Weekly Update

Dear Families,
We had a very productive week together.

In science, the students on Team Harmony participated in their last rotation of science workshops learning about animal adaptations and life cycles.  In this unit, the students explored spiders, insects, snakes, bats and the Venus Flytrap while applying next generation science standards, inquiry skills and problem solving.  The students will have the opportunity to apply this new knowledge in their own classrooms while writing an "All About" book on their chosen animal.  We started already in our classroom and the students are doing an amazing job sharing their knowledge as experts on all of these animals!  We look forward to sharing these stories with you soon.

In reading, the students continued working on non-fiction books in their reading groups.  They perfected their comprehension skills while applying their knowledge of non-fiction elements, such as headings, glossaries and captions, to name a few.  Next week, the students will start reading fictional stories again in their guided reading groups.  We will explore characters, setting, problems and solutions.  The students will also deepen their understanding of the author's craft and how we can synthesize information and make connections.  We are very excited to read some fictional stories together.

Our class is scheduled to attend the he annual Book Fair at WCS on Wednesday, November 13th.  We will ride the bus over to WCS with Ms. Crowley's class and return to ABS for regular dismissal.  If you are interested in joining us there, we will be at the Book Fair between 1:30-2pm.  If you wish, your child can purchase books at the fair.  If your child can purchase books, we encourage parents to send in a small amount, such as $5-$10.  Keep in mind that financial assistance is available upon request. Thank you.
Taxes will be added onto the purchase price of the book.  We will discuss this in school, but it certainly helps if our children hear this many times, as the additional tax cost is confusing to many children.  Thank you. Some children do not want to purchase books with the class but choose to browse and return later.  That is fine too.  Students can fill out "Wish Lists" which they bring home to their parents to purchase later. Lastly, all the teachers on Harmony encourage students to only purchase books at the fair.  Thank you for supporting this approach!

Have a great day,
Maria