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Monthly Archives: September 2019

September 30th, 2019 – Conference Week

Hello Families,

Hard to believe we are knocking on the door of October!  The quarter sure is flying by!  Just a friendly reminder that conferences are this week.  I look forward to visiting with you all about the progress of your child.

In reading, we will start Unit 2 this week.  We’ll spend this week learning through folktale stories, practice making predictions and understanding the moral or theme of each story.  Spelling will resume this week, so you can expect a practice list to come home on Monday.

In math, we will also start Unit 2.  This unit is more of the same, just with 6s, 7s and 8s.  If your child struggled on the first unit test (and many did!), I wouldn’t hit the panic button just yet.  Many of the skills we practice in Unit 1 will spiral in Unit 2.  This week, I anticipate homework in my class on the following nights.

Monday-No Homework (finishing the test, reteaching)

Tuesday-Homework 2-1 (I think we’ll get to this!)

Wednesday-No Homework

Thursday-Homework 2-2

Friday-Homework 2-3

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Eric Wachter

September 23rd, 2019 – Unit Tests Week

Hello Families!

This week, the kids will take their Unit 1 Test in both reading and math.  These tests will be spread out over a few days, so hopefully they won’t be overwhelmed with too much testing.  There will be no spelling this week, so at least they will get a little break!  In my Math class, I anticipate only two review homework assignments on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Your child will also be bringing home a conference note with the time of your conference.  There were several families that didn’t sign up at Open House, so I slotted them in at my available times.  Hopefully the time assigned will work.  You can also find a copy of the times on the website under the “Conferences” tab.

Lastly, with the weather cooling off, I’m requesting that students leave water bottles at home, or keep them with their lunch.  They have become a bit of an issue with sooooo many covering the counters.  Don’t worry…we always have water fountains at the ready if a child gets thirsty.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Eric Wachter

September 16th, 2019 – American History Week

Hello Families!

This week your children will learn all about American history through their stories in reading.  We’ll read all about the monuments at The National Mall in Washington, D.C., as well Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.  Tuesday is “Constitution Day,” and the kids will begin to learn how our country came into existence.  As a lover of history, I love this week!  We are wrapping up the instruction to Unit 1 this week, so you can expect another spelling list to come home on Monday evening.

In Math class, we’re also nearing the end of Unit 1.  We’ll spend a lot of time this week working on fact fluency, as well as reviewing what we’ve learned about solving word problems.  I think…and I’m really not sure…I think we’ll have homework in my math class on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  But, that depends on how the lessons go, so that is subject to change.

The kids will also conclude their first Intervention this week.  They have been working hard to learn a variety of different reading genres, and will take their post-test on Tuesday.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Eric Wachter

 

September 9th, 2019 – Math Map Test Week

Hello Families!

This week your child will learn about inventors through a variety of biographical stories.  We’ll practice asking and answering questions, learn about cause and effect, and introduce metaphors.  You can expect a spelling test to come home Monday evening, as well.  If your child forgets his/her list, remember you can always find a copy on the web site under the spelling tab.

We’ll also spend some time this week learning about the tragic events of September 11th, 2001.  I’ll read a special book in honor of that day, and we’ll end the week with a very emotional Reading Rainbow episode.

In Math class, the kids will take their Math MAP test on Thursday and Friday.  Prior to that, we’ll explore multiplication and division with 4s, and continue to practice our fact fluency.  You might have noticed I cancelled the homework assignment last Friday.  The lesson was just too tricky, and I didn’t feel it would be purposeful.  This week, I anticipate homework for my math class on the following nights.

Monday-Homework 1-12

Tuesday-Homework 1-13

Wednesday-Homework 1-14

Thursday-MAP Test/No Homework

Friday-MAP Test/No Homework

We will also begin practicing uppercase cursive letters this week.  The kids learned their lowercase letters last year, and we’ll introduce the uppercase letters a few letters at a time for the next week or two.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Eric Wachter

September 3rd, 2019 – Celebrating Culture

Hello Families!

I hope you all had a restful Labor Day weekend, and are ready for a new week!

This week, the class will celebrate different cultures in their reading stories.  As we learn about different backgrounds with narrative non-fiction texts, we’ll practice asking and answering questions, sequencing and compound words.  You can expect a spelling list to come home Tuesday evening, and our spelling test will of course be on Friday.

In math class, we’ll continue to work on fact fluency.  In the middle of the week we’ll begin practicing our 3s, as well as introduce area.  In my math class, I anticipate homework on the following evenings.

Tuesday – Homework 1-9

Wednesday – Homework 1-10

Thursday – No Homework

Friday – Lesson 1-11

In writing class, we’ll continue to practice writing proper sentences and paragraphs.  We’ll also continue to practice keyboarding skills with the program “Typing Club.”

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Eric Wachter