This Busy Week Ahead

I've spent quite a bit of time today preparing for this week--here are the highlights as they stand right now:

• We are starting out a new chapter and a new subject matter this week. Instead of Social Studies, we are doing Science this week. We are doing the first part of our unit called Food Chains and Webs this week. This chapter is usually lumped in with our Animal Adaptations unit, but this year we are going to do things a little bit differently and touch on this throughout the year. One of the primary reasons I want to do this right now is that I just got a new microscope last week (woohoo!) that will let me show what's under it on the big projector. Thank you to the Delabys for this awesome donation, and I wanted to use it while it's still warm enough outside to wade into the creek or pond to get the samples, quite frankly. I'm really looking forward to it. 
• That said, we will still be doing our continued States and Capitals quizzes every Friday until we are finished with all 50 states of the Union! This Friday's list went home a couple days ago.
• I told you back on Meet the Teacher Night that we are going to be writing writing writing this year, and this will be our last solid week of working daily on our personal narratives in class. The plan right now is to have the kids type up their final drafts in the computer lab next Thursday, September 29. 
• We are starting our Daily 5 in earnest tomorrow. This will give the kids some time to get some work finished, with specific work assigned to individuals each day. When they finish with that, they will have the opportunity to get anything else finished that they didn't finish yet in class. As they know, anything they don't finish in class will become homework on Thursday night. I will make sure they are given time in class to get it all done, but some may have things left to finish on Thursday night. 
• Spelling test and regular schedule will continue as normal this week.
• My Math class will have a test this Friday. A study guide will go home on Tuesday, including what all I am planning to put on the test. 
• I hope to see everyone at the Mane Event Woodbrook Carnival this Friday! I am working as the announcer for a chunk of the evening. I look forward to seeing lots of you as well as many old friends at this event. Be there!