Dear Parents, 

     Last week we finished Unit 10.   The students made place-value tools (a flip chart) to practice place-value concepts to the ten-thousands.  We also learned how to use parentheses in number operations.  For example, in the problem (10 + 3) – 6 = 7 the students must add the numbers in the parentheses first before subtracting. This week we will start Unit 11 “Whole Number Operations Revisited.”  We will review finding estimates for money and calculating values of coin and bill combinations in number stories. We will also review making change by counting up or subtracting.  We will solve comparison number stories with money, and practice subtraction that requires “trading.”  Finally, we will practice finding the total number of items in equal groups by multiplying!<strong>  </strong>

     In Writing Workshop, we continued our Authors as Mentors unit.  The students started planning stories using a “Many Moments” organizer.  We discussed that we use these organizers to plan 2 or 3 page stories with a common idea (a thread) running through to hold all of the moments together. (I sent home copies of the Many Moments and the Tiny Ideas organizers last week.)  This week the students will continue using the “Many Moments” organizer.  We will look at books by new authors such as Donald Crews who uses sound effect words in his stories to make them interesting and exciting.

     In science, we started our final science unit: Insects!  Last week the students observed a cricket.  This week we will observe mealworms and caterpillars.

<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Passport Check:</span></strong>
<ul>
	<li>Thank you to Mr. Rydel, who taught us about Poland last week.</li>
	<li>A new map is coming home with this week’s target countries: Poland and Spain.</li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Notes and Reminders: </span></strong>
<ul>
	<li>Ray School’s union members are organizing a march to Representative Currie and Senator Raoul’s offices tomorrow <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">May 11<sup>th</sup> at 4:00.</span></strong> We will meet in front of Ray School.  Please join us!</li>
	<li>We have two upcoming field trips: May 20<sup>th</sup> and May 27<sup>th</sup>. Please sign and return both permissions slips as soon as possible. </li>
	<li>We are in need of a few supplies for the last few weeks of school: a few rolls of paper towels, hand wipes, and some recess snacks.  Thank you!</li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Questions to ask at home:</span></strong>
<ul>
	<li>Practice making estimates for prices that you see in a store, magazine, newspaper, etc.</li>
	<li>Practice equal group problems like: There are 5 boxes. Each box has 6 crayons.  How many crayons are there altogether?</li>
	<li>What is one observation you made about your mealworm this week?</li>
	<li>What are some examples of homophones?  (hi and high, no and know, I and eye…) </li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Homework</span></strong><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">: </span></strong>
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="624">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="74" valign="top"> </td>
<td width="110"><strong>Monday</strong></td>
<td width="110"><strong>Tuesday</strong></td>
<td width="110"><strong>Wednesday</strong></td>
<td width="110"><strong>Thursday</strong></td>
<td width="110"><strong>Friday</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="74"><strong>Math</strong></td>
<td width="110" valign="top">
<p style="text-align: center">Home Link 11.1</p>
</td>
<td width="110" valign="top">Home Link 11.2</td>
<td width="110" valign="top">Home Link 11.3</td>
<td width="110">Home Link 11.4</td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">Unit 11 Family Letter</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="74"><strong>Passport Check</strong></td>
<td width="110"> </td>
<td width="110">Study the target countries</td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">→</p>
</td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">→</p>
</td>
<td width="110">Passport Check Today</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="74"><strong>Reading</strong></td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">Read at least 15 minutes</p>
</td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">Read at least 15 minutes</p>
</td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">Read at least 15 minutes</p>
</td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">Read at least 15 minutes</p>
</td>
<td width="110">
<p style="text-align: center">Read at least 15 minutes</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>