February 2012 Newsletter

Dear Room 16 Parents/ Guardians,

It is hard to believe that is already February! It has been so nice to be working with your students again, as they are insightful, friendly, and bright. We have been working on many subjects in Room 16.

Language Arts: We have just finished reading our second theme, American Stories. We have started reading Sadako & the Thousand Paper Cranes. We will be beginning literature circles soon. Our next book report is due on Friday, February 10th. The students are to read the book, choose a setting, and create a brochure about one of the settings in the story.

** I am looking for a few more volunteers to come in and help out with our upcoming literature circles. Please let me know if you are interested. This would be a six-week commitment for about 30 minutes once a week in class. The circles will meet on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and would start on Thursday, March 1st.

Writer’s Workshop: We have been working on summaries and responses to literature. After we review Literature Responses, we will begin writing a new narrative story. We are continuing to work on our responses to literature, summaries, and narratives as we continue to prepare for the upcoming Star Writing Test on March 6, 2012.

Math: This week, we are continuing our unit on long division. We will have a Chapter 12 test on Tuesday, February 7th. Next, we will begin studying prime numbers, composite numbers, and factors. We have also been working on building our logic skills.

Social Studies: We are studying the California Missions. The students our working on a project on the missions where they will create a PowerPoint Presentation to present to the class on one of the California Missions. Next, we will begin to study why people came to California and the Gold Rush.

Science: We are continuing to study rocks in our Solid Earth unit. We have been conducting experiments with vinegar to look for evidence of Calcite in rocks. Our Science Notebooks and test will be on February 29th.

P.E.: On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the students have been enjoying their unit on soccer. For more information on P.E., feel free to check the P.E. newsletter on the Dilworth website staff page.

Valentine’s Day Party: We will be having a Valentine’s Day Party on February 14th. It will take place in the afternoon. Please remember if you student wishes to bring valentines they need to bring one for every student. A list of class names will be sent home so that we avoid any hurt feelings.

Google Group: It has come to my attention that some parents have still not had a chance to join our google group. If you haven’t, please join us by visiting my blog and clicking the link to join our group. The group is a private group, so when you ask to join it will send me a request to approve you. The website for the blog is: http://dilworthroom16.blogspot.com/.

Some Up Coming Events:

• February 10, 2012 – Class Photos
• February 14, 2012 – Valentines Day Party in Room 16
• February 20-24, 2012 - Mid Year Recess – No School

The first round of Books and Beyond Program has finished, however round two will begin shortly. Please continue to encourage your student to keep track of all of the pages they are reading to participate in the program.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at school or via e-mail, at horner_sabrina@cusdk8.org.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Horner