It always seems like at this time of the year we are very busy.  This week isn’t any different!   

       Coming Up this Week….

J We have the MCAS Reading Comprehension assessment on Tuesday.  On Thursday we have the MCAS Long Composition. 

J  Your child will not have any “official” homework this week.   I will encourage the kids to read each night especially if they have gotten into the good habit of reading nightly.  They will not have the Reading in the Edges paper to fill out however.   

J Parents can sign up for Spring Conferences starting on Wednesday, April 1^st.  I will also be sending home a Conference Questionnaire on Wednesday for you to fill out and return prior to our conference time.    This can be sent back with your child or you can send your response to me via email.

Here is the link to the conference sign up:    http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/C_A_Farley_Elementary_School

J  On Friday, April 4^th we don’t have school because of Good Friday!

Reading Workshop

            In reading last week we started taking a closer look at poetry.  We read many poems from a book called, My Man Blue.  It is a book of poems that are all about this man named Blue and a boy named Damon.  We had many discussions about Blue as a character.  It was great to see the kids thinking so deeply about these poems.  We also were able to have some debates based on the poems.  Kids were able to state their opinions or what they were thinking and back it up with evidence from the text.  The rest of the class was able to think about whether they agreed with their classmate.  We had many “theories” about the characters.  It made for great discussion and great learning!  We are looking forward to reading more about Blue and Damon this week. 

Social Studies

            In social studies the kids were able to present to the rest of the class what they learned about the West Region of the United States.  Each small group learned about one aspect of the West Region.  They became “experts” and then shared their expertise with the rest of the class.  After hearing from all the groups, the kids reflected on what they learned overall about the West. 

            Each small group then chose a more specific part of the West to learn about.  Some students will be learning about the California Earthquakes, the Redwood Forest, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the National Parks of this region. 

Math Workshop

       The kids are continuing to work on fractions.  We are nearing the end of this unit.  Last week we worked on mixed numbers and improper fractions.  We also learned how to place fractions greater than one whole on a number line. 

I hope everyone has a great week! 

~Jen