Weekly Update #24: February 11 - February 15

Announcements: ​​

• New Math Prodigy Accounts - The kids are super excited that I set up a class account for Prodigy. This is a fun way to practice math skills online. The flyer on how you (parents) can connect to your child's Prodigy account went home today in your child's Thursday folder. I would recommend saving this flyer until your child gets his/her account username and password memorized. I would like the kids to now use Prodigy as a way to practice math skills needed for upcoming DCA/tests. I will be "assigning" skills for the class to practice at home on Prodigy. I would recommend that your child work on Prodigy for a minimum of 15 minutes a day. Prodigy works on laptops, chromebooks, Ipads, etc.  Thanks for your support! 
• Economics Fair Information:  Only 3 more weeks until the Economics Fair! Students are required to make 35 - 40 product items, so please have your child start making their products.  Please, refer to the "yellow" sheet for requirements and expectations. Products are due and need to come to school on March 12th. 
• February Scholastic Book Orders - The February Scholastic Book Orders are due Thursday, February 28th Place your orders online - Your Class Activation Code NP79X.  The link to order is HERE.  Thank you to Jose's mom and Ethan H's mom for ordering books last month!
• Six Flag Reading Program - The form came home last week in Thursday folders. Please, read and follow the directions on the form. Students can turn this form in anytime before February 22nd.  Do you lose your Six Flags Reading Program sheet?  No worries, just ask for another one!
• Home Access Center: Check your child's academic progress every week. Link to Home Access Center.   If you still have trouble logging in please contact our school's front office.
• STAAR Assessments May 13 and May 14:  They are just around the corner.  Want to help prepare your child at home?  Suggestions for math: khan academy (students have a login already or set one up for FREE) and my "Math Links" tab are excellent online resources your child has access to. You can also create your own subscription to ixl.com and create an account for your child. It's a great math resource!  Suggestions for reading: reading comprehension passages with questions and other reading comprehension skills. Check out the "Reading Links" tab for tons of great online resources. 

Upcoming Events:​​​​.​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​

• ​February 18 & 19 - NO School. 
• February 21 - Science DCA - Weather unit 
• February 22 - Career Fair Day and last day to turn in Six Flags Reading Program sheet 
• February 22 - Battle of the Bluebonnets for Ethan H., Vandya and Bennett
• February 25 and 26 - STAAR Practice Test Days 
• March 1 - Math DCA Unit 5 & 6 (Geometry - 2D shapes, 3D shapes, Quadrilaterals, Area...Plus Multiplication and Division). 
• March 1 - Picture Day for Mrs. Lilleboe's class (bring picture money if you are purchasing pictures)
  
• March 11 - Field Trip forms (both green forms) must be returned. 
  
• March 12 - Economics Fair Day! - All items must be present for the fair for selling - major grade! 
• March 16 - 24  SPRING BREAK
• March 25 - Ocean Adventure School Assembly 
• March 29 - Mrs. Lilleboe's Class Field Trip to Westcave Preserve 

***Library Day is on Wednesdays (it's on Thursdays for TAG kids). 
​
What's Been Happening In Class?  

• Writing: This week our focus was on finish our spelling list packet and writing our second personal narrative (planning, rough draft, revise/edit, and final draft on STAAR paper). The kids will not take the Writing STAAR this year, but I like to have the kids practice writing their final drafts on STAAR paper for practice.   Lastly, next week we will write back our Pen Pals in Britain (we got letters back from them!).
• Reading:  We wrapped up our Traditional Literature (folktale) unit this week with a few folktale passages with reading comprehension questions. We read "Leon and Maurice" and "The Girl Who Climbed To The Sky". We also learned alittle bit about the history of the Sweetheart Conversation Heart Candy. Next week, we'll return to Nonfiction/Informational Reading. 
• Math: We used multiplication and division in more word or story type problems to ensure that our kids are understanding how to solve the problem. We primarily used our 6's and 9's facts this week in our math word problems. We'll continue next week in reviewing Geometry (quadrilaterals and area) and multiplication/division as we prepare for the DCA test on March 1st. 
• Science: We are in our Weather unit. We made a wind vane and anemometer in small groups. We tried to test these weather tools outside this week with some success. Next week is our Weather unit test. Students can review weather material by going to my "Science Links" and doing the activities in the "Weather" section.
• Social Studies: We reviewed scarcity, abundance, human capital, income, wage, education, and opportunity cost. Next week we'll learn about goods, services, supply, and demand. 
• Eslot: Enrichment groups (cooking, Lego Robotics, arts/crafts, STEAM, Coding, Nintendo Labo)