May+4

=__**MAY 4**__= PLEASE SEND YOUR COUNTRY RECIPE TO MRS. VOLK VIA EMAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CHECK OUT THE LINK IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES SECTION OR EMAIL MRS. VOLK! Our Country Tour will take place on May 15th, the same day as the potluck. Please have your child bring their costume or article of clothing to school that day. Thanks.

=== __**ATTENTION:**__ School will be dismissed at 2:30 on __**Thursday, May 10th**__ due to the high school district track meet being held at our school. They are expecting many schools and visitors, and would like our students to be dismissed early to avoid further congestion for our parents, students, and visitors. ===

__** ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING DATES :**__ **Wed., May 9**...Kids' Club; 2:00 **Thurs., May 10...2:30 Dismissal** **Fri., May 11**...Puppy Dog Relays; 12:00-3:00 **Tues., May 15**...Country Potluck; Cafeteria; 5:30-6:30
 * Wed., May 23...LAST DAY of SCHOOL! Dismiss at 1:30. **

//**For this final quarter, all of us in Gr. K-5 are adding a 1, 2, or 3 to the Success Charts if a student loses a stamp. We will still write what happened, but the addition of the number(s) will help with our data collection, and will also better inform you of which Bulldog Belief was being misused. 1 means there was a lack of respect, 2 a lack of responsibility, and 3 a lack of safety **//

=== Both homerooms will have a "Homework Club" each quarter. We will keep a chart in our rooms, tracking which students return their homework packets on time each week. Students who consistently return their packets each week will be rewarded at the end of each quarter! ===

=== //We have been informed that the kitchen can no longer store items that need to be frozen or refrigerated. You will need to provide a cooler if your child is bringing treats that require refrigeration. Thank you for your cooperation.// ===

Our field trip to Neal Smith was today. We had a great time. Be sure to ask your child about their experience! Thank you to all of our volunteers. We appreciate your time, energy, and support!

__**LITERACY:**__
We are continuing to introduce the 6-Traits of Writing. We have focused on the traits of Ideas, Organization, and most recently, Word Choice. In reading, we are making predictions and connections. We are using context clues, identifying main events, questioning, inferring and summarizing. Please encourage your child to read at home.

__SCIENCE:__
====During our "Plant" unit this week, we reviewed the four main parts of a plant and the functions of those parts. We then learned about seeds...what they are, what they do, and what they look like on the outside AND the inside. We discovered that there are many different kinds of seeds, and we //eat// a lot of them! We observed dry and wet beans, taking them apart to observe the tiny plant embryos and food storage areas on the inside. SO...if you notice your child taking their beans apart at the dinner table, they're just doing some scientific observations!====

__**SOCIAL STUDIES:**__
The Country Project is in full swing! Each student has chosen a country that s/he will research. Some students chose to work with a partner and some preferred to work independently. Please check with your child about their country choice and then visit the following link to find out more! Mrs. Volk's Google Site

The Country Potluck is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Please visit the above google site for more information. ==== Check with your child about Daily Detective. The purpose of this project is to not only help the students learn about the countries of the world, but also to help them research. Each day a new clue will go up on our 'detective board'. The students will be able to write the clue down and bring it home so that you can, if needed, help your child to identify the country. The clues start out very broad and as the week goes on, get more specific. Please ask your child about Daily Detective and each daily clue. ==== SUCCESSFUL DETECTIVES THIS WEEK INCLUDE: Justin, Anthony, Allen, Molly, Ethan L., Kaia, and Lucy. Congrats!

__**MRS. VOLK:**__
Your child has been registered for Sumdog.com. This is a site that will help your child practice their math facts. Each student was given a username and password. They are encouraged to use this site at home.

Please continue to encourage your child to complete and return their weekly homework packet. Some students are not returning their packets in a timely fashion, if at all. Please be looking for those each Monday and they are to be returned on Thursday. Thank you to those students who are completing and returning their packets each week. You are showing responsibility when you do so!

**__MRS. SKAHILL/MISS STEPHENS:__**

Just a reminder: Spelling word lists are handed out at the //beginning// of each unit so they can be studied in preparation for the cloze test. Watch for the word lists glued into the planner. As mentioned previously, we won't be taking a cloze test every week...we work up to tests as we go through the word/phonics lessons in each unit.