September 24th

Dear Parents/Guardians,
  This is the final week of the first quarter.  All work from this quarter - with the exception of Reading Logs, our bean project logs, and Reading Journals - have already been collected.  Reading Logs must be signed and turned in by Wednesday or students will receive zeros. Bean plants will be sent home by Thursday.  At the beginning of next quarter, I plan to meet with a parent or guardian of each student so that we can discuss your child's progress.  A sign up sheet with available times will be on my door by the end of the day, please sign up there or email me your preferred time so that I can work you into my schedule. 

  This week, we are doing a review of frequently misspelled words that we've discussed this quarter.  Many of the words were suggested by students. 

1. bonus
2. could
3. because
4. went
5. which
6. does
7. can't
8. their
9. February
10. Vásquez
11. until
12. weird
13. write
14. favorite
15. believe
16. exercise
17. won't
18. piece
19. necessary
20. Phoenix

Have a great week! I hope to see all of you soon.
-Ms. Vasquez

Sept. 17th-Sept. 21st

  We are loving Science in Room 319 this quarter! We are in the second week of our bean study and many of our plants seem to be growing.  We are also writing persuasive essays about whether or not having your genomes sequenced is a good idea. 
  Please remember that, with the exception of Reading Logs, this is the last week for students to turn in work to be included in the first Report Cards.  Reading Logs will be accepted no later than Wednesday, September 26th.  Report Cards go home on Friday the 28th. 

This week's Spelling Words:

1. hectic
2. transport
3. practical
4. suspicious
5. probable
6. ceremony
7. delicious
8. prolong
9. wonderful
10. synonym
11. contribute
12. deceive
13. delay
14. restaurant
15. movement
16. lyric
17. grieve
18. actual
19. refuel
20. tranquil.

Have a great week!
-Ms. Vasquez

September 10th

Parents/Guardians,
  The end of the first quarter is approaching quickly!  Students need to continue turning in all work on time.  I am not accepting late work unless a student has been absent or has a green character card.  Also, please remember that students should all be reading approximately 20 minutes per day.  September Reading Logs (350 minutes) are due by September 26th.  Report Cards will be sent home on September 28th.
  Our Entertainment Book Fundraiser ended last Wednesday.  Many students have not returned their Entertainment Books yet.  Please get the books or the money for the books in to school as soon as possible!
  Today we are starting an ongoing Science experiment in class.  We will all be growing bean plants and determining which conditions are best for germination and growth.  This goes along with our botany unit in Science.
  It is clear that many students are doing a great job of studying Spelling Words.  Please keep up the good work!  Some students who need to do more studying still have time to pick those grades up.

This week's Spelling Words:

1. squalor
2. impatient
3. deny
4. women
5. advisor
6. solve
7. desire
8. absence
9. rival
10. discuss
11. compete
12. necessary
13. financial
14. detail
15. ancient
16. pastime
17. visualize
18. possess
19. conflict
20. manipulate 

Thank you, and have a great week!
-Ms. Vasquez

September 4th-7th

Dear Parents and Guardians,
  Thank you so much for visiting our classroom during Open House last week!  The main event of this week is the sending home of Mid-Quarter Progress Reports today.  Please sign and return the Progress Report, or send a short note indicating you received it, by Friday.  Any work listed as missing must be returned with the Progress Report.  I typically do not take any work that is more than one day late.  Instead, missing work is converted to a zero on the second day. 
  Please remember that students need to continue to read at home throughout the school year.  Tomorrow, I will send home Reading Logs.  Because this is a short month, and the quarter ends on September 28th, only 350 minutes of independent reading are required this month.  Reading Logs are due on Wednesday, September 26th.

This week's Spelling Words:

1. disaster
2. blunt
3. unwrap
4. identical
5. ravenous
6. develop
7. error
8. labeled
9. stomach
10. miniature
11. authentic
12. publish
13. instruct
14. religious
15. result
16. cushion
17. burial
18. global
19. hereditary
20. immigrant

Have a great week!
-Ms. Vasquez