Group 2: May 31 - June 4, 2010

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

What an exciting way to end our year!

• Group 2 went on a field trip to New England Coffee, the largest independent roaster and distributor of coffee in New England, located in Malden, MA. We were briefed on our tour in the company's conference room by Account Manager, Tim Hodgkins. Then we donned "New England Coffee tour hats" to keep our hair from contaminating the factory. Our factory tour guide showed us the five huge roasters that roast the beans at a temperature of 400 degrees! We viewed the coffee bean in many stages: roasting, grinding, flavoring, packaging and shipping. We met so many interesting people and learned the importance of each position. Each student received gift bags which contained a travel mug, a writing journal, note cards, a pen and some mints. Thank you to the clever ladies in Marketing for this generous package! Also, each student received a complimentary bag of ground coffee to take home to their parents. The smells were very interesting and the noises were extremely loud! Our tour concluded with a pizza lunch in the conference room and a debriefing session of our tour! Thank you to New England Coffee for a great experience. (Also a big "thank you" to Lauren Poussard for escorting us on the trip!)
• As we watched our caterpillars grow and develop into chrysalides, we waited anxiously for their development into butterflies. Sure enough, perfect timing fell upon us! Slowly each one burst from its cocoon and our 10 Painted Lady butterflies were born and prospered in the butterfly habitat. We named each one and set them free into their natural environment. It was a bittersweet good-bye!
• We finished reading our group book, Stuart Little, and look forward to viewing the movie!

Monday 5/31/10

• A great big thanks to our veterans! Enjoy your day off and remember the importance of the day.

Tuesday 6/1/10

• Today is our last full-day of school!
• We will complete any unfinished work and watch Stuart Little.

Wednesday 6/2/10

• Dismissal at 12Noon
• Group 4, Laurie's class, invited Group 2 to attend their performance of an African folktale at 9:30. We will thoroughly enjoy the show!
• Please bring in a couple of bags so that we can clean our bins and cubbies!

Thursday 6/3/10

• Field Day/ Books & Awards/Art Show: 9:00am - 2:00pm. Please see the WAG e-mail for details!

Friday 6/4/10

• No school! Today is Graduation Day for our 8th graders- CONGRATULATIONS!

Have a wonderful summer break. Please be safe and healthy! I will miss all of you!

I look forward to seeing parents on Parent/Teacher Conference day on Thursday, June 10!

Group 2: May 24 - 28, 2010

The end is near!

This is officially our last academic week.
Grades close on Thursday, May 27, 2010.
There is NO school on Friday, May 28 -Teacher Development Day.

We had a busy week which included the following activities:

• Geography: Group 2 took an assessment on the USA, North America and the World.
• Historic Figures: We did very well on a quiz on Harriet Tubman and Helen Keller.
• Writing: We wrote very interesting and detailed stories on "the topic of your choice" in our Writing Journals.
• Science: We witnessed the birth of our butterflies! We had a very exciting week in science as our study of the Life Cycle of a Butterfly reached new levels. Our chrysalises (which formed from our larvae/caterpillars) emerged into butterflies. By the end of the week we had 8 Painted Lady Butterflies with beautiful flapping wings! We also studied ants, spiders, snails and the earthworm.

Monday, 5/24/10

• Reading: Keep reading and please pass in any book reports that you have completed!
• WW: List 29- brook, caress, gleam, hare, harsh, idle, numerous, rascal, secret, shed, timid, wiggle. We will have our WW test early this week due to the shortened week. Please make flash cards and study over the weekend! This will be our final WW test for this school year!
• Spelling Worksheet Review is due.

Tuesday 5/25/10

• Reading Comprehension- next section.
• WW: Pre-test.

Wednesday 5/26/10

• WW: List 29- Exercises A, C, D.
• WW: TEST.

Thursday 5/27/10

• Grades End!
• FIELD TRIP for Group 2! We are touring the New England Coffee Company's plant in Malden. Group 2 will continue our Social Studies lesson on "Who Provides Services in the Community?" and "How Are Goods are Made and Brought to Us?" We will witness how the coffee bean is roasted, ground, flavored, packaged, shipped and marketed for consumption by the consumer! Upon completion of the tour, New England Coffee will serve a pizza lunch to Group 2 in the company conference room! We will depart Clark around 9:45AM and return around 1:00PM.
• YMCA: Last session.

Friday 5/28/10

• NO School: Teacher Development Day.

Group 2: May 17 - 21, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE LEETE!
You are a star!

The students did a great job with the All School Testing.
What an ambitious and focused group of students!

We spent three mornings testing and the rest of the week we learned about the following interesting topics:

• Alexander Bell and his dedication to teaching the deaf and perfecting the telephone...
• The amazing life of Helen Keller and her quest to learn to communicate as a deaf and blind person...
• Simple and compound subjects and predicates...
• The Life Cycle of a Butterfly and its 4 phases: the egg, the caterpillar, the chrysalis and the adult butterfly...
• Letter writing...
• Our group read aloud: "Stuart Little"...

Monday 5/17/10

• Reading: Read your SSR and work in book reports. This is our last book report therefore we need to complete it by the end of the week utilizing our best writing and comprehension skills!
• WW: List 28- combat, fleet, globe, hale, hoard, keg, knave, mount, plunder, ply, stingy
• Spelling Word Families: -ore, -ose
• Spelling Words to remember: carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, propose, suppose
• Write-on-Track: pages 75 - 76

Tuesday 5/18/10

• Spelling Word Family Worksheet

Wednesday 5/19/10

• LIBRARY Day: This will be our last trip to the library for the 2009/2010 school year! Please remember to bring all books as well as any fines that may be owed.
• Reading: Reading Comprehension Book- next section.
• Art Show: 2 - 3PM

Thursday 5/20/10

• WW: List 28- Exercises A, C, D
• WW: Pre-test

Friday 5/21/10

• Grades End. Pass in all book reports and finished work to recieve credit!
• WW: List 28- Test

Group 2: May 10 - 14, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!
I hope that the moms had a wonderful day and enjoyed the creative gifts from your children!

"All School Testing" is this Monday -Wednesday, 8:30AM - 12Noon.
Please get alot of rest and eat a good breakfast!
Remember to bring in pencils and water bottles!

Monday 5/10/10

• Reading: Read your SSR books and work in your Book Reports.
• Write-on-Track: We have been working in your workbook all week as morning work. Please make sure that you have completed pages 69 - 74.
• WW: List 27- approve, colt, dock, except, graze, knoll, meadow, nozzle, orchard, perch, spar, twinkle.
• Spelling Words: -oat, oke families

Tuesday 5/11/10

• Spelling Word Worksheet is due.
• Reading: Read SSR and work in book reports.
• NO late pick-up: Teacher's Meeting.

Wednesday 5/12/10

• Reading Comprehension : Next section.
• Art Show: 2 - 3 PM

Thursday 5/13/10

• WW: List 27- Exercises A, C, D.
• WW: Pre-test, List 27.

Friday 5/14/10

• WW: Test- List 27 and Spelling Words.

LouAnn's Gold/Green Book: May 3 - 7, 2010

Welcome Back!
I hope that you enjoyed your trip!

As we discussed, there will not be any math homework due on Monday.
However, if you feel ambitious please feel free to work in your math book!

As a reminder, all Mathathon books and donations are due now!

Before class begins: please visit the restroom, see Betsy if you need her and come to class prepared.

The following list will be helpful in your successful math production:

• A math notebook with graph paper or a math binder/folder
• 2 pencils- sharpened
• Water bottle
• Assignment Notebook
• A ruler
• A great attitude!

Thanks and see you Monday!

Group 2: May 3 - 7, 2010

What a fun-filled, exciting and successful week!

This is how our wonderful week unfolded:

• Writing: We described a " friend" in our Writing Journals utilizing strong descriptive words, good organization, proper sentence structure and neat handwriting!
• Reading: We are progressing in our SSR books. The following books are being read: Grace: Wild Girl, Taylor: Lucy Rose, Elodie: Summer According to Humphrey, Zoe: Wimpy Kid, Dog Days, Sam: 39 Clues, Ben: The Missing Tooth, Joseph: Jake Drake Know-It-All.
• Geography: Zoe gave a presentation on her trip to Venice. She read excerpts from her travel journal which were very informative and entertaining. We learned about Zoe's adventures, places visited and
  yummy dining experiences. Thank you Zoe!
• Historical Figures: We successfully took a quiz on Abraham Lincoln and learned about the amazing life of Helen Keller!
• In celebration of "Earth Day" we viewed the Disney production, "Oceans", at the Liberty Tree Mall cinema with Group1. We learned a great deal about the wonders of the ocean and its innumerable and incredibly diverse creatures. We were introduced to fascinating and unusual sea life, their habitats and the ongoing life cycle. The ocean is a beautiful place but, unfortunately, human indifference is its biggest threat. We all need to be conscious that the ocean is a major source of life and we need to preserve its integrity by eliminating pollution and demonstrating respect for this incredible wonder!
• Science: These brilliant students were challenged with a Science quiz on the Group 2 Science Fair projects!
• Science: We visited Endicott Park in Danvers for playground activity and a picnic. Since we are starting our studies on invertebrates, we brought our bug catchers and caught some very interesting creatures!
• "Snow Day": We visited "Monkey Joe's" and jumped around for about an hour and a half! We made ice cream sundaes and watched a fun and entertaining movie, "Big Fat Liar"! Thank you Jeff for a great "Snow Day"!

Monday 5/3/10

• "21" more days of school!
• WW: List 26- aide, arbor, bouquet, dread, eager, hose, plow, plump, quell, stalk, tunnel, urban
• Spelling Word Families:, -ine and REVIEW of -ice, ide, ime, ite families

Tuesday 5/4/10

• Reading: Book report conferences!

Wednesday 5/5/10

• 1/2 Day!! Dismissal at 12Noon.
• Spring Performance: 5 - 9PM
• "LIBRARY Day": please bring in your books and fines if applicable!
• Reading Comprehension- next section.

Thursday 5/6/10

• WW: List 26- Exercises A,C,D
• WW: Pre-test

Friday 5/7/10

• WW: Test, List 26

Group 2: April 26 - 30, 2010

We wish the Clark School Spring Trip attendees a wonderful week as they visit Chicago and Washington, D.C.!

Monday 4/26/10

• Reading: Continue in your SSR book and book reports!
• WW: List 25- aid, beggar, chord, creak, ornate, peak, pray, rapid, slender, talon, tend, urn.
• Spelling Word Families: -ice, -ide
• Spelling Word worksheet is due.

Tuesday 4/27/10

• Earth Day: To acknowledge and celebrate Earth Day (April 22, 2010) Groups 1 & 2 are attending Disney's special feature, "Oceans" at the Woburn Showcase Cinema at 10:00A.M. We will be transporting the students in the Clark School van. Following the movie, the students will have a picnic lunch at Endicott Park in Danvers, play in the playground and take a nature walk! Please pack a "picnic" appropriate snack and lunch! (We will not have access to a microwave!) We will be providing a small snack for munching during the movie. Jeanne Argento (Sam Kirby's mom) will donate waters for our excursion- THANK YOU Jeanne!


• Historic Figures: Quiz on Abraham Lincoln - please review your study guide on one of the greatest presidents of all time!

Wednesday 4/28/10

• Science: Please use the study guide for a quiz on the Group 2 Science Fair Projects. We will be quizzed on Germs, Mold, Barometers, Robots, Coqui Frogs, The Life Cycle of Frogs and The Human Skeleton!
• Reading Comprehension: Next section is due.

Thursday 4/29/10

• WW: List 25, Exercises A, C, D and Pre-test

Friday 4/30/10

• "SNOW DAY": Today is a" Snow Day" for Group 2! Since Mother Nature did not cooperate with us this year, Jeff has graciously offered to provide Group 2 with our own "virtual snow day"! Our day will include: Monkey Joe's , recess, "Make-Your-Own-Sundaes" and a movie (TBD)!
• WW: Test- List 25

Group 2: April 19 - April 23, 2010

Happy Patriot's Day!

Good luck to all of you who are running the Boston Marathon!

The Clark School Auction was not only a wonderful success but an enjoyable and fun evening.
The Silent Auction was very competitive not to mention the mind-boggling trivia contest!
Congratulations to all the winners!

Welcome Back Zoe! We missed you during your stay in Venice! Zoe is finalizing her travel journal and will share her experiences and adventures with us this week. What a great geography lesson this will be!

Another great week:

• Alicia Quintano, the storyteller, visited with Groups 1 & 2 on Wednesday morning. She and her sidekick Koala puppet, Pierre, entertained the students with great folklore stories and humorous songs. The students were challenged as they participated in Alicia's writing workshop which involved responding to a writing prompt to create an imaginative story and illustration. Upon completion, students were encouraged to present their stories to the class. What great writers we have!
• Group 2 completed wonderful writing pieces on their science projects in their journals. We are becoming more conscientious about our organization, word usage, capitalization, punctuation and handwriting.
• We are thoroughly enjoying our Group Book, Stuart Little, and Stuart's many challenges and adventures!
• In geography, we learned that there are six time zones in the United States and 24 time zones in the world! Do you know that there is a one hour difference between each time zone? California is the only state that has five time zones!
• In Social Studies, we discussed how communities change and the causes and effects of this process.
• In science, we discussed animal habitats and how they build their homes to meet their needs.
• In Historical Figures, we completed our readings on our favorite president, Abraham Lincoln, and an art project.
• In Math, students are very busy completing their Mathathon books. The completed booklets and the pledge sheets and money are due this week to Denise. Thank you for your participation for this great cause!

Monday 4/19/10

• NO School- Happy Patriot's Day!

Tuesday 4/20/10

• Reading: Please continue in your SSR books and work in your book reports. We will conference on your progress!
• Wordly Wise, List 24: aroma, await, banish, bloom, disguise, dwelling, hasty, overcome, puff, pursue, sly, tumble.
• Spelling Word Families: -ee, -eed.
• Spelling Word Family worksheet is due!

Wednesday 4/21/10

• Library Day!
• Reading Comprehension- next section.

Thursday 4/22/10

• WW: Exercises A, C, D
• WW: Pre-test

Friday 4/23/10

• WW: Test- please know definitions!

April 12 - 16, 2010

SCIENCE is the word of the week!

On Tuesday, we spent quality time taping our Science Fair presentations. On Thursday, we continued to practice our presentation format and role played with the class to fine-tune our discussions.

On Friday, Group 2 was very professional as they presented their Science Fair projects. The students chose very interesting and educational topics. Their creativity was very impressive. The Group 2 classroom was abound with a plethora of information as family, friends, teachers and peers visited the intriguing exhibits and expanded their scientific knowledge base. As an additional benefit, we enjoyed munching on creative topic-related snacks. Move over Einstein!

The following topics were presented:

1. Taylor: "Germs". We learned that the four types of germs are bacteria, virus, protozoa and fungi. Did you know that there are more germs on a keyboard than a toilet seat?! An assortment of the 4 kinds of germs were offered in the form of colorful candy nerds...
2. Gracie: "Coqui Frogs". Coqui frogs are found only in South America, Central America, Caribbean and Hawaii and grow to the size of a quarter. "Gummy" frogs tasted sweet and chewy!
3. Elodie: "Barometers". Barometers predict weather but not the temperature. The homemade barometer was very creative and proved the accuracy of Elodie's prediction. The Poland Spring bottles and marshmallow treats, which represented the water and clouds, were key elements of the experiment.
4. Sam: "Bones". The human skeleton has 420 bones as an infant and an adult has 260 bones. The bones are not lost but fused as the infant grows. Bones are made up of three matters: spongy bone, bone marrow and the shell. It was nice to have an opportunity to munch on some bones as Sam provided us with "bone" shaped cookies.
5. Joseph: "Life Cycle of a Frog". Frogs are classified as amphibians, one of the categories of the invertebrates. Our classroom tadpoles, Annakin and Padme, demonstrated one of the phases of the frog life cycle. It will take 12 weeks before our little friends become adult frogs with a developed pulmonary system, ready to face life on land.
6. Ben: "Mold". There are good and bad forms of mold. "Good" mold was discovered as a medicinal cure in the form of penicillin. "Bad" mold develops on moist surfaces and unattended food as airborne mold spores find a home. We witnessed the formation of mold on several different food products. Not a pretty sight! However, the fresh strawberry shortcake was a nice alternative!
7. Zoe: "Robots". Robots originated back in the 1920's and have developed into quite sophisticated and popular parts of society. From Hollywood to the manufacturing world, famous robots such as C3P0, Rosie from the Jetsons and R2D2 have proven that these wonders are highly capable of many tasks. Zoe's personal robot creation, Athena 2, is voice activated and made her debut at the Fair. Necco candy wafers were a hit since they are made by robots at the Necco Candy factory in Revere, MA!

Monday 4/12/10

• Reading: Please bring is a copy of Stuart Little for our Group Read! Continue to read your SSR books and work in your Book Reports. As a reminder, the following students and their prospective SSR books are below: Elodie: Mrs. Yonkers is Bonkers, Sam Kirby: Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story Ben Armour: Little Prince Know-It-All, Taylor: How Tia Lola Came to Stay, Joseph: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Grace: Wild Girl
• Wordly Wise, List 23: armor, bind, column, discover, gradual, groove, helm, ominous, peek, recover, voyage, wealthy, yearn.
• Spelling Word Families: -eam, -eat

Tuesday 4/13/10

• Write-on-Track: Please complete pages 58 - 60. (This was part of our AM work last week!)
• Book reports: We will conference on your completed pages!

Wednesday 4/14/10

• "Look- Alike" Day: This is a day to dress like your "hero" or someone special to you!
• Storyteller Visit: PAC has arranged for a storyteller to visit with Groups 1 & 2 as an enrichment program for English Language Arts. Alicia Quintano will meet with the students from 9 - 11:00AM. Thank you very much to PAC!
• Reading: Reading Comprehension books, next section. Please remember to highlight the sections that include your answers. Also, for students with a "Write About" section, please attach lined paper to your books and write at least 4 - 5 sentences, utilizing proper writing techniques to write your responses!

Thursday 4/15/10

• WW: List 23 Exercises A, C, D
• WW: Pre-test

Friday 4/16/10

• WW: List 23, Test- Please KNOW your definitions!

April 5 - 9, 2010

I hope that those of you who celebrate Easter had a wonderful day!

Rain, rain go away come again another day!
We can finally see the light.

Althought the weather is improving, Clark School has not approved shorts for recess just yet. Since cool and muddy conditions still prevail, we recommend that you continue to bring in jackets and possibly "outdoor shoes" with a change of shoes for indoor wear to minimize dirt in the buildings. Thank you for your cooperation!

We had an exciting week:

• Zoe presented her Science Fair project on robots. Robots are very interesting and we learned so much! What a great job, Zoe! Learn more at the Science Fair...
• The class completed reading our Group Book, Ramona Quimby, Age 8. We successfully completed the comprehension tests and the majority of the class book report. Great job, Group 2! Hopefully, we will meet as a group this summer to view the new Ramona and Beezus movie at our local cinema.
• In geography, we reviewed the six regions of the US and learned about the 10 different climate zones of the US. Do you know in which climate we live? Do you know which state has more than five climate zones within its borders? Answers below!
  

Monday 4/5/10

• Today is Opening Day for the Red Sox! Please wear Red Sox attire! Hats are acceptable. Also, we are serving Fenway cuisine: Hot Dogs for $1.00 (a maximum of three per person!) and Chips, $.50. Please bring in your money if you would like to purchase lunch!
• Reading: Continue with your "SSR" book and work those book reports! Please read each night for at least 20 minutes. I will conference with you on the book reports today!
• Wordly Wise: List 22- ashore, bridal, common, coy, error, infant, injure, pedal, pygmy, rash, retire, reward
• Spelling Word Families: -ail , -ain
• Also, Pizza Day order forms have been e-mailed for the last quarter. Please complete and make your payments if you would like Friday pizza!

Tuesday 4/6/10

• Science: Science Fair Taping- please bring in your materials! Also, your presentation will go smoother if you write your information on index cards and allow 3 - 5 minutes for your talk.

Wednesday 4/7/10

• LIBRARY Day!
• Reading: Reading Comprehension, next section

Thursday 4/8/10

• Wordly Wise: Exercises A, C, D
• WW: List 22, Pre-test

Friday 4/9/10

• Science: Science Fair for Groups 1, 2, 3 will take place in the individual group classrooms, 2 - 3:00PM. Please remember to bring in the "snack" that represents your project. All family and friends are welcome to join us!
• Wordly Wise: List 22, Test

ANSWERS:

1. We live in the Continental Moist climate zone.

2. California has five climate zones within its borders- wow!

March 29 - April 2 - Group 2

NO Homework!
(OOPS, sorry- April Fool's!)

The weeks just keep flying by...

• Our beta fish pet, Blue, has company as 2 tadpoles, Anakin and Padme, have joined our class. Thank you to Joseph for bringing in his Star Wars frog habitat for Group 2 to observe the life cycle of frogs. As we have learned, frogs are amphibians- one of the five categories of vertebrates!
• "Bon voyage" to Zoe as she embarks on her excursion to Italy. She will be missed! We look forward to learning more about Venice, Italy and Europe, one of our seven continents, upon Zoe's return.
• Thank you to Denise and Group 5G for assisting Group 2 with their Science Fair projects. As a reminder, those who have not yet completed their boards and presentation materials, the taping will take place on Tuesday, April 6 and the Science Fair is on Friday, April 9 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm.
• Please remember to READ at least 20 minutes each night and work in your book reports!

Monday 3/29/10

• Reading: Please read and keep working in your book reports.
• WW: Please review List 21 words and complete the crossword puzzle on page 89.
• WW: List 21- ancient, banner, compel, debt, helmet, miserable, moist, plume, remote, request, royal, stubborn, tantrum, uproar
• Spelling: Word Families -ave, -ate
• Scholastic Book order: Please review the book selections, complete the form and submit your order and your payment this week!

Tuesday 3/30/10

• Science Fair project: work on completing your tri-fold, experiments and accompanying snack.

Wednesday 3/31/10

• Reading: Reading comprehension books- next section.

Thursday 4/1/10

• NO SCHOOL!! - Sorry, APRIL FOOL'S!
• WW: Exercises A, C, D
• WW: Pre-test

Friday 4/2/10

• WW: Test (you must know your definitions!)

March 22 - 26, Group 2

WELCOME BACK!

I know that you must be energized for a jam-packed and fun-filled week!

What does this week hold?
As the 3rd quarter comes to a close this Friday, we will continue to read our group book, Ramon Quimby, Age 8, prepare our Science Fair projects, review our knowledge on the six regions of the United States, finalize our science unit on vertebrates and introduce invertebrates, continue our poetry discussions and write in our Writing Journals, produce quality book reports and visit the library!


Monday 3/22/10

• Reading: Continue to read your independent reading book each night and work in your book reports.
• Wordly Wise: Please review upcoming WW homework assignments, plan to complete exercises accordingly and reciew words.
• WW: List 20- accept, border, burden, carriage, hue, mild, mutter, nil, obstinate, scorch, snip, summit, vow
• Spelling: Word Families -ake, -ame

Tuesday 3/23/10

• Science Fair Project: Please bring in all Science Fair project materials.

Wednesday 3/24/10

• "Library Day"


• Science Fair Project: Group 5 students will come in and assist Group 2 students organize information, coordinate the tri-fold board and plan their presentation.

Thursday 3/25/10

• Wordly Wise: Complete List 20 Exercises A, C, D


• Wordly Wise: Pre-test


• Reading: Reading Comprehension book- complete next section.

Friday 3/26/10

• Wordly Wise: Test, List 20

School Vacation- Gold Math Book

Just a reminder that there is "NO" homework over the spring break!

Enjoy your vacation!

See you soon-
LouAnn:)

March 8 -19, Group 2

ENJOY your vacation!

Please remember that your only homework includes the following:

1. Science Fair project:

• Choose a topic
• Research
• Gather information/photos
• Secure a tri-fold board
• Plan your presentation
• Brainstorm on "props" that you may need to make your presentation more effective and a "snack" that relates to the subject mattter.

2. Reading:

• Read your independent reading book and work on your Book Reports!

3. Have fun and be safe!

Week of March 1, Group 2

This is our last week before March vacation: March 8 - 19!

What great presentations we witnessed this week as Group 2 continued presenting their Historical Figures presentations! Ben enlightened us on the many inventions of Alexander Graham Bell. Zoe shared some great information on the life and travels of Marco Polo. Grace provided interesting background information on our 44th president, Barack "Barry" Obama!


Monday 3/1/10

• "Wild About Reading" Book Log is due today!
• Reading: Read and work in book reports
• Reading: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 Chapters 1- 2 Take Home Quiz
• WW: List 19: abundant, anchor, creek, distant, harness, pantry, peer, rap, reel, roam, sturdy, tint, tug. Please study spelling and definitions and make flashcards if necessary!

Tuesday 3/2/10

• Reading: Continue to work in book reports. Please do not start a new report until you complete and pass in the one you are currently working on! One book report at a time!
• HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY Joe Strangie!

Wednesday 3/3/10

• Library Day: Please bring in your books/fines before vacation!
• Reading: Reading Comprehension Book- next section. Please take your time reading and review your answers carefully. Also, check your spelling and sentence structure!
• Historic Figures presentation: Sam Kirby presents on Albert Einstein!

Thursday 3/4/10

• WW: List 19 - Exercises A, C, D
• WW: Pre-test

Friday 3/5/10

• WW: Test, List 19

Week of February 22- Group 2

This was a fun and productive 4-day week!

We were very busy with the following activities:

• We began our "Group Read", Ramona Quimby, Age 8.


• We visited the library.


• We hosted a very sweet and industrious student visitor, Victoria!


• We enjoyed three very interesting and informative Historic Figures presentations by Joseph (Neil Armstrong), Taylor (Amelia Earhart) and Elodie (Dalai Lama). The students were very well-prepared, professional and engaging! We look forward to presentations by Grace, Sam, Ben and Zoe this week.

My daughter, Alexandra, turned "Sweet" 16 this week and successfully received her Learner's Permit- CONGRATULATIONS Alex!

Monday 2/22/10

• Reading: Read and progress in Book Reports.
• WW: List 18: admire, announce, antlers, beam, caldron, gash, hail, hinge, jagged, pier, rude, shallow and Dolch Words: start, ten, today, together, try, warm. Please work on the exercise pages and review spelling and definitions!

Tuesday 2/23/10

• Reading: Read and progress in Book Reports.
• WW: Practice your words!

Wednesday 2/24/10

• Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section. Please take your time and review your answers carefully!
• Historic Figures: Presentations by Grace and Ben.

Thursday 2/25/10

• WW: List 18- Exercises A, C, D
• WW: Pre-test
• Historic Figures: Presentations by Zoe and Sam.

Friday 2/26/10

• WW: Test, List 18

Week of February 15 - Group 2

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday Honest Abe Lincoln!

Enjoy your day off as we celebrate President's Day!

We had a very interesting week as the students gave "Career Day" presentations for Social Studies.
Since we are studying service occupations in a community, each student chose a career/occupation, researeched the career, dressed-up as someone in that field and presented the class with very valuable and interesting information.

Taylor, a very impressive dentist dressed in a colorful "lab coat smock", discussed that dentistry goes back to 7000B.C. She informed us that healthy teeth are imperative for eating and pretty smiles!

Joseph, the zoo keeper, informed us that his duties include caring for animals, collecting data and entertaining and informing zoo visitors. He was very well dressed in his button down shirt, khaki shorts and hat. In order to perform his job he needs a bucket, food, clipboard and a poker!

Sam "wowed" us as he came dressed in his hard hat, safety goggles and sweatshirt from Atlantic Millwrights (Sam's dad's business). He discussed how a "rigger" is instrumental in the installation and removal of equipment in factories, construction sites, hopsitals and businesses. Mr. Kirby recently removed a 4,000lb cocolate mixer from the Necco Candy factory!

Ben, owner and operator of B & L Screams ice cream shop, came very prepared with his apron filled with an ice cream scoop, sprinkles and spoons. You need to be nice, like kids and own an ice cream truck to be a successful store owner. He graciously scooped vanilla and chocolate ice cream for us to sample. It was a "yummy" presentation!

Zoe, the Head Scientist, discussed her position as a clinical molecular geneticist. She works at a lab where she tests to help doctors discover what is wrong with patients. She also does research and teaching. We learned that science means "knowing" in Latin. Her giant test tubes were very impressive!

Elodie, the teacher, came well-prepared with her spectacles, briefcase, biology textbook and work sheets.
She informed us that you need to attend college for 4 years to become a teacher. She was such a nice teacher that she gave us onlyone Word Search for homework!

Grace, the physician, informed us that she works in an office and a hospital. She needs her scrubs, stethoscope and prescription pad to properly perform her duties. She helps both children and adults get better. The first doctors were tribal healers! Nobody volunteered for a flu shot!

Outstanding performances by all! I was very impressed and proud of the Group 2 students and their hard work and professional presentations


Monday 2/15/10

• Happy President's Day! Enjoy the day-off!
• Please take some time over the long weekend to research material for your Historical Figures presentation. Remember that you need to prepare "handouts" for each student as well as for me! You need to prepare a fact sheet, a photographof this historical figure and a map to indicate where the person was born and lived. The students voted to extend the due date. The following schedule is in place:

Ben: Alexander Graham Bell, February 24

Elodie: Sir Edmund Hillary, February 18

Grace: Barack Obama: February 24

Joseph: Neil Armstrong, February 24

Sam: Undecided, February 25

Taylor: Amelia Earhart, February 18

Zoe: Marco Polo, February 25

• Reading: Read and work on book reports
• WW: List 17: adjoining, awaken, captive, cord, gallows, garment, gloomy, habit, loose, separate, uneasy and Dolch words: seven, shall, show, six, small. Please review spelling and defintions!

Tuesday 2/16/10

• Reading: Read and work in book reports

Wednesday 2/17/10

• Library Visit: Please bring in your books and resolve any overdue fines or lost books!
• Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section. Please take your time and review answers!

Thursday 2/18/10

• WW: List 17, Exercises A,C, D
• WW: Pre-test
• Historical Figures: Presentations by Elodie and Taylor:)

Friday 2/19/10

• WW: Test List 17

Week of February 8- Group 2

Valentines spirit is in the air!

This week was short and sweet!

What did we do?

• reviewed verb tenses
• conferenced on our book reports
• wrote in out writing journals
• re-enforced our map skills
• visited the library
• took our WW test on List 15
• met with Brody, the Cavalier King Charles puppy, and observed changes
• discussed our upcoming "Career Day" project which will take place this Tuesday and Wednesday (please reference the handout for any additional information)
• discussed our upcoming Historic Figures Presentation for the week of February 15

It was a pleasure meeting with parents on Parent/Teacher Conference Day. It is a joy to work with your children each day!

Monday 2/8/10

• Valentine's Day project: please bring in a cardboard box(tissue box, cereal box etc.) to decorate for our Valentine's Day cards.
• Reading: read and work in book reports.
• WW: please plan ahead and work on WW lessons 16 A, C & D.
• WW List 16: brilliant, brood, burrow, chapel, companion, harbor, illustrated, include, messenger, project, remark, tuft and Dolch Words: much, myself, never, only, own, pick. Please review spellings and definitions frequently- make flashcards if it helps!

Tuesday 2/9/10

• Social Studies: Career Day project

Wednesday 2/10/10

• Social Studies: Career Day project
• Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section. Please take your time reading and review your answers. You may want to go back over the story to make sure your comprehension is accurate!

Thursday 2/11/10

• WW: List 16, Exercises A, C, D
• WW: Pre-test

Friday 2/12/10

• Valentine's Day card exchange and Happy Un-Birthday! Please bring in Valentine's Day cards for each classmate. If you bring in cards, you must bring in a card for each one in Group 2! If you would like to share a card with specific individuals in other classes, you may do so, however, you do not have to share with each person in that other class. Everyone in Group 2 should receive a card if you are participating in the exchange!:)
• WW: Test- please study definitions and spelling!

Week of February 1, 2010

Happy February!
I look forward to meeting with parents on Parent/Teacher Conference Day this Thursday, February 4.
Please remember that there is NO SCHOOL on Friday, February 5- Teacher Development Day.

This past week was exciting as we celebrated Ben Armour's 8th birthday with delicious cupcakes created by Chef J.C. Happy Birthday Ben!

Monday was an exciting day as Elodie Poussard taught our Geography lesson on London, England. Elodie was born in England, which is an island in Europe, and she and her family lived there for several years. Lauren, Elodie's mom, and Elodie prepared a wonderful slideshow and amazing "British" snacks for Group 2 to enjoy. We learned some very interesting facts about life across the Atlantic:

• Windsor, home of the castle of the King and Queen of England, is owned by the Queen but enjoyed by all British.
• Elodie and her family played and enjoyed picnics along the banks of the famous Thames River.
• Football, which is actually "soccer", is a popular sport in England.
• The temperature is warmer there and daffodils start to bloom right after Christmas!
• Eodie's sister, Zoe, attended kindergarten in England which is called "reception" and uniforms are required.
• Elodies' mom and brother, Freddie, attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla!
• Each time there a changing of the guard at the Queen's castle a parade is held and the "goat" is the mascot!
• There is a grand hot air balloon festival every March!
• After our presentation, we devoured biscuits (plain and chocolate covered), "tea time" sandwiches made of white bread, cheese and pickles and punch. Thank you Lauren for all the preparation!:)
• There are many interesting words substituitons: We use the phone, the British use the "tellie". We wear pants and they wear "trousers". A speed bump is called a "sleeping policeman". We have "yards and they have "gardens", cookies are biscuits and diapers are nappies!

We learned so much and would love to take a field trip to Windsor (if Jeff will approve!)

We had a great time sharing burgers at Fuddrucker's with each other! Thank you for your support!

Let's "Help Haiti":

• Each classroom has a "Haiti Collection Box" and we are collecting monetary donations for Haiti.
• We will continue to do this over the next several months since this will be an ongoing need.
• Any amount will be greatly appreciated by this country in desperate need.

Monday 2/1/10

• Reading: Please read your independent reading book and work in your book reports!
• WW Word List 15: bog, brief, elude, loyal, nimble, novice, prey, raze, reckless, shabby, singe, sole, topple, wander, wee and Dolch Words: kind, laugh, light, long, much. Please review and study each night!

Tuesday 2/2/10

• WW: Pre-test List 15
• WW: Exercises 15 A, C, D
• Reading: Work in book reports for conferences!
• Social Studies: Work on your "Career Day" project which is due February 9!

Wednesday 2/3/10

• LIBRARY DAY: Please bring in your books and fines- if they apply to you!
• WW: Test, List 15
• Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section is due.

Thursday 2/4/10

• NO SCHOOL: Parent/Teacher Conference Day

Friday 2/5/10

• NO SCHOOL: Teacher Development Day

Week of January 25, 2010- Group 2

We had a short week but a great week!

Reading:
Group 2 visited the library. If you forgot to return your books from last week, please drop them by the library OR bring them in for our next visit on Wednesday, February 3.

The students are making very good progress in their independent reading book reports. Keep up the great work!

Science: We studied the many forms self-defense possessed by vertebrates and made riddle books!

Historic Figures: We read So You Want to Be President? and learned many interesting facts about presidents! Did you know that the White House has a swimming pool, bowling alley and movie theater? Also, the most common president's first name is James with six presidents named James followed by four Johns and four Williams!

Monday 1/25/10

• Fuddrucker's Night Out! We are hoping to meet and dine together as a group around 6:00! Please don't forget your coupon that was sent home and e-mailed which provides Clark School with a donation from Fuddruckers!
• Reading: Please read your independent reading book and work in your book reports.


• WW Word List 14: crop, den, endless, faint, flee, gape, hilarious, horde, prank, prefer, reap, remain, response and Dolch Words: hold, hot, hurt, if, keep. Please study!

Tuesday 1/26/10

• Reading: Work in book reports for a conference!

Wednesday 1/27/10

• Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section

Thursday 1/28/10

• WW: List 14, Exercises A, C, D


• WW: Pre-test

Friday 1/29/10

• WW: Test- please know definitions and spelling!

Have a great week-

LouAnn

January 18, 2010- Group 2

Enjoy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
Please remember today is a good time to honor the efforts and dreams of Mr. King!

Congratulations to Gracie Leete who was awarded Student of the Month!
Great job Grace, you truly deserve it!

We had a very busy and exciting week!

Mr. Tim Hodgkins, Account Manager from New England Coffee, visited with Group 2 to discuss how the coffee production process takes place. We learned that coffee originates as a bean from a cherry tree that is hand- picked mainly in South America, Central America, Africa and even Hawaii. It takes 4,000 coffee beans to make a pound of coffee. The students learned about the roasting, cupping, manufacturing, grinding, packaging and distribution processes. Hopefully we will have an opportunity in the spring to view this process 1st hand on a tour at the New England Coffee manufacturing plant in Malden! The students were the lucky recipients of a gift package from Tim that included a tee shirt, a baseball cap, a bookmark and an information/activity booklet. It was an enlightening and fun afternoon.

Monday 1/18/10

• No School- ENJOY!

Tuesday 1/19/10

• Reading: 30 minutes over the weekend. Please work in your book reports and we will conference on your work!

Wednesday 1/20/10

• LIBRARY Visit!
• Reading Comprehension Books: Next section needs to be completed- take you time and be NEAT!

Thursday 1/21/10

• WW: Pre-test, List 13 & Dolch words
• WW: List 13 exercises A, C, D

Friday 1/22/10

• WW: Test

Regards-

LouAnn:)

Week of January 11, 2010- Group 2

This week flew by!

We visited the library, welcomed a guest speaker from the High School and enjoyed a "Read In"!

Week Highlights:
Geography: We successfully completed a quiz on the hemispheres, equator and Prime Meridian.
Reading: Students are progressing very nicely in their book reports. Group 2 had a very enjoyable "Read In" with Group 1.
Writing: We completed very thoughtful and well-written "thank- you" letters to Santa/relatives who gave us special Christmas gifts.
Science: Sawyer Updike (student from the Clark High School) gave a presentation to Group 2 on viruses, germs and illness prevention. Two weeks ago Sawyer met with the class and observed Group 2's classroom activities in relation to "the passing of germs". He prepared a presentation which discussed ways to prevent the spreading of germs: sneezing into the crook of our arms rather than our hands, using Kleenex, spraying down desks, door knobs and tables regularly. Hopefully the rest of the season will be a very healthy one!
We reviewed our knowledge on producers, consumers and the food chain, completed a quiz on the material and viewed movies on vertebrates and the food chain.

This week's agenda:

Monday 1/11/10

• Reading: 30 minutes and continue to work in your BookReports in progress.
• Geography: Complete handout on World Map and use as a study guide for a review test on maps, the continents and oceans!
• WW List 12: ability, canal, carve, certain, decay, design, doe, ferry, forbidden, ford, keen, purchase, repair, scatter, truce- please study spelling and definitons!
• Dolch Words: cut, done, draw, drink, eight.

Tuesday 1/12/10

• Reading: Keep making progress in Book Reports!
• Social Studies: Guest speaker, Tim Hodgkins, Account Representative from New England Coffee, will meet with Group 2 and discuss how are goods are made and brought to us. The students will learn how coffee originates as a crop and undergoes numerous processes to arrive in the coffee mug!

Wednesday 1/13/10

• CRAZY HAT DAY! Wear your favorite, silly cap, lid, chapeau, sombrero or fedora and keep it on all day!
• Reading: Reading Comprehension Book, next section.

Thursday 1/14/10

• WW: List 12 Pretest (and Dolch Words)
• WW: Exercises 12 A, C, D

Friday 1/15/10

• WW: Spelling/Definition Test.