Our character focus this week was kindness.  We talked about how this means to show caring and compassion to others.  By pure coincidence (and surprise!), my friend Mrs. Nicas sent each student a Kindness Challenge calendar.  Please help your child post it in a visible spot in your home and encourage him/her to complete the random act of kindness each day!

• Monday, December 7th 
• Crestwood's Support-a-Family continues, donate anything   
• Chess Club after school
• Open Gym for dads & male role models with Mr. D.C., 6:30-7:45 pm  
• Tuesday, December 8th 
• Dining to Donate Night @ Bread Co. in Sunset Hills, 4:00-8:00 pm 
• Wednesday, December 9th 
• Early release @ 1:40 pm 
• Science Fair Parent Info Meeting, Library @ 6:30-7:30 pm 
• Thursday, December 10th
• Dad's Club  @ Smugala's, 7:30-8:30 pm 
• Friday, December 11th 
• Box Tops due for second quarter.
• Saturday, December 12th
• Pancakes & PJs, $6/person, 8:00-11:00 am 

• Please send $2 for our holiday that will take place on Thursday, December 17th.  

Writer's Workshop
     We've been working very hard on planning and drafting persuasive essays.  Students chose a topic that was important to each of them and came up with supporting details to back up their thinking.  They created a box & bullets to plan their essay and set to drafting.  We also learned about figurative language, specifically metaphors and similes, and tried a few in our writing.  We also practiced including more advanced transition phrases.

Reader's Workshop
    Students began their oral reading assessments with Miss Dausmann.  They did their best to demonstrate decoding skills, fluency, and comprehension.  The reading level goal for this point in the year is Q, and each students' level will be listed on his or her report card.

Math
     We began exploring division, and boy did we push ourselves!  We used our knowledge of basic facts and trailing zeroes to estimate quotients.  We also practiced using models to divide two digit numbers by a one digit number.  We learned some big hints that story problems give us that are a signal to divide: each person gets, he shared, she made equal groups, the same amount, divide, split, and passed out.  

Science
     Students learned about plate tectonics and how their movement affects the surface of our Earth.  They also began exploring and classifying rocks.