What a Great Day Back!

First of all, I hope all of you had a great Easter and Spring Break. I know I sure did. It was filled with family, little ones, friends, skiing, golf, and some relaxation. We are definitely on the downhill slide from here on out. Where does the time go? I can honestly say these kids are sure acting more like 5th graders in a good way. They are taking all the preparation we are doing seriously.
Just an update for you on where we are and where we are headed academically.
In Math, we will continue to work on problem-solving strategies and going deeper into previously learned concepts. These kids are amazing and I am excited to see their growth on the upcoming NWEA tests in which I will post the schedule at the bottom of this post.
In Science, we are continuing with rocks & minerals. After that, we will move into fossils to get us ready for that field trip where we go fossil digging. This trip will take place on May 24th.
In Social Studies, we are moving into our whale unit on migration. Students will learn lots about whales and their migration patterns. They have learned so much about Alaska and the Iditarod. We will continue with Balto in Reading and then we can do our skype with Mrs. Yasenak. Then in Reading, we will be reading one of my all time favorite books called Riding Freedom. We will follow this book up with a field trip out to Ms. Erickson's Ranch on May 16th. This will also give us lots of insight to agriculture and farming from years past to present. The students have been doing an author study about the author of this book. All kids will go on the trip and the Read 180 kids will get a book to read at home so they will better understand the field trip.
As we finish whale migration, we will move on to Montana History where we will learn lots of facts about the state along with following the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Our field trip for this is to Pompey's Pillar on May 30th.
As you can see, we have a lot of wonderful things going on and many great experiences for your child to be a part of. These field trips are possible due to the money we raised for our spaghetti dinner.
We have 3 more BIG tests coming up. They are the NWEA and these are the ones that mean the most to your child's growth this year. We will meet individually tomorrow morning and talk about the point growth they will expect themselves to make along with my expectations. The great thing about these tests is we get the results right away.
The test schedule for these is as follows: Thursday, April 12th is Reading. Wednesday, April 18th is Language, and Friday, April 20th is Math. It is very important your child be here on those days. Gum and healthy snacks are also a must.
Tomorrow we will be watching a movie about the Iditarod. Students can bring in a capped regular sized drink. Please no larger sizes.
Have a great night.