Week 4 - September 28, 2018

Family Picture

This week our focus has been on our classroom community and how we can make it fun and safe. We want students to feel as if our classroom if a family.  We also want to highlight and learn about each student's family, so if you haven't already, please send in a family photo (no larger than 5X7) so that we can discuss our families!  These photos will be returned to you at the end of the year.

Curriculum

Reading:
The students have been building stamina when reading to self.  They've also learned to read to someone; the ways to read to someone and how to coach/help each other when reading.  Furthermore, the students have been learning about rhyming and the short a sound.  Next week, we will learn to listen to reading and how to work on writing during our Daily 5 rotations.

Book Baggies:
The students have 6 books in their bag (two below their reading level to help them work on fluency, two at their level to focus on good reading skills, and two above level to continue to push and grow as readers).  These bags will stay at home all week for students to practice reading.  We will exchange books each week, so it is important that they remember to bring their bag back to school on Fridays when we exchange our books.  If a student forgets or is absent one week, they will need to return them the following Friday.  

Writing:
This week the students worked on using ideas from different authors to write their own story about their family.  Students have also been learning to write good/complete sentences using capital letters, periods, subjects and predicates.  Next week, we will continue to work on this writing.  This incorporates some concepts from our social studies unit on families as well.  The students have learned about different family members and the roles each member has.  

Math:
This week the students continued to build their number sense and counting skills.  Next week, we will be working on adding and subtracting to 10.  We want this to become automatic for the kids.  

IXL Skills - Use these activities as you wish to help your child with the skills we will be working on throughout this first trimester.

Science/Social Studies:
The students are continuing to learn about weather patterns through observations, reading and experiments.  This week, the students learned about the different types of clouds and how they move.  Students are learning about air and how it moves as well.  Next week, they will continue to learn about air and wind through different experiments.  

Purposeful Play
Please see the Purposeful Play tab on the blog to learn more about our weekly Play Time and donation items we could use for it!

Homework

• Read every night
• Work on a math skill (i.e. counting forwards and backwards within 120, adding and subtracting to 20 - play a board game for this, telling time, counting coins, measuring - length and volume -  have your child cook with you to practice this, talk about shapes - 2D and 3D - find items around your house, etc.) 

Specials Schedule

Monday: P.E. (Wear tennis shoes)
Tuesday: Art (Bring an Art shirt labeled with your child's name)
Wednesday: Music
Thursday: Media/Library
Friday: Rotates (See the back of your child's OWL folder (everyday folder) for a schedule.)

Important Dates

October 3: Count Day and Picture Day
October 10: Walk to School Day
October 19: Color Run