Ice Cream Social on Friday

Students explain the cast they designed to help a broken bone heal.

Temperatures This Week
It is supposed to be a hot this week.  Our classroom does okay and tends to get less direct sunlight through the windows this time of year.  Send students wearing clothing that can help them stay cool.  I have been making sure students stay hydrated, especially right after we come in from a recess.

Ice Cream Social
The A2STEAM Ice Cream Social is this Friday.  It is a good time and the ice cream is free.  They need volunteers!

NWEA Testing
Students will be taking the NWEA Reading and NWEA Math assessments this week.  We will do a little bit each morning, in the classroom, on student iPads.  Try to make sure students have a healthy breakfast, a good night’s sleep, and are ready to do their best on this exam each day.

Color Fun Run
Wow!  Our class is one of the top three classes which means we get our own ice party.  Amazing. 

Curriculum Overview
Science - We just finished up a Project Lead The Way unit on the structure and function of the human body.  Last week students designed a cast collaboratively in groups of four.  We met as a group to discuss their collaboration successes and areas for improvement and then students worked again as a team to prepare a quick presentation on the design of their cast (see photo above).

Math - This week we will review addition and subtraction concepts.

Literacy - We are reading fiction books, analyzing the feelings of characters, and seeing how those feelings change across the story.  Ask your students about Big Bushy Mustache.

Writing - We will be finishing up and perfecting some of the poems we worked on last week.

Word Study - This week students are working on different word sorts aligned with their academic next steps. 

Color Fun Run Update

Students enjoyed the field day and Color Fun Run.

Color Fun Run
Thank you for all your support for the Color Fun Run.  The kids had an amazing day.  I hope you were able to see the pictures and video I posted on Seesaw.  Full tallies are not in yet but the school has raised more the $20,000 in all.  If you would still like to donate you have a couple more days.  You can create an online fundraising page here, or you can bring any donations in an enclosed envelope to the PTO drop box. Please include your child's name and write ROOM K-3/LUXON on the envelope. Make checks payable to A2 STEAM at Northside PTO.

Spirit Week
This week is Spirit Week at A2STEAM.  Here are the themes for each day:
Tuesday: Dress like your favorite character
Wednesday: Wear your favorite color or red to support teachers
Thursday: Wacky Day
Friday: Dress for Success/Career Day
This handout has more information

Half Day This Wednesday
This Wednesday, May 23rd, will be a half-day for students.  Students will be dismissed at 12:52 PM.

Mr. Luxon Out This Thursday
I will be out of the classroom this Thursday, visiting teacher Ms. Pace will be teaching in my absence.  I will be at school on Thursday, but I will be meeting with next year's incoming Kindergarten students.

No School Monday, May 28th
There will be no school Monday, May 28th in honor of Memorial Day.

NWEA Testing
Students will be taking the NWEA Reading and NWEA Math assessments next week.  We will do a little bit each morning, in the classroom, on student iPads.  Try to make sure students have a healthy breakfast, a good night’s sleep, and are ready to do their best on this exam.

Curriculum Overview
Science - We are currently in the middle of a Project Lead The Way unit on the structure and function of the human body.  This week I am reviewing with students how to collaborate effectively so they can work in groups to design a cast that can support a broken bone.

Math - Today we reviewed the idea of symmetry.  The rest of the week will review addition and subtraction concepts.

Literacy - We are reading fiction books, analyzing the feelings of characters, and seeing how those feelings change across the story.  Ask your students about Shelia Rae the Brave where the main character, Shelia Rae, felt fearless, worried, frightened, and relieved throughout the story.


Writing - We are finishing up and perfecting some of the poems we worked on last week.

Word Study - This week students are working on different word sorts aligned with their academic next steps. 

On the field trip students hold up a model of our intestinal tract.

Color Fun Run This Friday

Students used the flower pens they made to write to their mothers for Mother's Day.

Color Fun Run
The second annual Color Fun Run fundraiser is scheduled for this Friday, May 18th.  The Color Fun Run is a mini-marathon for students where they can run laps to earn money for the school's Parent Teacher Organization.  While they run, colorful cornstarch is thrown in the air marking their laps.  If you would like to donate you can create an online fundraising page here.  If you would not like to create an online fundraising page, please bring any donations in an enclosed envelope to the PTO drop box. Please include your child's name and write ROOM K-3/LUXON on the envelope. Make checks payable to: A2 STEAM at Northside PTO.  If you would like to volunteer and help out with this event please sign up here. 

The money raised is used for many great things that directly benefit students.  One example is our upcoming field trip to the Health Exploration Station--admission and transportation for students is completely funded by the PTO.

Color Fun Run Clothes
Make sure your students wear clothes and shoes they can run in this Friday.

Field Trip on Thursday, May 17th
If you inquired about chaperoning I sent you an email last night.

Book Bags
Bring in your Home Reading ziploc book bags this week so I can send some fresh books home.

Curriculum Overview
Science - We are currently in the middle of a Project Lead The Way unit on the structure and function of the human body.  This week we will study how broken bones heal.

Math - This week we will be focusing on computation, both story problems and direct math sentences.  We will study skip counting, how it relates to the idea of multiples and multiplication, and add that that to our understanding of different types of computation.

Literacy - We are reading fiction books, analyzing the feelings of characters, and seeing how those feelings change across the story.  Ask your students about Knuffle Bunny.

Writing - This week we will study poetry and write more simple poems.  We will also do some writing about the bones in our hand on Seesaw.

Word Study - This week students are working on different word sorts aligned with their academic next steps.  

Making our flower pens.

Making our flower pens.

Students writing to their mothers for Mother's Day.

Color Fun Run Next Week

Last week we conducted some experiments to help explain why we need so many bones in our hands.

Color Fun Run
The second annual Color Fun Run fundraiser is scheduled for May 18th.  The Color Fun Run is a mini-marathon for students where they can run laps to earn money for the school's Parent Teacher Organization.  While they run, color cornstarch is thrown in the air marking their laps.  If you would like to donate you can create an online fundraising page here.  If you would not like to create an online fundraising page, please bring any donations in an enclosed envelope to the PTO drop box. Please include your child's name and write ROOM K-3/LUXON on the envelope. Make checks payable to: A2 STEAM at Northside PTO.  If you would like to volunteer and help out with this event please sign up here.  The money raised is used for many great things that directly benefit students like our field trips and some of our EXPO projects.

Field Trip on Thursday, May 17th
Thank you for getting those permission slips back to me so quickly!  If you inquired about chaperoning I will email you soon.

Book Bags
Bring in your Home Reading ziploc book bags this week so I can send some fresh books home.

Tuesday, May 8th
Tomorrow, Tuesday May 8th, is election day.  There is no school.  Please vote if you can.

Wednesday, May 9th
I will be out the classroom this Wednesday, May 9th.  I will be at school attending a school improvement meeting.  Visiting teacher Ms. Pace will be teaching in my absence.  I forgot to tell the students this on Monday.

Curriculum Overview
Science - We are currently in the middle of a Project Lead The Way unit on the structure and function of the human body.  We are working on understanding the skeletal structure of our hands.  Last week we conducted an experiment to see why we have so many bones in our hands.  This week student will be creating a pretend x-ray of their hands.

Math - Last week we were working on reading analog and digital clocks.  If you have a minute to read an analog clock with your student please do, this skill takes practice.  This week we will review the names of coins and add up small amounts of money (i.e. 2 nickels and 4 pennies is 14 cents).

Literacy - We are reading fiction book, analyzing the feelings of characters, and seeing how those feelings change across the story.

Writing - This week we will study poetry and write a simple poem.

Word Study - This week students are working on different word sorts aligned with their academic next steps.  Students are working on letter sounds, blends, and spelling patterns. In addition to these sorts, as a class this week, we are breaking words into common letter groupings.  Ask your student how a tricycle, triangle, and triceratops are all related.