The end of February seemed to mark the end of snow days (knock on wood) and we have enjoyed getting into a great rhythm in the classroom during March and April!
In math, we have done a lot of work with word problems. We spent time identifying what the problems were asking, what information was provided and what we needed to solve. These word problems often included 2 digit numbers, so students had plenty of opportunities to practice the partial sums method of addition. We have also started work on traditional subtraction. We began by working with manipulatives to help students understand what regrouping means. We will continue to practice subtraction with regrouping and partial sums as we move into measurement and graphing.
Students continue to have time to enjoy books of their choosing and share their thoughts with Mrs. Rushia and myself! We have spent time working on determining importance in texts, and students are beginning to understand the difference between what is interesting and what is important. We are also exploring how asking questions can deepen our understanding of a text.
This last month has been chock full of science and social studies work. We had a great time exploring magnetism and magnetic fields with lots of hands on inquiry. We also spent a lot of time studying patriotic symbols, which culminated in our fantastic Patriot Concert and project viewing!
Our current writing unit focuses on informational writing. We are writing lab reports and testing hypothesis. Students have enjoyed testing hot wheels cars on different surfaces! The lab reports will lead into writing “how to” books in which students can share their knowledge and passions.
April vacation is rapidly approaching, and with it, the end of my time in the classroom. I want to thank you all for welcoming me into your fabulous school community! I have learned more than I ever thought possible from your students and from the Swasey Staff. While I am very sad to go, Paula and I will be working hard to the make the transition as smooth as possible for the students. I plan to continue substituting at Swasey, so I will still be around! I’m not sure how long my SAU16 email address will be active, but I can be reached at rmheard@gmail.com if your students want to keep in touch.
Enjoy the fantastic weather!
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