Holiday Trains

Coming home today is a note regarding supplies for candy trains we will be making Monday, Dec. 15th. The trains will go along with the Polar Express and the holiday season. Each student is signed up for a part to the trains. If you are unable to provide the item you are signed up for please let me know ASAP. Thank you! 

Reminders

Report cards came home last Friday afternoon.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Please keep your child's report card and return the signed envelope. 
Thank you!!

NWEA Math Test
Dec. 10
10:30-12:15

Winter in the Woods

Dec. 8
5:30-7:30

Cocoa, a treat & option photo with Santa

* Donation of a canned good to benefit Father Fred is appreciated!

PTO mtg. in WW library
Dec. 9

ALL Parent Permission slips & $2 donations 

are due for our classroom field trip.
Dec. 12

Field Trip to the State Theater
Dec. 16

Polar Express

8:50-12

TCAPS has a new and improved website

http://tcapsweb.tcaps.net/

Non-Fiction Reading

We have moved into non-fiction reading! Students were pretty stoked about the transition into a new genre! The excitement is high as they are learning more about different topics. Great conversation is taking place between reading buddies when they share what interesting facts they found. 

We are also using our non-fiction reading to connect with our informational writing. Students are looking for books in our classroom library AND our school library about topics they know some about and want to learn more. This way, they can use that information in their writing as well.  

More Math!

Students are using base ten blocks and their place value charts to add and subtract three digit numbers  upto 1,000 with and without regrouping. Using place value manipulatives help to visually see how to regroup with subtraction and addition. Students worked in pairs to solve different equations as we went through each in steps on the board as a class. 

Spelling & Homework

New spelling lists came home last Monday. All challenge words are connected to present curriculum in the classroom. Students are familiar with the selected words and should know the meaning of each. The spelling test for this week will be on Monday Dec. 8th. Wanted to make sure I threw in a weekend to give the students extra practice. 

Homework packets also came home on Monday...back to the routine. Thank you to all those students who returned their Thanksgiving Break homework. Wonderful to see how many students took over that responsibility! 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Reminders

NWEA Testing

Dec. 5
READING 10:40-12:15

Dec. 10
MATH 10:40-12:15

Report Cards go HOME

Dec. 5

* Please look for these in your child's blue communicator

SPELLING

Spelling did NOT go home over break. 

Students will have a new list coming home on Monday 12-1

Homework Packets

Students did receive different activities to complete over break. 

These are not due back until Tuesday 12-2.

First Week of December Canned Food Drive to Benefit Father Fred!!

December in the Woods

Dec. 8 from 5:30-7:30

Come enjoy cocoa, a treat and an optional photo with Santa!

You may bring a donation of canned food to wrap up our Drive for Father Fred!

Orders for Westwoods Gear is extended 

until Monday, Dec. 4 at 4pm 

Happy POST Thanksgiving!

As many of you have already seen, the students brought home festive turkeys to decorate for Thanksgiving! In addition to making the turkeys, I added a couple steps that align with our reading and writing curriculum. Students had the main idea of their holiday adventure, then came up with four supporting details for the most important parts of Thanksgiving. They had so much fun doing this. When we were all finished students found a partner to share their Thanksgiving turkeys with. I heard many conversations that elaborated on their details and even added in a few more exciting parts to share with their partner. 

Sounds like many Thanksgivings I would love to be part of! 

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Reminders...

SPELLING

We did NOT take a spelling test last Friday. Instead I told the students they had the weekend to practice their words and we would take the test on Monday. Due to the short week next week, we will not have a new spelling list. Instead they can continue to focus on the old list and look forward to the Monday test.

SNACKS

I did have to limit the students to only TWO SNACKS per day. They can have one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Too many students are starting to bring in more and more snacks. It is beginning to be too much of a distraction to their learning and those around them. We do not have a snack time set aside for snack, and we still won't. They are able to choose the time in the morning and the time in the afternoon to enjoy their couple snacks. Thank you for your understanding!

NO SCHOOL
Thursday, Nov. 27 

Friday, Nov. 28

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Break!!

La Senorita Gives Back

Nov. 25

*US 31 location

Spirit Wear
Westwoods gear available for purchase!
http://www.goalfie.com/westwoods/
You will be prompted to enter a shipping address. When you get to the final page you can select in store pickup and it will be delivered to WW. 

DONATIONS
Clorox Wipes 
Kleenex Boxes
*Thank you to the donations from families thus far! GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Writing CeLEbRaTioN!

We celebrated the end of our writing unit of small moments and personal narratives! For the past few days students have been working hard on one piece of work they created by editing, recieving peer reviews and then getting a teacher review. They took their sloppy copy with all the notes and ideas from others and turned it into a final copy. Friday we celebrated their hard work! Students left their final pieces on their desk to be read. Everyone was given a small stack of sticky notes to write positive notes with something nice to say about the different stories they read. In the end, with a donut, students were able to go back to their own desk and read the different sticky notes that were left on their desk. They did a GREAT job! 

Pocket Day!

Friday was Pocket Day!! It is extremely amusing how excited the students get over Pocket Day in the classroom! :) Pocket Day was an activity in our math curriculum at the beginning of the year, however, we have continued the activity due to the high interest level. Students are now linking it to what we are presently learning. All students counted their pockets and claimed their number. After all numbers were collected, we then looked for ways to add up 27 numbers! We have talked about number strings and finding digits to add together that would make the most sense first. Students immediately took all combinations that added to ten...AWESOME! Then added in the left overs. In the end they had two digit combinations to compute. I wish I had a picture of all their minds at work using strategies with fingers moving in the air and their faces intense with the thought process :) Finally the hands starting darting up and the answer was found...using tens and ones! 118 pockets on our third pocket day for sure beats the other two pocket days. Now they have a challenge for the next Pocket Day :)