Pillowcases and other October News

Families,
     It's hard to believe we're already into October and have completed 5 weeks of school already! It has been so much fun getting to know this amazing group of students. I am looking forward to speaking with each of you in depth at our Fall Parent Teacher Conferences! Thank you for your feedback and flexibility regarding the changes in dates. Conferences will begin on Friday, October 25th through the following week. If you haven't signed up yet, please click on the link. Our first field trip will be on Friday, November 1st to the Old Aurora Colony.  If you are able to chaperon, please let Mrs. Marks or me know soon. The office will need time to ensure that all background checks are completed prior to our trip.
     Last week we concluded our science unit on The Animal Kingdom. If your child received a 1 or 2, they have until the end of the year to review the material and demonstrate mastery- either through a re-test or a project of their choosing. If you need assistance with the material or ideas for a project, please let me know.
This week we will begin our Human Body units, starting with the skeletal system.
     We are about half-way through our unit on Colonial America. Students were given the project sheet for their Colonial Brochures this past week, along with an example brochure, an example KWO format, and a book on his or her chosen colony as a resource. Please note that this project, which is completed at home, has 3 stages with 3 due dates. We will walk through an example of each step in class prior to your child being expected to complete it at home. I am happy to answer any additional questions that you may have. Project Timeline:

	How much time should this take?	What needs to be done?	Due date
Research & KWO	30-60 min	Find information, read book, complete Key Word Outline	10/10/13
Rough draft	30-60 min	Use the KWO to create a written draft of the text (does not need to include pictures and brochure formatting before being edited)	10/16/13
Final Draft	30-60 min	Format the brochure, add pictures, type or neatly written text (using the checklist for editing)	10/24/13

     This week's Riggs Report included a short questionnaire for parents. Please jot down your thoughts and send it back to school with your child on Monday (they'll get a ticket!) Thank you for your feedback!
     We are continuing to focus on our "Most Wanted" phonograms. Combined, the class captured over 100 phonograms this week- YEA! Keep practicing! I've also added a new tab to the top of the blog titled "Riggs Words", where you can find an updated list of all of our words so far. I will try to update it weekly with the words for the upcoming week. If your child is absent, please check here for the day's new words.
     And, finally... on Thursday we were lucky enough to have 3 fantastic volunteers from the American Red Cross come into our class and teach us about the Pillowcase Project. We learned about being prepared in an emergency, like a fire, earthquake, or flood. Each child was given a special pillowcase to decorate and take home. They also received a booklet to go through at home with their families. The Red Cross will return in a few weeks to follow-up. Children were asked to complete 2 sections in the booklet; a map of their house/bedroom and emergency exit routes, and to choose a family Meeting Place outside the house. Your child should also have their address and phone number memorized in case of an emergency.

Thank you, and have a wonderful weekend!