Odds and Ends:
*Parent-Teacher Conferences: Thank you all for your time and support during last week's conferences. It was great to see you all and have a chance to discuss the most important little people in our lives...the students! If you have any questions or comments regarding your child's progress in school, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or voicemail. Thank you!
*Service Project: We are still collecting gifts and gift cards for our school wide service project. Our "adopted" family for the holiday season includes 3 year old Madison (a cancer patient), her 14 year old sister, Jozelyn, and her parents. So far we have collected the following items:
Madison:
Dora Memory Game
Candyland
Jozelyn:
journal
candle holder
Mom:
lotion
bracelet
slipper socks
Dad:
no gifts have been received
Family:
Christmas tree lights
Target gift card
Target gift card
Lutherbrook Foundation:
Target gift card
Please remember to send in any gifts by Wednesday, December 5th. Let's work to be caring and make the holidays bright for our family and the children at Lutherbrook! Thank you!
*Bowling: A permission slip has been sent home about our gym field trip to the bowling alley. We will be going bowling in the afternoon on Thursday, December 20th. There is no cost for this trip, but you may send a little money for your child to purchase a drink or snack from the snack bar. Please send the permission slips as soon as possible. Thank you!
*All Aboard! In lieu of classroom holiday parties this winter, we will be going to see The Polar Express movie at the Tivoli theater in downtown Downers Grove on Friday, December 21st. We
are excited about this special holiday event! If you signed up to bring a snack for that party, I will be contacting you about bringing a snack to share with the class during lunch that day. 
Upcoming Events:
*Wed. 12/5: Social Studies Chapter 2 Communities Test
*Thurs. 12/6: Japan Day: Please bring in your pillow, dress in a robe, Kimono, or any other Asian apparel, and bring an Asian dish to share (if you would like) as we explore another urban community today.
Reading Party: Those students who have completed reading 28 days for the month of November are invited to attend this reading party. Look for more details to be sent home regarding lunch for the party. Thank you!
*Fri. 12/7: Spelling: List 13 test
A Look at Next Week:
*Math: We are continuing on in Chapter 3 this week as we subtract greater numbers. We will be working on subtracting across zeros as well as problem solving with greater numbers. The final chapter 3 test is scheduled for Tuesday, 12/11.
*Science: There has been a change of plans...instead of starting space, we will begin our unit on states of matter in the upcoming week.
*Social Studies: We are finishing up Chapter 2 on the types of communities this week. Your child has learned about rural (Bridgewater, VA), suburban (Levittown, NY), and urban (sweet home Chicago) communities. The final test will be taken on Wednesday, 12/5. The study guide format has changed and now consists of a list of things your child should know for the test. We will spend Monday and Tuesday reviewing in class, but your child can use any papers in their social studies binder, textbook, and workbook to study. In class I showed the students how to take notes, make flashcards, or make a study t-chart to help them prepare for the test. These important study skills will help them with the rest of their academic careers!
Japan Day: As a fun culminating activity, we will be exploring another urban community by learning about Tokyo, Japan. We will learn about the Japanese culture and celebrate their traditions on Thursday, 12/6. If your child would like, they can come to school with a pillow (we will use that in place of our desks and chairs), a robe, Kimono, or other Asian apparel, and an Asian dish to share (fortune cookies, egg rolls, etc). This a fun day of learning for all!
*Reading: Walk like an Egyptian! We are continuing to work on our Ancient Egypt unit. The 
students have read and learned about the importance of the Nile River, the Egyptian afterlife, and more. We are continuing to practice various reading skills as we find facts and opinions, compare and contract present day and ancient Egypt, and find the main idea and details within the book.
students have read and learned about the importance of the Nile River, the Egyptian afterlife, and more. We are continuing to practice various reading skills as we find facts and opinions, compare and contract present day and ancient Egypt, and find the main idea and details within the book. Monthy Reading Project: The project for the months of November and December is to read a non-fiction book and design a new book cover for the book. I shared a fantastic sample with the students so they have an idea of what they could do for their project. This is due on December 14th. Thank you!
*English: We have started on our new writing unit, Personal Narratives. We are focusing on the organization of this 4-5 paragraph narrative and using our voice as we tell stories about ourselves. Your child should come to school on Monday with a great topic to write about for or first narrative.
*Spelling: We will work on List 13 this week. There will be a pretest on Monday and a final test on Friday. Keep up the good work studying!
Also, I will be looking for the student's application of the weekly spelling words in their everyday writing. I will have them be more aware of their spelling, especially the "word wall" high frequency words in their narratives. I will encourage the students to circle the words they are unsure of and go back and fix the spelling by the final draft.
Thank you for checking out our classroom blog. Have a great 3 day weekend!
~Miss Carlstrom
