Phonics

We will continue working on reading and writing words with the long e vowel team. We will also practice reading and spelling our new trick words: breakfast, head, and ready. Students will learn how to identify different syllable types in multisyllabic words and apply that knowledge to read and write longer words. We will wrap up Unit 11 with an assessment on Friday, 2/27.

Reading/Writing

During Wit & Wisdom, we will begin exploring the legend of John Henry. Students will use collective nouns to accurately describe groups of items and practice sharing what they notice and wonder about the story. We will define what a tall tale is and identify important story elements such as characters, setting, and plot. As we read, we will also compare different versions of the same legend to notice similarities and differences.

Math

We will begin our new unit on measurement. Students will learn how to identify the length of objects to the nearest inch and practice estimating lengths in inches. We will also measure objects in feet and explore how inches, feet, and yards are related. As we work, students will compare these units of measurement and build a stronger understanding of how and when to use each one. If a ruler is needed for homework, I will send them home. Please be sure to send them back the following day to use in class. Thanks!

Religion

During religion, students will continue preparing for First Reconciliation. We will practice praying the Act of Contrition and review the steps of Confession so students feel confident and ready. We will also read the parable of the Good Shepherd and discuss how God is like the Good Shepherd in Jesus’ story.

Science

Students will learn about how new materials are invented and how they can solve problems in creative ways. During our “Bouncy Glass Inventions” activity, students will imagine a futuristic material, glass that can bounce and stretch like rubber, and brainstorm their own unique inventions using it. They will think like engineers as they design and explain how their new material could be used in the real world.

Phonics

We will continue working on spelling and reading words with long e vowel teams (ee, ea, and ey). Students will practice matching homophones that use the long e sound. We will also spend time reading grade-level decodable texts to build fluency and confidence.

Reading/Writing

This week in Wit & Wisdom, students will focus on finding the central message and important details in The Legend of the Bluebonnet. They will practice using evidence from the text to write a clear paragraph about the story. We will also begin experimenting with adding adverbs to our writing to make our sentences more detailed.

Math

We will wrap up our Geometry unit by learning about area, with a focus on finding the area of a rectangle. We will also spend a few days reviewing 2D and 3D shapes and their attributes as we get ready for our unit assessment on Friday 2/20.

Religion

We will pause our First Reconciliation lessons and shift our focus to the liturgical season of Lent. Students will review the symbols and colors of this special season as we prepare our hearts for Easter. We will also talk about and plan ways we can pray, fast, and give alms as we work to grow closer to God.

Science

Students will explore how large structures are made from smaller parts. During our “Paper Towers” activity, they will design and build their own structures using paper and paper clips. Students will first try to build the tallest tower they can, and then they will take on the challenge of building a tower strong enough to support a hardcover book.

Phonics

We will finish our unit on long a syllables, focusing on words with the spelling patterns a, a-e, ai, and ay. Students will continue practicing their new trick words: America, school, and thought. Our Unit 10 assessment will be on Thursday 2/12, and on Friday we will begin unit 11 on long e syllables by introducing the vowel teams ea, ee, and ey.

Reading/Writing

In Wit & Wisdom this week, we will continue working with our read-aloud, The Legend of the Bluebonnet. Students will practice retelling the story using key story elements such as characters, setting, problem, and resolution, and we will discuss the life lessons we can learn from the text. We will also sort and define vocabulary words from the story and work together on writing strong introduction sentences for our informational paragraphs.

Math

This week in math, we will continue our Geometry unit by focusing on 3-dimensional shapes. Students will practice identifying and counting the faces, edges, and vertices of different 3D shapes. We will also work on comparing flat (2D) shapes with solid (3D) shapes to better understand how they are alike and different.

Religion

As we continue to prepare for First Reconciliation on March 7th, students will keep practicing the Act of Contrition prayer each day in class. We ask that families continue to practice this prayer at home as well. We appreciate your support! In our new session, we will focus on learning about the Holy Spirit and how we can ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in our lives. We will also review the difference between sins and mistakes and begin reflecting on our own choices through an examination of conscience.

Science

Our new science unit will focus on materials, properties, and engineering. Students will explore the question, “Why do we wear clothes?” and investigate the different properties of materials used for clothing, such as texture, flexibility, and absorbency, and discuss how these features make materials useful for different purposes. They will then apply what they learn by designing and building a hat that helps protect them from the sun.

Phonics

We will continue to focus on spelling and reading words with the ai and ay vowel teams. Students will practice choosing the correct spelling of homophone words, such as main and mane, by thinking about each word’s meaning. We will also learn and practice our new trick words: America, school, thought.

Reading/Writing

We will wrap up our learning about the Pioneers and read a Native American legend, The Legend of the Bluebonnet. Through this text, students will learn what makes a story a legend, review key story elements to help with retelling, and work on defining unfamiliar words.

Math

We will continue working on geometry during math time this week. Students will learn to identify fractions of a set, construct a variety of 2D shapes, and classify and sort 2D shapes based on their attributes.

Religion

Due to the short week, we will not be completing a chapter in our Reconciliation books. Instead, we will continue learning about confession and penance, as well as exploring the different kinds of sin, to help deepen students’ understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Social Studies

During our social studies time this week, we will be learning about the 2026 Winter Olympics. Students will explore where the Olympics are being held, what countries participate, and the different winter sports athletes compete in.