March 10

Upcoming Dates/Reminders:

• Tonight is Fun Night!  See you at Pine Ridge from 5:30-8:00.  It will be a great evening of fun!
• Reading Minutes are due on Monday.
• Word Work will come home on Monday with a test given on Friday.
• March 15- In our POD groups we will be doing a reading share.  Students are encouraged to bring a favorite picture book from home to read to a friend in the pod groups.  I will have several picture books to choose from as well at school.
• March 17- Math test on our fraction unit
• March 17- End of the 3rd Quarter
• March 22- We will be going to the Outdoor Discovery Center from 8:30-2:30.  We will be learning about Native American lifeways and voyageurs.  Students will need to be dressed for the weather.  Also make sure your child has a bag lunch and drink that day.  Thank you to Christi Nadig, Sara Wierenga, Jamie Dannenberg, and Shelley Plaggemars for coming with us!
• Spring Conferences:  March 27 and March 29 from 4:00-8:00.  Many of you have already signed up and I look forward to meeting with you!  If these times do not work for your schedule, please contact me so we can arrange another time to meet.  
• March is reading month!  Keep on filling out the Whitecaps reading sheet if you would like your child to earn vouchers for free tickets to a Whitecaps baseball game.  Any reading minutes for class can count for the Whitecaps reading as well.  :)
• March 31-April 7- Spring Break

Curriculum Highlights:

Devotions:  Thank you to Isaac and Adi for leading us in devotions this week.

Math:  We have been busy comparing fractions, placing them on number lines, looking at equivalent fractions, and solving story problems involving fractions.  Our Math test on this unit is scheduled for next week Friday.  I sent home the math review test today and this is due back to school on Thursday, March 16.

Literacy: We focused this week on revising and editing our behaviors and defenses paragraph for our nonfiction book.  We also researched interesting facts on our animals and began to create our chapter for this as well.  Our mornings are so busy with this nonfiction book and everyone is so focused!

Bible:  This week we saw how the Israelites were quick to complain when the water at Marah was bitter and once again when they were hungry in the dessert.  We talked about how we are a lot like the Israelites and that we complain quickly too.  Yet, we see how God always provides for His people and we know that he always provides for us too.

Making Manna!

Social Studies:  This week we learned about specialization, trade, imports and exports, as well as Michigan's economic future.  We had quite the discussion on Wind Turbines and how they provide us with a natural energy but yet many students do not want them close to where they live or play because they don't like how they look and change the landscape.  Did your child ask you what you thought?  :)

Creating a web dealing with specialization

Have a great weekend!
Lynae