Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all of you, and welcome back to school!

There is a lot going on in GT right now...

• 2nd grade is starting to work on research projects -- on rare Japanese animals! Get ready to learn from our 2nd grade students about these interesting animals.
• 3rd grade has begun reading the wonderful novel by Kate DiCamillo called The Tale of Despereaux. It is one of those books that is hard to put down!
• 4th grade is about to begin researching enigmas... the Loch Ness Monster, BigFoot, UFO's, and crop circles... There are many others. It will be exciting to learn more about these puzzling mysteries from our 4th grade researchers!
• 5th grade is reading Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry. This award winning novel is one that the students are sure to enjoy as we follow Mafatu on his adventures through Polynesia!

MATH NOTE: I got an iphone for Christmas. Any of you parents have one? Check out all the aps for math fact practice. I found a free one that is basically just fun flashcards on the phone! The kids can play this in the car, in the waiting room at the doctor's office, etc. I have noticed that many of my GT students have not yet fully memorized their multiplication facts. If your child is in third grade or above, please take some time to quiz him or her on these. In order for your child to be successful in math, these must be mastered. If your child is in first or second grade, quiz him/her on addition and subtraction facts. Once those are mastered, try moving onto multiplication! It never hurts to get a jumpstart on math!

Please know that I thoroughly enjoy teaching your children. They are a delight!

Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you!