Welcome back everyone! It's amazing how quickly everyone gets back into the swing of things after enjoying those lazy, hazy, summer days.  Hopefully many of you will be checking out the website and this newsletter.  I will update this page monthly, letting you know what is going on in our class.

Literacy

We will begin by spending a lot of time looking a some great picture books written by some amazing and talented authors.  We will use several picture books to model great writing strategies:  Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, All the Places to Love by Patricia Maclaughlan, Letting Swift River Go, by Jane Yolen, and Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street.  We will look at how authors use memorable writing to create images in our minds while we read, how authors incorporate the senses to pull us into their stories, and where story ideas come from.  We will also begin a writing notebook where we will jot down some ideas about what to write about and memories that we never want to forget.  Our first essay will be about our three favorite things. 

Math

We are continuing to explore mathematical concepts through the use of Investigations.  The unit we will start this year off with is Factors, Multiples, and Arrays.  I think you will all be pleased to know that the Investigations program now includes a student resource book and consumable workbook that will be taken to and from school.

Social Studies

Map and Globe Skills are first on the agenda in Social Studies.  We will familiarize ourselves with the globe: lines of latitude and longitude; the Prime Meridian; the equator; and cardinal directions.