Week of February 1st

 Hello Everyone! January is over already!? Happy February!

Join NDLC staff members and other NDLC parents and guardians in discussing the book The Read Aloud Family on Tuesday, Feb 9th from 8:00-8:30 pm.  The discussion will take place on Google Meet (a link will be sent prior to the meeting).  See below for a description of the book. The book can be purchased on Amazon or any other book retailer. 

The Read Aloud Family

Discover practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual.

The stories we read--and the conversations we have about them--help shape family traditions, create lifelong memories, and become part of our legacy. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family--it has the power to change the world. 

But we all know that connecting deeply with our families can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven society. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to be fully present with our children, even after they can read themselves, but it isn't always easy to do. Discover how to:

• Prepare your kids for academic success through reading to them
• Develop empathy and compassion in your kids through books
• Find time to read aloud in the midst of school, sports, and dinner dishes
• Choose books across a variety of sibling interests and ages
• Make reading aloud the best part of your family's day

The Read-Aloud Family also offers age-appropriate book lists from infancy through adolescence. From a toddler's wonder to a teenager's resistance, you will find the inspiration you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home.

A message from Student Council:

It’s a Penny War! 

Student Council is sponsoring a Penny War from February 16th-19th to raise money for Pillars Warming Shelter. Students can bring in pennies to earn points for their own class and silver coins to subtract points from other classes. 

I have truly had so much fun working with students throughout our American Revolution unit in reading and writing. It has been so amazing watching them enjoy the topic so much and demonstrate that through their writing and reading. We had a debate last week Tuesday, deciding if our class would break free from King George III or if we would remain loyal. Half the class were loyalists and half were patriots. Check out the video from our debate:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WL_Mw1Hikyv0p5IP4THRao9MLItYApfv/view?usp=sharing

Our debate ended in a TIE. We agreed it would be fair to decide via a coin flip - best two out of three. The coin decided we would remain LOYAL to King George III. 👑

Students will be receiving their graded Unit 5 Tests back this week. Please sign and have them returned.

We have also transitioned to doing word study on loose leaf paper instead of white boards. This holds the students more accountable and limits the amount of drawing that takes place at this time. I will review them, staple a weeks work of fundations (word study) work together, and send them home. Be on the look out for these - if your child's paper looks pretty blank, this maybe an indication of them not paying attention the best they can during that time. Please reach out if you have any questions about this.

Upcoming Events:

February 5th - NDLC Wear

February 12th - No School for students & staff

February 15th - No School for students

February 26th - NDLC Wear

Curriculum Update:

Reading: We will be wrapping up our American Revolution unit this week. Students will continue to practice and improve their note-taking skills and research information that will help them when working on their second information book!

Writing: This week we are finishing creating our second information book on a topic we've chosen related to the American Revolution. I can't wait to see which of their books the students publish!

Word Study: We are still working through Unit 7 in our Fundations. This unit focuses on the the y and suffix spelling rule. This states that if y follows a consonant in an open syllable at the end of a word, it needs to be changed to an i when adding any suffix. Students will also learn how to pluralize words ending in y. When a word ends in y after a consonant in an open syllable, students will know to follow the y and suffix spelling rule by changing the y to an i. Fundations class work will now be completed on loose leaf paper. Previously, it was on white boards. We will now do it on paper to keep students focused and held accountable. Their week's worth of work will be stapled together, reviewed, and sent home. Be on the look out for these! 

Math: Unit 5 Math Tests will be coming home early this week. Please have them signed and returned. We are moving into Unit 8 now - GEOMETRY!

Content: We are coming to the end of our French and Indian war unit. We are looking at "both sides" to understand how media can sway our thoughts about history. We have been looking at first and second hand accounts. We will continue to research sources and take notes accordingly. 

Have an awesome week! 🙂

Carly Burris

Week of January 26th

 Hello Everyone!

Monday, January 25th there is NO SCHOOL for students!

Our American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge event is starting soon! To get ready, help your student sign up at www.heart.org/kidsheartchallenge or download the free “Kids Heart Challenge” app and register. Your student will choose their heart health challenge and earn a FREE powerband for registering online. AND you can help us win the classroom challenge! The class with the most students registered online will win! Please help us!

Join NDLC staff members and other NDLC parents and guardians in discussing the book The Read Aloud Family on Tuesday, Feb 9th from 8:00-8:30 pm.  The discussion will take place on Google Meet (a link will be sent prior to the meeting).  See below for a description of the book. The book can be purchased on Amazon or any other book retailer. 

The Read Aloud Family

Discover practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual.

The stories we read--and the conversations we have about them--help shape family traditions, create lifelong memories, and become part of our legacy. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family--it has the power to change the world. 

But we all know that connecting deeply with our families can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven society. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to be fully present with our children, even after they can read themselves, but it isn't always easy to do. Discover how to:

• Prepare your kids for academic success through reading to them
• Develop empathy and compassion in your kids through books
• Find time to read aloud in the midst of school, sports, and dinner dishes
• Choose books across a variety of sibling interests and ages
• Make reading aloud the best part of your family's day

The Read-Aloud Family also offers age-appropriate book lists from infancy through adolescence. From a toddler's wonder to a teenager's resistance, you will find the inspiration you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home.

Upcoming Events:

January 25th: No School

CELEBRATE NEW DIRECTIONS WEEK (26-29)

January 26th: Wear NDLC clothes

January 27th: Twin Day

January 28th: Class Color Day (4th grade is blue!)

January 29th: Fancy / Special Dress Day

Curriculum Update:

Reading: We've been continuing our Informational Reading Unit. I am still really impressed by how excited and engaged the students are while reading their texts on the American Revolution. Students are continuing to practice their note-taking of nonfiction texts as well as synthesizing. Next week we will have a debate where our students will split up into groups and decide if they are a loyalist or patriot. We will then have a debate based upon all the information we've read about this unit. It is going to be so fun - I cant wait!

Writing: It has been such a blast working with students through this writing unit! I am so impressed by the work they've produced about the American Revolution. I have absolutely LOVED reading their historical fiction pieces they've written. If you have time, ask what your child's story was about. Students also finished their first information book and began working on their second. They are choosing one topic to focus this book on: Weapons, Declaration of Independence, Women of the American Revolution, Battles, and Spies. 

Word Study: We are beginning Unit 7 in our Fundations. This unit focuses on the the y and suffix spelling rule. This states that if y follows a consonant in an open syllable at the end of a word, it needs to be changed to an i when adding any suffix. Students will also learn how to pluralize words ending in y. When a word ends in y after a consonant in an open syllable, students will know to follow the y and suffix spelling rule by changing the y to an i. 

Math: The Unit 5 Math Review for the test went home with students on Wednesday! The test will be on January 29th! Measurement was a tricky unit for most students. We will continue to work as a whole group, in small groups, and one-on-one to make sure all students are prepared and successful when taking the Unit 5 Test! Tuesday, January 26th we will be taking our Quick Quiz 5-2. 

Content: We are coming to the end of our French and Indian war unit. We are looking at "both sides" to understand how media can sway our thoughts about history. We have been looking at first and second hand accounts. We will continue to research sources and take notes accordingly. 

Have a great weekend! ☃

Carly Burris

Week of January 18th!

 Hello Everyone! Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week.

Our American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge event is starting soon! To get ready, help your student sign up at www.heart.org/kidsheartchallenge or download the free “Kids Heart Challenge” app and register. Your student will choose their heart health challenge and earn a FREE powerband for registering online. AND you can help us win the classroom challenge! The class with the most students registered online will win! Please help us!

Join NDLC staff members and other NDLC parents and guardians in discussing the book The Read Aloud Family on Tuesday, Feb 9th from 8:00-8:30 pm.  The discussion will take place on Google Meet (a link will be sent prior to the meeting).  See below for a description of the book. The book can be purchased on Amazon or any other book retailer. 

The Read Aloud Family

Discover practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual.

The stories we read--and the conversations we have about them--help shape family traditions, create lifelong memories, and become part of our legacy. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family--it has the power to change the world. 

But we all know that connecting deeply with our families can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven society. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to be fully present with our children, even after they can read themselves, but it isn't always easy to do. Discover how to:

• Prepare your kids for academic success through reading to them
• Develop empathy and compassion in your kids through books
• Find time to read aloud in the midst of school, sports, and dinner dishes
• Choose books across a variety of sibling interests and ages
• Make reading aloud the best part of your family's day

The Read-Aloud Family also offers age-appropriate book lists from infancy through adolescence. From a toddler's wonder to a teenager's resistance, you will find the inspiration you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home.

Upcoming Events:

January 22nd: 1/2 Day

January 25th: No School

CELEBRATE NEW DIRECTIONS WEEK (26-29)

January 26th: Wear NDLC clothes

January 27th: Twin Day

January 28th: Class Color Day

January 29th: Fancy / Special Dress Day

Curriculum Update:

Reading: We've been continuing our Informational Reading Unit. I have been really impressed by how excited and engaged the students are while reading their texts on the American Revolution. I think both the students and I share an excitement for this topic that has really been fueling all of us! Its great! We've been working on how to take notes from Non-fiction texts, synthesizing, lenses to 'look' through while reading, and the questions to ask ourselves as we read. 

Writing: Similar to reading, writing has been great! The students have really been soaking up all the information they've been learning and reading and showing it through their writing. I am especially proud of the work they've put into their Historical small moment stories. They are writing a historical fiction piece related to the topic they are studying. This writing seems to be their favorite as they love sharing and writing thinking about life during the American Revolution. 

Word Study: Unit 6 Fundations test was given on Tuesday and given back on Wednesday. They were all sent home with the students. This was a tricky unit for everyone as we started it before break and finished after. We began Unit 7 this week. Students are learning about the y and suffix spelling rule. This unit is off to a good start!

Math: We have been cruising through our measurement unit. Students have a Quick Quiz early next week. This unit moves fast but I have been doing a lot of small group work to make sure we're all grasping it. This unit requires a lot of memorization and different units of measurement, but students enjoy creating and solving conversions.

Content: The work we've been doing about the American Revolution has carried into our content time. We've been doing more research and discussion work focusing on each subtopic. Next week during content we will talk about Martin Luther King Jr on Monday, January 18th to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day and on Wednesday, January 20th we will discuss and learn about Inauguration Day.

Have a great weekend! Go Pack! 🏈

Carly Burris

Week of January 11th

 Hello Families!

We made it to 2021 - woo hoo! 🙂 We also made it through our first week back at school. It was nice to see all the students again, I missed them over winter break.

I have been really impressed by how the students were able to jump so quickly back into the swing of things. I know it can be really challenging after break to do that, but they've all transitioned so well.

Our American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge event is starting soon! To get ready, help your student sign up at www.heart.org/kidsheartchallenge or download the free “Kids Heart Challenge” app and register. Your student will choose their heart health challenge and earn a FREE powerband for registering online. AND you can help us win the classroom challenge! The class with the most students registered online will win! Please help us!

Join NDLC staff members and other NDLC parents and guardians in discussing the book The Read Aloud Family on Tuesday, Feb 9th from 8:00-8:30 pm.  The discussion will take place on Google Meet (a link will be sent prior to the meeting).  See below for a description of the book. The book can be purchased on Amazon or any other book retailer. 

The Read Aloud Family

Discover practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual.

The stories we read--and the conversations we have about them--help shape family traditions, create lifelong memories, and become part of our legacy. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family--it has the power to change the world. 

But we all know that connecting deeply with our families can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven society. Reading aloud is one of the best ways to be fully present with our children, even after they can read themselves, but it isn't always easy to do. Discover how to:

• Prepare your kids for academic success through reading to them
• Develop empathy and compassion in your kids through books
• Find time to read aloud in the midst of school, sports, and dinner dishes
• Choose books across a variety of sibling interests and ages
• Make reading aloud the best part of your family's day

The Read-Aloud Family also offers age-appropriate book lists from infancy through adolescence. From a toddler's wonder to a teenager's resistance, you will find the inspiration you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home.

Upcoming Events:

January 22nd: 1/2 Day

January 25th: No School

Curriculum Update:

Reading: We started our new unit the Monday after break! We are reading nonfiction texts and learning about being researchers, focusing specifically on topics revolving around the American Revolution. I am excited to continue to work through this unit with the students - they have been loving it so far!

Writing: Our new writing unit began the Monday after break as well. This unit focuses on the same topics that we are reading about during reading - the American Revolution. Throughout this unit we will be creating an Informational Book. Currently, we have been discussing the importance of 'getting ready' as a writer. We have also analyzed mentor texts and other similar resources to give us an image of how we'd like our information chapters and books to look. We will be continuing to draft and write our information books next week!

Word Study: We will be finishing Unit 6 by Tuesday, January 12th and jumping right into our next unit!

Math: The new unit in math that we started focuses on measurement. Our goals for this unit are to understand metric measurement, customary measurement, as well as perimeter and area. This unit goes by quickly, so early next week we will pause to really take into account what we know and what we need to revisit.

We now spend 15+ minutes of each math session focusing solely on our math facts using dot cards and games. Each student has their own designated blue folder where they keep all of their supplies for this time. It is a goal that we master the multiples of each number by the beginning of April. Students currently have a multiplication chart in their fact folder and there is a larger version of it hanging on the wall in the classroom. As we master those facts, they get covered up on the larger version - no longer accessible. They are to be highlighted/crossed out on their student copies as well. This work is to really push them to know their facts, have a goal, and take accountability to achieve that goal! I am feeling positive based off how this week went, that they will do great! We start focusing on multiples of 4 next week! 

Content: Much of what we are learning and discussing in reading and writing is carrying over into our content time of the day. We are currently discussing all the events that lead up to the American Revolution. We spend quite a bit of time revisiting and asking ourselves which side we'd be on if we lived during that time

Students will be taking the iReady Test again next week Tuesday (Reading) and Thursday (Math portion). 

I hope you all have a great weekend! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!

Carly Burris