Scholastic Book Orders
     Last day to order for January is Wednesday, January 27.

Accelerated Reader
     Congratulations to Sidney, Luke, and Benson who have already made their AR goals for the second trimester!!
     The following students are on track to make their goal by the March 4 deadline: Bridget, Brian, and Sonia.
     Many students are below the required 85% correct on the quizzes; others are less than halfway to their point goal. The main reasons you may be having difficulty meeting the accuracy and/or point goal are: 1) you are not reading your books carefully enough and asking yourself questions while you are reading, or 2) perhaps your book level is too high and you are having difficulty following the story, or 3) you have not been taking your books HOME with you to read. To assist students in meeting your AR goals, I have adjusted your reading levels so you will have more success with accuracy and comprehension.

Writing
     Our new writing genre is Personal Narrative.  A personal narrative is a story starring YOU as the main character. The story should be something that happened in your life, and should be written in the first person (using "I" and "me").
     Stories should have a beginning, middle, and end. They should include a setting (when and where the story takes place).
     We will be learning to make our writing sparkle by
• using sentence variety
• using transition phrases such as first, next, then
• using vivid descriptive language (lots of adjectives)
• using interesting vocabulary. Did you know that there are over 100 ways to say "said?" Click here for a list.
• using quotation marks to show dialog

     Students who would like to earn a "4" (advanced) will also:
• use figurative language such as similes (as red as cherries), onomatopoeia ("swish, swish," "plop," "tick-tock"), and alliteration ("She sat by the babbling brook.")
• include higher level vocabulary
• include more complex sentence structure
• include more details and description
• write a lengthier narrative

Talent Show
     Our class will be performing a folklórico dance in the talent show on Friday, February 26th! We will be performing during the two school time "dress rehearsals" at 9:15 a.m. and 11:20 a.m., as well as the evening show for families at 6:00 p.m.
     I sure hope you will be able to come view one of these shows to watch our talented students!
     Also, I hope that all of our students will be able to perform in the evening show. I know that it will not be possible for all of you to join us, but it is SO MUCH FUN.
     We will have some kind of accessories or outfit for the class; please stay tuned for more info.

Wow! So much to tell you! First, I hope everyone enjoyed a happy and healthy New Year and winter break.

Talent Show
     Our whole class will be participating in the talent show!! Mrs. Fernandez is teaching us a folklórico style dance to perform.

Twin Day
     Twin Day is this Friday, January 22. Come to school dressed like your "twin." Do your hair the same as your friend, wear the same color pants and/or shirt, etc.

Scholastic Books
​     Please take a few minutes to peruse the latest Scholastic Book catalogs. There is a lot to choose from! Online ordering is the easiest way to go. Click here to go directly to the parent section of the reading club. Orders are due by Wednesday, Jan. 27. 

Watches
     I have noticed several students wearing digital watches. I know it is cool to have a watch and always know the current time, but I'd prefer it if digital watches remain at home.
     The reason is that, due to all the digital clocks out there (TVs, cable boxes, iPads, phones, etc.), students are quite proficient reading these "easy" timepieces. However, it is still an important skill to be able to read an analog clock. Analog clocks teach a lot of valuable skills: counting by 5s, clockwise and counterclockwise movement, degrees in a circle, and so forth. Most students struggle with analog clocks. The more practice they get reading an analog clock, the better. So, if they wear a watch to school, it would be best if it is an analog watch with hour and minute hands.

Math
     Please take time to review the family letter sent home last week regarding subtraction of 2-digit numbers. Be sure your student can subtract any 2-digit number from 100 (such as, 100-57), using both the "expanded form" method and the "counting up" method. Be sure your student can subtract any 2-digit number from any larger 2-digit number (such as, 82-34), again, using both of these methods. Students must also be able to CHECK THIER ANSWERS using the opposite operation. So, if a student is solving a subtraction problem, he/she must be able to use addition as a way to check their answer. An example would be 45-25=15. Check this by performing 15+25, then comparing the answer with the number they started with in the subtraction problem. 
​     I will be making some videos for you showing these methods, and I'll let you know when they are posted.