Welcome to our classroom website!  
Please check frequently for important information about what we are learning!

Important Dates:
January 18th:  NO SCHOOL: MLK Day
January 22: NO SCHOOL: Teacher work day
January 31st: Report cards go home

Homework:  Reading: Students should read 20 minutes each night.  Word Study: Usually the homework pattern is as follows:  Monday-No Homework if the Gators win; Tuesday: Make flash cards for "word study" words; Wednesday: Worksheet or write words in sentences; Thursday: Worksheet or study for quiz the following day. Writing: Students will sometimes be asked to finish work that they have not finished in writer's workshop.  This will usually be a small amount of work (a paragraph or two), unless the student was not prepared for class that day.

Reading:
For the next few weeks in reading we are focusing on "author's purpose" and "main idea."  As your child reads independently each night, you can try asking them questions that relate to the behaviors we are learning.  Study Island is a great online tool to practice these two concepts.

"Book Club" 
All students are invited to participate in the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award "Book Club."  This is completely optional and can earn your child some extra credit in reading, as well as a lunch at the end of the month provided by the 5th grade reading teachers.
Book for January:  Defiance by Valerie Hobbs and Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy
Date for completion:   January 31 (student must bring a note from a parent stating that they have read the entire book.)

Word Study: 
Right now we are learning about word parts and are focusing on prefixes.  You can help your child at home by encouraging them to notice words that have these prefixes.  Ask your child to figure out the meaning of the words by thinking about the prefix or other parts of the word.

Writing: 
At this time the class is focused on writing biographies for report writing.  We have been researching on the internet and in library books to take notes.  Soon these notes will be transformed into a complete biography.