Dear Families,

iMove

As you likely already know, we were only able to participate in two iMove days this winter due to the weather.  As a ¾ team we have decided to make up those days in March.. The make-up days will be 3/14 and 3/21, weather permitting.  If conditions at Trapps still won’t allow, there will not be anymore make up days this year. We missed the make-up this day because of the snow day but next week looks like a go!

Quest Projects

Many students have been busy working on research for their quest projects.  The goal for students was to be finished with all of the research for the project by today.  Moving ahead, students will have until the end of next week to work on the exploration phase of their projects.  The creation of the project itself will all take place at home moving forward. If your child is struggling with their quest project please reach out, and I will help in any way that I can.  

Writing

Students are working through the drafting phase of opinion writing.  This year students will be required to include a counter argument for their opinion, and also cite specific research sources.  This will be their first exposure to citing sources, which will carry over into middle school and beyond.

Reading

After break students completed their unit on non-fiction text structures.  We have looked into a variety of text structures, such as: compare and contrast, descriptions, sequences, and cause and effect.  Knowledge of how non-fiction texts are structured, will give students into what each author’s purpose is in their writing.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mr. G

Dear Families,

What a busy week!  With the snow day on Wednesday, it certainly went by fast!

General Info

Friday the class voted to hold a Valentine’s Day party.  This party will take place 2/14 in the classroom around 11:30.  Students that would like to bring in Valentines, are asked to bring in one for everyone.  If you would like to send in any treats or snacks, please just email me so we don’t too many of the same thing.  Gluten free snacks are always welcomed, in order to accomodate the needs of all students in the classroom!

Reading

Students have now finished their non-fiction author’s study projects in both classes!  We are now moving into a unit on nonfiction text features.

Writing

We are underway with a new writing unit focusing on personal opinion narratives.  Students brainstormed people, places, and things that are important to them.  We then went on to create opinions about some of these items.

Important Dates:

Valentine's Day party: 2/14

3/4  Concert: 3/15

February Break: 2/24-3/6

                                                                                                                                             1/25/18

Dear Families,

We have been busy wrapping up existing units of study, and moving onto new in many of our content areas.

Reading

After learning about different non-fiction text structures and comprehension strategies, students have begun working on a non-fiction author’s study of their choice.  Each class will be putting together a resource for classes to come, that will feature and author’s bio with a review and summary of their writing.  Upon completion of the project we will wrap up the non-fiction unit and move into work that will prepare students for the spring assessments.

Writing

Students have completed their work drafting, editing, and revising realistic fiction pieces.  The class as a whole worked tremendously hard on their writing this semester, and finished by reading their writing to the pre-k classes downstairs.  We have now started a unit crafting opinion pieces.

Theme

This week wrapped up the final Vermont geography presentations for our class.  Students presented in partnerships about an important Vermont landform of their choice.  We have now moved back into science, and have started a unit to explore the complex world of energy conversions.

iMove

With icy conditions, the iMove team cancelled cross-country skiing at Trapps this week as you know.  We have scheduled one make-up day for 2/7.  If any other ski days are cancelled they will not be made up further.

Quest

Students have been returning quest proposals from families with great insight, and commitment from families, thanks so much for your support in such an awesome project!  I got most of the quest proposals back from families this week.  If your child hasn’t returned theirs to me (I understand life is hectic), please make sure it comes in early next week.  I look forward to seeing where their personal pursuits take them on this journey!

Important Dates

• 1/31 Report cards will come home

Hi Everyone,

Happy Monday, it will be a beginning of the week update this week.

Reading

In reading students have been learning a whole new set of “sign-posts”.  These signposts are moments in texts when students are encouraged to stop and work through a series of questions to create deeper understandings of the texts being read.  This non-fiction unit will wrap-up with students working on a non-fiction author’s study, where they will explore the author’s craft, life, and the signposts that they use.

Writing

We are coming to the close of a great writing unit!  Students have been spending a tremendous amount of time polishing up their realistic fiction pieces.  These stories have been planned, crafted, edited and improved upon for the last six weeks now!  Look for a final version to be posted on Seesaw soon!

Theme

The class is working on their final piece of the Vermont Geography unit.  We have studied a range of geography topics including: maps, landforms, Counties, and the use of Google Maps.  Students are completing a choice project in partnerships to show their knowledge of a landform right now.  

Important Dates:

• Winter iMove x-country skiing:  This program will take place starting this Wednesday January 8th, and will run for one month.  Please make sure your child brings appropriate gear for being outside on these days.
• NO SCHOOL 1/15

Have a great week,

Mr. G