Bishop/Beck Newsletter ​January 11, 2019  

Teacher Notes​: 
● Next week, students will be taking the Reading & Math MAP test​ to check in on 
the skills the students have learned so far this year. No need to study or worry 
for this. A good night’s sleep and good breakfast will help out! :)  
 
● Next Tuesday in Science our class will be having ​The Great Ice Melt Race ​to exhibit heat 
energy! Details came home in your child’s folder this week! :) 
 
● IMPORTANT!!!! Thank you for listening to your child read and encouraging them to record their nightly 
minutes on the back of the monthly reading log. ​The January Reading Log is due Wednesday, January 30th. 
 

This Week in the News 

MATH ​We are back to using our new multiplication and division skills, but now we are
applying them to real-world problems involving area! Students who know their multiplication facts did
have an easier time with this subject this week, because they can focus their knowledge on the process
of discovering the area of an irregular shape, instead of taking the time to figure out the multiplication
problem to solve it. This is just one example of our Mighty Multiplier benefits! Keep studying kiddos! :)
SCIENCE​ T
​ he students are a ball of energy this week! Oh no- I mean they USED a ball of 
energy this week! :) We are introducing 5 sources of energy including light, heat, sound, electricity and 
magnetism. It’s been a fun week full of experiments! Ask your child to share their favorite with you! 
Reading​ ​ ​The students are reading “suspiciously,” as we discover the genre of mysteries. Do
you know the important ingredients that will make a delicious mystery? A good mystery will involve characters
such as the detective, suspect, witness, and victim. The plot will include a tricky problem or crime to be solved.
Clues will be stated or inferred throughout the story. As we read the class mentor text and individual texts, we are
being curious readers as we use clues to to solve the mystery.  
Writing​
​ ​ From nonfiction writing to realistic fiction, our class loves to write in any genre! 
The writers in room 505 & 535 have been working on developing an interesting plot and characters for a 
new realistic fiction writing piece. We noticed that all of our learning from the past character unit in 
reading is helping us as an author to develop the characters in our own story. Way to go, Writers!
Spelling​- ​Thank you for encouraging spelling practice at home. Check out the 
optional spelling activities found on the LASS cover sheet. ​Next spelling test is Friday, January 18th.  

Important Dates 
● Tuesday, January 15th ​- Reading MAP Test  
● Tuesday, January 15th​ - The Great Ice Melt Race in Science class 
● Thursday, January 17th -​ Math MAP Test 
● Friday, January 18th​ - Spelling Test 
● Wednesday, January 30th​- January Reading Log Due 
 
Star Student Estimation Jar Winner 
​Bishop-Emerson Fox Bishop- Meghan Calloway 
Beck- Dahyun Choi Beck- Ellie Bethel 

​Our contact information​: 

Mrs. Janell Bishop Mrs. Kris Beck
bishopja@masonohioschools.com ​beckk@masonohioschools.com

 
 

Introducing…. 

THE GREAT ICE 

MELT RACE 
 
WHO:​ All students in Mrs. Beck’s Science class 

WHEN:​ Tuesday, January 15th 

WHERE:​ In the classroom 

WHAT:​ Each student will receive an ice cube in class. They 

may use materials brought from home or in the classroom to 
try to melt their ice cube faster than their classmates’! 

WHY:​ To learn about heat energy, physical changes of 

matter, and how the addition of heat quickens to the melting 
process. 
RULES:
1. Students may bring in any materials from home, but they may not  
plug anything in. (Example: Students could bring in packing 
peanuts, but not a hair dryer.) 
2. The ice cube will remain inside the cup, and any material will be  
packed around the cup. 
3. The ice cube must remain viewable. Students may not cover the  
top of the cup, so that we can observe and time the change. 
4. Possible other rules subject to Mrs. Beck.