Specials:

We have Music this week with Mr. DiFebo!

Discovery Specials:

We have Math Lab this week with Ms. Heskett!

Social Studies:

This week, students are switching classes for Social Studies and Science! Ms. Douglas' class will be with Ms. Perlman for science, and Ms. Perlman's class will be with Ms. Douglas for social studies. 

We are starting off with map work foundation to build essential geographic skills.

• Physical & Political Regions 

  • Students are learning to distinguish between different types of geographic features and boundaries. We're exploring major landforms, climate zones, countries, and cities in the Western Hemisphere while understanding how physical features can influence political boundaries.

• Geographic Tools 

  • We're introducing students to the variety of maps available to us as tools for understanding our world. Students are working with physical, political, climate, and population maps to see how each type reveals different information about the same areas.

• Map Reading Skills 

  • Students are practicing identifying and labeling key features while developing the ability to analyze what different maps tell us about regions and populations.

By the end of this week, students should feel more confident using various types of maps as tools for understanding geography and recognizing how physical and political features connect to create the world around us.

Math:

This week, we are starting Lesson 8! Students are building on their previous work with adding, subtracting, and multiplying decimals as they explore division problems.

• Dividing Multi-Digit Whole Numbers

  • We're reinforcing the standard division algorithm and helping students see the patterns and reasoning behind each step while maintaining accuracy with place values.

• Writing Remainders as Decimals

  • We're focusing on a key conceptual shift: remainders don't have to "stop" the problem. Students are learning that remainders can be converted to decimals by continuing the division process, connecting their understanding of fractions to the division algorithm.

• Dividing Decimals

  • We're working on understanding why we can "move" the decimal point to make division easier. Students are learning this isn't just a trick because we're creating an equivalent problem by multiplying both numbers by the same power of 10.

By the end of this lesson, students should feel more confident using the standard algorithm for all types of division problems while understanding how decimals and whole numbers connect through division.

Literacy:

This week, we are starting our second text set in Wonders and shifting our essential question as we transition into a new genre. Students are now working with realistic fiction texts, which allows them to explore stories that could happen in real life.

Our focus has shifted to the key elements of fiction: characters, plot, and setting. Students are learning to analyze how these elements work together to create a complete story. Understanding characters' motivations, following the sequence of events in the plot, and recognizing how setting influences the story are foundational skills for comprehending any fictional text.

We are also developing two important reading strategies: compare and contrast and visualizing. Compare and contrast helps students see relationships between characters, events, or texts to deepen understanding. Visualizing allows students to create mental pictures as they read, making the text more engaging and helping them follow the story.

These skills work together to help students become more active and thoughtful readers who can engage deeply with fictional texts.

Upcoming Events

• Volunteer Information Meeting – Tuesday, September 9th, from 9:15–10:15 AM at Arrowwood
  
  

• Cold Stone Creamery Night – Tuesday, September 9th evening. Teachers and staff will be scooping ice cream, and 30% of proceeds benefit PTCO!