Goodbye Snow, Hello Spring!

     It looks like we are finally able to put the snow shovels away and take out the gardening trowels. That also means we are well into our third and final term of the school year.  It is now that students will be expected to put their efforts into showing what they know in each subject area. We continue to learn new content, so students need to apply the study skills, and reading and writing strategies we have practiced all year.
     Research projects in homeroom and social studies will provide students with the opportunity to read nonfiction from both print and digital sources, take notes, paraphrase,  organize details, cite sources, and share information through writing and oral presentation.
     Regular routines established throughout the year will help students complete assignments and be ready for MCAS and district assessments.  Not only will we write informational pieces, but we will also explore more creative writing, such as poetry, stories and scriptwriting.  Of course, grammar, spelling and vocabulary lessons continue weekly.   Students are expected to use the skills and concepts effectively in their writing.
     Guided reading classes will now meet four days a week, and will include reading a class novel, Bud, Not Buddy, as well as continuing with nonfiction reading skills.
     While we continue learning new concepts and skills in math, we will also review earlier standards to prepare for the Math MCAS.  Please check the weekly bulletin for the schedule.  They will also hace a science MCAS.  Speaking of MCAS, I was extremely proud of my homeroom students' effort and stamina during the ELA test.  They worked very hard!
     The Loyalists and Patriots continue to compete in socials studies classes, as well as in other classes and during unstructured times and transitions..  Students will select a topic from the American Revolution and work with a partner to research and present information.  This will be done in school.  We are lucky to have the use of the newly arrived Crome books, as well as four classroom computers, I pads and the computer lab and library to conduct this research.  Students are learning and practicing skills that are essential as they move into the next phase of  their education.
     Our field trip to Concord Museum is on April 22. More information and permission slips will be sent home this week.