GREAT HELP IF SOMEONE HAS TO MISS A DAY OF SCHOOL.
Also - on Thursday, December 8, Kennesaw Library will be hosting a class here at KCSMA on library downloads. In order for your child to take full advantage, he or she will need a library card (or a parent's log-in/PIN information) and an electronic device. We are so excited about this opportunity!
Reading:
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg
There will be a vocab and comprehension quiz on THURSDAY (11/17) due to our field trip on Friday.
ELA/English Grammar:
Continue work on Unit 4, Adjectives. Due to another short week, there will be no quick quiz. We will work through lessons 26, 27, and 28 - pp. 120-129. (www.grammarworkshop.com Sadlier Connect - Bookshelf)
Spelling: (DUE TO FIELD TRIP on FRIDAY, TEST WILL BE ON THURSDAY 11/17)
hair
share
clear
smart
fear
spark
steer
scarf
sheer
glare
scar
harm
rare
career
declare
appear
barnacle
barely
article
margin
Week 14 -
Reminder: Please do not throw away the Sign of the Beaver quizzes! Material for next week's final test will be taken directly from previous quizzes with the exception of a very few questions covering chapters 21-25.
The final Sign of the Beaver test will be on Thursday, Nov. 10.
We will begin Unit 4, Adjectives, in ELA next week and will work on pp. 112-121. It's a long unit - there will be NO QUIZ IN ELA next week.
Our spelling list is all about compound words:
sometimes
nothing
birthday
outside
grandfather
everybody
eyelash
rainbow
hideout
chalkboard
thunderstorm
bookshelf
scorekeeper
doorknob
millionaire
supermarket
yesterday
intersection
department
searchlight
Week 13
Sign of the Beaver ch. 16-20 comprehension and vocabulary quizzes will be on Wednesday, November 2.
Due to the Dojo Celebration and a unit test in Math on Friday, November 4, our spelling and ELA grammar tests will be on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3.
We will complete our unit on verbs by Wednesday of next week. Students should be prepared for a unit test on Thursday. For home study and review, see www.grammarworkshop.com (go to Sadlier Connect Bookshelf, unit 3, verbs.)
Spelling words for next week:
meadow
leather
famous
shove
steak
honey
enough
sweater
bread
hour
none
guitar
brownie
vowel
shoulder
towel
chowder
coward
drowsy
powder
*************************It's not too early to consider purchasing/downloading a copy of our next novel, The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman. We will begin this study right after the Thanksgiving break.******************************************************************
*************************URGENT UPDATE!!!*************************************************
Long chapters and short days have played havoc with our schedule! The Sign of the Beaver quiz (comprehension and vocab) on chapters 16-20 will be postponed until next Wednesday, November 2. English grammar quiz will go on as scheduled TOMORROW!! Thanks!
Week 12
Parents and students, please be patient with us while we complete the final "tweaking" of Synergy parent-view grades. I am relying on your children to show you their graded spelling, grammar, and reading vocabulary quizzes on Monday or Tuesday.
Reading:
Sign of the Beaver, ch. 16-20
Vocab and comprehension quiz on Friday.
(It might be a good time to start searching out our next novel, The Christmas Genie, by Dan Gutman. Area bookstores will most likely have to order it. Students who have checked online sources for e-books report a wide range of prices, so don't hesitate to shop around. We will begin this book right after the Thanksgiving break, Monday, November 28.)
English Grammar:
Main verbs and helping verbs
Progressive verb forms
Irregular verbs
pp. 84-97
Quiz review p. 103
Quiz on Friday
Spelling - words with -ed or -ing endings
picked
called
tracked
peeled
watered
cheered
talked
drummed
traded
baked
wasted
liked
stored
waved
skated
tasted
flaking
shaking
making
baking
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Long-range Planning (Reading):
After Thanksgiving: The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman.
After the Christmas break we have:
Akiak, by Robert J. Blake
Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathrine Lasky
Our poetry unit will follow in February (Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Brod Baggert)
Heat Wave! by Helen Ketteman
Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan.
After Milestones, we'll finish the year with The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman.
(Please be aware that these are planned, but, depending on the way our schedule falls and the interest of the children, they are always subject to change. Please be flexible with all dates and titles!)
Week 11:
Parents and students, please be patient with us while we complete the final "tweaking" of Synergy parent-view grades. I am relying on your children to show you their graded spelling, grammar, and reading vocabulary quizzes on Monday or Tuesday of next week.
In reading, we will work on new vocabulary for chapters 11-15 in Sign of the Beaver. There will be a short quiz on vocab and comprehension on Friday, 10/21/16.
In ELA, we will be working on future tense and linking verbs, pp. 76-81 in the orange book. There will be a very short quiz on Friday - see pp. 108-109, numbers 13-18.
The spelling words this week emphasize prefixes and suffixes:
illness
treatment
painful
careless
endless
beautiful (yes, again)
awful
restless
fearful
colorful
darkness
hopeless
statement
friendliness
firmness
sweetness
helpless
neatness
truthful
encouragement
Parents and students - Friday's Sign of the Beaver quizzes have been returned. Please keep these from week to week as there will be a cumulative final TEST which will contain questions from each of the quizzes. These quizzes will be handy study guides.
Week 10:
We will continue with our novel, Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. This week we will work on chapters 6-10. The vocabulary notes will be taken in class on Monday and will be available for home study and review every day following. Additionally, we will be completing vocabulary activities in class. There will ONLY be a vocab quiz this Friday -no comprehension quiz.
In ELA, we will be working on verbs, unit 3, pp. 60-73. Students taking the time at home to access extra practice at grammarworkshop.com are doing a great job! Keep it up! (Quick Quiz on Friday as usual.)
Spelling:
hear
here
there
their
they're
your
you're
write
right
cent
scent
sent
heard
herd
bury
berry
flour
flower
plain
plane
Week 9:
PARENTS - OVER THE FALL BREAK, PLEASE MAKE A QUICK TRIP TO WALMART. YOUR STUDENTS ARE COMING TO SCHOOL WITHOUT BASIC SUPPLIES. PLEASE RESTOCK NOTEBOOK PAPER, PENCILS, AND ERASERS! THANK YOU!
Reading -
We will begin our first novel (Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare) on the day we return, Monday, October 3. Your student has a class copy to use here at school, but these may not be taken out of the classroom. Most families prefer to purchase (or check out a library copy) for home use. We will begin with notes and a plot outline, and will work on vocabulary activities.
We will be reading and discussing chapters 1-5 for a quiz on Friday, Oct. 7.
English Grammar -
We will be working on common and proper nouns, regular and irregular plural nouns and will have a quick quiz on Friday, Oct. 7. If you're following along in the orange book online at grammarworkshop.com, see pages 40-53.
Spelling - sounds of /oo/ and /u/
blue
grew
cube
drum
drew
jump
crunch
school
prune
troop
bruise
cocoon
tissue
excuse
confuse
computer
suit
whose
fume
cruise
HAVE A SAFE AND FUN FALL VACATION! SEE EVERYONE IN OCTOBER!
Week 8:
DUE TO EARLY RELEASE ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 23, ALL READING AND ELA QUIZZES WILL BE GIVEN ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 22 THIS WEEK!
Reading:
We will read Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomi DePaola. Students will receive their vocabulary words in Cornell Notes form on Monday for home study. There will be a quiz on these words and the story content on Thursday, 9/22.
Right after the break, beginning on October 3, we will start our first novel, Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare. Your child would probably like a personal copy for home study and review. Electronic devices are fine as long as the students abide by the signed contracts for use.
ELA: We'll be working on sentence fragments and run-ons, covered in Unit 1, lesson 7. There will be a quiz on Thursday, 9/22.
Our spelling words this week focus on ways of spelling the /oo/ and /u/ vowel sounds:
boot
balloon
took
room
foot
spool
hoop
booth
stoop
hoof
gloomy
cushion
fulfill
proofread
raccoon
salute
through
pollute
include
rumor
Week 7:
Reading Preview:
We are getting ready to go into our study of Native American folk tales. Some of the stories we'll be doing are:
Rough Face Girl by David Shannon
Little Firefly by Terri Cohlene
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Achambault
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomi De Paola
The Stranger by Chris Van Alsburg
Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare is our first novel, and we will begin that after the September break. That study will probably last until about Thanksgiving.
After the Thanksgiving break, we will begin The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman.
After the Christmas break we have:
Akiak, by Robert J. Blake
Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathrine Lasky
Our poetry unit will follow in February - any poetry books you'd like to have/use will be fine. Our most popular ones are by Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and Brod Baggert.
We'll do Heat Wave! by Helen Ketteman in March, followed by another novel study, Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan.
After Milestones, we'll finish the year with The Get Rich Quick Club, by Dan Gutman.
Please be aware that these are planned, but, depending on the way our schedule falls and the interest of the children, they are always subject to change. Please be flexible with all dates and titles!
The story for the week of Sept. 12-16: Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin. We will be working on vocabulary and content strategies. There will be a quick quiz on Friday.
English Language Arts (ELA) will emphasize recognizing and using adjectives. You can review at home by looking at Lesson 24 in grammarworkshop.com.
Spelling words for week 7:
mind
smile
thick
wild
fight
bright
moist
soap
crop
pond
shrink
stock
pride
tight
chose
polish
lightning
desire
telephone
swallow
Week 6 -
Reading: Our story this week is a Caribbean version of the classic Cinderella story: Cendrillon, by Robert D. SanSouci. The students began reading this story on Friday, 9/1/17. They will be provided with a list of vocabulary words in class and daily vocab activities will be on-going throughout next week. There will be a quick quiz on vocab and story content on Friday, 9/8/17.
English grammar skills (ELA) will focus on compound sentences and conjunctions (which your students remember by the acronym FANBOYS). There will be a quick quiz on simple and compound sentences on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
The ELA world has joined the 21st century! You can access our new grammar book at home by going to grammarworkshop.com. Close the first window as directed for student workbook; choose the ORANGE book. We will be working on pp. 27-31 in class. Any practice and reinforcement at home would be greatly appreciated!
Spelling: spelling the long and short /a/ and long and short /e/ sounds
clay
face
class
save
scratch
paid
three
seem
speak
leave
smell
send
street
spent
dream
champion
mascot
elect
breezy
display
Students will be updating their agendas in my classes on Fridays. They should let you know what story we'll be studying, which grammar skills will be covered, and when any tests or quizzes will be held. This information is provided as a way of keeping you "in the loop" as there is very little homework specifically assigned for reading/ELA. Outside reading is always encouraged (Pizza Hut "Book It" program begins in September) but formal reading logs are not necessary. To prepare for spelling tests, use whichever study method you find successful.
PLANNING AHEAD
We are heading into our unit on Native American folk tales. We will be reading:
Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
Little Firefly by Terri Cohlene
Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomi DePaola
In mid-October, we will begin our first novel study: Sign of the Beaver,
by Elizabeth George Speare
It would be extremely helpful if your child had a copy of this book for classroom use, for home study, and review.
We will spend almost 5 weeks studying this book, so your investment will be very worthwhile. Students will be allowed to bring their devices to read from in class if you choose to download a library copy electronically, or purchase an e-copy.
Week 5 -
Parents, thank you for attending our curriculum night! We hope it was helpful.
Students will be updating their agendas in my classes on Fridays. They should let you know what story we'll be studying, which grammar skills will be covered, and when any tests or quizzes will be held. This information is provided as a way of keeping you "in the loop" as there is very little homework specifically assigned for reading/ELA. Outside reading is always encouraged (Pizza Hut "Book It" program begins in September) but formal reading logs are not necessary. To prepare for spelling tests, use whichever study method you find successful.
There was a tremendous amount of enrichment opportunity connected to the book, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, so we will be continuing with that for another week. Looking ahead, you'll see we'll be moving away from international folk tales and into Native American tales as the students begin their social studies units on the various tribes:
Cendrillon by Robert D. SanSouci
The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
Little Firefly by Terri Cohlene
Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomi DePaola
We will begin our first novel study (Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare) on October 10.
ELA(English grammar skills) will continue to focus on simple subjects and simple predicates. Reinforcement activities are on-going in class. There will be a quick quiz on Friday.
Week 5 spelling words:
pledge
bulge
brace
knew
girl
chuckle
anchor
reflect
decline
almost
porridge
misjudge
standard
brother
stampede
scarlet
nephew
regret
submerge
occur
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Week 4 -
A special welcome goes out to all the new members of the awesome downstairs rotation! We are excited to see these smiling faces!
READING:
Our study of folk tales continues. We will be studying the fabulous book, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe. We'll be updating our notebooks each day, and working on some vocabulary activities in class. There will be a quick, ten-question multiple choice quiz on Friday.
IT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR YOUR CHILD TO HAVE A COPY OF THESE BOOKS FOR CLASSROOM USE! During a novel study, it will be a good idea. But for now...if you're very interested - or your child is - of course you may wish to purchase a copy for home...but it's not an expectation. THERE IS NO HOMEWORK BASED ON THE BOOK, AND NO STUDYING beyond the enjoyment of the beautiful pictures and the wonderful story itself.
ELA / ENGLISH GRAMMAR:
We have just received a set of grammar study books for classroom use. The page numbers you see in your child's agenda are the pages and skills we'll be covering in class. THERE WILL NEVER BE HOMEWORK ASSIGNED IN THE GRAMMAR BOOK as we do not have sufficient numbers for them to be sent home with the children. We will be working on simple and complete subjects and predicates.
SPELLING:
Our skill this week focuses on consonant blends. Quiz will be Friday...
dance
space
age
once
large
fence
race
slice
chance
circus
face
house
message
arrange
cabbage
promise
manage
compass
sentence
confess
Week 3
Keep reading and sharing those folk tales from around the world! I love hearing you tell about your favorites!
This coming week we will read and study The Paper Crane by Molly Bang. Interested artists might wish to try to make an origami crane over the weekend!
There will be a brief ten-question (multiple choice) quiz on the characteristics of folk tales on Friday.
In English/Language Arts we will continue to review sentence types and ending punctuation. We will review common and proper nouns and have a quick quiz on Friday.
Our spelling words this week emphasize syllabication rules:
master
between
market
pepper
fortune
arrive
current
person
department
family
penalty
condition
unwanted
beautiful
unable
erosion
deliver
library
companion
vacation
Week 2
Reading -
We are continuing our study of international folk tales. This week, I will introduce the stories of Good Blanche, Bad Rose, and the Magic Eggs, by Eleanor Engram, and The Fairy at the Well (a traditional Irish tale.) Additionally, your child might enjoy the book, The Fairy's Mistake, by Gail Carson Levine. This is a very humorous take on the same themes we've been discussing. It is not required reading!
To clarify - I assign VERY LITTLE HOMEWORK in ELA/Reading. Reading vocabulary activities and classroom reading and discussions/reflections are ongoing, and if your child does some pleasure reading each night, I am satisfied.
The agendas will reflect our in-class activities and assignments so that you can keep up with what's going on. Agenda books have been ordered, but have not arrived. In the meantime, the students will be keeping their assignments on regular notebook paper, copied from the large calendars posted in every classroom.
Any method your child chooses to study spelling is fine with me. There will be practices and activities in class, but home review and reinforcement is always encouraged. Everyone received a printed list of the new words in class today.
Week 2 words:
until
hello
invite
order
Sunday
balloon
also
supper
dinner
button
offer
injure
carpet
reptile
pattern
perfect
distance
convince
vibrate
regret
Have a great weekend, everybody! See you Monday, ready for Week 2!
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Week 1