Although we don’t officially celebrate Columbus Day, Friday is a day off from school. It’s a remnant of bygone days when Americans still celebrated the “discovery” of the Americas in 1492. The holiday, which is officially the second Monday of October, has fallen out of favor not only because of the way Columbus treated the native people, but because Columbus was probably not the first to cross the Atlantic. So who really “discovered” America? Was it Leif Erickson and the Vikings, or Amerigo Vespucci after whom the continent is named?  Could it have been Irish monks, who some historians believe visited as early as 500 AD? Ask your kids what they know and what theories they believe.

This week in Language Arts we’re focusing on our play scripts: The Tell-Tale Heart, Goosebumps, Penelope Ann Poe’s Amazing Cell Phone, and Sleepy Hollow. Students are to repetitively read their parts, which research shows leads to improved fluency. Provided we work hard enough, the kids will perform one or more of the plays on the school days immediately before or after Halloween. We’ve completed our “mini” Book Clubs, so students are to read for twenty minutes from a book of choice in addition to their play scripts.

In math class, we’re approaching the end of our unit on Place Value. This week we’re looking at counting back change and negative numbers. The unit test is scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday of next week.  Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, Oct. 12th, Tuesday, Oct. 13th, Wednesday, Oct. 14th.

Wednesday is the deadline for Mini-Marathon registrations.  Thursday is our Adopt-a-Street walking field trip. If you’ve volunteered to participate, please be in the classroom by 9:10 a.m.  Thanks!