May 1, 2006

 

Dear Parents,

 

     We are really close to the end of the year.  We are completing curriculum and tying up lose ends.  This will probably be the last letter coming home due to this fact.  I also wanted to tell you all what a wonderful year I’ve had with the students.  I think that they’ve grown in so many areas.  I will miss them all very much.  I want to thank you all as well.  Your support over the last year has meant so very much to me.  I will not be returning to Shabbona Elementary next year, but will take with me all of the memories that have been made.

 

Math – This last week, we learned how to simplify fractions, rename them, as well as add and subtract them with common denominators.  In addition to this, the students were introduced to geometric solids and Roman Numerals.  We have only six more lessons to go!  I’ll begin to pick and choose from problem sets as well as assign supplemental lessons over the next week.  If the children utilize the time given to them, they will not have homework this last full week of school.

 

Social Studies- The children are finishing up the west by creating a commercial in class, trying to get others to visit a given city.  They are working in groups of three and have been assigned specific roles to complete the project.  The entire week will be devoted to finishing these as well as presenting them to the entire class.  We will have one last assessment for chapter 13.

 

Science- This week we constructed a propeller driven vehicle and tested them in certain ways.  Next week, we will look at a cost analysis and price out a design of the student’s choice.

 

Reading-  We are focusing our last full week or so on poetry. We’ve already talked about acrostic, diamante, and cinquain forms of poetry.  The children are also doing a form of scavenger hunt via the Internet looking for poems written by certain authors.  We will continue this for next week as well as practice alliteration, writing similes and metaphors.

 

World of Language- The children looked at verb tense this week.  They’ve also continued identifying action and helping verbs.

 

Writing- We have been focused on our journal free writing. 

 

Important notes:  **** Registration packets are coming home today with your child.  Please fill them out and return them to me no later than next Friday.  The office would like to have accurate information to order materials for next year.  Again, thank you for all of your continued support.  I will miss everyone.