Greetings Parents,
Ms. Miller and I would like to thank you for your kind
gifts. Your kindness and generosity is truly remarkable. It warms my heart to
consider the sacrifices you have made on out behalf. Though my heart is
gladdened by your gifts, I have greater joy in the grace you give by allowing
me to be your child’s teacher. It is a truly remarkable act of charity and
trust. As the father of a growing daughter, my heart is made more and more
aware of the tremendous confidence you have placed in me. I do not take that
lightly. So, thank you! You are wonderful people and I’m blessed to have you as
parents of my students.
I hope your break has been enjoyable and restful. The break
was a blessing for my family as we have now moved in, mostly, to our new home
and celebrated Christmas with family. Yet, I am ready to be back with my
students. Two weeks seems short, but I have grown fond of them and have begun
to miss them. I hope that they are prepared to return.
Here are the lessons for the upcoming week.
Math
Before we left for break, we were beginning our study of
data. The students were learning how to interpret and present data. As we begin
our new semester, we are continuing that study. The students will be looking at
how to collect data, present it, and finding probability.
Language Arts
Idiom: “A feather in your cap”
Poem: “Some One,” by Walter de la Mare
Spalding: Students will learn how to spell 30 new
words and review phonograms.
Literature: We begin our new book this quarter, “TheLittle Prince.” It is a great story and I highly encourage you to talk to your
child about it as we read though it. If your child has not brought the book in,
please have him or her do so quickly.
Writing: The students will continue to refine their
skills or summarizing and copying from dictation. The students will also be
writing almost everything in cursive from now on. Please look over their
Spalding assignments each night to ensure they are forming their letters
correctly.
Grammar: The students began to understand the use of
commas before the break and they will continue to refine their knowledge of how
to use them. They will also be introduced to contractions.
History
Be begin this quarter by studying a lost jewel in Western
history, the Vikings. Thankfully for us, Core Knowledge makes it a focus. Most
Europeans, because of their disregard for Christian customs, considered the
Vikings barbarians, but they really were a remarkable people. If you have never
studied them, I would encourage you to dialogue with your child about them and
prepare to be amazed. You could also have them bring their notebooks home and
get in some nightly reading after you put the kids to bed. Just remember to put
their notebooks back in their backpacks.
Science
In science we continue our study of the human body and
introduce sound. This week, we will be looking at sound in particular. We will
discuss why some sounds are high-pitched and others low-pitched or why some
sounds are loud and others quiet.
I hope everyone has a great week.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren