Weekly Update

Team Summit Weekly Update

9/18/09

Dear Families,

What a fantastic week of learning we have had in 3rd and 4th grade! We started our Native American unit this week. We explored many books about the various tribes and geographic regions and started our project. We are making canoes and traditional Native American anklets. Throughout this unit, all 3rd and 4th grade students will study the Eastern Woodland tribes but in addition, each class will also study another tribe more in depth. We will study the Northwestern tribes. We are very excited about this. Ask your child why. The Northwestern tribes used totem poles, and we will make our own. For this project, we need empty paper towel rolls, so if you have any extras, please send them in with your child next week. Thank you for supporting our projects in school. As a grade level, we will host a Native American Open House, an evening event to which parents and other family members are invited. More information about this special event will follow.

Word Study started this week as well. Many students went home with their first spelling lists on Monday. The students are encouraged to practice their words every day and choose spelling activities from the green sheets inside their homework folders. Please remember these are only ideas and suggestions, if your child wants to show his/her understanding and spelling another way, please let me know. The parent signature sheet with the three spelling activities is due on Fridays, along with the Reading Log. Please keep the spelling lists at home for future practice. Thank you.

We visited the Computer Lab for the first time together this week too! Starting next week, we will go once a week to learn various computer skills.

We finished our first read aloud together and I have a feeling we will miss the wonderful stories the character Gooney Bird Greene shared with us!! We learned that we all have “invisible stories” to tell; we just have to recognize their value. The students worked very diligently this week collecting ideas for possible future stories and recognizing their own invisible stories. Ask your child to share with you some of the story ideas we came up with.

We started “Traveling around the World” this week as well. Throughout the year, we will learn about different countries and places as we track my sister as she travels around the world. First, we will visit Sweden, my native country. We have already learned that Sweden has a monarchy, which is different from the US republic. I shared the story how the Bernadottes became the royal family of Sweden in the 1800s. Ask your child if he/she can tell you this story (hint: it has something to do with France’s Emperor Napoleon).

Lastly, please remember that Picture Day is next Tuesday, 9/22/09. If you wish for your child to have his/her picture taken, please return the forms to the school.
Our first Field-trip is scheduled for next Wednesday, 9/23/09. If you have volunteered to join us, please arrive at the school at 8:00am as we will leave at 8:15am. Please do not forget to pack lunch and warm, weather-appropriate clothing as most activities will be outside.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Regards,

Maria McCormack