Hello Parents,

Thank you for a successful Open House. I expressed to Mrs. Graves the concerns about the STAAR test and she has assured teachers that as soon as information is made available to us, it will be passed on to you. Regarding the IIM approach to research, she also told me she will address that in more detail at a Parent Meeting in the near future.

Some critical things to address at home include the continuous review of multiplication facts. These facts must come automatically with no "think time". This Friday's quiz will be graded; the previous 2 quizzes have been "warm-ups". Also, I will be checking Reading Logs. Students should have had 3 entries in their logs last week totalling a minimum of 90 minutes. Several students did not have the 3 entries or students' reading did not total 90. This is a non-negotiable and students are required to read nightly.

This week we will be choosing one of the writing pieces we have been working on and preparing to publish. Conferencing with students will begin this week regarding those pieces as we focus on qualities of good narrative writing. In Reading, I will be leveling students in "just right" books and determining CAFE strategies students need to work on to improve as readers. We will continue to model reading to self habits, as well as listening to reading, and reading to someone; all aspects of the Daily 5. We begin our IB Planner Going Green; a science-based planner on humans impact on the environment with inquiry into various forms of energy. We also begin our Everydaymath curriculum with geometry. Key vocabulary will be lines, line segments, rays, and kinds of angles.

A new spelling list will come home Tuesday as well as new Wordly Wise words. Students complete these activities independently as homework and there will be tests on both Friday.

A big thank you to Sofia's mom who has generously volunteered to be our Room Parent and a thank you to Zikai's mom, too for stuffing the Tuesday folders each week. Your help is much appreciated.

Have a great Labor Day holiday and see everyone Tuesday!