Fall Party Fun!

I am posting pictures from our fall party yesterday, we had so much fun! Please enjoy the pictures, but please do not post pictures of other students to social media. We want to respect the wishes of all parents. Thank you and enjoy!

 

Twiehaus Tidbits

Tuesday night will kick off our Parent Teacher conferences and conferences will resume on Thursday. Thank you again for taking the time to complete the online survey. It really helps me as I prepare. The kids and I are working on getting a few things organized in preparation before we meet. I know they are excited to see their progress and share this with you will be fun for me!

Next Week!

Readers Workshop - We are working growing solid ideas about our characters in our stories. We are starting off by sharing these ideas aloud and pushing ourselves to expand our thinking through writing. 

Writers Workshop - We are continuing to draft our persuasive essays. This week, we explored the idea of using polls to share how others feel about our topics. We even shared that one way to do this is by using Google Docs to survey a group of people. Some students might try to do this at home because they were so excited! Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Math - Next week we will continue to build our understanding of fractions and finding equivalent fractions. Extra support with fractions will be very beneficial for your child. 

Social Studies - We are kicking off our new unit about Missouri government. This will prepare us for our upcoming field trip to Jefferson City. 

Reminders

Tuesday - Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8 pm

Wednesday - Fall Party 2:15-3:15 pm
You can sign up to send in supplies or assist by visiting this link.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044ca9a923a1fe3-parent1

Thursday - NO SCHOOL! - Parent Teacher Conferences 8 am - 7 pm

Friday - NO SCHOOL!

Student Surveys

We are drafting persuasive essays in writers workshop. We learned today that in order to convince our reader we need to elaborate on our topic and one way is by using polls and surveys. Some of the students will be creating polls using Google Forms. This is where we need you! Your input will help the students add detail about their topic as they work to convince their readers. The student(s) listed below need(s) your help. Thank you in advance!

Aiden's Survey
Brody's Survey

Parent Teacher Conferences

As I prepare for your conference next week, I need your input. Please complete the survey so that I can know your needs and interests before our conference time. Thank you for your help!

Twiehaus Tidbits

In the classroom...

The end of first quarter has come to a close as of 3:40 this afternoon! Hard to believe! Next week will mark the launch of a new math unit and we will dive deeper into our reading unit of interpreting characters.

Readers workshop - Readers will begin the work of interpreting their characters motivations next week. They will begin to discuss their characters on a deeper level as we begin to develop theories as readers.

Writers workshop - Writers are beginning the work of essayists. We will use the essay structure to develop opinion essays. Next week will focus on developing our ideas into thesis statements.

Math - Fractions and decimals prove to be challenging skill for most students. As we move into this unit, students could really benefit from extended practice on the Everyday Math website. You can find a link to this site on our virtual classroom. Ask your child how to find this. Please continue to encourage your child to practice their multiplication facts!

Science - Before we begin preparing for our upcoming Jefferson City field trip, we will do some hands on activities exploring erosion. This should be fun!

Muffins with Mom

Don't forget! Muffins with Mom will be held on Wednesday morning from 7:45-8:15. I hope to see you there!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Thank you for confirming your scheduled conferences with me. I am truly looking forward to meeting with you in just a couple of weeks! Just a reminder, there will be no school on Thursday, October 29th and Friday, October 30th to accommodate conference times.

Fall Party

Our fall party will be held on Wednesday, October 28th from 2:15-3:15 in the classroom. Our room parents have created a online sign-up to help gather the needed supplies. Please visit the link to see how you can help! Thank you in advance!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0949aeaf28a7ff2-fall

Revising Our Thinking

Students are learning that we do not just revise as writers, we also revise our work in math. Last week, they worked independently to solve a story problem and explain their math logic. The next day, we discussed ways to improve our reasoning and strengthen our explanations.

I was amazed at their level of thinking and how much they improved their work! We now know that we can use charts, diagrams, number models, and more to help support our reasoning.

James shared with the class how he improved his explanation by adding two different bar graphs. 

Mark Twain Audio Readers

Our classroom readers have been busy knocking out books from the 2015-2016 Mark Twain nominees. Research shows an increase in reading comprehension, fluency, and phrasing when students listen to and follow along in the text. This is also advantageous as students are able read books that might be slightly more challenging than what they normally read. Each day during guided reading time, we have students who listen and read together in pairs. This is just one more way we are making good use of the iPads in our classroom! Look for more pictures to come as a few more groups are finishing up their books this week.

 

Twiehaus Tidbits

In the classroom...

We are closing in on first quarter, but just getting started in some of our units. This week we will launch new reading unit that will push readers to a higher level of thinking. I can't wait to see them grow!

Reader's workshop - Readers will work on learning to read intensely to see more and notice more.

Writer's workshop - Writers published their realistic fiction pieces last week. This week we will begin transitioning to opinion writing. 

Math - Students will be working on solving number stories using multiple operations. We have also started timed tests for multiplication. Students will be need to complete 54/60 problems in 2 minutes time to proceed to a higher level. They will work at their own pace starting with 2, 5, 10, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and mixed set. 

Social Studies - We are continuing our tour of the regions. Next stop, the Midwest!

Picture Day & Yearbooks

Tomorrow, October 6, is picture day! All students will have their picture taken for the yearbook. Picture packets are available for purchase and forms were sent home last week. Please let me know if you need another one. 

Yearbooks are available to order online through December 1st and will be delivered the last week of school. To order, visit http://www.inter-state.com/yearbook and enter the code 03536R.

McTeacher Night

Please join us for McTeacher Night tomorrow evening, October 6th, between 4-8 pm. A portion of the sales from the evening will come directly back to our school. Thanks for your support!

PTA Update

October 6 - Meeting in library 6:30-7:30 pm (Childcare provided)

October 7 - Cookie Dough Pick Up 4-6 pm

October 11 - Lunar Bowl Family Night 3-5 pm 

October 21 - Muffins with Mom 7:30-8:30 am

Parent Teacher Conferences

Conferences will be on Tuesday, October 27 and 29 with no school Thursday, October 29. I will send out reminders for your scheduled conference time this week. Please let me know asap if you need to reschedule.