August 29

This week are talking about the value of practice and preparation to help you achive your goals. This message is echoed in our math and reading lessons this week, as well as a short video we watched this morning. You can see the YouTube video of a truly amazing, acrobatic bicyclist if you click on this link Danny Macaskill - Industrial Revolutions. Tomorrow your students will receive current progress reports for math and reading, which help show the value of practicing and preparing.

Tonight's homework may seem a bit skimpy, but it is still important. I've asked the students to hit the math facts a bit harder. After two weeks of facts practice being a part of our daily assignments, the class average and speed has not improved much. When facts are quick, student confidence grows and accuracy in all areas of math improves. Please help encourage this as a daily routine.

In Science, students have a crossword puzzle. In Reading, they have a "This Is Me" handout. Both are due tomorrow. Remember that the homework policy is that late work automatically receives lower scores based on the number of days it is late. It is not possible to make up late work, if more than 5 days have passed since the assignment was posted online. I will send out missing assignment forms every week. Please make it a habit to check scores online in SIS and notify me if you have concerns. Students who are absent have the number of days they missed to make up work. This is what last week's homework board looked like. You student's planner should have the same information in it. Students are asked to show me their planners each morning. Some do and some do not. Those who do will soon be more independent and I will then start to focus on those who struggle with the process.

In Arts and Tech students are learning how the green screen or chromakey process works. They are working in small teams to write and film short special effects videos. They have also begun the 6th grade recycling program, which is both a service to the school and a good citizenship building activity.