ISAT's.  We have completed the Reading sessions and we have ISAT'one more ISAT Math tomorrow.  Your children are doing very well.  They are all trying to stay focused and they are doing their best work!  The increase in their writing skills alone in the past several months is wonderful.  Their math skills and reading skills have also improved so very much!  Over half the class was rated "exceeds" in math and almost that many students in reading in the last learning first tests!!!!  They are a smart group of focused kids!  Thanks for all your help.

Language Arts:  We are reading the chapter book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  Your children can take the AR test if they wish.  I will finished the book in about two and a half weeks.  It is a beautiful springtime story.  Your child should have shared their AR record with you yesterday.  We are half way through the quarter (midterm reports go out Wednesday) so they should be half way to their AR goal.    Along with our Social Studies this week, we will be reading some of the stories for our language arts time.  The articles are about "Testing" and the Olympics.  We will be reading these articles, discussing and working with a partner, asking some questions about these articles.  We will also, starting Wednesday, getting back to reading to our Buddies in Ms. Jane's room.  Lastly, we will continue to work on our cursive writing.

Homework for Wednesday and Thursday will be for your children to read at least45 minutes each night.

Math: Your child has taken the Unit 6 Math Test.  I read them the problems to help them with the test. (A little extra help because they have been working so hard on the ISAT's.)  Your child has their test today to show you.  Most students did very well.  We have started Unit 7 and you should have the parent letter.  We will complet lessons 7.2 through 7.5 this week.

Homework.  Math homework will start again tomorrow with lesson 7.3  I will do homework 7.1 and 7.2 in class.

Science:  Today you should receive the Science News Parent Letter about our new science unit Earth Material.  We are making the Mock Rock today and setting up their new science unit lab notes in our Science Notebook.  We will also start a new Word Bank in our science notebooks for this unit.  Remember to ask your children what new "science" words they are learning.

Social Studies:  See above with language arts.  Thanks.

Art: Our lesson this week is titled "A Forest and Its Trees".  Working with a variety of papers and watercolor paints, we will create a mural using the "double-loading" techniques to paint the foliage. (ask your child about this after Wednesday.)