September 20

Parents,

This week has flown by, and we’ve got a lot going on so I thought I’d try to get you a few points of information before the weekend.  Have a great few days in this gorgeous weather!

·         First off I have to apologize- our Scholastic order got a bit messed up.  I was able to get it figured out today, but our order will be delayed for a few more days.  It should arrive in the next week or so.  Thanks for your patience.

·         We’ve earned another DWP motivator party.  The kids have been working hard to focus in on classroom expectations and most have been increasing their ability to independently complete seatwork tasks, and follow through with directions for assignments.  This has been a huge positive change.  They selected a movie afternoon.  We’ll see how theme testing goes next week- I’ll get you a better idea of time when I can.  It will most likely be toward the end of next week (but will be a great way to celebrate the completion of the first theme test!)

·          I will contact parents of students later today who need to continue to practice homework completion requirements.  I do have a few kids who once again are dangerously close to detention for missing homework items.  I’d like to see this area get smoothed out the next few weeks.  We’ll keep working, but I have started to become more diligent about following through with consequences for missing items.  Just “not feeling like doing it” isn’t an option!

·         Next week is LA theme test 1.  Please refer to those yellow study guides from lessons 1-5.  I am also sending a robust vocabulary “study at home” packet to give you some examples of the “situations” I was talking about concerning how to study the vocabulary terms.  It is not a homework page that needs to be returned.

·         We will also have math, science, and spelling tests next week.  Our spelling test is Tuesday, Science is Wednesday, and Math later in the week.  (Yes, this newest math chapter we moved into was a quick one!) I will have another topic test for math up online next week, and will have the kids take home the science chapter packet next week also.  The spelling study guide (over short vowel sounds= usually one vowel) came home yesterday.

·         P/T conference sheets were sent yesterday.  Thank you to all families for your prompt returning of this reservation sheet.  I will do my best to accommodate times, but please realize some of you have asked for very specific time blocks that I cannot guarantee.  We will schedule conferences next Wednesday, so another confirmation sheet will come home next Thursday with a specific time for you to mark on your calendar.

·         We’ve done a lot of AR goal checking this week.  Please remember, the kids signed a contract agreeing to work toward three goal areas: comprehension scores above 80%, a minimum of 5 points, and an average book level above 1.5.  Please continue to encourage work toward these goals at home by talking with your student about his/her progress and reading with them at home and recording titles into their booklogs so they have books on which to test that they have read and have confidently reviewed with you to take at school.

I think that’s about it for now.  More next week!  Cheers!