Room 8 Update

Future Plans
I'm sure most of you have heard by now, but I wanted to share with you that I will not be returning to Wass next school year.  My return to work this school year has been overwhelming.  I am struggling to find a good balance in life between home and school.  I don't feel like I can be a good wife, mother, and teacher, and I am not one to slack off in any of those areas!  Although working full time has been difficult, I hated to give up teaching all together because I love it!  Next school year I will share a third grade classroom at Hill Elementary with a good friend of mine, Beth Newingham.  She has three boys close in age to my three girls.  I think we will make a great team!  As I told Mr. Jansen, I had no intention of having a third child and leaving Wass after only being hired just two short years ago!  However, life happens and plans change.  Alaina has completed our family; she is such a blessing!  I hope to keep in touch with the Wass community.  I have truly enjoyed my time here!

Reader's & Writer's Workshop
The past two weeks we have focused on nonfiction text features and how they help us read nonfiction texts.  Today we wrapped up learning about these features.  Turn and talk partners completed a "text feature scavenger hunt."  Students worked together to locate various text features in nonfiction books in the classroom.  Your child is going home with his/her Nonfiction Text Features packet and scavenger hunt sheet today.  Take a look at all of the features they've learned about!

Math Workshop
We have worked through Unit 10 the past two weeks and finished the unit yesterday.  The unit focused on place value and money.  Students learned to write money amounts using dollar and cent notation.  They also learned how to make change.  This is a tricky concept for many students.  We learned to make change by counting up.  Please continue to practice this concept at home.  The unit had also focused on 4 and 5 digit numbers.  We discussed the "place" of each digit and its "value".  For example, the digit 8 in the number 2,489 is in the tens place and its value is 80.  I have uploaded the Unit 11 Family Letter under the math tab.  Take a look to read more about what your child will learn in this unit.

Science & Social Studies
We have completed three motion investigations.  Students have created tops, zoomers, and twirlers and learned that each of these rotate or spin.  We have also learned both tops and zoomers need a force to start and twirlers move when air pushes against the wings.
Last week we finished up Chapter 8 and this week we completed Chapter 9 in social studies.  Students took a quiz on Chapter 8, which covered needs and wants and what it means to be a good shopper.  Each student used Infuse Learning (a virtual response system) on the iPads to complete his/her quiz.  Chapter 9 focused on how and why communities change.  At the end of the week, students worked in teams of five to create a plan for eight buildings in a community.  They needed to decide whether they were tearing the buildings down or fixing them up.  Check out the pictures below!

Supplies & Volunteers Needed
Planing ahead to our Nonfiction Celebration (Friday, May 31 at 2:30 p.m.), I will need some supplies donated.  If you are able to send in any of the items below, I would greatly appreciate it!  I also need a few volunteers.  Please check the list below and either post a comment to this blog entry or send me an email letting me know how you are willing to help out.  As I hear from people, I will remove items from the list below.  Thank you in advance for your support!!!  Please send the supplies in by Thursday, May 30. 

• one volunteer to attach students' cover page to their books
• three volunteers at 12:45 p.m. on Friday, May 31 to work with groups of students
• gluesticks (We desperately need more!)
• large box of Rice Krispies
• 2 bags of mini marshmallows
• 25 chocolate pudding cups 
• 3 packages of Oreo cookies
• 48 gummy worms
• 2 tubes of Pilsbury pizza crust
• 2 packages of pepperoni
• 2 bags of mozzarella cheese
• vegetable tray and dip (sent in on Friday, May 31)