WEEK 10

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween weekend filled with fun, costumes, and trick-or-treating! As we wrap up October and head into November, we have a short but busy month ahead in Room 11. We will kick off a new literacy unit and begin our first social studies unit of the year. I'm excited for all that we have planned!

A reminder that there is no school on Tuesday, November 3, due to a professional development day for teachers.

Treats for Troops!

The Mitchell PTA is collecting unwanted, unopened Halloween candy along with non-perishable food items to donate to our Troops and Veterans. Donations will be accepted through November 7 and can be dropped off Monday–Friday by the front door of Mitchell or at the Kindergarten porch. It's a wonderful way to share a little Halloween sweetness while supporting others!

This week we will…

Literacy: Begin our new Weather & Climate literacy unit!  We will explore the science of meteorology and learn about the atmosphere, weather patterns, and how weather affects our lives. Students will also choose a weather topic to become an expert on throughout the unit, such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, or tornadoes. Throughout this unit, students will read a variety of informational texts, build their science vocabulary, learn to take meaningful notes, and use information from multiple sources to answer research questions. They will gradually develop their research and writing skills, eventually creating an informational book that showcases what they have learned about weather and climate.
Some of the big ideas we will explore include:

•The difference between weather and climate

•Weather variables, including temperature, precipitation, wind, and air pressure

•Weather patterns and how scientists use data to make predictions

•The water cycle and how it connects to everyday weather

•Severe weather hazards and ways people can prepare for and reduce their impact


For more info: parent letter for ARC Unit 2

Word study: We will explore words that have the prefixes in-, im-, il-, and ir-. These prefixes often mean "not" or "the opposite of." Our words this week are incorrect, incomplete, indirect, inject, insert, impossible, imperfect, import, illegal, and irregular.

Math: In Math we're continuing with Unit 2: Area and Multiplication. This week we will focus on calculating the area of rectangles by multiplying the side lengths and solving real-world problems involving area. We will also practice finding the area of figures made up of multiple rectangles. Students will also begin using a multiplication table to explore and identify multiplication patterns.

Science: Our Design Your Own Animal Species project is underway! Students will choose a habitat where their animal can thrive and think about key adaptations. How does your animal get food? How does it protect itself? How does it care for its young? Let your imagination and creativity run wild! 

Social Studies: After wrapping up our culminating science project, we will launch our first Social Studies unit! Using the Investigating History curriculum, we will explore the history of Massachusetts and the Northeast through four units of study:

Throughout these units, students will develop their historical thinking skills by exploring events from multiple perspectives, considering how individuals and communities were impacted, and examining both the positive and negative effects of historical events. We will encourage students to think critically about the past and make connections to how history continues to shape our world today.

Social Emotional Learning: We will begin our new Second Step anti-bullying unit, focusing on recognizing bullying. Students will learn how to identify bullying behaviors, understand the difference between bullying and everyday conflicts, and recognize the importance of being an upstander and helping others.

I'm looking forward to another wonderful week of learning in Room 11.

Special Subject Schedule

Monday -- Art & Media - Please return your Media books every Monday so you can check out new books each week. 

Tuesday -- P.E. & Spanish

Wednesday -- Music

Thursday -- P.E.

Friday -- Spanish

 

Important Dates

Tuesday, November 3rd -- No School, Staff Development Day

Thursday, November 5th-- Picture Re-Takes

Wednesday, November 11th-- No School, Veterans' Day

Wednesday, November 18th-- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal

Wednesday, November 25th-- Early Release Day, 12:15 dismissal

Thursday, November 26th-- Thanksgiving Recess

Monday, November 30th-- Classes resume

 


Created 11/2026

Jennifer_ramras@needham.k12.ma.us