Medford

Oct. Newsletter

Dear Parents and Students,

I hope you are reading this on line. I sent my website home stapled to each child's agenda.  Please check if you are reading this by paper:  http://varner.typepad.com/medford

Students have a book project due Oct. 26th.  All have a paper about it. 

We will be testing every day this week. Plan appointments for the afternoon if your child needs to leave.  Letters have gone home.

We will have our only Tybee meeting  this Thursday night at  6:30 before PTA.  See the letter.

We will spend the remainder of this month on persuasive writing and learning how to read informational text. In math we will cover decimals: adding, subtracting,multiplying and dividing.

In social studies we will finish our three branches of government and study the problems of reconstruction of the US Civil War. To do this we must spend some time on the causes of  the war and the war itself.

In science we will work on these essential questions:  What processes change landforms? What causes mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes?  How has the earth's surface changed? 

I want the students to also think about how today we can do better research about our earth and nutrition (health) than in the past.

No spelling tests this week or homework outside of daily review of multiplication tables and reading thirty minutes a night- Next week we will resume our homework traditions.

Get plenty of rest for the test and bring number two pencils

Have a Great week!

Mrs. Medford

Sept. 25 2007

Due to testing we will not have any homework that is due tomorrow or Thursday.

We will  have our spelling test on Friday instead of Thursday for this week only.

Almost everyone had their homework today in math. Hopefully, we will make the 100%  and will celebrate.  page69 1-11 for those who were absent.

Students checked out a book  for their  book project. All students received forms to use to help them do their project.  Their project should persuade a person to want to read the book.  They also have a rubric to see what I am looking for when I grade it.    They were given three choices. The projects are due-Oct.26 or Oct.29th-   Oct.26 for extra credit- We hope to display them on Oct.31 and will invite you in to view the projects -hopefully around 12:30 that day.Please check agendas and take home folders for this sheet.

As always students should still try to read 30 minutes a night. That time can be broken up, but those who read longer passages  at one setting tend to do better on standardized testing because they have learned to focus for a longer period of time. - increasing endurance levels for reading

We are keeping track of AR books.  Students should be reading books on their level.

Students may bring mints or mint type gum for the whole class- for testing .  Cheese cubes or peanut butter crackers are fine too- We are allowed to chew gum as we test. Normally we do not chew gum in class. Remind your child to get plenty of rest; go to the lunch room for breakfast as soon as they get to school- If the line is real long they need to bring it back to class so they will not miss or delay testing 

I think they will do a great job.  They are a super group.

Fall has Arrived

      Students should have  a few reminders and letters in their  Green Take Home Folder Today:

• One letter has to do with testing.  We will test this week on Wed. the 26th and Thursday the 27th.  Then we will test again all next week.
• Performing Arts permission Form -Extra tickets for those who return it  this week
•   Yellow guidance form   (Actually went home last week)
• Reflections contest-  "I Can Make A Difference By..." Deadline  Oct.22th
• Jump Rope For Heart(It went home last week )

We will not have homework on Tuesday night or Wed. night.   I will move our spelling test to Friday for this week only.

Friday is Spirit Day.  We want to win again.   So let's wear our colors -  Burgundy and silver or gray.

We are  going to be studying decimals -adding , subtracting, multiplying and dividing. We will review graphs once a week. This week we are looking at decimals and money. We will be estimating money as well.

We are still focusing on how to read informational text  and how to write a thorough persuasive paper.  We have been working on cause and effect.   

This week we will read Darryl Roberts pp69-71 in our Literacy Books at home.  Students should finish the work book discussion questions on page 26.

Here are the spelling review words for this week.  They become  no excuse words when students write papers.

1. color   2.war(wore)       3.fly            4.yourself            5.seem (seam)          6.their(ownership pronoun)

7.said      8.thought              9.often    10.together         11.enough                   12.against     13.turned

14. United States               15.hundred  16.finally           17.animals                   18.although  19.although

20.explained     21.correct           22. measures              23.hair                         24.woods

Tomorrow's  special is Spanish.   You can check  Mrs. Jordan's web site to see the calendar for the year.

The only way i know it is fall is that it is staying darker in the mornings and getting darker at night.

Please be careful and get plenty of rest and good brain food for the upcoming tests.  These are not the pass/fail tests but give us lots of information on  to help us see  an idea of student strengths and weaknesses.

Sept.19 2007

Early release today -

Testing will begin next week -Look for news to come home- Testing will begin at 8:00. Please do not schedule morning doctor's appointments . Water bottles only during testing and they must remain on the floor during testing.  - No colored drinks- Mints and gum may be sent for the class;as well as cheese crackers or peanut butter crackers for after and before test.

I still have about four students who do not do homework or fill out agendas.    If you have not seen any homework coming home please check your child's  green take home folder and agenda.    Reviewing at home in math helps so much to stay caught up.  We will return to our dear decimals next week.

Every one who had to retest last week did much better- Homework practice seems to make a difference.

Math-written homework Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night.

Monday we had a worksheet using patterns , composite and prime numbers.

Tuesday  homework- students used a hundred's chart that they pasted in their notebook.  They were to circle the composite numbers.  They have other charts and notes to help them.

Thursday- They will have another worksheet and I will take a test grade on Friday over identifying a number below 100 as being prime, composite, even and odd.  I actually think it will be a fun grade but they need to know those terms. Plus they need to know the difference between factors and multiples.  I will assist those who need help with the factor and multiple part.

Spelling homework   Tuesday -Worksheet using their, there and they're.

Thursday is a spelling test- words are in their agendas.

Every night read in Literacy book  "Winter Camp"  The students have workbook pages  to complete that go with the story.  Their workbook pages are due Friday. They may write in their workbooks and take them home.

Students did a wonderful job with the thank you notes to Brusters.  I have still four students who need to turn their letters in- I will take the rest this weekend to the manager.

extra Sourcebook Anthology

Students may read with you pp44-49  to help them develop their travel brochures. (in the section  of Voyagers, Unit 3.)     We will officially begin reading  pp50-67   Thursday.  They may always read ahead.

  Students have had a chance to go to the media center twice.  A few can still not get on AR . This should be corrected soon.

Sept. 11, 2007

This has been  a somber day for many of us.

Our students have a math homework sheet from last night to review and a homework  sheet tonight to do and review.

Tomorrow students will have a quiz on ordering decimals very similar to the formats of their homework this week.

I had five students who did not have last night's spelling  or math homework or both.   Some will complete and bring it tomorrow.  Those who left it at home need to bring it.

Students received a flier on boy scouts today. 

We did times tests  today.              other homework:  study  times tables and spelling words ;  read 30 minutes-  Remember it's at least 120 minutes a week. Students may read on weekends if they have a weeknight that is too packed  for extra reading.

Have a peaceful afternoon.

Mrs. Medford

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Sept. 14th

                     Thanks to those who came to PTA Open House.  I know people are busy with work and ball practices.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns .

                         This week we will begin on persuasive writing.   

Students will be preparing a travel brochure this week  and later this month a brochure to advertise a book they have read this year .

We are still working on ordering and comparing decimals.  I will be giving a math test this Wed.to see how students are doing.

Although  we normally do not have math homework on Wed. or Friday night,  students still need to study their multiplication facts on a regular basis.  We have daily quizzes on them.  Many students are moving quickly through the quizzes but others are still stuck on their threes and fours. Please remind them to practice  by writing them, using flash cards  or punching them into a calculator.

As we move on to multiplying and dividing decimals, it is very important to know the multiplication facts and families.

Fund Raiser information went home Friday along with info on the North Georgia Fair and Boy Scouts.  Also there is still time to sign up for the Spring ville Sprint which is this Sat.Sept 15th. It raises money for Varner as well as Powder Springs and Compton
Elem.   There is a pancake breakfast afterward at Powder Springs First Baptist Church.  You do not have to be affiliated with the church to participate in the breakfast.

Early Release Day.-Wed. Sept.19th                      Next week