PRE-PURIM PARTY THIS FRIDAY! PLEASE SEND COSTUME!

We will have our Pre-Purim Party this Friday. Please send a costume with your child - they should not wear it to school, they will be given time to change. As mentioned in the past, please be sure that the costumes are appropriate, and of non-violent characters (no toy guns, swords, etc.)... Happy Purim!

ELA State Test Prep

Being that state tests are coming up soon after Pesach vacation, our more intense preparations have begun. We have been analyzing sample test questions and asking ourselves - about whom or what is the author asking? We need to be very sure we understand how to read the questions so that we can choose the best response!

There will be three parts to the test, taken over a three day period:

Part 1: Reading and answering text-based multiple choice questions

Part 2: Listening and responding to prompts with extended answers

Part3: Reading and responding to prompts with extended answers

These texts will include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.There will be a need to understand and use graphic organizers (flow charts, web-charts) to explain the content, as well as prepare and plan for writing a comparative essay (a paragraph that compares two of the texts and includes the criteria that is asked).

As a class we've come up with  some test-taking tips and strategies that we will continue to add to as we move along.

Please keep in mind that while the tests are important, and diligence in preparing should definitely be promoted, pressure is most certainly not! Let's keep in mind that defining success only by these test scores is erroneous - the tests check certain limited areas and many factors come into play (including - but not limited to - how relaxed and focused your child is during the test). 

Publishing Celebration!

We held a Publishing Celebration this past week to celebrate our completed Personal Narratives! All the students truly put in effort to brainstorm, organize, draft, edit, and publish their pieces. Excellent work! We celebrated each others' work  by listening to each piece and giving the author positive feedback, using information from the text that we really enjoyed! Each student then received a certificate with their friends comments... It was really amazing to see the finished work as well as to hear all the great feedback. Enjoy the pictures!

TRIP REMINDER

PLEASE NOTE: TRIP TOMORROW (MONDAY) TO THE JEWISH CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. We will be leaving school, G-d willing, at 9:30.

LIBRARY TRIP PICS & RECAP

 We enjoyed an informative and interesting trip to the Central Brooklyn Public Library. We enjoyed a workshop given by a librarian who gave us some interesting facts about the building and its history. Did you know that the Central Library was built in the shape of an open book? Did you notice that their display stands are also formed in the shape of an open book? Did you know that the library was in the making from 1908 but was only completed in February of 1941? 

We were reminded about the genres we read and their differences: fiction, nonfiction, biography, reference, etc. We were shown the different sections for each, including books in a series, and books with their artwork displays. We also discussed how fiction is organized by author's last name in alphabetical order. Biographies are organized by name. 

In addition, the Dewey Decimal system helps us locate books by topic, for example dinosaurs, dogs, or electricity; to find the right number, ask a librarian or look it up in the library catalog. (The librarian knew many numbers by heart, but like she said - she was just showing off...she only knows a few!)  We all got a chance to browse, read, and check-out our own books. That felt big and responsible. Please enjoy the pictures...and please don't forget to return the books:-)