Looking ahead to the week of March 23

Spring is almost here!  We will welcome the first official day of spring this Friday.

Hello, families!  I hope you all are enjoying the spring-like weather this week!

ACT Testing:  Students will begin preparing for the ACT test, which will take place April 28 -30.  Students will be tested in the areas of reading, writing, and math.  Each test will be timed.  Students will continue reviewing what they've learned all year, in order to prepare for the big test!  They will be reminded each day that this test is not something to stress about, but to look at as their time to shine and show all they've learned this year!  It should be an exciting week!  We like to make this week very special for students, which is why we are reaching out and asking for donations.  Since testing days are so draining, we are planning on having a breakfast item (students should still eat breakfast before school, though!), then handing out something sweet during our breaks and finally giving them a snack and a juice when testing is over for the day.  It makes the day seem a little “sweeter!”  If you are able to make a donation, please contact me at awest@richland2.org, as soon as possible, to let me know the items you'd like to send in and the specific day!  Thank you, in advance, for helping make testing more enjoyable for the children!  The following items are needed (23 of each):

• 3 days of juice boxes  - CHECK!  All three days of juice boxes have been donated! Yay!
• 3 days of breakfast type food (Muffins, cereal bars, Pop Tarts, etc)
• 3 or so bags of individually wrapped candy (Smarties, Nerds, etc… something that is not sticky and messy.)
• 3 days of a snack-type item (pretzels, baked chips, fruit snacks, etc.) - Two days worth of snacks have been donated! Yay!  We still need one more day of snacks.
• Napkins (enough for all three days)

*Please note that we have nut allergies in our classroom!

Looking ahead:  As mathematicians, students will be wrapping up their study on data.  They will take a quiz on line plots, bar graphs, and pictographs next Tuesday.  There will be no study guide, since this is not a unit test.  Students will then study perimeter.  Please check out our Topics 16 and 13 family letters, to help you better understand the content covered. We'll continue our mixed operation quizzes.  During language arts, students will continue to study verbs, adverbs, and conjunctions  They will have a unit test next Wednesday.  A study guide will be sent home this week.  The children will continue working on cursive handwriting, narrative summaries, and prompt writing (in preparation for their state-wide test in April).  As historians, students will complete their Civil War unit test and begin studying Reconstruction.

Topic 16 (Data) Home Letter:

Topic 13 (Perimeter) Home Letter:

Half-day:  Students will have a half-day Thursday, March 26.  If your child's transportation changes, please be sure to send a note.  Students will be served lunch.  Dismissal will be 11:30.

A note from first grade: First grade's charity will go throughout March.  Our charity is to collect money for the Columbia Police Department's K-9 Unit.  We want to raise money to put towards a new bullet proof vest for one of the police dogs.  Each classroom will have a "piggy bank" container that our first graders have decorated for any donations.  Preschool-3rd grade already has their containers.  The students will go around and pick up donations made throughout our school each Wednesday.  The last day to donate will be March 25.  The police officers and dogs will be coming to Bookman this day to collect all of our donations.  We are very excited to try and raise as much money as possible.  Last year we raised $700 which is the cost of one vest!  Thank you in advance for donating any of your loose change!

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week!  Thank you again for all that you do!