Dear Parents, 

     Last week finished Unit 4. We practiced partial sums and learned how to “tile” a surface.  On Friday, the students took a timed tests and we worked together to solve the Unit 4 Open Response question.  This week we will start Unit 5 “3-D and 2-D Shapes.”  On Monday, we will classify shapes according to their attributes (shape, size, and color) and play an equal sharing game to develop a readiness for division.  The rest of the week we will practice drawing different types of line segments using a straightedge and discuss the concept of parallel lines.  Every time we draw a ‘line’ in school <strong>and at home</strong> the students must use a ruler, or straightedge.  Please send a ruler to school this week, if your child does not already have one<strong> </strong>

     Last week in Writing Workshop we started our next writing unit “Writing for Readers.”  We discussed what makes our writing easy and difficult for others to read and talked about spacing our words, checking our spelling, and checking our content to make sure that it always stays focused.  This week we will make sure that we are writing at least one story each day. We will also discuss how to be a good writing partner- helping our friends make their stories better while taking care of their feelings.

     In science the students balanced a pencil on a craft stick, using only a piece of wire and two clothespins!  It was so fun and exciting!  This week we will start investigating “spinners.”  Our first lesson focuses on tops.  We will discuss that a top needs a <strong>force</strong> to start spinning, and that fast spinning tops are more stable than slow ones.
<p align="center">Have a great vacation!  See you in 2010!</p>

<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Notes and Reminders: </span></strong>
<ul>
	<li>We will be performing in the Holiday Assembly this Tuesday at 9:30 and 1:30.<strong> </strong></li>
	<li><strong>PLEASE</strong> send a ruler to school with your child if he or she does not already have one<strong> </strong></li>
	<li>Reminder-during inclement weather days, the students are to report directly to the student lunchroom.  They may not come up to the classroom before 9 AM.   Thank you!<strong></strong></li>
	<li>Thank you to our guest reader last week: Mr. Meyers!  We are excited for our Guest Readers this week- Mr. Pickens.<strong></strong></li>
</ul>
Progress Reports will be sent home this Wednesday. 

<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Questions to ask at home:</span></strong>

What are parallel lines? 

Why do we use a straightedge to draw lines in math?

How did you build your top in science? Was it very stable?  What did the most stable tops look like?  

Are you finishing a small moment story every day? <span> </span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 14pt;color: black"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Notes and Reminders: </span></span></span></strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;text-indent: -0.25in"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">We will be performing in the Holiday Assembly this Tuesday at 9:30 and 1:30.</span></span></div></li>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;text-indent: -0.25in"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><strong>PLEASE</strong> send a ruler to school with your child if he or she does not already have one</span></span></div></li>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;text-indent: -0.25in"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Reminder-during inclement weather days, the students are to report directly to the student lunchroom.<span>  </span>They may not come up to the classroom before 9 AM.<span>   </span>Thank you!</span></span></div></li>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;text-indent: -0.25in"><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Thank you to our guest reader last week: Mr. Meyers!<span>  </span>We are excited for our Guest Readers this week- Mr. Pickens.</span></span></div></li>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;text-indent: -0.25in"><span>Progress Reports will be sent home this Wednesday.<span>  </span></span></div></li>
</ul>
<div><span><span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 14pt;color: black">Questions to ask at home:</span></span></strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">What are parallel lines?<span>  </span></div></li>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">Why do we use a straightedge to draw lines in math?</div></li>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt">How did you build your top in science? Was it very stable?<span>  </span>What did the most stable tops look like? <span> </span></div></li>
	<li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span>Are you finishing a small moment story every day?<span>  </span></span></div></li>
</ul>
</span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;text-indent: -0.25in"> </p>