THE BARTOL BUNCH NEWS May 19- May 23 Dear Families, We had a great time planting the MLK garden at the state capitol. Check it out this summer! The MLK garden can be found in front of the steps leading up to the capitol. This week will be our final new spelling list and test. Students will be preparing for the Latin and Greek Root Word Olympics, competing for certificates and medals in the Novice, Master, Grand Master, Nova, and Emperor classes. Student writing continues to flow! We have some lovely free verse writers and the student autobiographies are coming along well. The focus this week will be on haiku for the season in which each child was born, a narrative for the time of day each child was born, a narrative describing each child's name selection, and two pages dedicated to the students' favorite animals. Debra Fraser's book On the Day You Were Born continues to provide inspiration for all. In the 1860's, Chinese workers helped to build the transcontinental railroad, encountering many hazards. In Dragon's Gate, students are understanding how hazardous and life changing the experience was for one boy, Otter. This week, skills focus on vocabulary, words with multiple meanings, and comprehension. In Everyday Math, students continue with their study of 3-D objects. We'll do a special investigation of the interior angles of rectangular prisms, square prisms, and pyramids. Westward Expansion takes a unique twist this week, as students do research and create pop-ups of a plant and an animal discovered by Lewis and Clark during the Corps of Discovery exploration of the newly acquired lands west of the Mississippi. Just in time to help Minnesota celebrate the sesquicentennial. Have a great week, AS ALWAYS, we're very busy! Sincerely, Ms. Bartol This Week's Highlights Monday Lewis and Clark research 3-D investigations Tuesday Library 11:30 Lewis and Clark research Wednesday- Lewis and Clark research Thursday Final STAR test for reading levels 3rd and 4th grade concert 2:00 Friday Junior Achievement SEM Lighthouse Art Final Spelling Test Specialist of the Week: Music