The Nettling Newsline Main Menu  |  Homework and Calendar

February 27, 2010

Students in Mrs. Nettling's class have been
suffering the tyranny of King George's taxation without representation!

News Briefs

• Only seven more weeks until the achievement tests! Our "Funky Friday" OAT reviews are helping us prepare. Students need to read their passages twice, and make double-sure they understand the question being asked BEFORE they respond. We are experiencing way too many errors just because we are not taking the time and care needed to understand the question and just plain follow the directions. Yikes! Here are some online links to fun interactions on the content that can help your child be successful!

  • Nettling Newsline Math Study Table

  • Nettling Newsline Science Study Table

  • Nettling Newsline Reading Study Table

• Tutoring. Due to a schedule conflict now on Mondays, I need to reschedule my math tutoring offerings. Stay tuned!

• Computer Lab. We continue to practice our keyboarding skills! Each morning we spend 30 minutes in the computer lab using a program called "Type to Learn". Fingers on the home keys, sit up straight, feet on the floor, then begin! We have also been learning how to use PowerPoint, and are just finalizing our project on Space.

• Math. Please be sure your child continues to show his/her work, is neat and organized in solving problems, and underlines/circles direction words and key words in the questions. More..

• Reading, Writing, and Social Studies. The American Revolution has begun, and our Presidents projects are looking fantastic! We're doing a good job summarizing nonfiction/information. More..

• Science. Sometimes science can be a shocking experience. More..

Students in our class didn't seem to like being taxed recess points just as the colonists didn't like being taxed without having a say in how they were taxed. Out and out rebellion broke out in class as students tried signatures, refusals to work, and generalized grumpy complaining. They were finally able to make their point by writing a focused petition demanding the repeal of the recess point tax, and getting everyone to sign. Afterward, we discussed the risks in doing nothing, and the risks in standing up to tyranny.
 

"Listen my children and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere!" We enjoyed reading the famous Longfellow poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, and we are completing our Jean Fritz biographies. We are reading about the American Revolution in our Social Studies text. We turned in our President projects and are getting our hallway ready for our Presidents Hall of Fame Tour. We are also working on our Great American Scrapbook. Related links..
 

Math

On Monday we will test our understanding of area, volume, and surface area. Beginning Tuesday we will launch full-steam into our unit on algebraic expressions. To go along with this unit, we will some logic puzzles where we balance out two sides of a "mobile" by reasoning out what the values would be for the different shapes.

For the past several weeks, we have been doing math reviews, practicing those problems that we miss, and recording the data so that we know what we need to review. Measurement is showing up as a major area of need. Students will need to work hard to memorize customary measurement equivalents, and work to use the equivalents to solve problems. This will pay off for both the math and science tests. This week we will be concentrating on customary measurements. Parents, please encourage and support your child in memorizing these measurements! Go to the Nettling Newsline Measurements page..
 

Science

Science can be electrifying! This week students will get quite a charge from our lessons. Shocking, isn't it? Enough electricity word-play? Students will be energized by their science labs as they learn what electricity is, and how to construct a simple circuit to light a light bulb.

As students enjoy the electricity science labs they will need to practice important lab safety measures, such as keeping hair tied back, keeping sleeves rolled up, keeping a clear lab area, following directions, handling wires carefully, and so on. In future weeks, we will continue our activities by changing electrical energy into thermal, light, sound, and mechanical energy.
 

Thanks for all you do to support learning in our classroom!

Mrs. Nettling