We started using our Writer's Notebooks this past week! Yay!! This tool is a wonderful way for our student to explore the world of writing through strategies.  We've also begun to explore the different traits (ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, conventions, and presentation) of writing and how they can aid us in the writing process.  We're focusing on Ideas here in the beginning of the year and are learning lots of strategies for coming up with what to write.

Students will begin bringing home their writer's notebooks this coming week.  We will write in school every day and students are required to write additionally three times a week at home.  I will be collecting their notebooks on occasion to make sure students are completing their writing. It takes a lot of practice, reading and writing, and we'll be working on building our stamina, strengthening our traits, and becoming writers all year long.

As you may or may not know, we are just starting our first novel study!!  Thanks to DonorsChoose and two special donors, Carla Nilsen and Starbucks Oregon, a full class set of the Newbery Award Winner, A Wrinkle In Time, were just delivered to our school. (If you have a moment to go to their DonorsChoose profile and thank them, I'm sure it would be appreciated. As I've said before, I love when people come together and help other people.  That's what being a community is all about.)  Studying good literature is a wonderful opportunity that I believe all students should have.   I'm so excited to start this novel with our students and help them explore literary elements, ideas, imagination, and courage.  We'll start reading Chapter 1 on Monday together!!

I'll leave you with the line I read to the 6th graders on their way out the door on Friday:

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

Monday, October 1st

Tuesday, October 2nd 
     - Subway Lunch orders due no later than 3:30 p.m. (later orders will not be accepted) – Please pay separate from your pizza order.
     - Homework Club 3-4pm
     - 3:15 p.m.: MRA Booster Meeting at MRA

Wednesday, October 3rd 
     - Subway Lunch and Early Release – 1:00 pm
     - Pizza orders and money due no later than 1:30 p.m.  (late orders will not be accepted)
     - Homeroom will be beginning our work on Harvest Fest preparations this afternoon.

 Thursday, October 4th 
     - Math Night for all parents of students K-6.  This is not for the 7th and 8th graders.  Two sessions of the same information will run in half hour increments - 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.  To attend please sure you sign up with your child's math teacher.    

 Friday, October 5th  
     - Jog-a-thon and Hoop-a-thon (School-wide fundraiser!)
o   K/1:       9-9:30am            6th grade
o    2/3:       9:35-10:05am    7th grade
o   4/5:       10:10-10:40am   8th grade
     - Pizza Lunch
     - Homework Club 3-4pm

Looking Ahead
 
·         October 2nd , 3:15 p.m.: MRA Booster Meeting at MRA
·         October 4th: Parent Math Night
·         October 5th:  Jogathon and HoopAThon
·         October 9th, 6:30 p.m.: MRA Board Meeting
·         October 15th through October 20th: Book Fair
·         October 15th: Picture Retakes
·         October 18th, 3:15 p.m.: Auction Meeting at MRA
·         October 19th: No School State Wide Inservice
·         October 20th : Harvest Festival
·         October 24th, 3:00 p.m.: First Aid, CPR Class $35
·         October 31th: Teacher Planning Day - No School
·         November 1st and 2nd: Parent Teacher Conferences - No School
·         T-Shirt Sale: MRA t-shirts are uniform approved. We will be selling shirts with the MRA Logo and the new mascot in October