From the Desk of Mrs. Larned...

February

• Friday, February 14th: Half-Day for Students (P.M. Professional Development for Staff)
• Monday, February 17th: No School (Mid-Winter Break)

Happy New Year, Families! I just wanted to thank you all for each of the generous treats, cards, and gifts that you sent in for me. I am so extremely grateful for each of you and I look forward to officially kicking off this new year with even more learning, collaboration, and growth here in room 207! 🙂

2nd Marking Period report cards are heading home with students this afternoon. Please make sure to check your student's backpack for their report card, updated NWEA growth report, and Acadience score report. I have placed all of these documents inside a labeled large manilla envelope for each student, so that they are less likely to get lost in the shuffle. As always, if you happen to have any questions after looking over these items, please don't hesitate to reach out.

With cold and flu season in full-swing, our classroom supply of Kleenex and disinfecting wipes is dwindling. If you would like to donate either of these items, it would be greatly appreciated! I promise that we will put them to good use! 😉

Just a friendly reminder that homework comes home with students each afternoon (Monday-Thursday) and it is asked that they bring back their completed assignment with them each morning. Thank you so much for your help in ensuring that homework is getting done and returned on a regular basis! . Keep up the great work, learners (and families)!! 🙂

Upon returning from Winter Break, we officially kicked off the fourth module of our Illustrative Math studies. In these first few lessons, students have been introduced to the concept of decimal numbers and how they directly relate to fractions of a whole. If you get a moment, ask your child to explain the place values of decimal numbers and how we have been representing decimals on hundreds grids. 🙂

In Language Arts, we officially kicked off our fourth Wonders unit and, through our anchor texts, have been learning all about how the United States system of government was formed throughout history. Beginning next week, students will also begin drafting their very own opinion pieces stating how much screen time they believe kids should be allowed to have on a daily/weekly basis. I am sure students will have much to say about this particular topic and I can't wait to read all of their opinions.

Recently, we began our brand new Social Studies/Geography unit focusing on the different regions of the United States. This week, we have been researching the Midwest region and all of it's unique qualities, including: landforms, bodies of water, economic activities, climate, and other fun facts relating to this specific region. If you get a moment, see if your student can name a few (or all) of the states that make up the Midwest region of our country.