January 7, 2015

   Dear Parents,

      I hope everyone enjoyed the break!  I was very happy to see all your student's smiling faces yesterday.  :)  We are hitting the ground running and getting right back into things.  In Science, we are finishing up our Fossils unit and will have our test next Monday, 1/12.  Students will be working on our Chapter Review this week and can also review on Brain Pop and Pebble Go Science.  Yesterday in stem lab we created models of fossil casts and molds using clay, shells, and glue and had a lot of fun exploring my mom's fossil collection.  Ask your student about what fossils they learned about!

     In Math, we are continuing to learn about Area, Perimeter, and creating and interpreting graphs (bar, line plot, circle).  Later this week we will be starting our Geometry unit.  We have heard that our wonderful Foundation will be buying IXL again for our students to review on and all students can currently be reviewing online on iReady. Please let me know if you have any questions.   

     Thanks for all your support!

     Jenny M-G

Estimados padres de familia,

       Espero que todos hayan disfrutado las vacaciones! Yo estaba muy feliz de ver todos los rostros sonrientes de ayer de su estudiante. :) Nos estamos golpeando el funcionamiento de tierra y conseguir de nuevo en las cosas. En ciencias, estamos terminando nuestra unidad de Fósiles y tendremos nuestra prueba siguiente Lunes, 12.01. Los estudiantes estarán trabajando en nuestra revisión del capítulo de esta semana y también pueden revisar el cerebro Pop y Pebble Go Ciencia. Ayer en el laboratorio tallo creamos modelos de moldes fósiles y moldes con arcilla, conchas, y la cola y tenía un montón de diversión explorando colección de fósiles de mi mamá. Pregúntele a su hijo acerca de lo que los fósiles que han aprendido acerca!

      En matemáticas, seguimos para aprender acerca de área, perímetro, y la creación y la interpretación de gráficos (barra, línea de la trama, círculo). Más tarde esta semana empezaremos nuestra unidad de geometría. Hemos oído que nuestra Fundación maravillosa estará comprando IXL nuevo para nuestros estudiantes a revisar todos los estudiantes y en la actualidad se pueden revisando en línea en iReady. Por favor, hágamelo saber si usted tiene alguna pregunta.

      Gracias por todo su apoyo!

      Jenny M-G

December 18, 2014

Dear Parents,

     It has been my privilege to work with your wonderful children this semester!  We have learned a lot and worked and grown, both individually and as a class.  I love seeing the progress our students are making!  I encourage you to encourage your great kid to get on i-Ready for Reading and Math over the break if he/she can.  Most of the students love it since it meets them at their level and slowly stretches them while rewarding their hard work with fun games after they finish their lessons.  (Remember that your student can login with his/her lunch number and abc123.) Teachers love it because it targets the exact skills your child needs to work on and allows us to monitor their progress and growth.  Thanks for all your support and I hope everyone has a fabulous break!!! 

     Jenny M-G

December 8, 2014

     Dear Parents,

      This Friday we will have our Economics test. Your student will be bringing home his/her textbook and journal on Wednesday to study the vocabulary and t-charts with examples of our terms (good, service, entrepreneur, income, budget, consumers, producers, interdependence, capital resources, human resources, natural resources, scarcity, supply, demand, interdependence, opportunity cost, and trade off). Your student can also review on Pebble Go (Spalding Drive webpage, Students, Media Center, Resources, Pebble Go Social Studies) under "All About Money". There are also movies on Brainpop for natural resources and trade. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks for your support!!

Jenny M-G

December 5, 2014

 Dear Parents,

This morning we were exploring how our money is made and how different countries have different currencies. The students wanted me to let you know the website so they could continue exploring the videos and games at home so here it is:
http://www.usmint.gov/kids/ I hope you both enjoy it!

Jenny M-G

December 2, 2014

Dear Parents,

     In Social Studies, we have finished up our Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony unit with our choice board activities and are into our Economics unit.  We have read the story of Kojo, a young Ghanian boy who starts his own business.  Students should be reviewing their vocabulary (currency, goods, services, income, savings, budget, entrpreneur) on Pebble Go this week.  Your student can access Pebble Go on the Spalding webpage under Media Center Resources, Pebble Go, Social Studies, All About Money.  Students should read all the books and watch all the videos - Supply and Demand and Scarcity will need to be reviewed at least twice.  In Science, we have finished our Minerals, Rocks, and Soils unit and will be studying Fossils for the next few weeks. 

     In Reading, we are continuing to examine our texts closely and analyzing and dissecting them in small groups.  These skills will help our students prepare for the Milestone in the spring.  Students are working on their word sorts with Words Our Way.  We also are exploring literature circles and are reading about related Science and Social Studies concepts in our small group rotations.  The students are making great connections!  Please encourage your student to read nightly and take AR tests regularly.

     In Writing, the students have finished their Informational essays on their chosen animal and we are currently working on writing a Persuasive letter.  In Math, we have finished up our unit on Multiplication and Division.   Your student can continue to review on Study Jams and iReady which is the new resource the school has purchased. Your student can login at login.i-ready.com  (lunch # is username and abc123 is password).  We are now into Unit 3 covering Area and Perimeter and will be spiraling graphing and line plots, 2-step word problems, and measurement to the nearest 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch.

Thank you for all your support!

Jenny Magis-Graves

magisgraves@fultonschools.org

STEM lab fun designing and improving towers

November 4, 2014

    Dear Parents,

    In Math we are studying our multiplication strategies and facts and will be moving into division this week.  It would be a great help to your student if you were able to go by the Dollar Store and pick up some multiplication and division flashcards so your student can practice his/her facts for 10 MINUTES each night.  We are reviewing in class and on IXL, but reinforcement is needed for most of our students.  Thanks in advance for your support!!

     In Reading/ELA we are working on analyzing text closely and synthesizing the information into short essays.  We have already done this in our Adaptations unit with the students' gathering notes in their animal research and we are in the process of finishing our informational paper final drafts.  Their posters were wonderful and we all learned a lot about each animals' habitat, adaptations, and threats!  This week we will be working with information the state sent out as an example of what to expect on the Milestone this spring and will be analyzing and synthesizing information from fables.

     In Science, we have moved into studying Minerals, Rocks, and Soils. Today I introduced the students to a cool game on Brainpop called The Ruby Realm as well as other Science and Social Studies games related to our units: Food Chain, Tree Frog Treasure, Construct-a-saurus, Food Fight, Law Craft, and Executive Command.  Brain Pop is a wonderful resource for reviewing Science and Social Studies standards!  In STEM lab, we finished our experiment on how huddling closely on cave walls is a behavioral adaptation that helps bat pups survive.

    Please remember that next Wednesday, 11/12 is an Early Release Day.  Thank you for all of your support!


     Jenny M-G