Mrs. Handy

Our budding scientists created telegraphs this week and sent messages to one another. It was a perfect way to apply the concepts of closed circuits and electromagnets. We are down to just a handful of people who are behind in math. Many students, however, have not been prepared for their daily book group this week,… [Read More...]

We have had quite a few students (and our student teacher) out sick this week. We are trying to encourage good health habits, such as getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, washing hands thoroughly and often, and sneezing and coughing into your inner elbow, rather than spraying germs all over. Stay healthy! Thank you… [Read More...]

Next week, Ms. Cassy Czupryk rejoins our class as a student teacher. She will be with us full time until the end of the school year. We are all excited to welcome her back. I am especially pleased to have another adult in the room all day to open the way for some more individualized… [Read More...]

Since half the school year has passed, I have renewed my efforts to have students complete assignments on time. As you know, basic homework consists of reading at home each day, recording minutes and pages on the book log, completing unfinished assignments (including the daily math lesson), and studying and learning spelling words. Students are… [Read More...]

What a wild and crazy week – holiday, snow, freezing rain, whooping cough, and my 87-year-old father getting married! Hope that your week has been calm and peaceful! (Please make sure to read the pertussis alert that went home in backpacks today.) We finally managed to get Lewis and Clark back to St. Louis, and… [Read More...]

These last two weeks have just flown by! We are back into our school routine, and the students worked very hard this week to complete the state tests. They should be proud! Remember, our entire class took reading and math assessments, and the fifth graders also tested in science. Some exceeded the benchmarks, some met… [Read More...]

Happy New Year to all! I hope that you enjoyed the holidays. Please take some time this weekend to review the student and parent goals that were established in October. Foremost among them are arriving at school on time, completing homework, reading daily, and recording minutes and pages read on the book log. Thanks! Everyone… [Read More...]

It’s been rather a hectic week! We did manage to get quite a bit of work done, though, amid the excitement of the approaching winter break. During the last few days, we learned some interesting information about many of the animals that Lewis and Clark encountered on their trip. Most students were very nervous about… [Read More...]

We have been hoping for snow, but the snowflakes that we created as an art project are as close as we have come! This week, we finished up our science investigation on changing matter. Students took a test to see what they have learned. Most of them did very well! It was sent home today…. [Read More...]

We spent some time this week talking about how to improve our discussion about books with our partners. Students suggested summarizing the story, sharing favorite passages, getting help on confusing parts, discussing the characters, and talking about the author’s style. We reminded each other to listen without interrupting, look at your partner, nod your head… [Read More...]