November 11 - 15th, 2013

• Thank you for all the donations of highlighters and gel pens!  We have put every single item to go use during our Writer's Workshop.  We are now collecting sticky notes for marking text  during reading. I have asked the office for extra supplies of sticky notes and they were able to give me a few, however, if you don't mind donating these items, we would all appreciate it!

No blog or homework over our Thanksgiving holiday break!  Enjoy.

Report cards will be sent home on Friday, November 15^th. Please sign and return the outside envelope.

• Grandparents Day:  Friday, November 22^th. Students will be working on a special computer presentation  in our classroom and plan to share these with their guests on Grandparent’s day. Students are encouraged to dress up on this day in order to represent our school and show respect to our guests.

• Thanksgiving Holiday:  No school November 25th - 29th.

• Writing:  Thank you for having conversations with your son/daughter regarding the writing they have completed in the classroom and at home.  I have included these graded writing pieces in their Friday folders. I was pleased to see so many students are using strong descriptive words, had a clear beginning, middle, and end to their writing, and took the time to edit and revise.  These are all strategies we are working on in class.

1.  President Writing:  On Monday our new class president will present information about their life, family members, passions, hobbies, and two stories they want to share.  Student will take two column notes on the new president.  Then by Friday, November 15th each student in our class will:

a. turn their notes into a rough draft.

b.  Revise their notes (add, change, take out to improve writing)

c. edit their drafts.  (correct spelling and punctuation)

d.  write a final polished copy to be turned in on Friday.

All of these steps are to be done at home, each week, except the note taking.

We've have modeled and worked through two president pieces and one is graded and in this weeks Friday Folder with a rubric.

2. 

• 2. Turkey writing:

  This Turkey Needs Dressing!  On Monday students will receive a turkey copied on card stock.  Cut out the Turkey, use scraps of cloth, paper, foil, glitter, and your imagination for a spiffy he or she.  Be sure to name him or her and then write a story about your terrific turkey. Your dressed turkey, and turkey story are due Wednesday, November 20th. Remember to use a circle and flee map to focus your thinking before you write.  These maps will be due with your turkey.