Omega World News

LAST WEEK
Reading, Writing, and Science
Last week in reading, I continued conducting reading assessments. I taught reading lessons in conjunction with science. We focused on strategies for reading non-fiction in preparation for research—finding the main ideas and supporting details; asking questions and reading for answers (reading for a purpose). The lessons on main idea and supporting details integrated well with writing lessons on paragraphs.

Along with these lessons students are learning about the three kinds of rocks(igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and minerals. Rocks are made out of minerals, which come in many different forms. We also read The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth, which talks about the layers of the Earth in relation to the three types of rocks.

Spelling
All students are working nicely. Some have already finished their first set of words and have started another.

Personal Safety
Last week we talked about I-statements vs. You-statements. We also discussed the first three steps of problem solving: ABC. A = Ask a question to engage the person with whom you are having a conflict; B = Brainstorm solutions; C = Choose a solution and give it a try. The students made posters to illustrate this process.

THIS WEEK…
…is geology week!
Fran’s friend, Char, from UVM has been coming to Schoolhouse this week to teach us about geology. On Monday, Char introduced us to the three types of rocks, the geology time line (the earth as we know it has only been around a very short time in relation to the history of the earth), and radioactive dating of rocks. Today we had a fabulous field trip to North Beach and Salmon Hole. The students learned how the ripples in rocks are created by ripples in the water. The ripples mirror the shoreline. They also saw fossilized trilobite “footsteps” in rock at Salmon Hole. We are excited for the coming days. Wednesday’s topic is the layers of our planet and igneous rocks. Thursday is bring a rock to school day. All students should bring one rock to school, and Char will identify it for them. On Friday we have another field trip. We will be going to Lessor’s Quarry to learn about fossils. Each student will be allowed to take one rock home.

Literacy
We are continuing with literacy as normally as possible this week. I am trying to finish up reading assessments while moving kids forward with spelling. Students are also working independently with spelling, penmanship, quiet reading, book reviews, and free writing. The reason reading assessments take so long to complete is that I administer it to each child individually. I can only get through two kids each day, three if I’m really lucky. Students who perform at a certain level on the first assessment do at least one additional assessment. My goal is to find their independent and instructional reading levels and to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. Then I can begin small reading groups that focus on specific reading strategies and skills. We will also begin literature circles when assessments are completed. I don’t want to overload the kids with literature circles and research, so I’ll keep you informed about how that will happen.

IN THE NEAR FUTURE
I have a couple of notes about what’s going next week.
*Monday at 11:00 we will be brainstorming topics for research. All students will have homework of choosing topics and ordering them from first to last pick. I will also be sending home information on display requirements for Omega Ones and Twos.
*Tuesday at 11:00 we will pick short courses.
*Wednesday at 11:00 we will pick topics for the science display.
*Thursday at 1:00 we will pick another round of short courses.

*Tuesday, October 14, I will be leaving at 2:00 for my doctor’s appointment. He will x-ray my foot and determine if the cast can come off and what my next steps are…next steps…get it? Haha

*I will be out of town Friday, October 17 and Monday, October 20. My dad is turning 60, and the family has been planning a surprise gathering for some time. Dew will be my sub for one of those days. Toby will be returning as my sub for the other.