Everyone Does Everything!

So once again, we had one of these weeks where I find myself thinking, "I really do have the best class ever!"  We are all working hard to push ourselves to think, stretch, learn, and refine.  Not just a few, but all of us.  In fact our new class theme is "Everyone Does Everything". We're working hard to use every minute of the day in a productive way, and to use our conversation and thinking in team, and classroom building.  So we're working hard but we're having fun along the way.  Did I mention, "I really do have the best class ever"?
Last week I submitted a grant request from Donor's Choice to fund 2 Ipad minis for our classroom.  You would think with 2 mobile labs and a creativity lab inside our school there would be enough technology for all our needs.  Unfortunately that's just not the case.  With the push for keyboarding and writing wrapped up in our assessments, there are times we just don't have access to what is needed.  Everyone else in the school needs the same thing.  I am asking for funding for 2 minis so that all students can touch technology more frequently.  We already have 2 laptops and with the 2 minis, that would allow 4 students at a time to either assess or practice reading fluency, comprehension, math fluency and facts, or think, write, and publish.  Right now through Tuesday, November 19, an anonymous donor will match all donations up to $100.  I know this is close to the holidays and all of our purse strings are tight, but even a $1 donations gets us 1 step closer.  You can scroll down to the previous post for more information.  If you're interested and can help out, here is a quick link that will get you there- Minis To The Max!  Thank you for all your support and generosity!
This week in math we will be finishing our multiplication meanings and will be starting our fluency with x 10s, x5s, and x2s.
In Language Arts this week we will be reading the story How Do You Raise A Raisins?  Did you ever wonder where raisins come from, or why they are in so many foods? Just about every question you might have about raisins is answered in this selection. One reason the author knows a lot about this snack is because she grew up in central California, where most of America’s raisins are grown. From the history of raisin-growing and raisin-eating to a discussion of how raisins get from grapevines to your plate, this story and its illustrations give you lots of information about this sweet, dried fruit.  Our focus on comprehension this week is Drawing Conclusions.  This seems to be quite tricky for our kids.  A conclusion is a decision or an opinion that makes sense based on facts and important ideas.  We are also working on action and linking verbs for our conventions.  An action verb tells what someone or something does. A linking verb tells what someone or something is.  Examples are: Action verbs: run, plays, laughs and  Linking verbs: am, is, are, was, were.  And last but not least our spelling pattern we are studying this week is contractions. 
I am also sending home a fluency passage for students to read this week.  Please set the timer for 1 minute, have your student begin reading and then stop the timer at 1 minute.  Please write down the words correct per minute on the log at the bottom of the passage.  Hopefully this will increase as the week progresses and mistakes decrease.  Note any inserted words and deleted words and discuss with your student.  Repeated readings is a research based strategy that not only improves fluency, but it also improves comprehension and vocabulary as well. 
Thanks to Mr. Davis who was our 1st dad to share a story for Thanksgiving!  We were so excited to hear some of his favorite stories.  We all agree- we recommend Boss Baby!
Have a great week!