September 15-19: Book Fair

September 19: Ice Cream Social (after school hours)

October 6-14: Goal Setting Conferences

October 25: Halloween Fun Night

Click here for the yearlong school calendar

Last week we started Investigation 2 which focuses on the water cycle. This week students will learn about how data about the hydrosphere helps communities plan for climate change. If you would like to extend student learning at home, consider trying this home school connection activity.

Last week students worked on the flipbook for their state report and played Jeopardy about the Midwest states. This week we will learn about the states in the Northeast region (11 states) and begin working on a "travel pitch," an opinion writing piece about their state. 

On Wednesday, students will take a short quiz to see if they can identify the states, capitals, and state abbreviations in the Northeast. After the Northeast, students will wrap up their learning of the fifty states by focusing on the states in the Southeast region. 

Great Postcard Race Update: We are now up to 27 states: Alaska (!), California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Thank you to all the students (and families) who have participated: Andres, Anna, Avery, Brookie, Cody, Hugh, Jackson, Jacob, Joanna, Mira, and Tara. 

Standings update: Ms. Wickemeyer's class has received postcards from 33 states, and Ms. Rodrigues's class has received cards from 19 states, so we are in second place! We are getting closer to first place!

We are continuing in the novel Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea. Last week we read the March and April sections and took a quiz on these sections. The students have been very engaged with this novel, and some clear themes are emerging from the book. In response to something one of the characters said ("Things happen for a reason"), we had a great discussion about how hard/tragic events can lead to positive things, such as a change in mindset or a change in someone's character. Be sure to ask your child if they remember this conversation!

Mileage Club will be starting again!  For those of you unfamiliar with Mileage Club, it is a parent-led program that encourages children in grades 1-5 to either walk or run during their Wednesday lunch hour. On Wednesdays, students should dress in comfortable, athletic attire and sneakers if they are participating. Parents can join on the field to pass out cards and track laps every Wednesday! Sign up for that is here. Each lap brings them one step closer to reaching the next Mileage Club level. 

New this year, runners will be rewarded for achieving major club milestones at 5, 10, 15, and 20 mile intervals as well as for being the first to hit select mile markers. In addition to earning monthly running tokens for their chain, they will also be featured on the leaderboard. Last but not least, at the end of the school year, the top two runners in each grade receive gift cards to kick off their summer in style!  If you have any questions, please feel free to email parent volunteer lead Amanda Baldino at  amandapbaldino@gmail.com.

We have PE weekly on Tuesday mornings from 8:20 - 9:05 am with Miss Kelly (our new PE teacher).  On Tuesdays, please make sure your child is wearing shoes in which they can run. I also recommend a hat and an extra water bottle for hot days. 

We have Music on Friday afternoons from 1:10-1:55 pm. We have Art every other week on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 - 10:20 am beginning the week of August 18. 

Our weekly visit to the school library will be Thursdays from 12:05 to 12:30 pm. 

This year, we will be managing some assignments and hand outs (such as study guides) on Google Classroom. Students will learn how to access Google Classroom this week. Please take some time to have your child login also from a home device and then please bookmark that page so that you will be to access it quickly when needed!

If you are looking for books for your family's library, please consider ordering from Scholastic Books. You can have books shipped directly to your home or to school. Every order earns points for our class, and points help us grow our classroom library. When using the Scholastic website, our class activation code is GKMNT. Place an order of $25 or more and you can pick a FREE $5 book (use code READS at checkout). Here is an online flyer.