Daily Blog: Mr. McMurray

We are now six weeks into the school year. Time flies!

LANGUAGE ARTS
This week we've been reviewing Theme 1 of our language arts program, Finding a Way. This includes a story the class is writing this week as a final piece, focusing on Voice and Word Choice, and with an emphasis on story structure.

In addition, we are enjoying a reader's theater piece entitled It Takes Talent! The class is split up into three casts and are in the process of rehearsing together, coming up with ways to enhance their version of the play with props and costume ideas, and we're going to present the plays this Friday.

Students are practicing reading their lines for fluency rate and accuracy, and reading with expression. We are also reviewing grammar, vocabulary, and spelling, with a spelling packet due Friday along with a test.

Next week we will complete a Theme Skills Test which is a cumulative review of the past six weeks of instruction. Each trimester, the class will complete two Theme Skills Tests which are used as one of the district's multiple measures for promotion.

MATH
In our math program we have started working in Chapter 4 on Division. Earlier this week we began with estimating division with a 1-digit divisor. We learned to use compatible numbers and then rounding to estimate. Today was an algebra lesson on using patterns to divide.

Last week's Chapter 3 Test on multiplication will be coming home in the Proctor folder this week. I have been using library (Monday) and computer lab (Tuesday) to work with the class in smaller groups for intervention and enrichment purposes in math.

Each student received a math packet for Chapter 4, by the way, which includes vocabulary (all students complete) and enrichment (optional) activities which requires students to solve problems from the lessons we're learning in class in more challenging ways.


SCIENCE
Students have been completing the Chapter 5 Water on Earth test online this week. We are beginning a new chapter on weather this week.


SOCIAL STUDIES
This week we are studying Lesson 2 of Unit 1 on American Indian customs and traditions. There will be a small group research project on an assigned custom or tradition such as the wampum, potlatch, kachina doll, and lacrosse. Students will conduct some of the research in class and some at home.

Parent Conference slips will be going home tomorrow. Please sign and return as soon as possible. If we need to find a better time, please keep in mind that I've coordinated with other teachers regarding your child's conference IF you have more than one child at school, and I have 29 conferences scheduled for the week of the 17th-21st. I have kept Friday open, so that will be my back-up in case you are unavailable at the scheduled time. If Friday does not work for you, we'll have to plan for the week of the 24th.

We're busy, busy, busy!