Mrs. Wash's News

It’s Read Across American Day and we have been doing just that! Students have been reading many books this third marking period along with our shared reading anthology reading. Last week we had reading madness and spent the hour reading each others’ narrative stories.

Yes, we have been writing too. Besides our creative narrative story, we are finishing up an expository essay on freedom. The Sertoma Club holds a writing contest each year for grade 6 students with the theme, “What Freedom Means to You.” Three winners (chosen by the Sertoma Club) will receive the prize of a $100 savings bond.

Next week, we will review reading skills and terms anticipating PSSA testing beginning March 12.

We have been making reading headway in 2012! We know good readers make inferences and generalizations while they read, so we have been practicing that.

 Today we had Reading Madness during class. That involves nothing but reading, reading, reading, for a large chunk of time. Students brought in books, and magazines as well as their favorite pillows, stuffed animals, and even some snacks. Of course we shared some inferences as we went.

Next week, we write!

We are engrossed in Stepping on the Cracks, a novel set in a neighborhood a lot like ours, but during World War II. The characters in the book are interesting and fully developed. Ask your son or daughter about the twists the book has taken this week. As a teacher, it is very rewarding to see a room full of students intent on reading book.

As a class we are reading the novel, Stepping On the Cracks, by Mary Downing Hahn. Each day we read certain chapters from the book. If the assigned chapters are not finished in class, it is important that they are finished for homework. Every morning we discuss the chapters, talk about our opinions, and predict what is going to happen in chapters to come. This week we have been focusing on the story elements such as the setting, characters, main events, and the problems within the story. We have also started journaling our thoughts about what we have read. Students are required to write a journal entry every few days acting as their assigned character. This story raises many controversial questions about war, bullying, and abuse.  I’d encourage you to ask your child what they’re thinking of the book as they read over the next few weeks.

Wow, that went fast! I will add the final reading grade this weekend. Please look for a letter today which is an invitation to schedule a conference with any teacher. Call the school office (664-1700) next week to do so. If you would like to meet with more than 1 teacher, ask the secretary to block out the same time for both teachers. Report cards go home November 11. I think the students have worked hard this marking period.

Thanks to all family members and staff that were able to attend our Heroes Wax Museum. The students took such care to prepare their blurb and arrange their costumes. It certainly was a fine grand finale to their Hero projects.

We return our attention back to poetry these next 2 weeks. Students will analyze, recite, and write some poetry.

The students are abuzz with excitement, Farm Show, days off, hero projects! Over this mini vacation students are to take time out from the festivities to continue reading and taking notes on their hero. They have had a lesson on how to take notes. Next week, we will talk more about the posters and speeches themselves. Students have the due dates recorded: Outline and posters, October 20, speeches, October 24, Wax Museum, October 28.

Have a wonderful long weekend.

October is practically here! That means we will begin researching heroes in language arts. We will use our recent English lessons on writing informal outlines to take notes on heroic people. Student will be giving a speech in class on his or her hero. Look for the brown “Hero Project Instructions” sheet or ask your child about the requirements for this project. We will send a formal invitation to our culminating “Heroes Wax Museum” at a later time, but mark your calendars now for this event, October 28, at 8:15-9. We hope to see you there!

We have completed 4 short weeks of school already. Routines are established and we are plunging head first into reading. We have been practicing using context clues, summarizing, and making judgments as we read. After exploring types of sentences and parts of speech in English, we are ready to tackle expository paragraphs.

We will begin learning about heroes this week and students will each select a heroic person to research. More details on this to follow.

Happy Fall!

We are off and running with what promises to be a fabulous school year. Stay tuned.