For the week of February 16th - 19th

Hello all!  I spent a fair amount of time this weekend getting caught up on grading.  The only subject I am behind on is Science.  I will have the entire grade book up-to-date by the end of this week.  Please take the time to login to Infinite Campus to view your child's grade. If you need instruction on how to do this or forgot your login information, please contact the elementary office.  They can get you this info.  I do have a fair amount of missing assignments.  In speaking to the students, they know how a zero can impact a grade.  Please help me remind them to turn in every assignment . . .everyday.  :)

Speaking of large assignments worth a lot of points, we have been working on the art of story writing during ELA.  I have spent right around 4 weeks on developing a character, creating a captivating beginning, creating and solving a problem, as well as descriptive settings and how to finish a story.  The students have come up with some amazing work and have written as much as 20+ pages.  I need help editing.  I told the students I will edit 3 paragraphs to help them start searching for their own errors.  This is where you come in.  Step 1.  Sit with your student and have them read the story to you.  This helps them catch a whole bunch of errors.  Make them edit their story first. Step 2.  Parents need to read the entire story again with your student and search for the following types of errors:

1. Does each sentence start with a capital letter and end with punctuation?
2. Sentence Tense.  Does each sentence subject and verb agree?  "We are not We is" Does the story's tense change from past tense to present tense in the same sentence? " 
3. When a new character is talking, there should be a new paragraph started.
4. Did the over-all story make sense?  Did the events flow from one to another or are you confused as to what is going on?
5. Is there a clear ending?  It is okay to have a cliff hanger but the way I described ending the story is like the difference between an episode of your favorite TV show and a season of the same show.  An episode comes to an end.  The problem that came up was resolved.  Maybe, a teaser or new problem may be addressed at the end.  

If you need the story printed off or emailed to you directly, please shoot me an email.  This project is due Friday.  

Spelling #16

1. awhile
2. where
3. thought
4. athletes
5. truthful
6. purchases
7. exchange
8. though
9. rhythm
10. children
11. chocolates
12. friendship
13. together
14. white
15. watches
16. arithmetic
17. months
18. length
19. narrate
20. writing