Hello Families, 
 
The fourth nine weeks is well underway, and before we know it, your child's fifth grade year will be coming to a close. It tends to be a busy time of year with many lessons still to learn, CRCT testing, and excitement over field trips to Lula Lake. 
 
In writing, students are completing persuasive essays and letters. Students were encouraged to pick a topic that held meaning for them, and have therefore written convincing pieces on important topics such as, encouraging people to eat healthy portion sizes, why we need to conserve water, and what we can do to address childhood hunger in America. It is interesting to see young minds address the concerns they see in their daily lives. Make sure to talk with your child about his or her topic and the research or survey they have done to support the idea. 
 
All students have been immersed in historical fiction books these last few weeks. Books set from the early 1930's to post WWII 1940's were chosen since this has been the period of recent focus in social studies. Most students have indicated they understand the social studies topics better after having read a book set in this period of history. 
 
CRCT testing will take place the week of April 14-18. These tests are important and we encourage the students to get ample sleep each night and to eat a healthy breakfast each morning. A few parents are coordinating snacks for the students during testing, so please help out if you can. 
 
Following testing, our writing focus will be poetry. We will be going outside by the pond to read and write on warm days. During these times, it is nice if students can bring a beach towel to sit on. They will need to keep the towel in their backpacks, so make sure it is not an over sized towel.  
 
Your child will be asking you for a favorite family recipe in the next few days. Please share with them the ingredients and directions for this favorite along with any family story that goes with the recipe. 
 
As we wind down our year together it is rewarding to reflect on how the children have grown. These last few weeks of elementary school are always a special time to be together. The children are excited over the changes to come and anxious at the same time. Whatever their next steps are in life, we know they are fully prepared.  
 
We have begun our Spring conferences. If we have not met with you yet, you can expect a request to meet sometime soon. The conferences are a time to check in with you to share our thoughts on your child's growth, and a time for you, as well, to share any concerns with us. 
 
Finally, listed below are a few important dates to put on your calendar. Our remaining time will go quickly, so let's enjoy the ride! 
 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger 
 
April 14-18 CRCT 
April 25th Lula Lake Bluebird Trip 
April 29th Fairyland Festival 
May 5th Students visit Chattanooga Middle School 
May 9th End of Year trip to Lula Lake 
May 14th Young Author's Tea 
May 16th Field Day 
May 23rd Wings Ceremony (5th grade graduation)  

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
Your children have been very busy these past few weeks. Not only have they given 100% of themselves academically, they have continued to fight off the myriad of illnesses typical of this time of year. If your child has escaped a cold, strep, the flu, or a stomach bug, consider him or her lucky! If your child has missed school due to illness, know that extra time will be given to make up missed work. 
 
Students continue to read a variety of books in the classroom. Students have become good judges of what is a "just right" book for them. I encourage students to read from a variety of genres, so if your child seems stuck in fantasy or realistic fiction, please encourage them to try a biography or a historical fiction book. It is also a good idea to listen to your child read aloud at least once a week for a few minutes. This will help you hear one of the ways I give your child a fluency grade.Most students have completed at least four grade level books at this point in the nine weeks. This is what your child's reading goal grade on their progress report referred to. The goal for each nine weeks is to read six grade level books. An element of reading comprehension that we have been reviewing lately is understanding the themes of the book the student is reading. Themes are the life lessons or messages the reader learns through the characters. These are often big ideas like, not judging others, perseverance, or doing our part to make the world better. This would be a great conversation to have with your child about their book. How great it would be for you to model this for them with the books you read! 
 
The oral presentations on the students informational topics went well. The students received their "SPIES" badges recognizing their great investigative skills! The written reports on the same topics are in final stages of the writing process. Students are completing rough drafts, revising, and putting final touches on graphic features like charts, diagrams, pictures with captions, etc...Editing of spelling and punctuation and writing final drafts will occur next week. 
 
Language skills this week included a review of the eight parts of speech. A comprehensive test of the parts of speech, kinds of sentences, and prepositional phrases will be next Wednesday Feb. 27. Your child should have many worksheets to have as study guides. They also have been advised to review their language test from last week. I will probably include a few questions similar to those on that test. 
 
The state Writing Test will be on March 5th this year. Fifth graders across the state will be given the opportunity to show their writing skills. Students will be given a narrative, an informational, or a persuasive writing prompt. We have worked on how to address a particular prompt, how to use time wisely, as well as all the wonderful words, sentences and ideas to portray in their writing. I feel confident they will all do a fine job. 
 
As you can tell, your child works very hard throughout the day. I appreciate their attentiveness in class and their consistent efforts to be the best students they can. Thank you for all your support from home. It makes such a difference! 
 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
I can hardly believe January is over! February's windy, cold weather blasted us today at recess, but it was worth it to spend a little time outdoors. Children have such energy, both physical and creative! Our week has been filled with just this kind of energy. Please read on for more details! 
 
Students continue to spend time in reading class working on their independent reading. This reading time is really more than reading. Students are encouraged to use the many comprehension strategies they've learned throughout the year. As they read they have learned to think about many things. How can I connect to this story or the characters? Does the setting of this story remind me of any place I have been? Can I relate to the characters' experiences? Can I connect any part of this book with another book I have read? We also focus on questions we have as we read. Why did the character do that? What will happen next? For non-fiction texts we can have reactions like "Cool," "I didn't know that,"or, I knew one thing about this topic, but now I have learned something new." All of these are the reactions we want students to have with their reading. The questions and thinking possibilities are endless and encouraged. These are the topics your children are encouraged to write to me about each week in their letters. You can understand why the letters are such an important part of your child's weekly comprehension grade. 
 
In language this week, we focused on two parts of speech. We reviewed prepositions and prepositional phrases, and adjectives. In writing, we continued note taking on our informational research papers. We also had a lesson from Miss Cairns on public speaking. In another week, your child will become "the expert" in the field they are researching. They will need to dress the part or bring a prop to help them take on the character. They will give a five minute presentation on what they have been researching from the "experts" point of view. Make sure to talk to your child about the expert they have become and how they plan to make their presentation creative, informative, and a bit entertaining too! Most students are in final stages of note taking for the written part of the research. They learned this week about determining what facts from their research are important, how to take notes in our own words, how to stay organized with our topics and resources, and how to write a beginning that has a fictional component to pull the reader in! Lessons next week will focus on writing paragraphs, synthesizing and summarizing information, and writing a good ending. 
 
We had a wonderful trip to the Hunter Museum of Art yesterday. The docents guided us on a tour to the various parts of the museum. They helped us learned how to view a piece of art and interpret it in our own way. Our students were shining stars in their knowledge of the artists and techniques thanks to their wonderful instruction from their art teacher, Mrs. Bradford. Many of the pieces of art tied in with our social studies curriculum which made for great conversation and discussion about the periods of history. The fun did not stop when we left the museum. When we arrived back at school, we had picnic (sack) lunches in the class. Then the students went through a rotation of three activities. All activities were related to the early 1900's. Dr. Yonts' showed clips of silent films made at the turn of the century. Students then performed short reader's theater plays while being videoed by a student. I had the students create crayon resist landscape paintings, and Miss Stowe, our young and energetic student teacher, introduced the students to games played by children a century ago! All in all it was a great day filled with learning presented in a fun way! 
 
Thanks for taking the time to be a part of our week. Have a wonderful weekend. 
 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger 
 
 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
We have begun the New Year with a lot of energy and activity! These past few weeks have been spent introducing some new skills, reviewing some others, and getting to know some new members of our class. Read on to hear more. 
Our reading and writing focus this nine weeks is all about non-fiction reading and informational writing. We have spent many lessons looking at magazines, biographies and informational books. The students have learned to recognize the many features of these texts like captions, bold words, headings, glossaries, etc...and the purpose of these features. We've talked about the author's purpose for non-fiction versus fiction and how the author organizes the text. We discussed how we read non-fiction in comparison to fiction. All the while, we looked at various texts and looked for all the things we talked about.  
These reading lessons were great exercises in preparation for writing their own informational pieces. Students began by brainstorming a list of anything they would like to learn more about. From this list, they selected one topic. Then we began the writing process by asking questions about the topic. These questions will drive the research. As we research more, the questions will change, more questions will be asked, and some questions will be dropped. Our informational writing is going on in conjunction with the S.P.I.E.S. project we are doing with Miss Cairns. Ask your child what the acronym stands for. Through this project, they become an "expert" in the topic they are covering and then present an oral report on their research. Mr. Hitchens is also joining us in the project providing lessons on effective internet research.  
We are hoping each student will have a variety of resources for their report. The range of topics being researched is representative of this wonderfully unique group. Please ask your child if they have found a book on their topic. If not, it may be necessary to take a trip to the downtown library. If you have a library card, you can actually search and reserve books on-line. Over the next several weeks, we will see these research reports take shape. All writing will be done at school, but you can certainly help with the process of finding books, magazines, internet articles, etc on your child's topic. Next week, we will focus on note taking, putting text in one's own words, and citing resources.  
Spelling words this past week focused on words with endings, and the part of speech reviewed was adverb. Students also continued to work on their independent reading, letter writing, and vocabulary work. 
We want to welcome some new members to our classes. Hannah Stowe is our student teacher from Covenant College. Ms. Stowe has jumped right in planning and delivering lessons. She has a warm, fun personality, and we are all enjoying having her with us. We also want to welcome two new students to the fifth grade. Zach joins Mrs. Persinger's homeroom, and Cameron is in Dr. Yonts' class. Everyone is doing a great job teaching these boys our class routines and rules. 
Finally, we will be going to the Hunter Museum next Thursday, January 31, on a field trip. It will be fun to look at American Art focusing on the periods of history we study in fifth grade. 
Thanks again for all your efforts at home. The kids do a great job keeping up with their home reading. It is always gratifying to take a breath, look back, and take notice of all their growth!  
Thanks for reading this blog. Let me know if you find it helpful! 
 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger 
 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
The last few weeks have been quite busy, so I apologize for not updating you on what has been going on in reading and writing in the 5th grade. 
 
In our grammar and word study, we have spent the past few weeks working on plural and possessive nouns, kinds of sentences, and sentence fragments. Students are working to incorporate these skills in their own writing. 
 
Most students are beginning to publish their fictional narrative stories. The students have worked hard this nine weeks as they have worked through the writing process. Revisions tend to be the hardest for students because they expect that once a story has an ending, it is finished. We have had many lessons to learn what makes a story interesting to a reader. Students are using sensory details, and their stories have an engaging beginning and a satisfying ending. The plot is exciting for the reader, and dialogue is used throughout. It has been interesting to see the stories change over the month. I hope to have a get together before Christmas break to have you come in to hear your child read his or her story to you. 
 
Students stay busy each day reading from their self-selected books. They continue to respond to the literature in a variety of ways. One way students respond is to give Book Talks on Fridays. During this time, students that have signed up share a review of the book they have completed. This is a great way for students to recommend books to their peers.  
 
I hope your child shared with you the letter about our "Secret Santa" project. Please help us by encouraging your child to do chores to make a little money to donate to the project. It is always a gratifying and fun event that helps us all remember the true spirit of the season. 
 
With this being said, I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving Day. I am so fortunate to get to spend each day with your child, so I thank you for sharing the gift of your child with us! 
 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger  

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
Biography Day was the highlight of our week at school. All of the children did a wonderful job representing the people they read about during biography month. It was fun for us to see them truly become the people they learned about, and their presentations in first person were well done. You can view these by going to 
www.walkerschools.org/fe/biographies.mov 
 
In English, we took a test on plural nouns and we worked on  
recognizing and using possessive nouns correctly. We will have a quiz over possessive noun usage next Tuesday, Nov. 5th. Students continue to work on their fiction stories. They read their stories aloud to each other this week. It really helps to hear the flow and focus of a story when the student reads it aloud. We are working on the endings to stories so it will be satisfying to the reader. The goal is to publish these stories before Thanksgiving. We will also be working on essays in response to literature. This exercise in writing will help prepare our students for the years ahead in writing in response to something read.  
 
A very important part of our daily reading time is reading! Students typically have 30-45 minutes of time for independent reading daily. With a goal of 6-7 grade level books each 9 weeks, reading daily is an important part of the regimen. If your child is absent, he or she needs to include an additional 30 minutes per day that he or she is absent to make up for missed reading time. If you have any questions regarding your child's reading or need help select books on the right level, please let me know.  
 
I really want to encourage families to make reading a part of daily life. Students raised in this environment typically do well in reading and writing. This experience in comprehending books read for pleasure spills over into the content areas of social studies and science. Encourage your child to read a variety of books. Many students read a biography for the first time during October, and what many discovered is that this is a genre they like! 
 
Thanks for reading this weekly blog. I hope you enjoy viewing the biography presentations. 
Have a great weekend! 
 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger 
 
 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
It has been a busy week around here! The weather kept us cooped up the first three days, but by Thursday we were able to spend a beautiful and chilly day at Lula Lake. We wound up the week with a visit to our school from artist and book illustrator Michael P. White. He kept the students totally engaged as he directed them on drawing a Pizza Python, a Chef Bear-Ar-Dee, and a lighthouse. They will hopefully share with you their renditions as well as more detail from the visit. 
 
Reading, writing, word study, and grammar lessons are rocking along. The study this week has been on making nouns plural and prepositions as a part of speech. There will be a test Monday on the rules associated with making nouns plural as well as a list of singular nouns the students will need to make plural. Hopefully they will have brought home the homework sheets to be used as review. 
 
Most students are completing books at a good rate which is one book every one and a half to two weeks. This pace is necessary in order to complete the 6-7 grade level books per nine weeks goal. Please try to monitor your child's progress in this area.  
 
As books are completed, a Book Quiz sheet is filled out which allows me to check student understanding of the book. It is always a good idea to spend some time after your child reads to talk about what they have read. 
 
Students are still working on their fictional narrative stories. As writers, we often get stuck at certain points in the story. Ask your child to share their story with you. You may be able to talk with them about the plot, or events, taking place in their story. Ask them about the characters in the story and what they have done to bring their characters alive for the reader. You can also ask what problem is in the story and how the characters will be solving the problem. What will their characters learn from the story?  
 
Wednesday, October 31st, is Biography Day so make sure your child has read a biography this month and is able to converse about the person they have read about. Our "Meet and Greet" will occur between 8:15-9:00. I want to thank Martha Wold for organizing doughnuts and juice for the event. It should be a fun way for us to share what we have learned about the interesting people we've read about. 
 
Take care & have a good weekend! 
 
Karen Persinger 
 
Karen Persinger 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
Everyone seemed to benefit from having time away last week. The students have used their renewed energy to accomplish a lot this week.  
 
In reading class, students began a fresh start in reaching the 6-7 grade level book requirement. I was very proud of the students that made efforts to read during fall break. I have made a few changes to the reading regimen. Most of Monday's class time was spent going over the changes and expectations. The changes include: 
1. Letters due every other week rather than every week. 
 
2. 3-5 vocabulary words found in independent reading book. Students write the sentence containing the word, look the word up in the dictionary, then write the definition. 
 
3. No change in home reading log requirements 
 
4. Students will be completing a Book Quiz sheet on every book read. This includes home and school reading. By completing this sheet, students will be able to share what they learned from each book read. 
 
Letters and Book Quiz sheets allow me to check on comprehension which is an important part of the reading grade. 
 
 
The reading workshop mini-lessons this week focused on the strategies good readers use to comprehend what they read. The strategies we've learned so far are: 
- make pictures in our heads 
- ask questions to help us understand what we read 
- activate prior knowlege 
 
See if your child can tell you more about these strategies and check to see if they are using them in their home reading. 
 
Most students are off to a great start with fictional narrative writing. This week's writing workshop mini lessons focused on: 
- writing an engaging beginning 
-creating a setting 
-introducing and developing characters 
 
As you can see, your child is actively engaged in learning skills which they will continue to use throughout their academic careers. You can foster this work at home by being involved in your child's reading. Ask them questions about the book's setting and characters. You can ask them to tell you what they think will happen next, or why a character reacted a certain way. Questions like these promote the kind of thinking that allows comprehension of the text to occur. 
 
As always, I thank you for allowing me to teach your child each day. They are progressing through the curriculum in a beautiful way! 
 
Have a good weekend, 
 
Karen Persinger 
 
 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
Your Fall Break has begun, and I hope you enjoy the break from the school routine for the next week. Many students asked, "Do we have to read over the break?" My emphatic answer was "Of course!" While the break allows us to take a break from the routine of the day at school, the students still need to be reading on a regular basis at home. The idea is that reading becomes a natural part of your child's life, just like playing outside, watching TV, etc...With this goal in mind, please continue to monitor your child's reading at home. They will be responsible for showing me a reading log which documents the reading during the upcoming week. 
 
This past week, the word study focus was on nouns. It was mainly a review of common and proper nouns, and finding them in sentences. We will continue with a study of plural and possessive nouns after the break. From here, we will review the remaining parts of speech. 
 
Students completed the personal narratives they have been working on for the past few weeks. I have enjoyed reading these reflections on a special moment in their lives. 
 
The students continue to make great progress in reading.  
Many have far exceeded the nine weeks goal of 6-7 grade level books from a variety of genres. For the month of October, all students will be reading a biography. On October 31st, we will have a "Meet & Greet." On this day, the students will dress as the person they have read about. They will need to be prepared to talk in a casual setting about who they are. The more information they can share, the better the conversation they will be able to have. We will be inviting school administrators and a few mystery guests! It should be a fun way for your child to showcase what they have learned. 
 
On a final note, I need to share a few "housekeeping" concerns.  
It is very important that your child arrive on time each day. Being tardy gets the day off to a hurried start. School begins promptly at 8:00. By this time, students know they need to have put up their lunch choice and have begun their language work. You can help me with this routine by making sure your child is at school by 7:50. If you walk your child in, please make your stop by the room brief. 
Another concern I have is related to communication with me. We are working through conferences with every parent in the grade, but if you ever need to communicate with us at anytime, please contact us through email. It is the most reliable and easiest way for us to communicate. While I understand you may have pressing concerns, I would like to request that you honor my time in the mornings, during my planning time, and after school. I will make every effort to schedule a time to meet with you if your concerns need to be addressed in person.  
 
I hope you all enjoy the time together that this break will bring. Your children have certainly earned the break. I am pleased with the way they have adjusted to the routines and expectations. I am sure the next nine weeks will show them soaring! 
 
Take care and enjoy your family! 
 
Until next time, 
Karen Persinger 
 
 
 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Dear Families, 
 
My apologies for not sending you an update over the past two weeks. Time has a way of getting away from me. When I think there is only one more week in the first grading period, then I truly feel as if time has flown. 
 
Sometimes when we are in the midst of all the work we do each day, we do not stop to reflect on what is being accomplished. This blog is good for me, as well as you, because it helps me reflect on the many parts that make up the hours, days, and weeks of our school life. I hope you are finding it helpful to to have a glimpse of the goals your child pursues each day. 
 
Independent reading continues to rock along with students completing books on their level on a regular basis. By the end of the nine weeks, each student will have read at least 6-7 fifth grade level books, or more if they are reading below grade level. It has been our goal to read from several genres over the nine weeks. If your child seems stuck in only wanting to read fantasy books, talk to him or her about trying a new genre like historical fiction. Miss Cairns and I are good at helping students find books in a variety of genres that are on their level.  
 
We will be continuing to complete a word study each week. For this past week, we covered compound words and one syllable words that make a long vowel sound. We work on vocabulary development every week. Your child writes down unfamiliar or interesting words from their reading. The words are looked up in the dictionary and written in the reading journal, along with a letter that tells me about what they are thinking about their reading.  
 
Students are completing their personal narratives in the next few days. They are learning to organize their ideas and to give their writing a style through the voice and the details. I am so pleased to see them incorporating similes and other types of figurative language into their writing. Unfortunately, I cannot let their writing pieces come home until the end of the year but if you would like to see their Writer's Notebooks, just come by! 
 
Our focus once the personal narratives are complete is to work on an essay in response to the literature being read. The goal is a five paragraph essay about a book recently completed. This will be worked on entirely in class. 
 
As you come in for the first semester conference, we can talk more about any of these projects, and you can see your child's Writer's Notebooks. 
 
It is hard to believe our first nine weeks is coming to a close. By now, your child has a rhythm for what each day brings. I feel fortunate to share in the accomplishments of each day. 
 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger 
 
 
 

Posted by: karenpersinger

Hello Families, 
 
We had a short week with the Labor Day holiday, but it was busy and full nonetheless! The reading classes are doing a wonderful job with their independent reading. They read silently from their free choice books, work on their language sheet, write letters to me, check out new books, update their reading lists, and continue to look for interesting words to add to our vocabulary. While all this independent work is going on, I have the opportunity to work with small groups. Some groups work on decoding skills where they learn strategies to figure out the pronunciation of new words. Other lessons work on how to make sense of what is being read. I have posted on the blog two handouts which explain the letter writing and letter assessment. 
It is so important to talk to the children about what they are reading. A great family activity is to read a book along with them or aloud to them. It makes for great conversation to talk about the characters, events and to make predictions and connections together.  
The students have taken off with their vocabulary. Between the two classes, they have found over 80 new vocabulary words! The students write the word on a card, look up the definition, and write the sentence from their book which uses the word.  
Students completed their self portrait poems this week and they have been put up in the hall for all to enjoy. From here, we will work on personal narrative writing. I will be asking the students to come up with a list of special memories. From here, they will choose a few to write about in detail. More on this later... 
Well, like I said, the week was busy and quite productive. Your children are like sponges. They are eager to learn and work so hard to please. I think we have fun too! They keep me entertained! 
Progress reports will go home on Monday.  
 
Have a great weekend! 
Until next time, 
Karen 

Posted by: karenpersinger

This handout shows how weekly letters will be assessed. 

Posted by: karenpersinger
Podcast: Letter Assessment.pdf

This handout explains the expectations for the weekly letter. 

Posted by: karenpersinger
Podcast: Letter.pdf

We made it through another busy week! Your children did a great job completing the Cognitive Abilities tests this week. I appreciate their great attitudes and their endurance! 
In reading this week, we have continued to read independently. While doing so, students look for interesting language and vocabulary. They share their findings with the group. We have a box that is being filled with index cards full of new and interesting words . On Friday, the students were introduced to a new and important part of the reading class. I shared with them that we will begin writing letters throughout the year to one another. In the letters to me, the students will be reflecting on what they read. In response, I will ask them questions and encourage thinking about the texts they are reading. Letters will be turned in to me once a week. They are an important weekly classwork grade that helps me keep a check on reading comprehension.  
In language, students began a daily worksheet which we go over together on Fridays. These exercises cover grammar, punctuation,etc...We also began spelling this week with words that are frequently used in reading and writing and words that are easily misspelled. We will continue with words like these for a few more weeks.  
Finally, in writing, students continue to amaze me with their thoughtful and descriptive poetry. I hope to display soon some of their self-portrait poems. 
 
Well, another busy week has come to a close. Your children worked very hard and certainly deserve the long weekend ahead.  
Take care & enjoy your family time! 
Until next time, 
 
Karen Persinger 

Posted by: karenpersinger

 
 
We have had a busy week! The students tested everyday this week on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were the longer testing days covering reading, language arts, and math. Social studies and science tests on Thursday and Friday were shorter. I think all went well, but we are not through yet. Next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, students will take the Cognitive Abilities Tests. All of these tests are rigorous and tiring, but the information they will provide will be useful in noting areas of strength and weakness as your child compares to students their age across the nation. Please continue to see that your child is well rested and has eaten a good breakfast each day. 
 
In reading class, students spend, on average, 30 minutes reading independently. They are learning to make good choices that are just right for them. We are looking for vocabulary words we do not know in our books, and we are noticing examples of figurative language the authors use. They are noticing through books they are reading how a writer uses techniques to keep his reader interested. They are using those sticky notes you bought to jot down these new words or examples of descriptive writing. They then share them with the group, and the words become part of our "New Vocabulary Bank." 
 
Figurative language has been the highlight in our writing this week. Students have practiced writing similes, metaphors, and alliterations. They added the terms onomatopoeia and hyperbole to the list of figurative language definitions they are keeping in the "Notes" section of their Writer's Notebooks. Ask your child to tell you the meaning of some of these terms and see if he or she can give you an example. You can also ask your child to share examples found in the books being read at home. Encourage your child to write at home by providing a special notebook for jotting down ideas. When something special or interesting happens, the time to write the idea down is then. Later, that seed of an idea can become a story, poem, play, etc... 
 
Overall, it has been a busy and productive week. Next week will bring new ideas, lessons, and opportunities for all of us. I anticipate we will continue to grow as a class community, and I appreciate your support from home. It makes such a difference in how well prepared your child feels for each day. Thank you! 
 
Until next time, 
K.Persinger 

Posted by: karenpersinger