The forecast is calling for another hot week this week- thankfully we are air conditioned at Lincoln. Just a reminder that your student may bring a water bottle to school to keep hydrated. Some quick notes- school is not in session on Friday for students, we have a spelling test (and 8 pt assignment due) on Wednesday, and I will continue to take classroom Twitter forms if you have yet to turn one in. Also, this week your student applied for a "job" in our classroom- these jobs were developed by the students to help our classroom (and the whole building) running smoothly. Classroom jobs include a Tweeter, class blogger, Lincoln Facebook Page Updater, Tech Help, Librarian, Lunch count, etc. As we go throughout the trimester, we'll evaluate the jobs and our performance in them, then re-apply for new jobs. Students are very excited, and I am glad to offer them one more learning lesson that has incredible applications in the real world. And now, This Week in Switzer:
Reading/DEAR- I tested students last week to get an idea of where they are at as readers; this week, we'll be forming small groups to work on specific skills in the Iowa Core. The first skill we'll tackle is Summarizing for fiction and non-fiction texts. We are also continuing to read through Words of Stone and our comprehension packets. In the about 3 weeks, my pre-service UNI teachers will begin teaching a novel to our students. Please continue to encourage your student to read every evening!
Math- We are working through Topic 2 in our textbook dealing mostly with Number Sense, Order of Operations, and Working with Variables.
Social Studies- Students are studying the present day geography of the United States, and how our history has helped to shape the borders. Your student will also make a clay model of the U.S.!
Science- Students are beginning to work with a brand new curriculum dealing with physical science.
Writing- We talked about ancient Greek farmers, how to write concisely using a prompt and 50 to 100 words, and now we're going to tackle Paper Blogging and iPad tips and shortcuts. I will also work with Mrs. Nelson (Media Center Teacher/ Librarian) on teaching your student to be a safe digital citizen.
Keep your eye on the weather and have a great week!
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Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary
