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The Shakespearean Sonnet

November 17, 2008

Hello all,

Short week and short on time, so a few quick notes:

Please remember that our multicultural Thanksgiving Day feast is Wednesday afternoon beginning at noon.  Many of you have signed up to send in a food, and if you haven’t but still would like to, by all means please do.  Also please remember not to include nuts of any kind in your dishes, as we have a nut allergy in the classroom and Wolcott policy forbids nuts in these kinds of celebrations. 

Also a reminder that Tuesday evening, December 2^nd, I will be hosting the adults-only class on strategies that you can use to better prepare your child for the CMT’s and middle school.  The class begins at 6:00 and should last no more than an hour.  I hope to see you there!

Information about the school play also went home today.  Please make certain that your little one passes it on to you. 

Homework

With the short week, the homework is light and due on Wednesday.  The assignments are as follows:

The kids have been asked to write letters and/or make cards for soldiers in Iraq.  Kaity’s uncle has requested them and we are happy to oblige, especially during this week of giving thanks.  The kids are required to make a minimum of two cards or write two letters, and if they would like (depending on how you feel about it), they can also include a name and address on these cards and letters and may receive a note in return.  The kids can use their full name and home address, the address of the school, or simply write, “Kaity from Mr. Dicks’s classroom” with Wolcott’s address.  Whatever you are most comfortable with is just fine.

I also sent home two more logic puzzles for the week.  Some of the kids are thrilled with the challenge and are enjoying this tough form of problem solving immensely and others are dreading every moment of the assignment.  As long as an honest effort is put forth, I’ll be pleased.

The rest of time should be spent on Essays of the Month and the beginning of your child’s science fair project.  Every kid went home on Friday with a form that described his or her project in detail and required you to sign off on the plan.  This was to ensure that the topic and project assigned would not overwhelm you or your household budget.  One student wanted to study the sounds that whales make, but barring your willingness to purchase your child a sufficient supply of whales,; this was not a feasible project.  Similarly, nuclear power plants and spaceships were items that we removed from some of the kids’ plans.   Please be sure to read this form and sign off if you agree.  Most of the kids will need very minimal supplies so it should not be too difficult. 

I have also provided extra two-digit multiplication and long division practice for kids who feel they need it.  There will be another test on this topic on Wednesday morning.  We’ve moved onto the study of fractions, so kids who have not mastered these concepts will need to ensure that they are practicing enough lest they fall behind. 

Thanks!  I hope to see some of you on Wednesday for our Thanksgiving Day feast!

 Warmly,