"Mr Gant...
What's Going On In Our Classroom?

"Youth, like fine porcelin, absorbs the prints of its handlers."
Mithch Albon

Hello Parents!
It was my pleasure meeting you at Back-to-School Night. It means so much for parents to play a part in their child's education. You child has a much greater chance of succeeding in school if you simply encourage them throughout the year. Be sure to ask them what they learned, or have them tell you something that happend throughout the day.

Here is what is going on this month in our class:

Math. We will have a test on Wednesday, October 7. It will cover place value, comparing numbers, counting money and making organized lists. Your child will take a pre-test on Tuesday and can study that pre-test for the test. Though the pre-test is multiple choice, the test will not be. The next unit will cover adding two through four digit numbers, rounding, estimating and problem solving.

Language Arts:
The children have really enjoyed the stories thus far. We will soon start 4 square writing to improve their writing skills. To improve their reading comprehension and fluency, reading groups will begin the first full week in October. While I work with groups, students will have a choice to work independently at different stations. The spelling words for this year are quite challenging. However, the students have proven that they are up to the task. The children enjoy competing in a spelling bee each Thursday to prepare for the test. Remember, every Friday students will have a langauge arts test.

Social Studies:
We have already started learning about important historical documents-Magna Carta and the Mayflower Compact. We will soon discuss the importance of the Declaration of Independenc, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Your child will also be able to identify the accomplishments of our Founding Fathers, and will use laptop computers to compare the architecture Washington D.C. with ancient Rome.

Science:
Our first unit of study will be life cycles. Your child will no doubt enjoy hatching eggs in an incubator. If you are interested in a baby chick or duck, let me know!

Health:
Character development is a focal point in my classroom. Students have been and will continue to learn the character traits.

Handwriting:
One of the the students favorite activities is cursive. I am impressed at how well they are developing this skill. This is suprisingly becoming a lost art. My goal is to have them write sentences in cursive by the end of the school hear.

"What else?"
October 6 Picture Day
October 7 Scholastic orders due
October 9 Interim Reports
October 12 Columbus Day, School Closed
October 30 Entertainment books, payment due
October 30 Halloween Party, Parade

I mentined that parents are more than welcome to come in the classroom to read a book, help out with a party, talk about their occupation, etc. Please notify me by email, phone or a note if you are interested.

That is all for now. Be sure to check out our web page on a monthly basis.

Email: sgant