Nov. 30, 2017

Parents,

The students have to complete the math review in preparation for the test tomorrow. We started the problems on pg. 189 - 194 # 1 - 21 in class and what they didn't finish is homework tonight. Please go over it with them to make sure they are using their chosen strategy correctly.

Thank you and have a good night.

Nov. 28, 2017

Parents,

The students' homework tonight has them multiplying two-digit numbers by two-digit numbers letting them choose what strategy they would like to use to solve the problems. They are to complete pg.181 - 182.

Have a great night.

Nov. 27, 2017

Parents,

The students have to complete pg. 175 - 176 in their math book on multiplying two-digit numbers by two-digit numbers using regrouping for homework. This is the strategy that most of you are probably familiar with. The video below is an example of how it is worked out.

Neighborhood News

• We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Break. We have three weeks until the holiday break.
• Our SMART goal this year is to increase multiplication fluency so that every student has mastered their multiplication facts. This week we will be targeting threes. We will be monitoring their daily progress.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework pg.175 - 176 to practice concepts learned in class
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts on 4’s

Tuesday:

• Math homework pg.181 - 182 to practice concepts learned in class
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts on 4’s

Wednesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts on 4’s

Thursday:

• Prepare for the Ch. 3 test by finishing the chapter 3 review that was not completed in class on pg.189 - 194

Friday:

• Test on Ch. 3

Important Dates

Nov.28th

Jingle Jog

Nov.29th

Normal Wednesday Early Dismissal

Dec.1st

Math Test on Chapter 3

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are finishing chapter 3 on multiplying with regrouping, choosing a multiplication strategy to solve problems, reviewing for the test, and then taking the test on Friday. We did not get to 3.5 last Tuesday before the break due to having students take the mid-chapter review quiz. The lessons on Monday and Tuesday are 3.5 and 3.6.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are continuing the unit on energy and electricity where students will build a simple circuit using a motor and then distinguish between conductors and insulators.

Language Arts:

Their reading comprehension skill is working on drawing conclusions. The grammar skill is irregular plural nouns and they are writing personal narratives about something that happened last week at school.

Nov.20, 2017

Parents,

Students completed lesson 3.4 today on multiplying using place value and partial products. Their homework is pg.167 - 168. This is another strategy for multiplying a two-digit number by a two-digit number. The video below demonstrates today's strategy.

The following below is on this week's G Force Gazette.

Neighborhood News

Dear Parent(s),

• We will be building our “turkey traps” tomorrow and could use boxes for it. This can be tissue boxes, cereal boxes, regular cardboard boxes, etc.
• Our SMART goal this year is to increase multiplication fluency so that every student has mastered their multiplication facts. This week we will be targeting threes. We will be monitoring their daily progress.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework pg.167 - 168 to practice concepts learned in class
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts on 3’s

Tuesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts on 3’s

Wednesday:

• No School Thanksgiving Break

Thursday:

• No School Thanksgiving Break

Friday:

• No School Thanksgiving Break

Important Dates

Nov.22 - Nov.26

Thanksgiving Break

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are continuing chapter 3 on multiplying partial products and regrouping (lessons 3.4 and 3.5).

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are continuing the unit on energy and electricity where students will start with prior knowledge, build vocabulary, and be able to build a simple circuit.

We are also completing a STEM project where students have to design and build a turkey trap with a “budget” under $20. They are utilizing the engineering design process as they complete this project today and tomorrow.

Language Arts:

Students are finishing up main idea and supporting details.  Our grammar skill last week was common, proper, and plural nouns.  We are finishing up our rough draft and final copy on the persuasive writing.

Nov.17, 2017

Parents,

The students have homework over the weekend on pg. 161 - 162. They learned about multiplying area models with lesson 3.3. The video below demonstrates the algorithm to multiply the numbers.

Have a good weekend.

Nov.16, 2017

Parents,

The students estimated and multiplied a two-digit number by a two-digit number during today's math lesson on 3.2. The homework is pg. 155 - 156. They basically need to either round or find a compatible number to multiply. For example, if the problem has them multiplying 43 X 68 they will round the numbers to 40 X 70, multiply 4 and 7 to get 28 and add two zeros to get 2,800. They could have also found a compatible number for 43 like 45 and rounded 68 to 70 and multiplied 45 X 70. This goes back to yesterday's lesson of multiplying 45 X 7 to get 315 and add the zero to get 3,150. You can also watch the video below.

Have a good night.

Nov. 14, 2017

Parents,

The students began chapter three with multiplying by tens. The homework is for students to complete pg. 149 - 150. They needed to find a strategy to multiply the numbers. A strategy that we used was to multiply the numbers and then add the zeros. We also split the number up, multiplied them, and then added them. For example, 52 X 40 can be written as: 40 X 50 + 40 X 2 = 2,000 + 80 = 2,080. Another strategy had students multiplying 52 X 4 and then adding a zero to the product which would be 208 + 0 = 2,080. Another strategy we used had students split the number in half and then multiply it twice. For example, lets say we are multiplying 12 X 30. We can split 12 in half to multiply 6 X 30 = 180. Then we double this since we originally split it in half to get 360. You can also watch the video on lesson 3.1 below, as well.

If you didn't get the G Force Gazette this week, check out what is happening on yesterday's post. 

Have a good night.

Nov. 13, 2017

Parents,

Since we finished up the chapter 2 test today, we did not complete a regular math lesson. Thus the homework tonight is to have students practice their times three multiplication facts. They should be reading at least 20 minutes every night, as well. 

The following is this week's G Force Gazette.

Neighborhood News

• Our SMART goal this year is to increase multiplication fluency so that every student has mastered their multiplication facts. This week we will be targeting threes. We will be monitoring their daily progress.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework is to practice your multiplication facts with 3’s
• Read for at least 20 minutes

Tuesday:

• Math homework on pg.149 - 150 to practice concepts learned in class
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Wednesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Practice your multiplication facts with 3’s

Thursday:

• Math homework on pg. 155 - 156 to practice concepts learned in class
• Read for at least 20 minutes

Friday:

• Math homework is to practice your multiplication facts with 3’s
• Read for at least 20 minutes

Important Dates

Nov. 16th

Picture retake day for students who need one

Nov.22 - Nov.26

Thanksgiving Break

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are beginning chapter 3 on multiplying by tens, estimating products, and investigating two digit by two digit multiplication using area models and partial products.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are starting a new unit on energy and electricity where students will start with prior knowledge, build vocabulary, and be able to build a simple circuit.

Language Arts:

Students are continuing to learn about main idea and supporting details. Students will have a test on Friday on main idea and supporting details. They will read short passages and identify them. Our grammar skill this week is common, proper, and plural nouns.  We will use a graphic organizer with specific criteria to back up our evidence to write and publish our persuasive writing.

Nov. 6, 2017

Parents,

The homework tonight is on pg. 135 - 136 on solving multi-step problems using equations. They have to solve the problems using the order of operations. They need to solve the multiplication problems first from left to right and then addition and subtraction problems from left to right. The following is a video demonstrating the math.

Neighborhood News

• If you have not signed and confirmed a conference time, please do so and send it back to school with your child. Or you can email us to confirm or let us know you need a different time.
• Please encourage students to take reading counts tests as they complete their books throughout the year. Reading counts points are being calculated for neighborhood recognition.
• The Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a test that students will take each quarter to measure your child’s reading level. SRI growth is usually related to continual reading.  The more a student reads, the better reader they will become.  
• If you need to contact any of us, the quickest way is probably through email. Our emails are as follows: charles.utter@am.dodea.edu; kali.hamill@am.dodea.edu and judith.ward@am.dodea.edu.
• If your child will be absent from school, please let the office know with a call, email, or note. You can email the school at CESattendance@am.dodea.edu
• New DODEA rules prohibit food for birthdays so please do not send in cupcakes or other food for your child.

Weekly Homework:

Monday:

• Math homework on pg.135 - 136 to be completed on concepts learned in class.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Tuesday:

• Math homework on pg.137 - 142 even numbers to be completed for practice for the test.
• Read for at least 20 minutes
• Practice your multiplication facts

Wednesday:

• Read for at least 20 minutes.
• Practice your multiplication facts

Thursday:

• Parent-Teacher Conferences

Friday:

• Veteran’s Day - No School

Educational Targets:

Math:

Students are finishing chapter 2 on the multiplication of one-digit numbers. We are reviewing multiplication using 2-digit, 3-digit, and 4-digit  numbers with regrouping, solving multistep problems using equations and applying problem solving skills with multiplication. Test is on Wednesday.

Science/ Social Studies:

Students are continuing a PBL project on the regions.

Students are learning about different types of maps and gathering information about the significant landforms in each region.

Language Arts:

Students are learning about main idea and supporting details. Students will have a test on Letters Home From Yosemite, which is nonfiction text that reinforces main idea and supporting details along with other valuable comprehension skills on Tuesday. Our grammar skill that we are working on is clauses and complex sentences. We will soon be writing a persuasive narrative. This week they will continue to use a graphic organizer with specific criteria to back up their evidence.

Important Dates

Nov.7th

USMC Birthday Assembly

Nov.8th

Ch.2 Math Test,

11:30 Early Dismissal - Conferences in the afternoon

Nov.9th

Conferences all day

Nov.10th

Veteran’s Day - No School