Fantastic Fossils

Dear Parents and Students,

What amazing learning adventures our class has shared this past week! It was delightful to be back on track exploring our world. The excitement of being back created a magical energy.

February is a month of memorials to our history- including our heritage as Americans. This past week we began our study of historical fiction. Students minds sparked with enthusiasm as we studied important events in history. History is in action as we read stories of characters, fictional and fact. Students will become great historians as we continue to read historical fiction in our guided reading groups, as a class, and for the February book reports! Remember they are due on Friday, February 25th.

Students transformed into paleontologists as we began our study of Utah's Fossils! Utah is famous for its fossils, including 30 complete dinosaur fossils, trilobites, and footprints. Students keep me on my toes with their inquisition about dinosaurs and creatures of Utah's past. Fossils tell wonderful stories of our environment, landscape, and history. Invite your students to share their fossil learning adventures with you.

On Thursday, students explored watercolor painting as they recreated a painting by a Japanese artist Hokusai. Their images turned out amazing! I loved watching them take such care and detail to do their best. Way to go Bobcats!

Our curriculum goals for the week include:

Reading: Historical Fiction Genre
Spelling: Long/Short Vowels, Accented Syllables, Prefixes/Suffixes
Writing: Traits of Writing - Voice
Math: Compare and Order Fractions
Science: Fossils
Social Studies: Utah Native American Tribes

I love learning and growing with your students each day. Thank you for all your support through emails, phone calls, donations, and bright smiles.

Mrs. Yates

Welcom to 2011 Bobcats!!

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome 2011 Bobcats! I hope you had a wonderful off-track filled with wonderful winter activities: sledding, shoveling, family field trips, and more. I am looking forward to seeing you soon at school. I can't wait to explore our world with you! I have missed your glowing faces and bright smiles. It will be sure to warm me up in this cold weather!!

The magic of history seems to capture our attention this time of year. In reading we are going to read and study the historical fiction genre. Reading puts history in the making right before our eyes! How exciting it is to discover the past with a character in a book. I know you will become great historians as we begin reading historical fiction!

Another exciting adventure we are about to begin is investigating Utah's Fossils! Utah is famous for its fossils, including 30 complete dinosaur fossils, trilobites, and footprints. Oh so much to learn and experiment with as dinosaur detectives!! Through our study of Utah fossils, we will discover what Utah used to be like millions of years ago. Can you imagine or believe Utah was once a tropical beach? Fossils will open Utah's environment changing story from tropical to desert. Awesome!
Our curriculum goals for the week include:

Reading: Historical Fiction Genre
Spelling: Long/Short Vowels, Accented Syllables, Prefixes/Suffixes
Writing: Traits of Writing - Voice
Math: The Meaning of Fractions
Science: Fossils
Social Studies: Utah Native American Tribes

Although the sunshine has been fantastic this week, I am aware that this is this season of inside recess. I have tried to keep my game cupboard stocked with fun games for the students during this time; however, wear and tear does occur. If you have done or are doing in winter cleaning of your game closet and find any games or puzzles you are getting rid of, our game cupboard would happily accept them. :D After all, one's junk is another's treasure!! Thank you!

I love learning and growing with your students each day. Thank you for all your support through emails, phone calls, donations, and bright smiles.

Mrs. Yates

January Off-Track Letter

Dear Students and Parents-

Happy Holidays! What joy your students bring to my life! I am proud of the hard work and growth students have demonstrated throughout this year. It has been amazing to watch their progress and growth in their learning adventures.

Seeing this growth leads me to encourage the students and you to continue to use skills we have learned to keep their academic skills sharp and enhance their learning when they return. I appreciate that many families have things planned besides schoolwork during this time, which is needful. I hope you can find time in your fun off-track activities to take time for these suggested activities and even them include them in the fun!

If you have any questions about the assignments during the off-track time, please feel free to contact me at my email address below. I will be checking email whenever it is possible.

Off-track Suggested Continued Learning Activities:

1. READING

· Independent Reading: Please read at least 150 minutes per week or 30 minutes a day and record your reading in your school planners as you usually do, including parent initials. I will be entering these reading minutes for a grade when we return as usual. Reading is an essential practice of a lifelong skill.

2. MATH

· Multiplication and Division timetables learning and practice: It is critical that students keep practicing their Times Tables. This can be done with flash cards, using the Internet game “Times Attack,” or timed tests.

3. SCIENCE

· Plant and Animal Photo Scavenger Hunt: While exploring the neighborhood or on travel adventures, look for weathering, erosion, and soil concepts we have studied. Take a picture and bring it to share with the class.

4. TECHNOLOGY

· Keyboarding: Students may use their off-track time to practice their keyboarding skills using the school’s KBK program that all students are familiar with. The link to the website is:

· http://www.keyboardingonline.com/epco/schoolInfo.do

· Entry Login and password: butterfield and butterfield.

· Personal Password: student lunch number

Have a great break and keep learning!

Mrs. Yates