Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 24th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Friday, April 29th—Kindergarten Round Up -  No School for Kindergarten

-Friday, May 13th OR 20th—Muffins with Mom

-Friday, May 27th—Fun to Be Fit

-Thursday, June 2nd—Kindergarten Program

-Friday, June 3rd—Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center

-Saturday June 4th—Bike-a-thon

-Friday, June 10th—Track & Field Day (K-2) pm

-Friday, June 10th—Sophomore Carnival

SCIENCE/TOYS FROM HOME: 

As you know, we have been learning about Motion in Science. We’ve been talking about different things that move and how they move. Please help your child pick out a toy from home that moves (push, pulls, rolls, spins, etc.) to bring to school on Thursday, April 28th.  We will use it for our Science lesson and then send it back home that same day.

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about the sky during daytime and nighttime. Children will identify the sun during the day and the moon at night.

Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing.

· Vocabulary—distance, recognize—Take your child outside during the day and at night. Help your child identify the sun, moon, clouds, stars, sunrise, and sunset.

· High-Frequency Words—Review—for, have, they, of, said, want, here, me, this, what, & him—Have your child think of a sentence using one of the words. Write the sentence, then read the sentence together.

· Category Words—opposites—Use gestures to act out words that are opposites, such as up/down, pull/push, open/close, and in/out.

· Phonics—Review—u, g, w, x, v, j, qu, & z—Search for objects with these letters. Play “I Spy,” and have your child guess the names of objects. For example, I spy something we use outside when it rains. It begins with u. (umbrella)

· Comprehension: problem and solution—Ask your child to imagine getting ready for school on a dark and cloudy day. Have your child circle the clothing and items for that type of weather.

· Take Home Reading Folders—Several students are very close to having 20 books read and will soon be receiving a subway certificate—keep up the great reading!

WRITING: 

This week we will share our small moment stories in the Author’s Chair before bringing them home to share with you.  We will also introduce our next unit of study—Informational Writing.  We will study some mentor texts to learn about the qualities and features of informational texts and begin researching and gathering information about Birds, Ducks, and Chicks for our first project next week.

MATH: 

This week we will learn about estimating and practice making ‘smart guesses.’  We will also continue to work on addition; adding numbers within 10.

   

Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 18th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Friday, April 22nd—Kindergarten Round Up—No School for Kindergarten

-Friday, April 29th—Kindergarten Round Up—No School for Kindergarten

-Friday, May 13th & 20th—Muffins with Mom

-Friday, May 27th—Fun to Be Fit

-Thursday, June 2nd—Kindergarten Program

-Friday, June 3rd—Fieldtrip to Kettunen Center

-Saturday June 4th—Bike-a-thon

-Friday, June 10th—Track & Field Day (K-2) pm

STUDENT OF THE WEEK: 

Our student of the week is Connor Gilde. 

Connor likes to eat oatmeal and spaghetti; his favorite movie is Home and his favorite book is Dinosaurs. He enjoys building things out of Legos and has a knack for drawing and creating. Two of Connor's goals are - learning to play football and soccer.  Congratulations to Connor on being Student of the Week!

FUN TO BE FIT SHIRTS: 

Mrs. Sluiter is collecting T-shirt orders for Fun to Be Fit; if you’d like to purchase a shirt, please send in your order form and payment ASAP. All students will be participating in the event, ordering a shirt is completely optional:)

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories and learning about our country’s national symbols, monuments, and national parks, such as the American flag, the White House, and the Grand Canyon.

Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing.

· Vocabulary—country, travel—Talk about places in the United States where you have traveled or would like to visit with your child. Then invite your child to draw a picture of that place.

· High-Frequency Words—this, what, & his—Write the words on paper. Then have your child trace each word. Think of short sentences that include each word and write them down. Have your child point to each word and read the sentences.

· Category Words—ordinal numbers—Help your child point to and identify each image using ordinal numbers (see attached sheet).

· Phonics—Yy & Zz—Help your child think of words with the letter y and the letter z. Give clues to help your child identify the words. Make a list of the words, and then have your child underline the letter y or z in each one.

· Comprehension: sequence—Read the story and have your child tell what happened first, next, and last (see attached sheet).

MATH: 

This week we will work on leveling using a pan balance to determine which objects weight more, less, and equal.  We will also be taking surveys, collecting survey data, and representing our data on graphs.

WRITING: 

This week we will continue to work on our small moment stories as we edit, revise, choose a title, and create a ‘wow’ cover.  We will also complete a journal related to Earth Day.

 Please be sure to return your

Library book on or before Thursday!

   

Newsletter Updates for the Week of April 11th

DATES TO REMEMBER:

-Tuesday, April 12th—Head Start & GSRP Visits

-Thursday, April 14th—1/2 Day of School—Parent Teacher Conferences—as needed

-Saturday, April 16th—Mom to Mom Sale

-Monday, April 18th—Delayed Start

-Friday, April 22nd—Kindergarten Round Up—No School for Kindergarten

-Friday, April 29th—Kindergarten Round Up—No School for Kindergarten

HAPPY SPRING? 

I hope you had an enjoyable Spring Break—whether you braved the cold & snow or escaped to warmer places. :) Since the weather hasn’t gotten the memo that it IS Spring, please continue to watch the weather forecast and dress your child accordingly for recess.  I would suggest layers so that they can start the day off with a heavier coat and mittens and then hopefully end the day with a jacket or sweatshirt.  Please continue to send boots, as the playground is often wet and muddy:(

REPORT CARDS & CONFERENCES:  

I would like to send Report Cards home on Tuesday so that you have time to look them over before conferences on Thursday.  Just a reminder that I have conferences scheduled for some students but not all.  If we don’t have a conference scheduled and you would still like to meet to discuss behavior and/or academics, please email me ASAP and I’ll schedule a time to meet with you.  If you did receive a conference notice, please be sure to send back the bottom portion so that I know you are planning to attend.

READING: 

This week our class will be reading stories about the transportation used to take people from place to place. Children will learn about how families in the past traveled and how these vehicles compare with what is used today.

Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help reinforce the skills we will be practicing.

· Vocabulary—transportation, vehicle—Discuss the different kinds of transportation you take from place to place. Then invite your child to draw pictures of each type of transportation.

· High-Frequency Words—here, me, & this—Write the words here, me, and this and ask your child to write each word. Think of sentences that use each word, then read the sentences together.

· Category Words—vehicles—Play “Guess the Vehicle.” Give clues about different kinds of vehicles. Encourage your child to guess the vehicle, and then act out how it is used.

· Phonics—j & qu—Have your child guess words that begin with the letter j. Give a clue and act out each word. When your child guesses the word, write the word on a chart. Repeat for qu.

· Comprehension—character, setting, & plot—Have your child choose a favorite story and then read it together. Ask your child questions about the main characters, setting, and plot. Invite your child to draw pictures about the characters, setting, and plot.

MATH: 

This week we will review 3D solid shapes, play several addition games, and practice building and writing teen numbers.  We will also practice telling addition and subtraction number stories and recording them using pictures and equations.

WRITING:  

This week we will capture another small moment story from our lives and use all of the skills and strategies that we’ve been learning about to tell our story in print.  We will also learn how to write and address a personal letter, as we open up our Post Office in the dramatic play area this week.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES:  

This week we will begin our new Science Unit on Motion. We will be learning about different forces—pushes, pulls, gravity, wind/air, and their effect on objects.  We will conduct many hands-on experiments related to motion and forces this week.

BOOK-IT:  

Please be sure to return your March Book-It Calendar so I can award Pizza Certificates