Happy New Year, Crew! I hope your holiday break was restful, fun, and filled with family and friends. As we wrap up our expedition “Redcoats and Rebels,” students are completing their final project for their synthesis boxes: a biography and multi-draft sketch of Benjamin Franklin. Students are enjoying the steady pace of their workload- in comparison to the super intense push for Celebration of Learning. They feel accomplished in completing their final product and are looking forward to our new expedition which kicks off on January 20th. More on that later!….

Bridges 4th grade students continue to explore strategies for double digit multiplication. They can solve multi-step math problems using strategies based on place value and properties of operations. The students can also create generic rectangles to complete harder double digit multiplication problems. Exploration in multiplying with money and units of measurement through our workstation games will be on the lesson plans this month. Finally, students will take a post-assessment covering concepts in multiplication, and demonstrating an understanding of multi-digit multiplication. Then we will start a new unit towards the end of the month covering and exploring Fractions! I will have more information to come as we get closer to our fraction unit. We will need an egg carton for each person- please start sending those cartons into our class.

Bridges 5th grade mathematic students are finishing up their Unit 2 studies on fractions with unlike and like denominators and equivalent fractions by using 4 specific strategies to solve them: applying clock values, money values, ratio tables, and double number lines. From collecting data from our checkpoints, students are learning quickly the strategies to master these concepts. The problem of the week currently is to create a musical poem on musical composition paper. This composition is actually written words, read and spoken musically. They are just launching this, and I can’t wait to see the final product. So far, we have compositions on camping, jobs, Mario Brothers, Candy Store magic, swimming, and the beautiful place we live.

Daily 3 time continues with our Sacred Writing Time prompts, Daily Oral Language work, reading our Daily 3 titles and responding in our Active Reading Journals, and Writing. Each day during our workshop time, students learn new strategies to apply during the Daily 3 time. This week, we have talked about the importance of organization in our writing by examining the Organization 6+1 writing trait, as well as using a “hook” in your writing to reel your reader in. Currently, students are completing their Ben Franklin Biographies, and are participating in our yearly submission of Letters About Literature. Students choose a book that they have connected with and write a letter the author. Submissions are evaluated and then narrowed down, winners are chosen. The students are excited to be in a group of thousands of other participants across the country, and their letters are send to Washington D.C.!

Our design principle of the month is “Diversity and Inclusion:” our differences make us stronger. We are studying this concept through readings and activities that highlight our strengths and unique individual qualities.

Happy New Year to you all!!

 

Julie