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Welcome to Mrs. Dickinson's Website!
Linda Dickinson
ABBOTTS HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Contact Linda Dickinson

Page Last Updated Feb 09, 2010
Number of Visits: 1138

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Class News

Students have been challenged to learn the location of all 50 states for the USA Rocks Challenge!  Those students who accept this challenge must demonstrate their knowledge by labeling a blank map of the United States.  Students who can accurately label all 50 states (at one time)by February 5th will be treated to a special celebration. 

This week, students will be studying:

 Have you been exploring BrainPop? 

Username: Abbotts 

Password: Jaguars

Try typing: "commas", "Frederick Douglass" , "decimals", "maps", "quotation marks", and any other topic you are interested in learning more about!

We are also still continuing to work on our animal research PowerPoint projects.

Once our PowerPoints are completed, parents will be invited to our PowerPoint presentation extravaganza! Watch for more information in the coming weeks. 

See full size image

 

 

Pearson Successnet's Take it to the Net section has  excellent "Test Prep" practice opportunities.

      

 Please help your child to stay organized.  All homework should be completed and placed in the book bag in the evening to eliminate the chance for materials to be accidentally left at home. All Jaguar folders must be returned to school on Mondays.

Thank you so much for helping me to help your children to be organized and confident!

Weekly Assignments

Reading Response Journal entries are due each Thursday.

The "new" weekly parent-student reading practice homework is due each Friday.

Math facts quizzes will occur every Friday.  We will be doing 3 minute, 100 problem multiplication quizzes until further notice.  Every child can do well on these IF they practice their math facts nightly (see Helpful Homework Hints in your child's teal folder for more information).

Vocabulary quizzes on weekly words will occur every Friday.

 

 

Reading Response Journal

The weekly Reading Response Journal homework

assignment is designed to foster a love of reading

and to encourage discussion about each story. 

When readers talk about what they have read and

make personal connections to stories, their

comprehension and pleasure from reading increase. 

I sincerely hope you enjoy these special reading

times with your child!

 

Each student will choose and borrow a picture book from our

class Reading Response Journal box on Mondays

 

The book should be read aloud with a parent, grandparent, or

other adult at home (VERY IMPORTANT)

 

The student may read the entire story aloud to their parent, or may

choose to alternate pages with his/her reading partner. 

The entire story can be read in a single sitting, or spread out over

multiple days.

         

 During and after reading, please take the time to discuss the story

Talk about what the characters are feeling, make predictions

about what might happen next, and explore similarities (and

differences) between your lives and the experiences of the

characters. Don’t forget to look at the illustrations carefully

because they are designed to help the reader glean even more

information about the story.   

         

 Each student will write a weekly entry in his/her Reading

Response Journal (lime green composition notebook) based upon

the book and your discussions. The entry should be at least four sentences, but can be as long as an entire page. 

 

Please encourage your child to INDEPENDENTLY write about

the story (please don’t correct spelling, grammar, etc. 

I am most interested in each student’s thinking process). 

 

The entry should never just be a summary of the story. Instead,it

should reflect how the story touched the student or made him/her

think.  Here are some ideas for journal entry topics: 

 What was your favorite part of the story and why?  Have you

had experiences similar to the character?  What would you have done

in that situation?  How do you feel about the character(s)? 

Did you learn anything about life from the story?

 

          Reading Response Journals are due each Thursday (but can

be turned in sooner).  Each entry should be headed with the title

of book, the author, and the date.


 

Weekly Vocabulary Words

Studying prefixes and suffixes helps students increase their ability to read and figure out the meaning of new words that they encounter!

 Lists (with definitions and matching game/flashcard activity) will not be replaced. Students who lose their lists will need to copy them from a classmate after school hours.  This policy is in place to encourage responsibility on the part of my students. Please remind your child to keep all word lists in their homework folders (even once the week has passed).  We will revisit the words regularly.
This week's words are:  sym- syn- together, same

symbiosis

symmetry

sympathy

symposium

symptoms

synagogue

syndicate

synonym

synthesis

synthetic




MARK YOUR CALENDARS.....

I truly hope that all of our class families will join me for this remarkable opportunity!


February 15th, 2010 is a school holiday. However, I have scheduled a private class field trip to the Capitol in Atlanta on that date.  I believe that the visit to the Capitol is extremely worthwhile as it is related to MANY of our units of study this year.

We will learn about state government, enter the House and Senate chambers where our General Assembly meets to discuss new laws, and see where the governor works. Additionally, we will visit the Capitol museum which houses exhibits related to rocks and minerals, habitats of Georgia, and animals of Georgia.

We may even be able to meet with representative Mark Burkhalter, Speaker Pro Tempe of the House, for a discussion and personal tour of the chamber!

Parents will need to transport their own children and remain with them throughout the tour.  I will meet everyone in the lobby.  All s must present a picture ID in order to enter the building. There is no charge for this "field trip" and it is certain to become a lasting memory!

 Family Field Trip Ideas

Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum in Cartersville

Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta

Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta

The Okefenokee Wildlife Swamp Park in Waycross

Brasstown Bald Mountain (near Hiawassee)

The Little White House in Warm Springs

The Autrey Mill Nature Center on Old Alabama Road in Johns Creek!

The Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell

The Dahlonega gold mines in Dahlonega

A recycling center




 


 


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