We discussed perseverance during our Class Meetings this week.  Persevering means continuing to work hard and stay focused, even when something feels difficult.  Students brainstormed ways to practice this character word during Math, PE, and other times in their lives.

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• Monday, January 25th
• Book Drive for Caroline Mission continues through February. Please donate new or gently used books appropriate for kids ages 2-5 (picture books, counting, alphabet, board books, etc.)
• Tuesday, January 26th
• Happy birthday, Christian! 
• Variety Show Practice after school 
• Wednesday, January 27th
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• Thursday, January 28th 
• Choir @ 8:00 am 
• Variety Show practice after school 
• Friday, January 29th 
• Crestwood Club & Group pictures 
• December & January birthday treats during lunch  

Congratulations, Kamden!  You did so well in our school Spelling Bee, and we are proud of you!  

Reader's Workshop

We focused on the different structures writers of nonfiction use. A structure is a way an author builds a piece. Nonfiction writers can use a description and tell all about a person, item, place, or event. They can use a sequence, which means to give facts about a topic in chronological order. Writers can also compare & contrast two related topics to explain how they are alike and different. After studying these structures, students hunted for them in their own nonfiction texts.

Students hunt for different nonfiction structures during Reader's Workshop.  

Writer's Workshop

We planned our Informational Texts by deciding on topics for each of the four chapters. Our librarian, Mrs. Mazdra, helped us find some great nonfiction books that we'll use to research our topics. Students recorded their sources on their planning sheet and began plugging in information they already know as well as newly learned information to prepare for writing.

Math 

Wowza, we worked incredibly hard on our Math tests this week! We reviewed patterns and function tables, and students did an excellent job finding equations that these tables might use. We also took a short pre-test on fractions to assess our current knowledge of the topic.

Students work on Face the Math, an activity that helped them to review mathematical expressions and incorporate some artwork based on correct answers.

Social Studies

This week, we began our unit studying Missouri as it became a state. We talked about what we already know and what we hope to learn about pioneers. We read a portion of You Wouldn't Want to be an American Pioneer and discussed similarities and differences between the life of a pioneer and our lives today. We also talked about early settlers and why they moved and settled in Missouri.