Week 16

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving with your families. As I thought about the many things I am grateful for this year, being a teacher was at the top of my list. Every weekday, I get to guide my students on our mutual quest for knowledge. I watch them struggle to solve a new math problem. I watch their eyes light up as they make connections between ideas in science. They greet me with smiling faces each morning and leave tired but contented each afternoon. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of educating your children.

In the classroom this week our schedule should be fairly normal. The only difference is that on Wednesday we begin our first round of the Great Hearts spelling bee. 2nd-5th grade classrooms will each host a spelling bee. The first place winner from each classroom will compete with the other winners next Wednesday, December 9. The school's winner will then go on to compete against all the spelling bee winners of other Great Hearts schools.

All students will be required to participate in their classroom spelling bees. However, they are not required to study beforehand. Students who do hope to win are encouraged to study beforehand. Word lists to study were provided before break; they are in the students' homework folders.

Having completed our mid-quarter math and science tests, we will not have tests in my classes for the next few weeks. The next math and science tests will be in the final week of the quarter before break. In the meantime, please encourage your students to persevere in their studies as we approach our Christmas break.

In science class, we will continue our study of the circulatory system by studying the heart. In math, we will continue to work on division, especially long division and division-based word problems. Homework in both classes will resume its usual schedule.

These are all the notes I have for you this week. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can post a comment to my blog. You can also email me at rwycklendt@archwaytriviumeast.org. Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Rebecca Wycklendt