I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. I love that the weather is finally not quite so beastly. I just wanted to remind you about conferences tomorrow. Beginning at 8, I have 3-5 of you scheduled in 30 minute blocks. At that time, your child will have an agenda to follow in order to take you through his/her day and celebrate what's been learned so far. You'll be able to check interactive notebooks for every subject. Those of you who needed a more independent conference, should contact me via email to set that up during a time that is best for you. Please remember that your child needs to come with you to the conference, as they will be the leader of the discussion.
All narratives were due last Friday. I'm impressed by the number of students who had it here on time. Almost everyone brought in the final draft. A few students had to be reminded to follow step 5 on the directions I provided, which was to staple the final copy on top of the rough draft and graphic organizer. I can't grade a student's application of revision and editing skills if I don't see the original format. Currently, we are working on an expository piece which is also a free verse poem. Students this week will be creating a poem about a specific place to which they have been that holds some significance for them. This is our introduction to expository writing, which will remain a big focus throughout the remainder of the year in Writing..
For my class, in Social Studies, we are learning about the Native Americans of Texas and where they settled. We are learning about the differences between those who remained in one area versus those who were nomadic. That way of life dictated how they got their food, the clothes they wore, the shelters they lived in, and how they got along with other tribes. Students will begin to discover the importance of living in the right region for farming or fishing, and the importance of being near a river for trading with other tribes.
Though we have a short instructional week, we will be very busy this week. Please remind your child to check in with each teacher after an absence. Work will be provided following excused absences, and students will be given 1 day for every day absent to complete it.
I hope you all have a great week.