Learning To Go Mr. Avery's Class on the Web 

Look how we’re having fun and getting smarter at home! Great to see all our friends’ faces again!

Read Across America Day was a big hit! Students in our class were treated to stories read aloud by Shrewsbury Librarian Roxanne Stark. Ms. Stark also answered questions from the crowd, promoted the awesome services available at SPL, and shared with us her lifelong love of reading and learning. Big thanks to her and to our volunteers who helped create a special morning for us!

As the second trimester of school comes to an end this week, students will be taking reading tests (DRAs) and a district-wide writing assessment that tests students’ abilities with focus, organization, details and English conventions (punctuation, spelling) while producing a piece of informative writing. Quizzes and tests will also be given to measure students’ progress with math problem solving; map skills (natural/cultural features; directionality; countries vs. continents; oceans and continents; finding places on maps) and science concepts related to Matter.

Our work with money wraps up by challenging students to solve real world problems involving computation and reasoning. Consider this problem from their workbooks: Devon spends 2 dimes at the store. Then he spends 3 nickels more. If he pays with $1.00, how much change should he get? Notice how it requires that students apply their understanding of money amounts and thinking skills in order to calculate change? Here is an awesome online game that helps kids practice these useful skills:

Pens Wanted! As part of our work in science next week, students will be taking apart pens to observe and test the properties of their components. If you haven’t done so, please send at least one CLICKABLE pen (brand doesn’t matter) to school with your child tomorrow, and thanks!

Read Across America Day is coming! This annual nationwide event is held the first week of March in honor of local author Dr. Suess’s birthday. School across the country will welcome community readers into classrooms to read aloud and share the importance of reading in their lives!

Our reading focus this week is on finding the main idea in fiction. It’s important that students learn to identify big ideas in texts and separate them from details. To do this, students will learn to ask: What did the main character do? What did the main character want? What did the main character achieve? The answers to these questions lead the reader to understand what the page, or chapter, or book is about, thus improving their comprehension. You can practice during homework time by guiding your child through these questions during or after reading.

Our math work this week involves money exchanges. Students will practice trading in bills and coins, such as nickels, dimes, and pennies for quarters. In this way, they should come to a better understanding of the value of units of money and become more fluent with it. Here’s a fun song we’ll be using to help us learn the concept!