Dear Parents,                                                     May 22, 2011

As you know, we had a WONDERFUL time at the zoo!  Please return your child’s zoo folder back to school, as we are still using them.  We will continue to use them as we study the continents and as we work on our research report.

We are starting our last theme in reading – “We can do it!”  Our reading strategy this week is predict/infer.  The comprehension skill that will help us with that strategy is making predictions.  Using the pictures and our own prior knowledge, we can predict or make an “educated” guess on what will happen next in the story.  Our phonics focus is on r-controlled vowels (bossy r).  Today we will work on the “or” sound as in orange.  This sound can be spelled with an “or” (orange) or can be spelled with an “ore” (store).  We will continue with the  “^ur” sound spelled with ir, er, or ur.  Our grammar focus this week is on describing what we hear.  Last week, the children worked on a writing assignment using describing words and they did a terrific job.  This week, we are using those descriptive paragraphs to paint a picture to accompany our projects.

I have decided to review the chapter on time and measurement in math this week.  We will be reviewing the hour and half hour and how to write the time in words and how to show it on a clock.

In religion, we will focus on our Family Life Series.  We will concentrate on family love and how we can show love in our families.

Our social studies test on America is today and we will begin our studies of the world around us.  Science finds us learning that we can mix matters and experimenting to see if we can take apart the mixture.

It is All About…Alexis this week.

Wednesday is a free dress day.  The cost is $1.00 and the proceeds will benefit our third trimester service project.

On Thursday the children will meet in school families and watch the slide show in the afternoon.

There is no school on Friday or Monday of next week.  Enjoy the wonderful long, Memorial Weekend!

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a great week,

Mrs. Manning