Our News Flash sent home January 21, 2011

Greetings Hoover families!

As we have just gotten back into school after a long weekend, we’ve delved into a new Language Arts theme: Historical and Scientific Mysteries! As a whole class, we have been reading about Amelia Earhart and using strategies to expand our vocabulary and comprehension. Then, students selected individual choice-books to respond to. In groups, they share their reflections, and practice using reading skills independently.

I am looking forward the week ahead where students will come prepared on Monday with the topic for their next essay project. Students will research topics, like Stonehenge, Easter Island structures, The Sphinx, Robin Hood and Atlantis, in order to put together a comprehensive essay about their findings. We will practice research skills, putting together an accurate bibliography, and work on organizing our thoughts. Most of all, we will enjoy learning about some pretty incredible historical and scientific mysteries! Students will be coming home with revising, proofreading and editing tasks next week. In class, we will be conferencing with peers and growing as writers.

Speaking of mysteries….a mysterious object is hiding in our mystery box! In order to revive the joy for expanding vocabulary as well as motivate students to use the reference materials, I’ve started a mystery box that will have an object placed in it each week. I will give the class several clues (new adjectives, phrases, metaphors, etc.) to describe the object in the box. The first correct answer submitted will determine the winner, who gets to take home the object. The object may be silly, tasty, interesting or strange. If you would like to add objects at any time of the year, I am always looking for something new and exciting! It should be clean, cheep and fun, like a brownie, a colorful pen, or a used stuffed animal. If you would like to send something, you can conceal it and send it marked, mystery object. Thank you!

In Science, we continue to learn about the circulatory system. Students have used stethoscopes to listen to their heartbeats and learned about the path blood takes to become oxygenated. They have also learned about the symptoms, treatments and causes of heart disease. Today, we even looked at an animal heart up close! You can ask your student what part of the heart they noticed and what function it serves!

Reminder:

***Send in 6th grade South East Junior High forms! White sheet is due back Monday if it hasn’t been turned in, and the orange sheet is due back by February 4th.




Have a wonderful weekend!

Go Hoover Hawks!

Sincerely,


Ms. Dobyns