Classroom Update - Week of November 12th

Updates/Reminders​ ​

• We will be having our Classroom Spelling Bee on Monday, November 19th. A yellow spelling bee study guide will be going home with your child tomorrow, so they can study and prepare for it, if they wish. The top two spellers will go on to the school-wide spelling bee on December 4th.

• Student Led Conferences will be happening the week after Thanksgiving Break. Please be on the lookout for a signup genius link later this week to schedule your time.

• Morrisville Elementary is hosting a Food Drive to assist Wake Relief of Raleigh in providing food for those in need. The Food Drive will began last week and will continue through December 5th. Wake Relief will welcome any non-perishables. To encourage participation there are two incentives:

• For every 10 food items donated our class will get a lottery ticket to put into a drawing to win Recess equipment for our classroom and a few other surprises for the drawing day.

• Also, the class that collects the most canned goods will be treated to a Pizza Party!

• Tuesday, November 20th will be an Early Release Day - School will dismiss at 1:15PM

• There will be no school on Wednesday, November 21st through Friday, November 23rd for Thanksgiving Break.

• Second Quarter Interim Reports will be going home on Friday, November 30th.

• Friday, December 21st will be an Early Release Day - School will dismiss at 1:15PM

• Last Day for Second Quarter is Friday, December 21st. See you back in school on Monday, January 28th!

E.L. Education:

This week the students will immerse themselves in researching animal defense mechanisms. Last Friday, the students were placed in "expert animal groups" and will collaborate to learn more about one of the following four animals: three banded armadillo, monarch butterfly, springbok gazelle, or ostrich. This week they will be reading a variety of texts both in printed and online formats. The students will learn strategies to research online safely and by the end of the week, they will start their planning page for their final product of writing an informational essay on their animal.

How to Help Your Child at Home:

• Take your child to the library to check out or learn more about defense mechanisms of the animals that they chose to research.

• Have your child share with you more about the animal that they have chosen to research.

• Have your child share with you some of the ways that they can determine if an internet site is safe and trustworthy to use.

Math:

This week in math the students will continue to work on long division. They will be focusing on the area model for long division and the expanded notation form. Please take some time to watch the long division videos on my website with your child to familiarize yourself with the new models for long division that they will be learning. An emphasis will also be placed on solving word problems and learning what to do with remainders. The long division assessment is tentatively scheduled for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving break. Please continue to practice both multiplication and division facts at home with your child.

How to Help Your Child at Home: ​

• Does your child know their multiplication facts? If not, they should be practicing them each night to improve their math accuracy and fluency. There are great sites like multiplication.com or arcademicskillbuilders.com that have fun games and strategies that your child can use at home. There are also many other fun apps and sites that your child can visit, in addition to flash cards.

• Watch the video lessons on my website or look back through your child's student notes together. Have them show you some of the new ways that they are learning to multiply or divide numbers.

Social Studies:

This week in social studies the students will continue to learn about the three branches of state government and the people who represent each branch. The students will also learn about local governments in our counties and cities and the leaders that represent us and what they do to lead. Monday, November 19th will be the last day of Social Studies for the quarter. The students will end with an open notes assessment. On Monday, November 26th the students will start their science unit with Mrs. Wade.

How to Help Your Child at Home: ​

• Discuss with your child the similarities and differences between federal, state, and local governments.

• Talk your your child about the people who represent their districts in federal, state, and local governments.

• Have your child share their social studies notebook with you to share some of the concepts that they have learned.