Grammar Launching in 3...2...1!

On Thursday, February 10, we will start our Grammar Unit! 

Types of grammar in this simple posting: prepositional phrase, an appositive, plural subjective pronoun, future verb tense, verb, possessive pronoun, proper noun, end punctuation... 
Yes, it can get complicated real fast! Please help us by reviewing grammar at home.

Grammar Resource

In speaking to many of our 5-316 parents, it seems grammar is a concern. I thought I would pass on some information on a podcast that I just love. It's Grammar Girl's Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing! Though it is not necessarily geared towards 5th graders, episodes, which focus on a single grammar convention usually chosen by viewer emails, are very clear and backed by easy to follow examples. They may be a great resource for you and your child. Take a moment to look at the many 6-8 minute episodes available free on her website or subscribe to the free podcast through iTunes! Again, to reiterate: some episodes are clearly for advanced "grammartarians", but there are plenty that'd be appropriate for your child. 


Of course, if the word "podcast" makes no sense to you, feel free to email us for a explanation!

The Plant Whisperer

Andres does such a fantastic job caring for our class plant. When he is not pruning carefully he is keeping track of when it was last watered, spraying its leaves and making sure it's in a location with plenty of light. It will be wonderful to watch it grow throughout the year.

This brings to mind a few things:
- Would anyone be interested in taking our plant home and caring for the plant during recesses and long holidays? Please comment if you're interested.

- Notice the use of "its" and "it's" in the first paragraph above. "It" only gets an apostrophe S (you know, this --> 's ) when it is used as a contraction... the short way of writing "it is" or "it has".  When I use it to show possession, like "its leaves", it has no apostrophe.

- And back to plants, I hope you are all getting excited about visiting Brooklyn Grange Farm later in the month!