Happy Fall!

Happy Fall!

       I can't believe that it is already November! We have had a fabulous fall. The students all had an exciting Harvest Party last week hosted by our room parent Erin Nielson. Thank you Erin, and our party volunteers Shelly Newark and Kina Kellogg for a great time.

      In Writing, students have been working diligently to finish their person narratives. this week they will be working with partners to revise and edit. You will all get a chance to read their writing at conferences. 

      In Reading, students have finished reading Number the Stars and are working in groups to create a "talk show" in which the characters from the book are interviewed about the changes they have throughout the course of the book. 

      In Math, we have moved on to unit 3 and are learning about fractions. As we get further into the curriculum this year the concepts get more challenging. If you notice your child struggling with homework please let me know or encourage them to seek out clarification during daily quiet time. 

     In Social Studies,  students are challenging themselves to think outside the history books and answer Big Idea questions; Who discovered America? and "Should European Explorers have crossed the Atlantic?" Students research the historical facts while assimilated what they learn into opinions on the events.

     We will be starting a new Science unit on Earth's Systems soon.

Recently in Music students created a Halloween performance using the melody of "A Witch's Brew". Click the LINK to view their amazing performance.

     Fall conferences are just around the corner. Keep your eye out for important information on how to schedule your conferences online. 

Welcome Back!

Dear Team 105 members and family,

Thanks for visiting our classroom website! I am getting very excited for the beginning of school. Very soon I will be back in the classroom getting ready for your return. I would love to get to know you and your family a little better before the start of school. There is a survey for both you, the student, and your parent, please fill out both. You can access them from the side link to the right of this post.

Our classroom website will be a place for us to share ideas and collaborate throughout the year. This will be a great tool to keep up with current events and homework in the classroom. You may want to bookmark this sight so that you can return to it throughout the year.

As I said in my summer letter, all you will need for the first day of school is a healthy snack and a smile. There is no need to bring any personal supplies this year. Everything that I expect you to use including pencil box, binder, and notebooks will be provided for you when you get to the classroom.

We have several classmates that are new to Westford and I can't wait for us to all get to know each other. I know that I met most of you in June but I will be in room 105 from 9:00 - 9:45 during the open house on Thursday August 23rd if you are planning on coming. Please stop by to say hi!                                                                         

Sincerely,

Ms. Moores

Camp Details

Getting Ready for Camp

What to wear: (Label Everything)

• ·      Dress for the weather, dress in layers, the mornings are typically cool and afternoons warm
• ·      Put sunscreen and bug spray on BEFORE leaving your house. (No bug spray is allowed at camp and it gets buggy in the woods.)
• ·      A hat if you want
• ·      Sneakers (You need these to go in the woods and play sports, wear them every day)
• ·      Sweatshirt (It can get cold in the woods)

What to bring: (Label everything)

• ·      Your lunch if you are bringing (Snack is provided to all students everyday, Lunch is provided to all students on Friday)
• ·      Water bottle
• ·      Your bathing suit every day (If you have swimming first block you should come wearing your swimsuit,  a one piece suit is not required, but is recommended as students will wear them on the zip line.)
• ·      Towel (everyday)
• ·      Sandals/Flip Flops for water activities (Wear sneakers and change at camp)
• ·      Your schedule (I will give it to you Monday morning and you will keep it for the rest of the week.)
• ·      Plastic bag for your wet bathing suit and towel
• ·      Sunscreen (No sprays please)
• ·      A large bag to put your back pack in if it is raining (All belongings are kept outside and will get wet if it rain)
•     A raincoat or poncho in case it rains. Keep one in your bag every day just in case.
•      An extra sweatshirt in case one gets wet.

Things to remember:

• ·     You will travel to school the way you normally do and switch to a camp bus at Crisafulli. After you get off the camp bus find Ms. Moores to check in and get your badge. At the end of the day turn your badge back in to Ms. Moores. (This is how we do attendance so it is important to check in at )
• ·     Show respect to all teachers, peers, and parent volunteers at ALL TIMES. You all signed a behavior contract, please keep that in mind as you move from station to station.
• ·     Use water for drinking only; it is against camp rules to squirt water bottles at each other.
• ·     You will travel to activities with your group. You must stay with your group and adult leader at all times.
• ·     Get to know students from other schools who are traveling with you.
• ·      Raincoat (Everyday!)

January in Room 105

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

I hope you and your children are all enjoying your extra long weekend. January has been an adventure already, between holidays and snow days our school days have been a bit scattered. Even still we have been very busy in room 105!

In Reading the students have been enjoying Literature Circles. The students are independently reading a novel and coming together in a group to discuss it. The discussions have been amazing to listen to as the students delve deeply into a text.

In writing students have been exploring informational writing. They have used their Social Studies content, Explorers, to research and create a group presentation and will now use that same research to write an informational paper on their explorer.
Students have also been exploring persuasive writing. They have read several articles on engaging topics, such as "Should Dogs Work?" "How much physical activity should students have?" and "The length of the school year." Students read several opinions on the topic and then use that information to form their own opinion. Eventually students will choose a topic to focus on and write an opinion piece.

In Science students have recently finished the unit on Earth Systems and have brought home their benchmark scores. We will be starting a new unit on Matter very soon.

In Social Studies students are nearing the end of our unit on European exploration of the new world. They will be having a benchmark on this topic some time over the next couple weeks. A full study guide will go home with them shortly outlining the topics covered.

The winter months can be long and it is a while before we meet again to discuss your child's progress. If you have any concerns please reach out jmoores@westfordk12.us I am always happy to discuss your child's progress and give a classroom update.