Important Dates & Reminders

• Winter Break December 21-January 1
• We all have spent a lot of time on our computers this semester, and we want to take a moment to encourage you to do TWO things on your students laptop.
  • 1. Make sure to turn OFF (yes, completely off) your computer a few times a week, or every night even!
  • 2. Clear your cookies in your web browser. Here’s how to do this: Please switch to the Chrome browser. Clear your cookies and cache in chrome by pressing "Control+shift+delete" on your keyboard and make sure to select the drop down that says " All Time". Close chrome for 15 seconds, then reopen and try again. This should fix their problems!

Language Arts

What are we learning?

As readers, students are learning to:

• Think about what they already know about a topic to prepare themselves to read a new book.
• Use text features to help them determine what is most important about a topic. 
• Recognize that authors of nonfiction might include their opinions.
• Use their knowledge about how the information in nonfiction books is organized  to figure out the big ideas of the text. 

 As writers, students are learning to:

• Think about topics they know a lot about so they can teach others what they want to learn or need to know.
• Develop lists of topics they know a lot about and want to teach others.
• Decide what’s most important to teach their readers.

Home/School Connection

Ways to Encourage Reading During Winter Break!

• Plan reading time into your  daily schedule. Some days your child might read independently or you may prefer to set aside family time for reading together!
• Talk about books! Spend time talking about the books your child is reading and the connections he/she is making or how he/she is feeling about different parts of the book they are reading.
• Connect children to their favorite authors!
• Kids can check out a favorite author’s website, and sometimes they can email them or tweet the author. Also, many of the author’s websites include great resources including information about their writing process, why they wrote the book, and more!
• Encourage your child to log at least 60 minutes in Imagine Language and Literacy. Share the winter break challenge! (at the bottom of the page)

Math

What are we learning?

• Students are learning to find the sum and difference of two-digit numbers.
• Students are learning to estimate.
• Students are learning to estimate and measure length and weight within our asynchronous platforms. 

Home/School Connection

• Encourage your child to log at least 90 minutes of ST math weekly.
• Have some fun with measurement and find some things around the house to measure!

Science

What are we learning?

• Students are learning that measuring, recording, and interpreting weather data allows for identification of weather patterns and to prepare for storms.
• Students are learning different types of storms have specific characteristics that can be used to identify them.
• Students are learning that weather and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings.

Home/School Connection

• Pretend you are the meteorologist, follow the weather patterns this week. Try to look at the evening news and watch a real meteorologist predict the weather for this week. Make a chart and keep track of the day and night temperatures for this week. Keep your fingers crossed that we may get some snow!

Social Studies

What are we learning?

• We will learn about and compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present with an emphasis on the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands and the Lakota of the Plains.
  • We will talk about the geography, climate, environment and culture of the the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands and the Lakota of the Plains
• We will learn about natural, human, and capital resources specifically related to the Lakota of the Plains

Home/School Connection

• We live in the area that the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands lived, and discuss how things in this area have changed and how American Indian cultures have contributed to our world today.
• Many of us may have lived in or traveled to the Plains of the U.S., if you have, discuss how things in this area have changed and how American Indian cultures have contributed to our world today.
• Discuss with students about the natural, human and capital resources that they see and use in their daily lives.

Positivity Project

What are we learning?

• December 13th - 19: Self Control

Home/School Connection

Check out P2 for Families website: https://posproject.org/p2-for-families/

Self Control is defined as “You are able to control your emotions and behaviors. You think before you act”

Take time to discuss with students scenarios they might run into or might have already run into where they have had to show/use self control.

Composing your emotions and behavior can be difficult in the moment - it is important to have strategies to help you calm down. Check out these links for tips and tricks to help students when their emotions are running high:

• 5 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids
• Rainbow Breath
• On & Off
• Bring It Down

Click here to see what students are learning in Specials!