This week you can expect...

1. Monday the students will be taking a short quiz. Normally I don't give quizzes on Monday, but because we missed some classes Friday because of the writing prompt, it's necessary. I want to make sure the students are in the groups they need to be in;  the quiz will help me gauge where they are and what they have learned in small groups.

2. Also on Monday we will be having a class spelling bee. The winner of this spelling bee will advance on to the school-wide bee.  Students who expressed interest were given a list of words to study. It is not a requirement to participate.

3. We are still working on finishing a novel study. Your child been reading But, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Through our many discussions, students have been analyzing characters, plot, setting, and theme. We have also discussed the author's use of description and figurative language. Ask your child what the book is about! We are currently on Chapter 4. This week, the students will be working on a biopoem focused on one character from the novel. They will be given the format for the poem in class. It will be due on Friday.

4. There will also be a benchmark test this week. The day of the test has not yet been announced, but I will post what day as soon as I know. This test is designed to diagnose what standards your child has mastered, and what areas are still weaknesses. We will then use that data to drive our instruction in the classroom.

5. The remainder of the time in class will be spent in remedial/enrichment groups. If previous data from a benchmark or formative assessment indicated an area of weakness for your child, they have been given an opportunity for more practice. Likewise, if your child's performance has indicated mastery of the selected standards, they have been placed in an enrichment group to further their knowledge in that area beyond what is expected.
The areas we are working on are 1) identifying main ideas and supporting details in a text, 2) analyzing, identifying, and applying knowledge of the parts of a sentence, 3) producing focused and organized writing based on the 6+1 Traits, 4) expository and narrative writing with voice.

6. In grammar this week, I am introducing subordinating conjunctions. Students will be given a list of these with  examples in class this week. Look for a post soon explaining this concept so that you can help with homework.

I know it's a lot, but we can do it! Please fell free to call or email me with any questions or concerns. shelley.worley@gscs.org