Jeffers Journal
Week of April 29th – May 3rd
Hello May! Make this month count! Accomplish your goals! You can do this! Are you ready to board the learning train? Please come to school each day with an open mind, positive “I can” attitude, a friendly smile, and eager to be a member of our team!
Important Dates to Remember:
April 29th: Mass with Father Pat at 9AM
May 3rd: First Friday Adoration
May 6th: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM
May 7th: New York State Math Test
May 7th: Scholastic Book Fair
May 8th: New York State Math Test
May 12th: Happy Mother’s Day
May 13th: Mass with Father Pat @ 9AM
May 23rd: Race for Education
May 24th: Memorial Day Observed (No School or CASE)
May 27th: Memorial Day Observed (No School or CASE)
Here’s a breakdown of our learning:
- Math: Its important children learn math facts for addition/subtraction and multiplication/division with the goal of automatic recall. Measurement is the focus of our next topic. To begin the week, we are going to learn about customary units of length and customary units of capacity. Do you know how to convert from a larger unit to a smaller unit? Next, we will focus on customary units of weight. How many ounces are in a pound? We will switch from learning about customary units to the metric system. Are metric units and customary units the same thing? First, we will learn about metric units of length followed by metric units of capacity. To end the week, we will learn about metric units of weight. As a way to review previously learned concepts and skills, students will spend time working on I-Ready Math each day. Students will also continue to practice how to find the volume of different figures. We will also be reviewing for the New York State Math Test which will be on May 7th and May 8th.
- English Language Arts:
- Grammar: Students will learn how to proofread their writing for subject-verb agreement, capital letters, and punctuation using the proofreading symbols. Students will review what they have learned about pronouns (subject, object, possessive, and relative) and contractions to prepare for the unit test on Friday, May 3rd.
- Vocabulary: Each week students have 12 new vocabulary words and complete different activities each day (sentence completion, synonym/antonym, matching, word meaning, and context clues).
- Reading: An important skill we will be practicing is reading articles or passages and answering comprehension questions. We have been learning that reading is not just about reading the words on the page it involves so many other pieces like asking questions, making connections, using context clues to help determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. We are also going to learn how to make inferences.
- Summary: A summary is a short retelling of a text. It only includes the most important details. A useful strategy to help you when writing a summary is: “Somebody Wanted But So Then (SWBST).” Who is the main character? (Somebody) What did the main character want? (Wanted) What is the problem (But) How does the character try to solve the problem? (So) How does the story end? (Then) We will practice writing summaries in class this week and students will be asked to write a summary each night and turn it in the next day.
- Morphology: Word structure and construction are the building blocks of learning how to spell words. It is also important to learn the different prefixes and suffixes that change the meaning of words. Students will be completing word ladders and other activities to help build their spelling skills.
- Writing (Part 1): We are going to continue to use a strategy to help answer text dependent or short answer questions, which is known as RACES. The first letter of the acronym, “R,” means restate the prompt. The “A” means answer the question in your own words. The “C” means cite text evidence or examples. The “E” means explain and give details. The final letter of the acronym, “S” means summarize what you wrote. Students will practice using this strategy as they answer questions in all subject areas.
- Writing (Part 2): Our third writing unit of the year is Opinion writing. To begin the unit we are going to identify the elements of opinion writing. Next, we will brainstorm ideas that address an opinion prompt and expand on those ideas using evidence from a text. Then we will learn how to quote the works of others, which is extremely important because you want to give credit to the person who did the research. Then we will move into the Introduction. The introduction has two main parts-the lead and also the claim.
- Science: We will explore the last two lessons of the Starship Earth Unit this week. Our first focus question is: Why is gravity different on other planets? Do you think there is a planet that has more or less gravity than Earth? The final focus question of the unit is: Could there be life on other planets? Is there a planet you would like to live on? Why? We will spend time reviewing all the lessons in preparation for the test. The Starship Earth Unit test will be on Friday, May 3rd.
- Religion: Living the Commandments is the theme of Chapter 15. Is it important to follow rules and laws? Are some rules easier to follow than others? How come? Why should we try to live right and obey God’s law? How come God gave us the Ten Commandments? We will attend First Friday Adoration on May 3rd.
- Twenty-third Mass of the School Year: On Monday, April 29th, we will be attending Mass with Father Pat at 9:00. All students need to be wearing their dress uniform. Everyone is invited to attend Mass.
- Scholastic Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair will be here on Tuesday, May 7th! Bring your appetite for reading and find the next great book to dive into!
- Race for Education: It’s that time of the year to raise money for our school and have some fun! It is time for Race for Education! Don’t forget to send in your donations! If we reach our school goal, every student who sends in one donation will have the opportunity to dunk Mrs. Hoffay in a dunking booth! Our goal is to reach $20,000! Race for Education will be on Thursday, May 23rd.
