Hot In the City...

So I think it only got up to 86 today, but that's ok... Our room must be a cool 72!  I say this because when the AC is on, the room can be a bit cool, so if your child is one who gets cold easily, please make sure they keep a light sweater in the class closet.  I know you will agree, it is better to be cold than hot when you are trying to concentrate and learn.

Just a reminder - Tomorrow night is Open School Night at PS8.   From 4:45 - 6:15 parents of students in Pre-K to 2nd grade will meet in the auditorium for a general meeting about the school year, preparing for the end of this school year, and what to expect for next year.  From 6:30 - 7:45, parents of students from 3rd to 5th grades will meet in the auditorium for an upper grade specific general meeting.  This is not a classroom event, nor is it parent/teacher conferences.  If you would like a conference, please contact me and I can set one up for you.

• 1st - Dance - I got a good report from Mr. Nunez.  Seems they do better on Tuesdays.
• 2nd / 3rd - ReadyGen Lesson 4A.2.   In lesson 2 we READ Lunch Money -  Chapters 4–6, pp. 25–54.  Our READING FOCUS was that writers understand that they can draw evidence from literary texts to analyze, research, and reflect.  Our WRITING FOCUS was to introduce a narrator and at least one other character.
• 4th - We were lucky enough to be invited to hear the Jazz trio play again today.  They visited us earlier in the year, and they came back today to treat us to another lesson in Jazz.  It was very cute to watch the students get up and do the Cha-Cha to the Jazz music.  
• 5th - Due to the length of the chapters and stopping so often to discuss craft and structure, we had a rather extended ReadyGen lesson.  The good news is, the students had great conversations about character traits, illustrations, visualization words, and the parts of a narrative.   We are moving slower due to constant interruptions from a few students who are looking for attention and talking out.  The positive side is that we have read six chapters in two days so the book is moving at a fast pace.   
• 6th - Lunch/Recess  - We had 5 people sit out for not doing homework.  We had quite a few sit out due to changing their strips for "talking", "out of seat", "out of uniform", "talking back", etc...  Each time you change your strip you lose 5 minutes.  
• 7th - We passed out homework and papers for parents.  We went over what I expected for homework quality and then we watched the second episode of Liberty Kids which dealt with The Intolerable Acts which helped lead to the American Revolution.  We didn't quite finish the episode, but I love how the cartoon puts the Revolution in the Point of View of the young of the time.  It allows our students to experience it as a youth would in the day.

Homework

Reading:  

• Redo last nights T-Chart now that we have gone over it and explained expectations better. (only 3 people did it right)
• Web A with "How to Make a MiniComic" in the middle.  The outside rungs should show how the illustrations were helpful (the purpose), and what was the outcome of having the illustrations (effects).
• Read your independent reading book for 30-45 minutes.

Social Studies:

• Use section 1 of Chapter 5 to fill in the answers to the 9 questions of the comprehension document.