Newsletter Updates for the Week of June 1st

DATES TO REMEMBER:
-Tuesday, June 2nd - Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center

-Wednesday, June 3rd—Mobile Dentist

-Friday, June 5th—Sophomore Carnival
-Tuesday, June 9th - K-1 Track and Field Day - pm

-Thursday, June 11th—last day of school/half day

FIELDTRIP:

Our class is going on a fieldtrip to Kettunen Center on Tuesday, June 2nd.  We will leave school around 8:30 and return around 2:30.

Your child will need:

1) A sack lunch—no glass please

2) Sunscreen—if you feel they will need it

3) Appropriate clothing for outside activities

*We will provide a morning & afternoon snack and bug spray if needed:)

Parent chaperones are welcome, but we ask that childcare be made for younger siblings.  Permission slips & $4.00 need to be returned to school in order for your child to attend the fieldtrip.  We are looking forward to a fun day of learning—outside!

TICKS: 

In case you haven’t heard, the ticks are abundant this year!  PLEASE be sure to check your child thoroughly after we return from our fieldtrip, as we will be outside and in the woods.  Doctors recommend checking their hair, inside elbows, behind the knees, under arm pits, and other ‘cracks’ and crevices.  We don’t want to bring any unwanted ‘friends’ home!!

SOPHOMORE CARNIVAL: 

The annual sophomore carnival is the Friday, June 5th.  This event is a fun time for the whole family!  Look for more info to come later this week!

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about how people work together to solve problems.

· Vocabulary: decide, opinion - Discuss how your family works together to make a decision. Explain that people have different opinions, or ideas, and that voting is one way of making a decision

· Sight Words: WE DID IT! We’ve introduced ALL 51 of our sightwords and I’ll be assessing the students on their sightwords this week for report cards.

· Phonics: long u (u with the magic e) and the digraphs th & wh.

WRITING: 

This week we will complete a couple of journals related to plants, as well as a Type 3 writing on lifecycles.  Students will also be using the Story Buddy App to create their own digital story about our fieldtrip to Kettunen Center.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week in Science, we will continue to learn about plants and conduct several hands-on experiments to learn about the parts of plants and their important functions.

MATH: 

This week we will work on telling time to the hour, adding within 10, and interpreting data on graphs.

REMINDERS: 

-Due to our fieldtrip, we will have gym on Wednesday and Thursday this week!

-Please be sure to return your child’s library book on or before Friday!

Library Reminders

Please be sure to return your child's library book by Friday.  The classroom with ALL of their books returned by Friday, will receive a treat from the library:)

Here's a friendly reminder video:

Here's What's Happening @ the Library this Summer:

McBain Community Library

Summer Reading Program Schedule

June 18 – 11:00 a.m. Program Kickoff –All Ages

                        Howell Nature Center (Live Animals)

June 24^th – 1 p.m. Farm Bureau Program – All Ages

Captain Food Fabulous Craft - Farm Charms,

Snack – Veggie Straws

June 25^th – 10:30 Preschool – 2^nd Grade:  Story and Craft

June 30^th – 1 p.m. – Michigan Mammals by DNR – All ages

July 1^st – 10:30 – Story/Craft Preschool -2^nd Gr.

July 7^th – 1 p.m. – Farm Bureau (All Ages) Adventure

                Through Michigan – Craft: Paper Bag Photo Book,

                Snack -- Vegetable Crackers

July 10^th – 10:00 a.m. - Joel Tacey Extreme Duct Tape

                 Workshop (all ages – 5 and under w/parent)

July 13^th – 1 p.m. Movie Monday (All Ages) Wings: Skyforce

                        Heroes, Snacks and Drinks provided

July 16^th – 10:30 a.m. – Joel Tacey Super Caper Comedy

                    Show – All Ages

July 20 – 1 p.m. Movie Monday (All Ages) Lego Hero             

                  Movie, Snacks and Drinks provided

July 22 – 1 p.m. Farm Bureau Program   - Apple Orchard Riddle,          

                    Craft – Mini Green House, Snack – Fresh Apple Pie

July 23^rd – 10:30 – Preschool – 2^nd Grade – Story & Craft

July 27^th – 1 p.m. - Movie Monday (All Ages) Big Hero 6

         Snacks/Drinks provided

July 29th – 10:30 Reading Program Finale – Stories, Crafts, Prizes,   

                        Crafts, Ice Cream!

Reading Contests for kids through 6^th Grade.

Program Reminders

Just a reminder that our Kindergarten Program is tomorrow, Thursday, May 28th @ 1:30 in the High School Gym.  Please park in the main parking lot and meet us in the gym - the lobby doors will be unlocked beginning @ 1:00.  After the program, cookies will be served and there will be sign-out sheets available, if you want to take your child home with you.  Students who are staying until the end of the day, need to be given back to me after you enjoy your cookies together:)

Please make sure your child has their baseball cap at school by tomorrow morning.  Students may dress-up if they choose, but it is not required.  Due to our program, we will NOT have gym :)

The students are excited to share their songs with you!!

Newsletter Updates for the Week of May 26th

DATES TO REMEMBER:
-Thursday, May 28th - Kindergarten Program @ 1:30
-Tuesday, June 2nd - Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center
-Tuesday, June 9th - K-1 Track and Field Day - pm

-Thursday, June 11th—last day of school/half day

STUDENT OF THE WEEK: 

Our student of the week is Anna Schantz.  Anna enjoys going to the beach, playing ‘beach ball,’ and spending time with her mom.  Her favorite color is blue and when she grows up, Anna aspires to be “a car washer.”  Congratulations to Anna on being Student of the Week!

KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM: 

We are planning a Kindergarten Program for Thursday, May 28th at 1:30 in the H.S. gym. All of the Kindergarten classes will join together to sing a few of our favorite songs from music class. Family and friends are welcome to attend and refreshments will follow the program.

**Please send in a baseball cap for your child to use as a prop, as we practice for the program:)

FIELDTRIP:

Our class is going on a fieldtrip to Kettunen Center on Tuesday, June 2nd.  We are planning to leave school around 8:30 and return around 2:30.  The cost per child is $4.00, with special thanks to the PTO for helping to cover the rest of the cost.  We will be outside for a good portion of the day, so please be sure to dress your child appropriately.  

Your child will need:

*A sack lunch—no glass please

**Sunscreen—if you feel they will need it.

***We will provide bug spray if it is necessary:)

Parent chaperones are welcome, but we ask that childcare be made for younger siblings.  Please be sure to return your child’s permission slip & $4.00 to Mrs. Brinks this week.

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about natural resources. Children will learn how they can use things in nature to create new things.

· Vocabulary: natural resources, create—Discuss different natural resources with your child. For example, talk about how we use trees to create, or make new things that people use every day.

· Sight Words: come, where, that, his—Please continue to practice reading and writing sightwords at home:)

· Category Words: food made from grain—Explain that grain is a plant grown in soil. Soil comes from the earth. Invite your child to cut out pictures of foods made from grain and make a collage.

· Phonics: long o (o with the magic e) and s blends.

WRITING: 

This week we will wrap up our how-to books about things we know how to do outside. We will be adding a ‘materials needed’ page, warnings & tips, and an ‘about the expert’ page.  We will spend some time editing and working on our wow cover as well.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week in Science, we will continue to learn about lifecycles—plants.  The students will engage in several hands-on experiments as we determine what plants need to live & grow, how they grow & change, and the different parts of plants.

MATH: 

This week we will continue to work on adding numbers within 10 and subtracting numbers within 5, using a variety of strategies.   The students will also take an addition assessment for report cards.

Fun to Be Fit Shirts

If you ordered a t-shirt for Fun to Be Fit, they are in.  I will send them home with the students on Wednesday, so that you have them in time for Friday.  The t-shirts are bright orange, so if you didn't order a t-shirt, you can still match by dressing your child in a bright orange shirt:)

The event begins @ 1:30 up at the track.  We will leave the classroom at 1:00, because the students need to be part of a group photo @ 1:10.  You are welcome to meet us in the classroom or up at the track.  Students are welcome to bring a water bottle to keep in the classroom for after the event:)

Newsletter Updates for the Week of May 18

Book Fair - Just a reminder that we will go back to the book fair tomorrow to purchase materials. If your child is purchasing materials, please fill out the bottom portion of their wish list and return it to school with cash or check.  Checks should be made out to McBain School & remember to add sales tax:)

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Book Fair—May 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, & 22

(We go back to buy on the 18th)

-Friday, May 22nd—Fun to Be Fit @ 1:00

-Monday, May 25th—Memorial Day—No School
-Thursday, May 28th - Kindergarten Program @ 1:30
-Tuesday, June 2nd - Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center
-Tuesday, June 9th - K-1 Track and Field Day - pm

-Thursday, June 11th—last day of school/half day

FUN TO BE FIT:

Our 5th Annual Fun to Be Fit Day is scheduled for Friday, May 22nd beginning @ 1:10.  This is a family event, so please feel free to join us as we run/walk around the track (strollers are encouraged for small siblings).  Parent/grandparent volunteers are always helpful, as it’s easy for Kindergartners to get lost in the sea of runners:) You are welcome to meet us in the classroom at 12:45 and walk up with us, or meet us up at the track @ 1:10 for a group photo. *Students may bring a water bottle.

KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM: 

We are planning a Kindergarten Program for Thursday, May 28th at 1:30 in the H.S. gym. All of the Kindergarten classes will join together to sing a few of our favorite songs from music class. Family and friends are welcome to attend and refreshments will follow the program.

**Please send in a baseball cap for your child to use as a prop, as we practice for the program:)

ENDING THE YEAR STRONG:

This is the time of year when it becomes harder for students to focus on academics & good behavior.  As we look toward the finish-line, there are still a lot of important skills that we need to master, as well as  assessing that needs to be completed.  Together, we need to continue to impress upon the students the importance of ‘best effort’ and ‘high expectations for both academics and behavior, so that we can finish the year strong! 

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about how children can be good citizens. They will learn how to listen, share, help others, respect one      another, work together, and take turns.

· Vocabulary: citizen, respect - Discuss ways your child can show good citizenship and respect for others at school and in the community.

· Sight Words: has, play, all, who—Please continue to practice reading and writing sightwords at home:)

· Category Words: farm animals During the week, your child will read about farm animals. Reinforce farm animal names by singing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.”

· Phonics: long i (i with the magic e) and ch.

 WRITING: 

This week we will be continue to work on our How to Books of things we know how to do and can teach others—outside.  We will be practice some ‘strategies’ to help us figure out ‘tricky words,’ conference with a peer, and practice adding actions lines and arrows to our ‘zoomed-in’ pictures.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

The students were very interested in our study of frogs last week; please take a minute and ask your child to tell you something they learned about frogs. This week we will be learning about the lifecycles of butterflies, as we anxiously await the arrival of our caterpillars. ;)

MATH: 

This week we will continue to practice ordering numbers & building numbers with base 10 blocks.  We will also work on addition and subtraction. On Friday morning, we will take our Spring NWEA assessment for Math.

Please be sure to return your child’s library book

on or before Wednesday!

Newsletter Updates for the Week of May 11th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Book Fair—May 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, & 22

(We browse on the 14th & go back to buy on the 18th)

-Friday, May 22nd—Fun to Be Fit @ 1:30

-Monday, May 25th—Memorial Day—No School
-Thursday, May 28th - Kindergarten Program @ 1:30
-Tuesday, June 2nd - Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center
-Tuesday, June 9th - K-1 Track and Field Day - pm

-Thursday, June 11th—last day of school/half day

STUDENT OF THE WEEK: 

Our student of the week is Josh Rodenbaugh.  Josh enjoys being active—going to the playground, riding his bike, playing at the gym, & having BB wars with his brothers.  His favorite place to go is to the zoo and when he grows up, Josh aspires to become “a spy or secret agent.” Congratulations to Josh on being Student of the Week!

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about how children can help at home. Children will learn about taking responsibility for cleaning, caring for a pet, doing errands, and other chores.

· Vocabulary: chores, contribute - Discuss different ways your child can help out at home. Create a list of jobs on a chore chart.

· Sight Words: help, too, look, & good—due to our numerous ‘weather days,’ we need to introduce 4 sightwords each week, in order to get through all 51 before the end of the school year.  Please continue to practice reading and writing sightwords at home:)

· Category Words: Household Furniture - Play a game of “Simon Says.” Use household furniture terms as you give commands to act out chores

· Phonics: long a (a with the magic e) and sh.

· Reading Folders—We need to do some shopping for new ‘good-fit’ books this week and then we will resume checking out books to bring home.

· Assessments—We will complete our Dibels testing on Monday and then go into the computer lab on Tuesday to complete our Spring NWEA Assessment for Reading.

WRITING: 

This week we will be writing our own How to Books on things we know how to do and can teach others—outside.  The students will pick their topics, go through the planning process, and begin sketching and writing their steps.  Reading over their How-to books on things they know how to do and can teach others at home, I have been quite impressed!

MATH: 

This week we will continue to practice counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, & 10’s.  We will also continue to practice adding and subtracting numbers using a variety of manipulatives & strategies.  Students will be building numbers using base 10 blocks and they will continue to practice writing their numbers from memory. The students will be given their Spring Aimsweb assessment this week as well; they will be asked to do several math tasks in 1 minute to measure their accuracy and fluency—oral counting, number ID, bigger number, & missing number.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES: 

This week we will be learning about the lifecycles of frogs as we read several informational texts related to frogs and their lifecycles.  Our caterpillars are ordered and should arrive in the mail later this week:)

MOTHER’S DAY: 

Wishing a very Happy Mother’s Day to all of our moms!  A special thanks to Grandma Linda (Maisie & Mason’s Grandma) for sharing her time and talents and helping us with our Mother’s Day gifts this year!