Week of May 7, 2012

"Commotion in the Ocean" is finally here! The kids are so excited! We begin rehearsing in the theater this week for our big show on Friday! I hope that you will be able to be there! We will have a dress rehearsal on Thursday morning for the lower school students and teachers. Please have your child wear jean shorts, pants, skirts, or skorts on both Thursday and Friday this week. I will have the t-shirts they made waiting to put on them Thursday morning. They will only wear them for the dress rehearsal so they will stay clean for Friday. Please send in a full uniform to change into after the rehearsal. We will send the t-shirts and jean bottoms home on Thursday afternoon. The children should come to school dressed in them Friday. Please don't forget!

I want to thank you for practicing the speaking parts with your children. Please continue to practice with them all this week on volume and expression!

As you may have heard, your children were asked to choose a specific animal they want to research for their final project of the year.  After they have chosen the animal, they will research to find information about the animal's habitat, diet, anatomy, and other interesting facts. They will use this research to then write an All About nonfiction book about their animal and create a visual project to present. We will start the research in the classroom and in the computer lab, but will ask you to help your child gather the remainder of the information needed at home with your guidance. A paper with helpful websites will be coming home today. If your child has not chosen an animal, please help them decide so they can tell me the animal's name on Tuesday.

SHARK WEEK! As if the children aren't excited enough about rehearsing in the theater this week, they are doubly excited that it is shark week in our class! In science, we will be reading and researching about these fierce predators, writing about them, observing them in video, exploring their attributes, and comparing them to the mammals of the sea that we have been learning about.

In reading and writing workshops, the children are becoming more and more adept at using the features of non-fiction to help them read, research, write, and learn.

In math, we will review fraction concepts, compare fractions, and introduce the idea that fractional parts of a whole have many names (equivalent fractions).

Volunteers this week: 

•  Tuesday - Art -  12:05 - Jill Emerson
• Wednesday - Math Game - 1:15 - Kimberly Burke
• Friday - Parent Reader - 2:15 - Mary Harris

Other Important Reminders/Dates/Information:

Library check-out has ended. All library books are due back no later than Thursday of this week!

Our program is Friday at 8:30 a.m. in the Janet Root Theater. Don't miss it! It will be a regular day of school after the program.

Splash Day is May 18th.  A flyer came home last week with information.

End-of-the-Year party is Thursday, May 24th after lunch. 

Last day of school is Wednesday, May 30th, noon dismissal.

See you Friday!
Susan