Math - DMR Thursday and page 152 Set A - Today we looked at using doubles to multiply and discussed how this is one more tool to add to their toolbox to help them become stronger math students.  I emphasized today how our focus for chapter three will be on understanding the relationship between multiplication and division, how they are inverse operations, and how knowing their basic facts will make the world of difference.  If your child has not memorized his/her basic facts through the 12s, please work with him/her to do so this year.  Flashcards wipe off mats, and other resources are widely available at just about any store.  Going through the facts in the car or on a walk, wherever and whenever you can fit them in will be of great benefit.

Science - No HW - students are beginning their Too Good For Drugs unit as they transition from one science unit to the next.  Kits are set to arrive within the next few weeks.

Social Studies - No HW - Both classes have now taken their tests.  We will begin our Native American's and Early People of California unit this month.

Writing - DLR Thursday - All final copies were collected today.  I will score these papers based on the main skills focused on for this paper.  We will begin our next genre next week and will also begin looking at the 6 traits found in good writing.

Reading - NLL Thursday; TFK worksheet due tomorrow.  Today we discussed author's viewpoint and looked at more Allen Say picture books.  To get to know the author better and to understand his viewpoint in more detail, I read aloud two Allen Say stories to the students.  Once book was very serious and had very detailed, realistic painting as illustrations and the other was more light-hearted and had very fun and relaxed pictures to illustrate it.  We will go into more detail about Allen Says work tomorrow as students continue focusing on author's viewpoint and as they work to respond to the literature by answering the following question:  Does the author feel at home in both worlds or at home in neither?  Use information from the story to support your answer.

Other - Tomorrow is Crazy Shoe Day and Yellow Pages due tomorrow.