Finally outside!

News for the Week.

Hi everyone! We've had some better weather, but we still have yet to set foot outside. We're holding our breath we can maybe sneak out today for a bit!

Things to know for this week:

• I have been assessing the students one-on-one since the third trimester began this week. We are seeing some nice improvements...I think we'll see so much growth by the end of the year! That being said, we didn't do spelling words this week and we won't have them next week either. I've been spending the time I'd normally use for small group reading time and word work assessing, and will continue that through next week. I'll send home spelling words AFTER next week, so our first test of the third trimester will be Friday, March 21st. 
• You can still order spirit shirts, but they might not arrive in time for family fun night. But again, you can still order them and wear them anytime!
• We've been doing something called a Slice of Life Challenge in writing workshop this week. We've been writing small "slices" (events) that have happened in our lives. We're writing one extra minute each day, and we're working on conventions as well as things like dialogue and sentence structure. It's a nice little change from our nonfiction unit we've been working on!
• We're still studying nonfiction in reading workshop as well. It's been so neat to see the kids learning to read smarter in nonfiction. They are learning and growing by leaps and bounds. :) 
• We've been doing triple-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping this week, as well as counting money up to $2.00. We are doing GREAT! 

Things to keep in mind for the next few weeks:

• Spring Break is April 7-11. No school!
• Keep reading at home for 20 or more minutes a night, just for fun!
• We will PROBABLY be going outside next week (cross your fingers!), so please make sure your students have appropriate clothing, including snow boots. They are more limited as to where they can play outside when they DON'T have snow boots.
• We could use some more healthy snacks if you'd like to send some...big thanks to all who sent some the last two weeks. The kids sure love having a little pick-me-up in the afternoon!

Happy weekend! Enjoy the sunshine today!

Slice of Life: Day 2

Mrs. Overman's Scary Slice.

Slice of Life Challenge, Day 2.

Last summer, we had a teeny baby girl and a newly-turned three-year-old napping peacefully in our house, when suddenly, a fierce thunderstorm blew through our neighborhood. The sky was dark grey; trees were swirling; debri flew through the air. "What should we do?!" I asked Mr. Overman. We didn't have a basement in that house. "Should we wake the kids?" We had no cell phone reception, no TV reception, and the electricity had gone out. We ended up watching out the front windows, hearing the hail pelt the roof. Soon a tree snapped and fell on our neighbor's house.

We woke the kids, but decided to wait out the electricity outage. Surely it would come back on soon. We'd never been without power for more than two hours. Four hours passed. Then six. Pretty soon it was bedtime. The house was SWELTERING hot...probably a balmy ninety degrees. We all were in as little clothing as we could stand. Baby Brenna slept in just her diaper, Ian in just his sleep shorts. I'm not sure how much any of us slept that night.

STOP

Slice of Life Challenge: Day 1

Slice of Life Challenge: Mrs. Overman

I decided on Saturday afternoon that I couldn't stay inside any longer. The sun looked so nice and warm, some of the snow had melted off the roads, and I needed OUT! I suited up for the chill: sweats, heavy coat, gloves, and a hat; my walking buddy, Riley, was up for the task, of course. If only I had a built-in winter coat like her, I'd be set!

We headed down the road to the greenway. There was almost no wind, but it was frigid outside. I saw a thin momma deer and her twins looking at us as if to say, "Please help, we're so hungry!" I wish there was a way. I mean, the deer on our trails are typically not too skittish; they're used to seeing hundreds of people walking each week. But the fact that they were all but following us made it hard to think about what they must be feeling.

Up the trail I headed...patches of ice dotted the walkway; Riley stepped on the taller snow piles, but they were so crunchy, she and all her 70 pounds didn't even make tracks. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand to prevent the cold air from burning my face. Brrr! Ten minutes was all we could stand.

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!