Willow Weekly T2W8

Happy Saturday, Willow Families! This last week was short, but also jam-packed with big changes in the Willow Room. Read below for the latest news:

We Up the Ante on Student Responsibility

Having observed the students’ progress in managing their weekly work contracts over the last several months, I felt they were ready to take the next step on the road to self-guided work. We did some Spring Cleaning and organization of their work files and pared it down to a single work folder that contains all current work and work plans (Word Study, Math, SRA), and a notebook in which they will plan and keep track of their daily work, using their strong understanding of weekly expectations and goals. Each student will receive weekly guidance from a teacher in planning and managing their independent work time, and weekly reminders will be posted to help students in prioritizing their tasks.

Weekly Math Homework Starts

The upper elementary began sending home weekly math homework as of yesterday. Each Friday, students will take home the following as a "packet":

- one front-and-back sheet containing grade/skill-level appropriate practice and word problems

- multiplication/division fact practice, as needed and per student level

Students will also be encouraged to consider IXL as a weekly homework option, as well as being given opportunities to use it in class as a supplement to their regular math curriculum.

IRP Updates

This coming Friday, March 3, is the due date for students' final set of note cards. The minimum number of cards, across all chapter topics, is 60. If students wish to go above this, they may do so, but all note cards must be completed by the due date.

**A note about the Observation: If students are not able to complete their observation by March 3rd, please let me know ahead of time. I am already aware that some students plan to conduct their ed observation over Spring Break (first week of April). This is fine, as long as the need for an extension is communicated.

The "Observation" chapter can also be used for miscellaneous/interesting facts about the IRP topic. If the observation is going to be delayed, encourage your child to see if they can find some fun facts that don't fit into the other categories.

Our Cultural Fair Country

On Monday, our class will be discussing the upcoming Cultural Fair and our contribution. The country we will represent is Suriname, a former Dutch colony and one of a handful of non-Spanish speaking countries on the South American continent. We will be working together as a class to research our country's history, geography, and culture, to participate in the Fair on March 30th. More information will come as we get deeper into it, but I'll say now that if any parents want to contribute in terms of food or crafts, this would be a welcome addition to our efforts.

March Book Report

Our next book report is posted! Hard copies of the info and rubric will come home on Monday. In the mean time, check out the PDF on the Academics page!

March is Reading Month

We kick off March is Reading Month on Monday with an all-school assembly. We will also spend two weeks decorating our classroom door in the theme of a book, author, or literary idea (to be completed March 10). On Wednesday we will have our official class discussion about how to decorate our door. Additionally, Thursday is Dr. Seuss' birthday! More updates as Reading Month progresses.

As always, thanks for reading! Check the Academics page of the website for updated spelling, weekly planner, and book report information!

Best,

Kiersten