7:50-8:00 Morning Meeting

8:00-8:40 Resource

8:45-9:45 Math

9:45-11:15 Language Arts

11:15-11:45 PIE

11:45-12:10 Writing

12:10-12-40 Lunch

12:40-1:10 Recess

1:10-2:05 VA Studies/Science

2:10 Dismissal

During the school year, we will be using a form of classroom currency called ‘Bond Bucks.’ Students will earn these by working hard and making good choices. Every other Friday, students will have an opportunity to spend their Bond Bucks by bidding on a variety of prizes during our "Fun Friday Auction". Auction prizes can come in all shapes and sizes. They can be small snacks and cheap candy, dollar store toys like silly putty or some cool school supplies. Students really look forward to participating in this event and it also teaches some good life lessons as well. I would really appreciate any donations you can provide for our Fun Friday Auctions. It will be needed throughout the year and so anytime you see something fun o on clearance please consider making a donation. The class and I would greatly appreciate it.

I feel that students should do some form of homework on a nightly basis. That said, I understand that students and families have a lot going on and I don’t want to overburden anyone. I ask for each child to work on homework for 60 minutes each night in a quiet area away from distractions. Homework will be written down daily in your child's planner and it may be a worksheet, journal writing, or it could simply be studying math facts or for an upcoming test. In any case, homework should be light because I hope that the majority of that 60 minutes be spent reading. If your child is struggling with something and after 60 minutes of effort their homework is not completed please just send me a note stating this and your child will receive full credit for completing their homework. Thank you.

Literature Circles - Along with learning reading skills together as a class, students will be participating in literature circles during centers and small group time throughout the school year. It is kind of like a book club. Students will be teamed up with others who are all reading a book or novel that is appropriate for their reading level. They will work on a variety of tasks to increase their understanding of the book and will meet with myself and each other to read and discuss the story further. Part of students homework will be to read and work on their literature circle portfolio.

Math Facts - Being a master of multiplication facts is absolutely essential for success in Math this year. It is a cornerstone in nearly all our math topics this year. We will start off the year by making flash cards to help students study. Please encourage your child to practice multiplication facts nightly. There will be lots of incentives in place to keep the kids motivated about math facts!

Writing - Students will be spending a lot of time writing across the curriculum. Our focus for the beginning of the year will be how to write a structured expository or persuasive paragraph. We will focus on what I like to call a '3-2-8 paragraph' and we will be writing them nearly every day at the start of the year until students really get the hang of it. You can see examples of this type of writing in their writing journal.

Social Studies and Science - Along with math students will keep a interactive notebooks of what they are learning. They will be keeping their all of their notes, activities and projects organized and as neat as possible in their notebooks. This will make it easy for you to see what they are learning and for them to study for assessments.

Creative and Concise - Along with more traditional learning experiences, students will have opportunities to engage in activities and projects that will challenge them to think critically, creatively and work with others successfully. Please note that for any type of graded activity or project there will always be a rubric that makes clear the expectations and ways that students will be assessed.