NICOLAI NEWS

10-8-10


 

EDITOR’S NOTE

Midterms will be sent out today for any student that is scoring on Not Meeting in any category on Pinnacle.  We practiced more disaster drills and fire drills this week.  There is no school on Monday, October 15th due to Columbus Day and no school on Tuesday, October 16th due to a Teacher’s Institute Day.

 

LITERACY

We started guided reading this week during our center time.  Guided reading is where students are in groups based on their reading level; however the groups are flexible and will change throughout the year.

 

Strategy:         questioning (expository nonfiction)

Next Week:     questioning (expository nonfiction)

Genre:             exploring non-fiction

Next Week:     exploring non-fiction

Text Elements/Structure: cause and effect, problem/solution, compare/contrast

Next week:      cause and effect, problem/solution, compare/contrast

Writing Trait/Craft:    organization

Next week:      organization

Writing Mode/Unit of Study:  feature article (expository)

Next week:      feature article (expository)

Grammar/Conventions:  synonyms, antonyms, verbs, adverbs

Next week:      synonyms, antonyms, verbs, adverbs

Spelling:          prefix (tri-), review prefixes and suffixes

Next week:      possibly start Sitton spelling (more information will come soon about the spelling program)

Vocabulary:    keen, ideal, flee, resemble, blotch, lethal

Next week:      no vocabulary

 

MATH

Students reviewed the partial-sums algorithm used to solve multi-digit addition problems; started to learn a column-addition method similar to the traditional addition algorithm; practiced measuring length to the nearest half-centimeter; constructed and used bar graphs for a set of collected data; reviewed the trade-first and counting-up methods; started learning the partial-differences method of solving multi-digit subtraction problems; and practiced estimating differences for multi-digit subtraction problems.  They also took their Unit 2 test on Thursday.

Next week:      They will review “What’s My Rule?” problems; review strategies for solving multiplication facts; and work toward instant recall of the multiplication facts.

 

SCIENCE

Students learned about birds, fish, and mammals.

Next week:      They will learn about amphibians.

 

IMPORTANT DATES

10/11  No School

10/12  No School

 

jnicolai@d41.org

(630) 534-7330