Hello Families!
Newsletter April 23-27
Hello Families!
Hello Families!
FYI:
- RELAY FOR LIFE- This Friday, students may wear non-uniform bottoms for $2; non-uniform bottoms and top for $4; and non-uniform bottoms, top, and a hat for $5.Proceeds go to Relay for Life.
- The end of year field trip will be at Louisville Lanes on May 30. Please sign the permission slip via google docs and visit boonli.com to pay for the field trip fee.
1. Log into your Boonli account at www.boonli.com
2. Change the month to May
3. Select Your Child's Grade Level Field Trip Tab
4. Select "May 30" as the calendar date
5. Select the student in that grade attending the field trip (if you have multiple CA students)
6. Field trip will pop up and with one click will be added to their cart. (note: the permission slip is linked to the Boonli page as a Google form, if you click on the ⓘ it will pop up for you to fill out.)
7. If you have multiple children, you will need to complete steps 3-6 for each child.
8. Proceed with check-out in Boonli (You must check out to complete your transaction; items left in your cart are not paid for).
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We are progressing to the New England colonies this week. The students received a study guide to take home. I recommend starting to practice in chunks over the next 2 weeks as there is a lot of material. Doing all of the studying just before the test might be overwhelming.
MUR
We are continuing to read James and the Giant Peach. Last week we talked about how the story changes depending on which character's perspective we take. This week we are working on making inferences and discussing character traits. We will be learning about comparative and superlative adjectives as well. The students do have a spelling list to study for the test on Friday, and they have a homework packet that is due the same day. Please help them to remember to bring it on Friday. We go over it as a class, and correcting their mistakes and discussing them leads to greater understanding.
MUM
We are working with weight and capacity measurements this week as well as reviewing previously learned material. The students will have homework on Wednesday that will be do Friday. There will also be a short review packet that the students can complete over the weekend for a prize. As always, any math fact practice you can do with your child will be extremely helpful in building a foundation for tougher skills.
Thank you, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Newsletter April 23-27
Hello Families!
It's spring!!! The students came back from the weekend rosy and wore out. It was wonderful to see them complete their "homework" (play outside as much as they could!).
We have some information regarding the following week and beyond:
- Tuesday and Wednesday are our days for the reading MCAs. Please help your child have a great night's sleep and brain-powering breakfast!
- Friday, April 27, the students will be watching the 5th graders show us their fantastic dance moves! They have been learning various ballroom dance styles through the Heart of Dance program, and it will be exciting to see them show what they know.
- FRIDAY- OSA- COLLEGE T-SHIRT DAY: please let me know before noon on Friday if you are planning to take your child home from the OSA. If we receive notification after we have left for the gym, you can pick up your child in carline.
- Our 3rd grade End of Year field trip will take place Wednesday, May 30. The permission slip is available online https://goo.gl/forms/
X3WJPXoXNWszNc5i2 (please let me know if you require a paper form) - To pay for the field trip:
1. Log into your Boonli account at www.boonli.com
2. Change the month to May
3. Select Your Child's Grade Level Field Trip Tab
4. Select "May 30" as the calendar date
5. Select the student in that grade attending the field trip (if you have multiple CA students)
6. Field trip will pop up and with one click will be added to their cart. (note: the permission slip is linked to the Boonli page as a Google form, if you click on the ⓘ it will pop up for you to fill out.)
7. If you have multiple children, you will need to complete steps 3-6 for each child.
8. Proceed with check-out in Boonli (You must check out to complete your transaction; items left in your cart are not paid for).
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We are continuing to learn about the original 13 colonies. We will be focusing on Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, and Georgia.
MUR
We compared Main Idea to Theme today, and covered another section of James and the Giant Peach. Tuesday and Wednesday the students will be completing their MCA test for reading and language arts. Thursday-Friday we will continue to read James and work on sequencing stories. Friday is Flashlight Friday! To reward them for all of their hard work, they will be reading for the last 15 minutes of class. They may bring a flashlight. We will have our Hogwarts "candles" on, so the students may also bring a stuffed cat, owl, spider, or frog (like the students at Hogwarts) to read with if they have one. There is no homework this week.
MUM
The students are working on area and will be reviewing polygons and measurement this week as well as congruency and symmetry. The only homework is to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.
Have a wonderful day and please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Hello Families!
Tuesday and Wednesday of this week we are having our math MCA tests in the classroom. This is a great time to make sure that your students get plenty of fresh air and play after school, plenty of rest at night, and a great breakfast in the morning.
Also, it snowed a tiny bit last weekend. :-) Please make sure that your child has winter gear. Weather in Minnesota is always a surprise!
CORE KNOWLEDGE
Your child completed his or her Ecology test on Friday. I returned tests today. Students are encouraged to correct their mistakes and return them for half credit.
We opened our last history unit of the year today. The students are investigating the story of the original thirteen colonies.
MUR
We are beginning our fantasy unit this week. We will be reading James and the Giant Peach and discussing the elements of the fantasy genre. We are also learning about shades of meaning in words and sequencing. There is no homework or spelling this week and next week so that students can focus on their MCAs.
MUM
We started this week going over and correcting a previous test and reviewing place value. Finally, I introduced perimeter. Tuesday and Wednesday the students will be taking their MCAs. There is no homework this week. Please make sure that your child has headphones. I am not allowed to read to them as the test itself has this capability. Without headphones, the students will not have access to this option and may not be able to completely show all of their math skills.
Thank you so much and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Newsletter 4/9-13
Hello families!
I have important information regarding upcoming events:
- FIELD TRIP- Wednesday! Please have your child wear his or her college T-shirt. We have a slight change in lunch. Lowry Nature Center has requested that each student bring lunch in REUSABLE containers rather than disposable in order to reduce waste.
- SQUARE 1 ART- Friday 4/13 is the LAST day to order from Square 1. The items make great gifts and part of the proceeds go to the art department.
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We are finishing the ecology unit by creating posters that illustrate a human-caused environmental problem and two solutions to said problem. The students will present their posters to the class. We will review on Thursday, and our test will be on Friday. Your child was given a study guide today.
MUR
We are finishing up the drama unit before we review main idea, theme, and non-fiction text features. Your child has a homework packet to be brought back on Friday, a spelling list for our test on Friday, and a list of common homophones (they do NOT need to study the large sheet- just the numbered list).
MUM
Please continue to help your child study math facts and polygons. We are moving into a unit on measurement and perimeter, but there will be an assessment on polygons after the MCAs. Your child will be given homework on Tuesday to be returned on Friday.
Thank you and please contact me with any questions or concerns!
Hello Parents!
Our 3rd grade field trip is to the Lowry Nature Center in Victoria, MN on April 11th. The field trip fee is $21 and includes admission and bus fees. Students will need to bring a disposable bag lunch unless they have ordered hot lunch for that day. You can both pay for the field trip and sign the permission slip online.
Signing up for field trips is 2 steps -
1) Payment in Boonli (you must check out to complete the transaction)
2) Google Form permission slip
1. Log into your Boonli account
2. Change the month to April
3. Select "Field Trips"
4. Select "April 11" as the calendar date
5. Select the student attending the field trip (if you have multiple CA students)
6. Field trip will pop up and with one click will be added to your cart.
7. Proceed with check-out in Boonli (items left in your cart are not paid for).
To sign the google doc permission slip, please click on this link: https://goo.gl/forms/I9dZimY0l
******************************
NEWSLETTER 3/19-23
Hello Families!
Welcome to the week before Spring Break!
Important information:
- Math Interims today and tomorrow- Good breakfasts and good sleep help students show what they know!
- EARLY RELEASE Friday- Buses leave at 1pm
- COLLEGE T-SHIRT DAY- Friday
- Friday's OSA is from 10-10:50 AM
- SPRING BREAK- March 26-April 2 -School resumes on APRIL 3
CORE KNOWLEDGE
This week in our ecology unit we are learning about how all parts of an ecosystem depend on each other to thrive. We will investigate food chains and webs, extinction, herbivores and carnivores, and more.
MUR
We are finishing our close reading unit this week before we are introduced to the elements of drama. Due to interims and the early release day, we do not have homework or spelling. We will be reviewing grammar and spending extra time in guided reading instead.
MUM
Monday and Tuesday are our interim days. We will be finishing our unit on angles and lines afterwards with a test before break. There is no homework this week.
Thank you so much, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Hello Families!
Thank you to all who participated in the spaghetti dinner and silent auction! The dedication of the CA families to their children and the school is amazing!
We have some important events this week:
- MONDAY (tomorrow) - Give To The Max Non-Uniform Day!! Students may wear school appropriate clothing of their choice tomorrow (socks, closed-toed shoes, no spaghetti straps- unless covered).
- College T-shirt day on Thursday for our interim kick-off
- Friday OSA- please let me and/or the office know before NOON on Friday if you intend to pick up your child from the OSA
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We are finishing our Explorers unit this week. All of the students were given study guides on Friday to take home over the weekend. The test will take place on WEDNESDAY. We will begin a new unit on Ecology on Thursday.
MUR
We are finished with our poetry unit and will be practicing close reading for the rest of this week. Next week we will begin a unit on Drama. There will be reading comprehension homework this week that will be due on Friday. A spelling list will be sent home on Monday for the test on Friday as well.
MUM
We completed our unit on time and temperature. We are now beginning a unit on polygons. The students will be reviewing past skills this week as well.
Homework will be given on WEDNESDAY and will be due FRIDAY.
I will send home a review packet to be done over the weekend. This is OPTIONAL. If your child does decide to complete it, they will receive a prize. Also, please check your child's work on the packet and feel free to help them if they are having difficulty.
Thank you so much, and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!
Newsletter 3/5-3/9
Hello Families!
Thank you for all of your generosity in the pennies for patients fundraiser and read-a-thon last week! We had a blast "competing" with the other classes for a good cause, and it was awesome seeing the students all reading on Friday (and reading with them!).
Some reminders for this week:
- If you have any read-a-thon envelopes at home, please return them on Monday with your child (even if they were unused). Thank you!
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We will begin learning about the European explorers who first navigated the Southwest this week, as well as those who traveled into present day New York and Canada. The students are learning little "poems" to help them remember the accomplishments of each explorer and will be taking a packet of these home as another way to study.
MUR
We are taking what we have learned about poetry last week and applying it as we evaluate poems for meaning, mood, and theme. We will also be comparing a narrative poem to its story version. We will be doing grammar review this week as well. Homework will go out on Monday and be due on Friday. The spelling list will also go out Monday with the test taking place on Friday as well.
MUM
We are practicing reading thermometers and judging whether a given temperature is hot, cold, cool, or warm. We also are comparing Celsius to Fahrenheit and identifying freezing and boiling temperatures. We will be reviewing adding and subtracting hours and minutes, converting hours and minutes, and elapsed time before our test on Thursday. Friday we will have a brief review day of previously learned concepts. A short homework sheet will go home on Friday to be returned on Monday.
Thank you and please let me know if you have any questions!
Newsletter 2/26-3/2
Hello Families!
We have an exciting week ahead of us!
- Pennies for patients- Remember to bring in your change as we support children effected by cancer. If you choose to participate, you are not only helping others, you are also helping the class beat the rest of 3/4 for a non-uniform day! We can do it! Friday you can bring $3 to wear a hat, and any other dollars you bring will be counted as POUNDS!
- Lifetouch Spring Photos- Wednesday
- Read-a-thon- Friday! Wear comfy clothes, bring your favorite books, AND bring a stuffed animal, small blanket, or pillow for 120 minutes of READING JOY! Your child brought home a packet to collect pledges for their reading time.
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We are wrapping up our astronomy unit this week. The test will take place on Wednesday. Your child brought home a study guide. Please help them be ready to show what they know!
MUR
This is the last week of our poetry unit. We had a blast learning about hyperbole and onomatopoeia today, and we will finish exploring figurative language tomorrow with idioms. We will review what we have learned before our quiz on Friday. Homework was assigned, and it is due Friday. Your student should also have brought home a spelling list. There is NO spelling homework other than to study.
MUM
We have begun the most challenging section of our time unit- elapsed time. The students will be practicing strategies to determine how much time has passed between a start and end time. They will also be able to identify when an event began and/or ended when given an amount of elapsed time. We will end the week with temperature. Your child was given homework today that is due THURSDAY. Feel free to assist them and to make notes of areas where they experienced difficulty.
Thank you for all you do to support your students! If you have any questions, please let me know!
Dear Parents,
Next week we are asking that students send in pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters for Cologne Academy's Pennies for Patients
For the fifth year in a row, Cologne Academy extends their partnership to Pennies for Patients, a local organization that takes its proceeds to support kids with cancer. Pennies for Patients i
We will be competing with other classes in middle school during the week to see who can bring in the most coins. We are going to be weighing the classroom buckets at the end of each day. Whoever has the heaviest bucket at the end of the week will win a non-uniform day for the entire class.
On Friday, students can bring in $3 if they would like to wear a HAT. Please send dollar bills on Friday for wearing the hat because each dollar will be counted as a half of pound to our bucket.
Friday will also be a special day for READING! This year our annual read-a-thon will be Friday, March 2nd. Students will be able to wear comfy clothes to school for the read-a-thon and will be reading throughout the day to raise money for the school. More to come on this exciting event.
Newsletter February 20-23
Hello Families!
Here is a look at upcoming events:
- Friday, February 23- OSA and College T-Shirt Day Please let me know before NOON on Friday if you plan on taking your child home from the OSA
- Pennies for patients begins February 26
- February 28- Lifetouch Spring Photos
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We are learning about the planets of the solar system, the moon and lunar and solar eclipses, and gravity this week. Your child will be taking home a study guide. The test is WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28.
MUR
The class is continuing to investigate poetry. We are focusing on metaphors and similes this week, followed by writing our own haiku on Friday. The students will be working on vocabulary, and in guided reading we are reviewing the components of a good written response. We do not have homework or spelling this week.
MUM
We are continuing to work on time. This week the students are converting hours to minutes, and adding and subtracting time. There is no homework this week, but please practice math facts whenever you can!
Newsletter Feb 12-16
Hello Families!
We have some important information for the upcoming week:
- CONFERENCES- Monday, February 12 and Thursday, February 15- 4PM-8PM. Sign up here: http://signup.com/go/YFB
UEbv - Make sure to sign up with your child's MUM and MUR teacher rather than homeroom teacher
- NO SCHOOL- Friday, February 16- Monday, February 19
CORE KNOWLEDGE
The students finished their Native American Project last week. They were to gather facts for an assigned tribe (no presentation) and share them among their group. The students will be working on correcting errors at the end of the day on Monday. If they do not finish, they will be taking them home to complete. I have made notes on the sheets to help them correct their errors. Please help them remember to complete and return corrections on TUESDAY.
We began our Astronomy unit last week as well. We have already traveled through the universe, exploring galaxies through the Hubble Space Telescope. This week, we will continue the adventure!
MUR
We are beginning our poetry unit this week. The students were working on completing their Cinderella stories last week. If they did not complete them by Friday, their homework for the week is to finish their final drafts and return the stories by Thursday. There will be no spelling list or reading comprehension homework due to the short week.
MUM
Your child will be taking home their Money Test on Monday. They may correct errors and return for half credit. If they wish to do so, please have them complete the corrections and return by Tuesday.
We also have our Data Analysis Test on Monday before starting a unit on time and temperature.
Hello Families!
We will have our Valentine's Day party on February 14 from 2:30 until 3:15. The students should all bring a box to decorate during the party before they are able to pass out their Valentines. Please wait until Monday, February 12 for your child to bring his or her box to conserve classroom space. We do need supplies for the classroom for this event. I am attaching a link to the sign up sheet. If you are able to contribute, please sign up here.
NEWSLETTER JANUARY 15-19
Hello Families!
Upcoming events:
- Monday, January 15- Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
- Friday, January 19- EARLY RELEASE- Buses leave at 1pm
- January 22-26- School Choice week
- Thursday, January 25- Extraordinary Expo
- Friday, January 26- COLLEGE T-SHIRT DAY- OSA
CORE KNOWLEDGE
The students have a Light and Sound note sheet that they either have taken home or will be taking home. These sheets are their study guide. They will also bring a sheet with a labeled model of the eye and ear later this week to study as well. The test for the Light and Sound unit will take place on Friday. A fun option to study the colors of the spectrum is to use the Roy G. Biv song available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
MUR
There will be no homework this week. The students will begin their Fairytale unit, will be reviewing grammar, and also are going to be working on vocabulary.
MUM
We are finishing our fraction unit and variables with review and a test on Tuesday before moving on to our next unit. There is no homework this week, but please continue to encourage your child to practice his or her multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction facts at home.
Thank you so much and please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Hello Families!
I hope everyone had a wonderful break. I can't wait to start the new year with everyone well-rested and ready to go!
IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS:
- WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3- Return December reading calendars
- THURSDAY, JANUARY 11- College T-shirt Day
- MONDAY, JANUARY 15- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (school IS in session)
- FRIDAY, JANUARY 19- 1PM Early Release
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We start the New Year with a science unit. The students will be learning about sound this week and will put what they learn into practice by conducting sound experiments on Friday and Monday of next week.
WRITING
Your student finished a personal narrative before break and began working on an informational essay. They have brainstormed a topic and divided it into a main idea and subtopics. This week we will learn how to research and take notes.
MUR
We are getting closer to the end of Sarah, Plain, and Tall and our historical fiction unit. We will be completing it entirely next week and wrapping it up with a compare/contrast activity involving the movie version. We are reviewing adjectives and parts of speech this week and are finishing our retell practice in guided reading. There is no homework this week.
MUM
We will be working on adding and subtracting fractions this week as well as reviewing past skills. Your child will be taking a short practice packet home on Friday to be returned on Monday, January 8. Please continue to help them practice their fact fluency.
Thank you so much for all you do to support your child's education, our classroom, and our school. Reflecting over the past year has left me feeling so blessed to teach such amazing and unique students. Each one has his or her own dreams, gifts, struggles, and joys. It is an honor to be a small part of helping them grow up to change the world! 2018 is going to be an amazing year for the Guskjolen Vikings!
Have a lovely day, and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me and I will be happy to help.
Hello Families!
Important information follows:
The 3rd grade winter concert is tomorrow night at 6pm.
- Your child should arrive in our classroom at 5:40.
- Students may wear nice clothing in holiday colors (special occasion outfits, suits, etc.) or their school uniform. Please no flip-flops or exposed spaghetti straps.
The classroom party is on December 21 at 2:25. We will be having a popcorn bar and juice while watching a cartoon movie set in the Viking era. The students will be having a blast while comparing what they have learned in their Viking unit to what they see in the cartoon. An email invite to sign up to bring items for the popcorn bar has been sent.
December 22- Spelling bee and OSA
December 23- January 3- NO SCHOOL
Thank you for sending your child with his or her winter gear. Winter has returned, and students go outside for recess unless the wind chill or temperature goes below zero.
CORE KNOWLEDGE
Students are entering the Viking Era as we learn about the far traveling Norsemen. Last week they were introduced to the Norse homeland of Scandinavia and discussed reasons why the menfolk would have left their families to go a-viking. This week we will discover Norse mythology and learn the name of the European who discovered North America 500 years before Columbus!
MUR
We are continuing to read Sarah, Plain and Tall. The students are discussing the text and comparing historical non-fiction to historical fiction. In guided reading, we are continuing to develop our retelling skills. Our grammar focus this week is on adjectives. Your child was given a reading comprehension packet and an adjective worksheet to be completed and returned this Friday.
MUM
We have started a unit on Input/Output tables. Please continue to help your child practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division fact fluency. This will support them both in our current unit and beyond. Your child will receive homework on Wednesday that is due Thursday. Our unit test will take place Friday.
We want to know what YOU think about our school. We have the great opportunity to participate in a study that helps us collect and understand your opinion of the climate of our school.
This study will seek to establish the usefulness of the My Child’s Classroom Inventory-Short Form, a 25-item user-friendly survey designed to assess parents’/guardians’ perceptions of their child’s classroom environment.
As you know, we are a PBIS school and our desire is to continue to grow a positive and sustainable classroom environment. Your input is very valuable!
Non-identifying data gathered from the survey will be stored in a secure online environment. Information will be kept confidential and secure and only the people working with the study will have access to the data unless required by law.
This survey will only take 10-15minutes. We greatly appreciate you taking your time to do this!
Please click on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey
11/27-12/1
Hello Families!
I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! Here is a peek at next week.
CORE KNOWLEDGE
This week we will be talking about appendicular bones and the muscular system. We will also be making a model of an arm to demonstrate the connection between bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
MUR
Last week we learned about non-fiction text features and how to use them to increase our comprehension of informational literature. This week we will use what we learned to explore historical non-fiction.
We are once again focusing on grammar this week rather than spelling. Your child will bring home a sheet on linking verbs and capitalizing nouns that needs to be returned on Friday. He or she will have a reading comprehension packet that needs to be brought in as well.
MUM
The week will begin with a review of 3-digit by 1 digit multiplication with regrouping and 4-digit subtraction. Your child will be given homework on MONDAY that will be due THURSDAY. We will follow the review with partial products and an introduction to division.
Thank you, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Hello families!
Here is information regarding Tuesday. Tuesday is Grandparents' Day, the Book Fair, and November's OSA. Please send your student to school in his or her college T-shirt.
Please let me know if you or your child's grandparent(s) are taking your child home from the OSA. Also, it is helpful to let grandparents know that your child is in Ms. Guskjolen's 3rd grade homeroom and to inform them as to the day's schedule.
Our schedule Tuesday is as follows:
1:00 pm – Grandparents arrive
1:00 – 2:10 pm – Grandparents spend time in the classrooms & visit the Book Fair*
2:10 pm – Teachers dismiss grandparents to the gym for the OSA
2:20 pm – Students/teachers walk to the gym for the OSA with their end-of-day things
3:15ish pm – The OSA ends, grandparents come to collect their students THEN teachers take remaining students to the bus/carline/clubhouse.
BOOK FAIR INFORMATION:
- Book Fair will be open during these times:
- Monday 3:30 - 4:30 pm
- Tuesday 11:00 - 5:00 pm
- It will be on the STAGE Monday
- It will be in the gym (registers too!) on Tuesday
Newsletter 10/30-11/3
Hello Families!
This week is a big and exciting week!
·
The students are “showing what they know” as
they work on their math interims. This is a great time for plenty of rest and
hearty brain-food breakfasts!
·
TUESDAY
10/31 is our Fall Party. Let me know if you are interested in volunteering. We
could definitely use some extra hands! Also, thank you to all of the parents
who donated supplies!
·
FRIDAY 11/3 is an EARLY RELEASE DAY.
Busses will leave at 1:00pm.
·
GIVE TO THE MAX- Continue to send in those
addresses! If we meet our goals we will not only help Cologne Academy, but we
could also earn a uniform free day or even an extra day off of school! Wow!
·
It is getting CHILLY! Please make sure your
child has outdoor gear to keep their heads, hands, bodies, and feet warm and
dry.
·
NEXT WEEK
IS THE NJHS FOOD DRIVE-
I In Minnesota, 1 in 6 children are living at risk of hunger. Carver County food
banks help to feed 15,000 people a year, with more than 40% of their support
going to people under the age of 18.
Cologne Academy's
National Junior Honor Society is once again partnering with food shelves around
our community, and Mackenthun's Stuff-A-Truck program, to bring help to
families in need this holiday season. Please donate non-perishable food and
hygiene products to CA's efforts to help our community.
Waconia's current most
wanted items are pasta sauce, pasta, peanut butter, canned foods, and soup.
They are also looking for boxed or canned holiday food items such as boxed
potato flakes, canned gravy, boxed stuffing, and vegetables. In addition, many
of the clients that receive support from the food shelf are looking for jobs,
so personal care products are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for helping
us help the community!
CORE KNOWLEDGE
We are continuing to explore Ancient
Rome. This unit lays an excellent foundation for appreciating our own Republic
as we go back to the roots that inspired our founding fathers. Students received
a study guide today. Retakes for the Animal Classification test are delayed due
to interim week. We try to avoid over-testing students during this time. They
will take the retake on Tuesday, November 7.
MUR
The students are finishing the
last section of Encyclopedia Brown: Boy
Detective this week. We have been practicing defining vocabulary, using
context clues to decipher unfamiliar words, plotting stories, and inferring
character traits. The students are also developing their ability to craft
written responses that use text evidence to answer questions. I am so proud of
how hard they are working, thinking, and discussing! THERE IS NO HOMEWORK
AND NO SPELLING TEST THIS WEEK. Your student may bring a flashlight on
Friday for Flashlight Friday reading time.
MUM
We finished our unit on word
problems this week. There will be a short quiz after next week on the material.
There will be no homework or tests during interim week. Your student
will be taking math interims on this week. A great night’s sleep and an awesome
breakfast will help set them up for success!
Thank you so much! Feel free to contact me with any
questions or concerns.
Hello Families!
I hope you have had a fantastic fall break. We have an exciting couple of weeks ahead of us!
Homeroom information:
- You have been sent an invitation to sign up for donations for the class's fall party. Also, if you are interested in volunteering for the party, please let me know! We need at least two volunteers if possible.
- OCTOBER 25- WEAR ORANGE FOR UNITY DAY. Students and staff will wear orange tops/accessories.
- OCTOBER 27- OSA/College T-shirt Day. Please let me and the office know before noon on Friday if you would like to pick your child up from the OSA.
- OCTOBER 27- TRUNK OR TREAT 6:30PM
CORE KNOWLEDGE
Your child will be bringing their Animal Classification packets back home with his or her graded test. Please have them let me know if they would like to retake it. If so, they will use their packet to study beforehand.
We are beginning a new unit on Ancient Rome. Carpe Diem!
MUR
We are continuing to read Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective as a class. Using the book, we are exploring vocabulary, dictionary skills, plot charting, and inferencing. In guided reading we will be using other Encyclopedia Brown novels to practice our retells, discussions, and ability to infer character traits and motivation. A spelling list and homework packet will be sent home on Monday. Homework is due Friday along with our spelling test.
MUM
We will begin working on word problems and bar modeling. Your child's most recent math test will be returned either Monday or Tuesday (a few students were unable to finish last week). Students will be able to retake the test on Friday if they choose. Regular homework will be assigned TUESDAY and due THURSDAY. A review homework packet will be sent home on Friday. Completing it by MONDAY is optional but encouraged. Your child will receive a reward if he or she finishes it and brings it back on Monday. Regardless of whether it is completed, it needs to be returned on Monday as we will be going over it in class.
Thank you, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Hello Families!
I hope you had a lovely weekend.
Important events and reminders:
- Please have your child bring in their September reading calendar on Monday.
- Cologne Academy's fall play Superheroes Unite will take place at 7pm on Friday, October 6.
CORE KNOWLEDGE
Your students will receive their graded rivers packets and tests on Monday. It is always an option to retake the test if your child would like to study more and try again.
We began our Animal Classification unit last week. This week we will discuss each vertebrate group in depth.
MUR
We are still wrapping up determining the moral of a fable in guided reading. However, we have been working on the mystery genre in our whole class Interactive Read Alouds. We have discussed the traits of a good detective, sidekick, and what makes a suspect suspicious. We have also discussed plot structure in fiction with an emphasis on how it applies to mysteries. We will continue to build on this throughout the week.
MUM
Your student will be taking home their first test. We are reviewing what we have learned on Monday and a homework packet will be sent home MONDAY and be DUE WEDNESDAY. If your student would like to retake the test after the review and homework, they have that opportunity. After the recap of the previous unit, the students will begin working with addition of larger numbers. Any practice of math facts at home will help your student immensely with what they will be learning and practicing.
Thank you, and please contact me with any questions or concerns!
NEWSLETTER 9/18-22
HOMEROOM INFORMATION:
Next week is Spirit Week! If your child wishes to join in the excitement, they may dress according to the following schedule:
- Mon- PJ/ comfy clothes
- Tues- Dress your Best- be fancy!
- Wed- Sport/Athletic wear
- Thurs- Throwback Thursday: 80's & 90's attire!
- Fri: Be your 'selfie"- dress like you!
Students should still wear socks or tights and spaghetti straps should be covered by a shrug or jacket. Also, please save hats for recess and before/after school.If your child does not choose to dress up, they should wear their standard uniform.
Also, forms should have been taken home by your child to either be completed online or returned to school with payment if you choose to purchase school pictures. Picture day is September 27.
CORE KNOWLEDGE
Your students are map reading pros! They "showed what they know" on the geography test, and I am blown away by how they did. Way to work hard and pay attention in class!
We started a new unit on the world's rivers last week. We will be discussing how rivers impact civilization and impact the people around them. This is also a great connection to what they have already learned about the continents as we are talking about the rivers of North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia.
MUR
On Friday the students learned about the elements of fables and how to find the moral of the tale. Inferring the moral of a fable is an excellent exercize in developing critical thinking skills and will lead to the ability to recognize theme in literature (a slightly more nuanced skill). Knowledge of fables also provides background knowledge to understand references both within literature and in every day life ("the boy who cried wolf." slow and steady wins the race," etc.). This is a great time to check out both familiar and new fables at the library and create a home/school connection.
MUM
The first two weeks of MUM, we have worked on reading and writing numbers up to 10,000 and using our knowledge of place value to compare and order numbers. We will be building on what we have learned this week as we move into rounding and estimation. There will be homework again on TUESDAY. It will be due THURSDAY. If you had to help your child with his or her homework, please leave a note on the portion that they had problems with. This will help me pinpoint my instruction to what will benefit him or her most. Also, any practice of basic math facts will help your child immensely. Flashcards are an option, but there are also fun online sites such as abcya.com that have addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division fact games.
Thank you. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I will be happy to help.
NEWSLETTER 9/10-15
Hello Families!
CORE KNOWLEDGE
Our Geography unit continues for the first part of the week as we cover geographical terms. Our test will be on Wednesday. Your student should have brought home worksheets that he or she has done in class that can be used to study, and I am giving them another study guide on Monday. You can also use the following link to our continents and ocean song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ2V-VgCJgI
MUR
The students are working on written responses to questions from text we have read. Our goal is to be able to restate the question, answer it, cite evidence, and explain how the evidence fits the question. There will be a spelling list and homework packet sent home on Monday with Friday as the due date.
MUM
Last week we worked on different ways to represent numbers, and we practiced determining the value of a digit based on place value. We will continue with place value and begin to use the concept to compare large numbers. A short homework sheet will be sent this week on TUESDAY to be returned THURSDAY. You can also help your child by practicing addition and subtraction math facts and reading numbers in the ten and hundred thousands with them.
Thank you, and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
CHARACTER DAY IS WEDNESDAY, 9/13
On Sept 13th, CA will participate in Character Day. Numerous schools and organizations around the world take part in this day in efforts to show that being a person of character matters!
You can participate by taking photos with your friends and family with a sign that says "my character matters" and posting on social media. Don't forget to tag CA and use the hashtag (s) #CultivatingCharacter #CologneAcademy
