Hi Families,

Yesterday's snow day was a lovely chance to rest and refresh, but it also caused me to forget about my weekly blog. So here is a somewhat abbreviated version just to keep you in the loop.

Math: We are fully into our fraction unit. This week, we tackled decimals and learned how they are related to fractions. We used a 10X10 grid to visualize decimals, and we talked a lot about decimal place value (tenths and hundredths) so that students can read and write them correctly. This coming week, we will begin learning how to put variou fractions in order, and we will also learn about improper fractions and what they mean.

Reading: All groups have finished their social issues books! We are spending a little time just free reading during reading time. This gives everyone the opportunity to have some choice, and also give me a chance to do some reading assessments as I get ready to write up report cards. I am noticing that the class has a lot more stamina than they used do when it comes to reading!

Writing: We are just about finished with our persuasive essays. After learning the format of this kind of essay with their opinion piece, this essay is getting written quickly! The students are becoming proficient at using paragraphs, which is one of the main objectives of this particular unit. Next we will tackle literary essays, using a very similar format.

Social Studies: We finished our civics unit on Monday with a debate. I really enjoyed watching and listening as the "legislators" debated the pros and cons of the bill. They all had nametags and I referred to them all as "Representative Smith, etc."  They thoroughly enjoyed this! In the end, the bill did not pass. Since then, we have moved onto a short unit celebrating Black History month. Although we started out talking about and defining racism, we will focus a lot on the lives of both ordinary Black people and those who have done amazing things (not only activists but musicians, doctors, etc.) We will read a lot of books and watch a lot of short videos to spark conversation over the next few weeks.

A few other important points:

Sale: Thank you to all who have sent in items for our sale this Wednesday. If you have anything to send, it's not too late!

Valentine's Day is coming up. Although we won't have a party, I will allow the students to pass out Valentines. Bringing Valentines is completely optional, but if your child brings them, please make sure they bring one for everyone in the class so that we don't have any hurt feelings. Here is a class list:

• Gabe A
• Gabe P
• Maeve
• Jaela
• Lily
• Makaylee
• Aubri
• Greta
• Lorna
• Catherine
• Kuziva
• Noah
• Jack
• Eli
• Aiden
• Dylan
• Myles
• Ellie
• Emma
• JJ
• Malakai
• Cameron
• Abel

Movie: Since we are trying to keep talking to a minimum during lunchtime due to COVID protocols, we often watch a silly cartoon. The students have asked if we could watch a movie instead. Lunch is only about 25 minutes, so it would take us almost a week to watch a movie. I thought of the movie Cool Runnings since the Winter Olympics are happening and the movie is about the first Jamaican bobsled team. The movie is rated PG for mild language and one barroom brawl, but has a wonderful message about sportsmanship and determination.  If any of you have any objections to your children watching this, please let me know and I will find something else.

That's all for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

 Hello families. I hope you are all staying warm and healthy! Here is the rundown for this week:

Math: This week we started our fraction unit. So far, we have been finding fractional parts of a 4X6 rectangle, using what we know about 24 to help us find 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc. For young math thinkers, it is important to be able to SEE the fractional parts, and to understand what a unit fraction is (1/4 is easier than 3/4, for example.) We have also worked on equivalence, or understanding that 1/2 is the same as 4/8. Yesterday and today, we switched to a 5X12 rectangle, and we worked on finding 1/5 and 1/12, then 2/5, 4/5, etc. This was a difficult switch for the class, but it will all make sense to them eventually as we keep working at it!  Next week we will move on to hundredths, and begin to make a connection between fractions and decimals. Stay tuned!

Reading: We are just about finished with our book club unit, and most clubs are close to the end of their books. We have continued to talk about IDEAS and how to push ourselves to discuss in depth rather than always retelling or predicing. We are getting there!

Writing: This week we switched from our opinion writing to persuasive writing. The students are all working on coming up with a thesis and 3 reasons for it. These pieces will be letters to you, to Mr. Williams, to me, to government officials, etc. The point is to try to convince someone to DO something or change something. I am impressed with the topics I have seen so far!

Social Studies: Since we learned about how a bill becomes a law last week, this week we learned all about our state government and about how our General Assembly works. We ended the week by looking at a few actual bills that are on the docket. On Monday, we will have a mock legislature and debate House Bill 28, which if passed, would make it possible for students to opt out of using a computer while at school. We had extensive conversations about who this bill would impact, and how. I think the class is beginning to understand that our legislators have a big job! I know they are all looking forward to the debate on Monday.

Here are a few important details for next week:

• We will have Snow Motion on Monday. Please be sure to send appropriate outerwear, etc.
• We also have our mock legislature on Monday. I have asked the students to dress"professionally" if they want, just to make it feel more like they are actually state representatives. I know this is tricky since it is the same day as Snow Motion, but they can change into their business attire after recess. This is OPTIONAL so please don't let it cause any issues!
• I am still looking for items for our store. Please feel free to send these in!

Here are a few questions to spark conversation:

• How much money do you have in your account?
• What is a welfare check?
• What is a fraction, and is there such a thing as the bigger half?
• Who is Ruby, and what promise did Ivan make to her?
• What is your thesis for your persuasive piece?

I think that is all for this week. Enjoy the weekend!

 Hi again. It's yet another freezing Friday, and the class has been stuck indoors a lot this week. I hope next week is better!

Here's a brief rundown:

In math, we finished up our measurement unit. This week we focused on strategies for finding the area of different shapes, and then of rectangles. We also reviewed perimeter. Today, as a fun bonus, we got to play with protractors and learned how to measure angles. Of course, we continued working in our checkbooks as well. Everyone got paid, everyone paid taxes, and everyone paid rent. They are enjoying this!

In reading, we really worked on how to have deeper book club conversations. We learned about the importance of pushing ourselves to have ideas, and also how important it is to be open to the ideas of your book club peers. Students are writing in their reading journals, and they are even working on collecting evidence from the text to back up their claims!

I am super impressed with the writing that everyone is doing. The opinion writing essay is very structured and forces the students to think about paragraphing. They are writing wonderful essays about sports teams, friendship, seasons, and so much more. Some are even using metaphors to make their writing more meaningful. By the middle of next week, we will be moving onto persuasive writing. Don't be surprised if you get a well-written 5 paragraph essay convincing you to paint a room of your house, get a new pet, or take a vacation. I've seen many essays like that in my years of teaching! This essay unit goes so well with our social issues book clubs and also with our civics unit.

Speaking of civics, this week the class learned about congress, what is meant by democrat and republican, and how a bill becomes a law (complete with "I'm Just a Bill" from Schoolhouse Rock!) Next week they will learn about Vermont's government and we will look at a few actual bills that our legislature is considering. Then we will choose one to debate and write to our congressman/woman about. These students are becoming young activists!

If you haven't already, please remember that I am hoping to collect some "garage sale" items that your children don't want anymore so that we can use the "money" left in our "accounts" for something real. Feel free to begin sending items in anytime!

Here are a few questions you can ask your children this week to spark conversation:

• Who are Ivan and Stella?
• What does it  mean when a bill dies in committee?
• What does the government use our tax money for?
• What is a right angle?
• What is your thesis in your opinion essay?
• What does Ms. Ehtesham take VERY SERIOUSLY?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Remember, we have SNOW MOTION on Monday morning! Let's hope for some moderating temperatures!

Happy Friday!

Happy chilly Friday!

I hope you are all staying healthy and warm!  We have had a warm and cozy week here in the classroom. Here is the rundown:

We finished up the linear measurement part of our math unit. The class learned how to convert inches to feet and yards, and millimeters and centimeters to meters. More importantly, they learned about how to measure perimeter. They all understand how to do this!  We will keep practicing it throughout the year. We have moved on to learning about polygons and symmetry and measuring the area of odd shapes. This short unit is hands-on and fun for everyone!  

Of course, the most exciting part of our math work this week was our checkbooks. Everyone got paid and entered their paycheck amount into their check register. Then they wrote me a rent check and a tax check (along with a great discussion about why they all owed different amounts for taxes -- based on income) and subtracted those amounts in their check registers. It took a little time to refresh our understanding of the US algorithm, but we all got there! The students seem to LOVE this activity! Some of them are finding out it is hard to make so little money and manage their bills... they don't know this yet, but some of them will receive a "welfare check" later (following a discussion about how our government uses some of our tax money.) Such important life learning!

We continue reading our social issues books in clubs. This week, we focused a lot on figuring out the social issue, and on HOW to have a good, rich book discussion. This takes practice! They are already getting better at it!

In writing, we are still working on our opinion pieces. The students are writing about all sorts of things, ranging from sports teams to friendships to cats versus dogs. The topic is important because a good opinion essay needs 3 solid reasons. For example, I might write "I love ice cream because it is refreshing, it has lots of flavors, and there are so many yummy toppings." My next job would be to write a paragraph saying more about each of those 3 reasons. We are using colors to help us stay organized. Ask your child to explain more about this!

Our civics unit continued this week. After learning about our rights and responsibilities as citizens last week, we shifted into learning about how our government works. This week we learned about the 3 branches of government and what their responsibilities are. The class understands the need for checks and balances. They could all pass a citizenship test!

On Wednesday, February 9 (an early release date) we plan to have our "sale" to celebrate the ending of the checkbook activity. If you have any kid-friendly items that you were thinking of throwing away or donating to Good Will, please consider sending them in. The class will have a blast "buying" each others' stuff! Let me know if you have any questions about this. Thanks in advance!

That's all for this week. Stay warm!

 Happy 2022, everyone! It has been a really wonderful week here in the classroom, despite sickness and the usual interruptions. We are so happy to welcome our new student, Gabe. It feels like he has been here all year! He fits in beautifully, and the class has been wonderful in making sure he feels like he belongs.  

January is usually my favorite month of teaching. With the holidays behind us and spring fever not yet upon us, these 6 weeks are productive and calm, with lots of learning happening. This year looks to be no exception (assuming COVID doesn't disrupt us too much) and I am looking forward to some good weeks ahead.

Here's the rundown for this week:

In reading, we started our Social Issues book clubs. The students made a sad list of social issues that face us in today's world, and they are reading books in groups and identifying/discussing these issues with their peers. This sort of literary analysis combined with real-life issues is so good for them to tackle, and they are certainly mature enough for the conversations!

In writing, we have just started an opinion writing unit. The students are still picking their topics, but they will all write a 5 paragraph essay with a thesis that they have to support. They will be masters of paragraphing by the time this unit is over! The social issues they are reading about will help them come up with some strong opinions to write about!

We have started our civics unit in social studies. So far, we have learned what is meant by democracy, and we have learned what rights and responsibilities we  have as citizens of a democracy. We also learned about the Bill of Rights and the first 10 amendments. If you hear your child saying, "I plead the 5th," it is because they learned about our 5th amendment and the freedom to not incriminate yourself in court! We will go on to learn about our 3 branches of government, what is meant by Democrat and Republican, and how a bill becomes a law. They will be very informed citizens when this unit is over!

Finally, in math, we are doing a short unit on measurement. This week, we focused on linear measurement and perimeter. Next week we will get into symmetry and finding the area of unusual shapes. The students all received their "checkbooks" and we are starting our math simulation. Each student has a "job" and will get a paycheck weekly for 4 weeks. They will also get a tax bill and a rent bill. They will need to write 2 checks each week to pay their bills. Of course, they will  have to add and subtract their checks and payments in their check registers. This is a great way to practice the algorithm, and also a wonderful life skill to learn! Naturally, they love doing this... and the celebration at the end will be a sale where they can spend their "money" to buy a variety of stuff (that I might be asking you to donate -- garage sale items that you don't want anymore! One man's trash is another man's treasure, right?) Stay tuned!

That is all for this week. I hope you all have a restful and HEALTHY weekend!

 Hi Everyone,

This week went by so fast! At the end of the day, with a million holiday-related things on my mind, I walked out the door a little earlier than usual. I went off shopping, and about an hour ago, I realized I had never written my blog post for the week! I apologize for being so late, and for all of the typos I found (and then fixed) in last week's blog. I guess we are all a little busy right now!

It has certainly been a busy week. The classroom is abuzz with excitement, and it has been hard to get all 22 students to sit, listen, and stay engaged. I know their minds are elsewhere, so I have tried to keep the new learning to a minimum. Instead, we have done a lot of reviewing and finishing up.  We have completed our expert books! On Monday, we will have our on-demand assessment for nonfiction writing. I told the students this today because I like them to have some time to plan and pick a topic. If you have a moment, talk to your children about this and help them nail down a topic so they are ready for Monday. It should be a topic they know a lot about so they can write like experts! I am hoping to see some wonderful organization in their writing!

We are also more or less finished with our nonfiction writing unit. Today the students got together with their research groups and taught each other what they have learned about various extreme weather events. They learned a lot during their research -- and I don't mean just facts. They learned how to research across multiple texts, how to tackle the really hard parts of the books they were using, and how to come up with some ideas about their topics. I am impressed with them!

We took a brief dive into our energy unit this week during science. We played with "roller coasters" and marbles and learned about potential energy and hills. We will come back to this after break -- mostly learning about how humans use various natural resources to make energy in the form of electricity.

Math is the only subject that we kept on with this past week. After learning how to use the US algorithm for addition and subtraction with numbers up to 1,000, we were ready to move onto much larger numbers! We made a 10,000 chart in our classroom, and we learned a lot about place value and how to move around in our number system. These are BIG numbers and they are hard for many students to conceptualize, much less add and subtract! But that is exactly what we did this week. We practiced using the traditional algorithm to solve problems such as 23,145 - 16,848. We also learned to really think about every equation and to decide if the algorithm was the best strategy. We can solve 25,000 - 4,500 in our heads FAR more easily than with an algorithm, All those zeroes and all that regrouping (or borrowing) is a lot harder than using our knowledge of numbers and our mental math skills!  We will finish up this unit before the break, but of course we will keep adding and subtracting -- forever!

Thank you to all off you who have sent in crafting supplies. I know the students are looking forward to our Maker's Space next week. It will be nice to take a brief break from the usual academic pressure and have a little creative fun!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Think SNOW!

Happy Friday! It is has been terrific to be back at school all day the past few days. The week went by quickly, but we made the best of it!

We definitely had to spend a bit of time this week reviewing classroom routines and expectations. This is normal after a week's vacation, but was particularly necessary since the class had a guest teacher for a week. Even though it took time away from our academics, it was necessary. I feel like today was a good day all around, and I feel like we are back on track (just in time for another vacation coming up....!)

Here's a quick review of our academics this week:

In reading and writing, we are still working with nonfiction texts. Students are working in research groups. Each group is researching a different kind of weather event. They are learning how to find what subtopics to research and how to make sure they are synthesizing across the books they read. In writing, they are working to finish up their expert books. They are adding pictures and other nonfiction features, and they are learning to say more!

In math, we finally learned the US algorithm for subtraction (what we used to call "borrowing.") Wow! They seem to love doing this! Here is a photo to show you our first method (which is a transitional method) and then the usual method:

As you can seen, in the transitional method, the top (or larger) number is expanded out by place value. The smaller number is as well. This way, students can better see exactly what is happening as they regroup from hundreds place to tens place, etc.  After all, 1,582 is the same as 1,000 + 400 + 170 + 12.  (I hope this makes sense! It does to your children -- ask them to show you!)

Once we start using the algorithm (some are already using it) we have to be very careful to LINE the numbers ups, and to always remember that we have to regroup any time the number on the top is smaller than the number we are subtracting. Phew! We will continue to practice this next week as we get into the 10,000's!

Here is some other important information:

Please be sure your children have snow pants, boots, coats, and gloves daily.  Many of them prefer to go outside to play in just their regular clothes and shoes, and then they are wet and uncomfortable all afternoon. If you put it in their backpack, I make them wear it!  

With the winter holidays upon us, I am thinking of doing a Secret Snowflake activity. Here is how it works. The students each pick a name (randomly) and then I create a Maker's Space here at school. I have a lot of craft materials! Each student will then make some sort of gift for the person they chose. I will give them 2 separate days to work on this since glue and paint need to dry. Then they will wrap these and give them to each other! This is ALL done at school so that everyone has access to the same materials and there is no burden on you. (Of course, I may send out a list of crafting things the students want if I don't have them, but that is up to you!) Please let me know if you don't want your child to participate in this. We plan to do it on Monday and Tuesday 12/20 and 12/21. A few kids have said they might not be here, so let me know that as well. Of course, reach out with questions or concerns.

I think that is all! Thank you again for all of your support during my sickness. Have a wonderful weekend!