Parent Newsletter March 13, 2015

Parent Newsletter March 13, 2015
Posted on 03/13/2015
Dear Families,

Happy Daylight Savings Time! The children are so excited to be able to enjoy the fresh air outside at recess time! It is a welcome relief from indoor recess.
We have been working on our informational essay writing this week. The children are striving for clear topic sentences, appropriate transition words and supporting details from the text for each piece of writing that they complete. While this work is great practice for the upcoming PARCC Test, it is also essential in the building of strong foundational writing skills. They will be bring home a finished copy of their essay on the horses of Assateague Island.
In reading we continue to work on mixed genre responses, ask your students about comparing and contrasting the themes from the song, “Brave”, and the theme from the story, “Each Kindness”, they had so much fun!  I posted videos on Twitter of their responses, follow me and check it out! @MrsShawSK
In math we continue our work on division. Having mastered the partial quotients algorithm for division, we are now working on interpreting remainders and multi-step word problems. The emphasis continues to be on showing math thinking and providing models to demonstrate it. If your child still is unsure about these concepts, do not worry as we will continue to work on them throughout the rest of the year.
In science we completed the science part of building the circuits in our cardboard houses. The children have begun decorating their dwellings and have some quite creative projects in progress. Stop in and see them if you happen by before or after school. They will be dismantled by next Tuesday so there is a small window of opportunity to view the masterpieces!
Thanks for your consistent support and cooperation!
Sincerely,
Deborah Masciarelli
Audrey Shaw