Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 29th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Thursday, May 2nd—Fall Soccer Registration @ NMC

-Wednesday, May 15th—Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center

-Monday, May 20th—Delayed Start

-Friday, May 24th—Fun to Be Fit (1:00)

-Monday, June 3rd—Track & Field (afternoon)

-Monday, June 10th—Last day of school

FIELDTRIP: 

We are planning a field trip to Kettunen Center on May 15th.  Please be sure to return the permission slip, photo release, and $2.50.  Also, we are able to take up to 5 parent chaperones on the bus—if more want to go, you are welcome, but you’ll have to car pool :)

FALL SOCCER REGISTRATION INFO:

Fall Youth Soccer Registration Dates. The Missuakee-Osceola Youth Soccer Association (MOYSA), formally the AYSO/MASA, will be registering soccer players ages 6-11 (before August 1, 2013) at Northern Michigan Christian School on May 2nd from 4-6 and May 9th at Lake City Schools from 6-8 pm. Cost is $30.00 per player.  Teams will be divided into ages 6/7 , 8/9, and 10/11. Please call Dave Skinner at 231-920 1278    (dskinner@nmcs.us) or Diane Eisenga at 231-779-3702 if you have any questions. You can also visit our MOYSA Facebook page to download registration forms and see important announcements and schedules for the upcoming season. If you are interested in coaching or refereeing, please contact Dave Skinner. All coaches and referees will receive training and referees will be paid.  If you cannot attend the registration nights, please send forms to MOYSA, 128 S. Martin, McBain, MI 49657 by May 17^th. 

READING: 

This week we will be working on the digraphs th & wh, as well as the prefix re.  Our focus text is Hush a Thai Lullaby which we will use to work on comparing and contrasting. We will introduce the sight words said & his and students will learn a couple of new apps that they can use during literacy stations on their iPads.

WRITING: 

This week we will continue to work on our newest Informational Booklet; we will spend several days editing, revising, and adding to our books and then conferencing with our peers. We will create a class book about Mrs. Wishy Washy and some of the silly things she washes.  We will also complete a journal page about the different things we like to do on a rainy day.

MATH:

This week we will be using Google Earth to draw a map of our playground.  We will continue to practice identifying and naming coins and 3-D solid shapes.  We will create a Class Number Story Book using pictures and equations to show addition and subtraction stories.  We will also be building 3-D solid shapes using straws, toothpicks, & marshmallows.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week we will continue learning about ‘weather’ and how the weather changes with the seasons.  We will also continue our study of lifecycles.  The Bell family has brought in their incubator with 24 chicken eggs.  We are anxiously counting down the 22 days until the chicks emerge.

Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 22nd

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Monday, April 22nd—Mileage Club Begins

-Wednesday, April 24th—Gymnastics Assembly

-Thursday, April 25th—Sophomore Carnival

-Saturday, April 27th—Mom to Mom Sale

-Thursday, May 2nd—Fall Soccer Registration @ NMC

-Wednesday, May 15th—Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center

-Monday, May 20th—Delayed Start

-Friday, May 24th—Fun to Be Fit (1:00)

-Monday, June 3rd—Track & Field (afternoon)

-Monday, June 10th—Last day of school

STUDENT OF THE WEEK: 

Our student of the week is Teagan Cotton.  Teagan enjoys fishing, boating, riding his bike, and riding his grandpa’s four-wheeler.  His favorite place to visit is . . . Grandma’s.  When he grows up, Teagan aspires to be an orchard farmer. Congratulations to Teagan on being Student of the Week!

FIELDTRIP: 

Attached to the newsletter, you will find information regarding our field trip to Kettunen Center on May 15th.  Please be sure to return the permission slip, photo release, and $2.50.  Also, we are able to take up to 5 parent chaperones on the bus—if more want to go, you are welcome, but you’ll have to car pool :)

iPADS: 

We've spent a lot of time preparing the last few weeks, talking about the rules and expectations - Our iPad Promise, & discussing responsibility.  Last week we were able to begin using iPads in our classroom.  It is so exciting to see them engaged and being so intensely focused!  We will continue with our typical daily schedule and just use the iPads periodically throughout the day to enhance our learning.  I still strongly believe that children need time for play-based learning and social interactions.  The iPads will allow us to be efficient in our learning goals & develop the necessary skills to be 21st Century Learners.  I am very impressed with what I’ve seen from the students and am so excited for their future!

READING: 

Our focus letter for this week is the letter Ww and our focus texts are In the Rain with Baby Duck and several different Mrs. Wishy Washy books.  We will introduce the sight words was & he and the students will practice reading and writing words with the et, ell, en, ed word families at stations. 

WRITING: 

This week we will continue to work on our newest Informational Booklet; we will spend several days editing, revising, and adding to our books.  We will also create a class book about different animals that hatch from eggs and complete a journal page about Earth Day—how we can take good care of our Earth.

MATH:

This week we will learn about different tools for measuring time and practice skip counting by 10’s, 5’s, & 2’s.  We will also review patterning and practice writing addition and subtraction equations.  The students have learned a couple of math apps on their iPads and we will learn a couple more this week.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week we will celebrate Earth Day and learn about different ways we can be responsible and take good care of our Earth and its’ resources.  We will also continue our study on ducks and lifecycles.  This week we will also begin learning about ‘weather’ and how the weather changes with the seasons.

iPads

Today was an exciting day - first day using our iPads.  We've spent a lot of time preparing the last few weeks talking about the rules and expectations - Our iPad Promise, & discussing responsibility.  It was so exciting to see them engaged and being so intensely focused today.  We will continue with our typical daily schedule and just use the iPads periodically throughout the day to enhance our learning.  I still believe strongly that children need time for play-based learning and social interactions.  The iPads will allow us to be efficient in our learning goals & develop the necessary skills to be 21st Century Learners.  I am very impressed with what I saw today from the students and am so excited for their future!!


I just received an e-mail that the movie night - Reck it Ralph - will NOT be rescheduled!  Sorry :(

Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 15th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Tuesday, April 16th—3rd Grade Bookstore

-Saturday, April 27th—Mom to Mom Sale

-Friday, May 24th—Fun to Be Fit (1:00)

3RD GRADE BOOKSTORE: 

Each year the third grade classes set up a book sale for the K-2 graders as part of their Economics Unit.  They have used books for sale ranging from 25¢ - $1.00.  We will go and shop TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 16th and purchase books.  Sorry for the short notice—notes were supposed to go home last Friday :)  If you’d like to send your child with $1 in change, that would be plenty to purchase a book or two.

FALL SOCCER REGISTRATION INFO:

Fall Youth Soccer Registration Dates. The Missuakee-Osceola Youth Soccer Association (MOYSA), formally the AYSO/MASA, will be registering soccer players ages 6-11 (before August 1, 2013) at Northern Michigan Christian School on May 2nd from 4-6 and May 9th at Lake City Schools from 6-8 pm. Cost is $30.00 per player.  Teams will be divided into ages 6/7 , 8/9, and 10/11. Please call Dave Skinner at 231-920 1278    (dskinner@nmcs.us) or Diane Eisenga at 231-779-3702 if you have any questions. You can also visit our MOYSA Facebook page to download registration forms and see important announcements and schedules for the upcoming season. If you are interested in coaching or refereeing, please contact Dave Skinner. All coaches and referees will receive training and referees will be paid.  If you cannot attend the registration nights, please send forms to MOYSA, 128 S. Martin, McBain, MI 49657 by May 17^th. 

READING: 

Our focus letter for this week is the vowel Ee and our focus text is Five Little Ducks.  We will introduce the sight words  you & that and we will use Chunky Monkey to work the word families—et, ell, en, ed.   We will also practice applying Flippy the Dolphin as we read and write words with the short e and long e sounds.  Students will be shopping for new books for their book boxes so that they can bring some more home to read; I’ve bumped each group up to the next level of books to keep them challenged :)

WRITING: 

This week we will begin planning our next informational book using a graphic organizer.  We will use this organizer to create a table of contents and then begin writing.  We’ve spent the last couple of weeks really studying the components of informational texts, planning, and organizing; I’m excited to see them apply some of the things we have learned. :)

MATH:

This week we will practice identifying numbers and making good estimates.  We will spend some time dividing as we work on identifying equal halves.  We will also look at some different tools that we use to measure time. Our iPads are here and ready!  So we WILL be using them during math time to reinforce concepts and skills.  The students are really excited and so am I.  We have a lot to learn together!

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

We are trying to read some books about Spring and discuss what new things happen in the springtime, but it is VERY confusing when there is little evidence of Spring outside :)  We will begin our unit on Life cycles this week,

beginning with chicks & ducks.

FUN TO BE FIT:  

Mrs. Kelly is still collecting T-shirt orders for Fun to Be Fit; if you’d like to purchase a shirt, please send your order form and payment in ASAP. :)

Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 8th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Friday, April 12th—Next visit to the Library

-Monday, April 15th—Delayed Start

WELCOME BACK:

I hope you had an enjoyable Easter & Spring Break—Let’s hope Spring is on it’s way!  It’s hard to believe that we have only a couple months of school left! It really is amazing to look back to September and see how much the students have grown. :)

REMINDERS: 

-Please be sure to return your child’s Book-It Calendar for March—this is the last month for Book-It.

-Please be sure to return your child’s Report Card envelope—you may keep everything

inside :)

-Mrs. Kelley needs parent helpers for the recess Mileage Club that will begin on Monday, April 15th.  You would be needed ONE day a week, from 1:40 - 2:55.  Please contact her a.s.a.p. if you can help out.  Her e-mail is ckelly@mcbain.org, or 825-2021.

*I will be out of the classroom this Wednesday to attend a training with the Kindergarten Team and Friday afternoon as well.

READING: 

Our focus letter for this week is the Kk and our focus texts are King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub & Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash.  We will introduce the sight words  up & where.  We will use Chunky Monkey to work on rhyming words—word families.  We will also practice applying Flippy the Dolphin as we read and write words with the Magic e.  At the end of the week, students will be shopping for new ’good-fit’ books to add to their book boxes. 

WRITING: 

This week we will begin our April Journals—writing about what we did over Spring Break.  We will also do some further investigating with Informational Texts—look at their features, try on some different topics, add to our idea sheets, and sort our ideas into categories.

MATH:

This week we continue to work on identifying coins—pennies, nickels, & dimes.  We will practice making fair exchanges as we count by 1’s, 5’s, & 10’s.  We will also continue to work on number recognition and identifying the biggest number.  Students will practice acting out number stories by adding and subtracting using a number line.  I am hoping that we will get our iPads this week so that students can begin using them during math time to reinforce these concepts and skills.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week we will wrap up our Science Unit on Motion.  Thursday students are welcome to bring in a toy from home that moves—spins, rolls, pushes, pulls, flies, twirls, etc.  We will use them for our lesson on Thursday and then send them back home.