What a fun time we had during Reading Week. I really enjoyed watching the students coaching the kindergarten and first grade students during our reading buddy time, as well as, watching them getting excited about all the books they purchased at the Oldie Goldie book sale.
Now the fun continues with the next two weeks with the spotlight on science. We will begin each morning reading about a scientist that has made a difference in the world. This morning we read about Rachel Carson (scientist and writer), who had learned that chemicals were affecting nature. She explained how everything in nature is connected and how upsetting this balance can hurt the earth. On Friday the students will be engaged in various activities around the "gardening" theme with Eat A Plant, making Terrariums and a presentation on Composting/Organize Farming.
Wednesday is Class Photo Day and will take place on the morning in the Crisp Gym. Children are to wear their uniforms for the picture. If you have not placed an order, you can still do this. Order forms are online, if you need another.
No Current Events this week, seeing we are spotlighting a different scientist each day. Be on the lookout for the new Current Events calendar that I will be putting in your child's Take Home Folder this week.
Here is what else is going on in the classroom this week.
Language Arts
Phonics - r-controlled vowel ar/air, are; contractions
Spelling - beware, mare, share, scare, rare, chair, flair, repair, haircut, airplane, guess, curve, already, learn, hundred
Reading - Biography
Fluency - Good readers vary their reading rate when they need to. They slow down to pronounce unfamiliar words and speed up when they recognize words. Good readers work to increase their reading speed and still understand what they are reading.
Comprehension - Nonfiction often uses graphic aids to help explain information quickly. Some examples of graphic aids are diagrams, charts, maps, and graphs
Robust Vocabulary - hypothesis, method, vast, determined
Grammar - Forms of be
Writing - Biography presentation. Answering five essential questions (Where/when was your person born? What has this person done that has affected others? Who or what influence them? What kind of education did they receive? What are some of their major accomplishments?)
Handwriting - Turn h into b
Mathematics - Unit 6
* Mixed Addition and Subtractions Stories
* Review Partial Sums Addition Method
* Review solution strategies for subtraction of 2-digit numbers
* Exploring Arrays
Social Studies - Asia
The students will visit Japan - an Asian nation where ancient traditions and modern life meet.
The students will read about Nao Kiski (8), who lives with her parents, brother and grandmother in Maebashi - a city 70 miles from Tokyo. Students will finish their seven pieces of cleverness picture and do some origami
Science - Spotlight on Science Week
As mentioned, we are spotlighting science over the next two weeks. In addition to the various activities planned, the students will continue observing the growth of their plant. We will talk about why bees are important. Students will also use a hand lens to observe a dried bee and make bee sticks to be used as a tool for pollination. They will observe details of the flowers anatomy and identify the major parts.
I wish you a wonderful week.
Ms. O'Mullane
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
February 21-24
Reading Week kicked off to a great start this morning with the students coming dressed as their favorite book characters. I had a classroom of story book characters from Junie B Jones to Percy Jackson. Well done! Tomorrow is Drop Everything and Read Outside and the students will need to bring to school a towel to sit on. On Thursday we will buddy read with Mrs. Owen's first graders and Miss Conroy's Kindergarten class. On Friday is the Oldie Goldie book sale. Your child needs to only bring in a few dollars for the sale. As a reminder, please keep sending in gently used books for the sale.
Other Reminders
Current Events: Tuesday: Emma, Caden; Wednesday: Zara, Cian; Thursday: Luke, Lizzie; Friday: Genesis, Maverick
* Parent Reader (Friday) - Please email me if you would like to come in to read to the class (especially if you have not read to the students before)
* Class Picture Day: Class picture day will take place on the morning of Wednesday, February 29th in the Crisp Gym
* Box-Tops - Keep sending in Box-Tops, which is money for our school
* Hats and Sunscreen - Please make sure your child comes to school with a hat and sunscreen. The students learning how important it is to be sun safe and sun smart!
Science Week - February 27th - March 8th
Oldie Goldie Book Fair - Friday, February 24th - Begin gathering books to donate now! There is a box out the front of the classroom, that donated books can be left
Field Day - Friday, March 9th
Ident-a-Kid - Wednesday, March 21st
Here is our week at a glance.
Language Arts
* Phonics - oo, ew, ue, ui, ou
* Spelling - suit, clue, soup, group, fruit, nephew, classroom, cartoon, juicy, newspaper, crowd, carefully, disappear, our, pattern
* Biography reading - Your child is reading a biography about someone who has made a difference in the world. They will complete a graphic aid this week summarizing that person's life and work. This is to be finished and due on Thursday. Next week they will dress up and present the life and work of this famous individual (more details are coming).
* Fluency - Reading Rate
* Comprehension - Using graphic aids and summarizing information
* Vocabulary - aid, accomplishments,
* Grammar - Past-Tense Verbs
* Writing - Reflection for Electronic Portfolio
* Handwriting - n and m
Mathematics - Unit 6
* Comparison Number Stories
* Collecting, sorting, tallying and graphing data
* Mixed addition and subtraction number stories
Social Studies - Asia
Life in China. Students will meet Yi-yi - an 8 year old girl who lives in the city of Qingdao, in northeastern China
Science - The Growth of a Plant
* Students will learn how to measure their plants to the nearest centimeter
* Students will begin keeping records of their plant growth on a bar graph
Other Reminders
Current Events: Tuesday: Emma, Caden; Wednesday: Zara, Cian; Thursday: Luke, Lizzie; Friday: Genesis, Maverick
* Parent Reader (Friday) - Please email me if you would like to come in to read to the class (especially if you have not read to the students before)
* Class Picture Day: Class picture day will take place on the morning of Wednesday, February 29th in the Crisp Gym
* Box-Tops - Keep sending in Box-Tops, which is money for our school
* Hats and Sunscreen - Please make sure your child comes to school with a hat and sunscreen. The students learning how important it is to be sun safe and sun smart!
Science Week - February 27th - March 8th
Oldie Goldie Book Fair - Friday, February 24th - Begin gathering books to donate now! There is a box out the front of the classroom, that donated books can be left
Field Day - Friday, March 9th
Ident-a-Kid - Wednesday, March 21st
Here is our week at a glance.
Language Arts
* Phonics - oo, ew, ue, ui, ou
* Spelling - suit, clue, soup, group, fruit, nephew, classroom, cartoon, juicy, newspaper, crowd, carefully, disappear, our, pattern
* Biography reading - Your child is reading a biography about someone who has made a difference in the world. They will complete a graphic aid this week summarizing that person's life and work. This is to be finished and due on Thursday. Next week they will dress up and present the life and work of this famous individual (more details are coming).
* Fluency - Reading Rate
* Comprehension - Using graphic aids and summarizing information
* Vocabulary - aid, accomplishments,
* Grammar - Past-Tense Verbs
* Writing - Reflection for Electronic Portfolio
* Handwriting - n and m
Mathematics - Unit 6
* Comparison Number Stories
* Collecting, sorting, tallying and graphing data
* Mixed addition and subtraction number stories
Social Studies - Asia
Life in China. Students will meet Yi-yi - an 8 year old girl who lives in the city of Qingdao, in northeastern China
Science - The Growth of a Plant
* Students will learn how to measure their plants to the nearest centimeter
* Students will begin keeping records of their plant growth on a bar graph
Friday, February 17, 2012
Reading Week Reminder
Reading Week will be the week of February 21 - 24. Monday, the 20th, is a school holiday for President's Day. We begin the week on Tuesday with Character Day! The children are to choose a character from a favorite book to come to school dressed as that day. They need to bring the book with them and be prepared to present orally to our class about the book and character. We will parade in costume with our books at Town Meeting that morning. We will be having an all lower school read in the courtyard that week as well. Friday of that week is the Oldie Goldie Book Sale. You may begin bringing in your donations of books this week!
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE STUDENTS ON TUESDAY DRESSED UP AS THEIR FAVORITE STORY BOOK CHARACTER.
HAVE A WONDERFUL FOUR DAY WEEKEND.
Ms. O'Mullane
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE STUDENTS ON TUESDAY DRESSED UP AS THEIR FAVORITE STORY BOOK CHARACTER.
HAVE A WONDERFUL FOUR DAY WEEKEND.
Ms. O'Mullane
Friday, February 10, 2012
February 13-16
A big G'Day on this chilly Monday morning. What a terrific job the students did sharing Aussie slang at this morning's Town Meeting. Thanks to all who turned up to watch.
Valentine's Day is this Tuesday and the students can wear red, pink, white or purple. Uniform bottoms are not required. We will have a snack and exchange Valentine's in the afternoon. If you have not already sent in a Valentine's card for your child, please do so. I still have not received cards from a few families.
On Wednesday, is Relay for Life Cookout. Students can wear purple tops with their uniform bottoms on this day to launch relay. Sage dining will not be available on this day, so please pack your child's lunch if you did not order them a hot dog.
Reading Week will be the week of February 21 - 24. Monday, the 20th, is a school holiday for President's Day. We begin the week on Tuesday with Character Day! The children are to choose a character from a favorite book to come to school dressed as that day. They need to bring the book with them and be prepared to present orally to our class about the book and character. We will parade in costume with our books at Town Meeting that morning. We will be having an all lower school read in the courtyard that week as well. Friday of that week is the Oldie Goldie Book Sale. You may begin bringing in your donations of books this week!
Science week is also coming up soon and we are collecting clear, 2L soda bottles for the terrariums we will be making. Please send in one clear, plastic, 2L soda bottle. I am also looking for a parent to help me prep the terrariums.
Here is what else is happening in the classroom this short school week.
Language Arts
* Phonics - r-controlled or, ore, our
* Spelling - store, pour, sore, short, ignore, factory, important, explorer, fourteen, forgotten
* Reading - George Washington and other biographies
* Fluency - Good readers use their storytelling voice
* Comprehension - Biography - Using a graphic aid and timeline to summarize important events in a person's life
* Robust Vocabulary - elected, government, leader
* Grammar - Present-Tense Action Verbs
* Writing - Finish publishing personal narratives and small moment narratives
* Handwriting Without Tears - n and m
Mathematics - Unit 6 (Whole-Number Operations and Number Stories)
We begin a new math unit this week so be on the lookout for the new Family Letter that your child will be bringing home. In the context of number stories, children will review earlier work with addition and subtraction and begin formal work with multiplication and division.
This week we will cover:
* Addition of three or more numbers
* Comparison Number Stories
* Data Day: The Four Food Groups (collecting, sorting, tallying, and graphing skills)
You will also receive the Unit 5 Math Assessment your child did last Friday. Please review this with your child and return to school.
Social Studies - Asia
* Scavenger Hunt (A through z)
* Where is Asia; Famous Places in Asia
Science - Growth of a Plant
* Thinning and transplanting
Valentine's Day is this Tuesday and the students can wear red, pink, white or purple. Uniform bottoms are not required. We will have a snack and exchange Valentine's in the afternoon. If you have not already sent in a Valentine's card for your child, please do so. I still have not received cards from a few families.
On Wednesday, is Relay for Life Cookout. Students can wear purple tops with their uniform bottoms on this day to launch relay. Sage dining will not be available on this day, so please pack your child's lunch if you did not order them a hot dog.
Reading Week will be the week of February 21 - 24. Monday, the 20th, is a school holiday for President's Day. We begin the week on Tuesday with Character Day! The children are to choose a character from a favorite book to come to school dressed as that day. They need to bring the book with them and be prepared to present orally to our class about the book and character. We will parade in costume with our books at Town Meeting that morning. We will be having an all lower school read in the courtyard that week as well. Friday of that week is the Oldie Goldie Book Sale. You may begin bringing in your donations of books this week!
Science week is also coming up soon and we are collecting clear, 2L soda bottles for the terrariums we will be making. Please send in one clear, plastic, 2L soda bottle. I am also looking for a parent to help me prep the terrariums.
Here is what else is happening in the classroom this short school week.
Language Arts
* Phonics - r-controlled or, ore, our
* Spelling - store, pour, sore, short, ignore, factory, important, explorer, fourteen, forgotten
* Reading - George Washington and other biographies
* Fluency - Good readers use their storytelling voice
* Comprehension - Biography - Using a graphic aid and timeline to summarize important events in a person's life
* Robust Vocabulary - elected, government, leader
* Grammar - Present-Tense Action Verbs
* Writing - Finish publishing personal narratives and small moment narratives
* Handwriting Without Tears - n and m
Mathematics - Unit 6 (Whole-Number Operations and Number Stories)
We begin a new math unit this week so be on the lookout for the new Family Letter that your child will be bringing home. In the context of number stories, children will review earlier work with addition and subtraction and begin formal work with multiplication and division.
This week we will cover:
* Addition of three or more numbers
* Comparison Number Stories
* Data Day: The Four Food Groups (collecting, sorting, tallying, and graphing skills)
You will also receive the Unit 5 Math Assessment your child did last Friday. Please review this with your child and return to school.
Social Studies - Asia
* Scavenger Hunt (A through z)
* Where is Asia; Famous Places in Asia
Science - Growth of a Plant
* Thinning and transplanting
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Reading Week and Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is next Tuesday and we will exchange Valentine's in the afternoon (along with a snack). Your child can wear pink, white, or purple on this day (optional of course).
Reading Week will be the week of February 21 - 24. Monday, the 20th, is a school holiday for President's Day. We begin the week on Tuesday with Character Day! The children are to choose a character from a favorite book to come to school dressed as that day. They need to bring the book with them and be prepared to present orally to our class about the book and character. We will parade in costume with our books at Town Meeting that morning. We will be having an all lower school read in the courtyard that week as well. Friday of that week is the Oldie Goldie Book Sale. You may begin bringing in your donations of books this week!
Reading Week will be the week of February 21 - 24. Monday, the 20th, is a school holiday for President's Day. We begin the week on Tuesday with Character Day! The children are to choose a character from a favorite book to come to school dressed as that day. They need to bring the book with them and be prepared to present orally to our class about the book and character. We will parade in costume with our books at Town Meeting that morning. We will be having an all lower school read in the courtyard that week as well. Friday of that week is the Oldie Goldie Book Sale. You may begin bringing in your donations of books this week!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Welcome to another week. I am looking forward to meeting with you this Thursday.
Important Dates:
*Aesop's Fables will be performing in the recreation gym on Tuesday, Feb. 7th at 1pm for grades EC-2.
* Our class shares at Town Meeting on Monday, February 13th at 8:10. Come watch our class present.
* Conference Day is on Thursday, February 9th.
* Professional Development Day is on Friday, February 17th. No school on this day for the students.
* Relay for Life Cook Out will be on Wednesday, February 15th. Sage Dining School Lunch will not be available that day. Order forms were sent home last Friday for the Lower Division Cookout.
* Current Events: Begins next week on Feb. 14th.
* Parent Reader - Mr. Piper
* Class Picture Day: Class picture day will take place on the morning of Wednesday, February 29th in the Crisp Gym.
* Box-Tops - Keep sending in Box-Tops, which is money for our school.
* Hats and Sunscreen - Please make sure your child comes to school with a hat and sunscreen. The students learning how important it is to be sun safe and sun smart!
Science Week - February 27th - March 8th.
Oldie Goldie Book Fair - Friday, February 24th - Begin gathering books to donate now! There is a box out the front of the classroom, that donated books can be left.
Field Day - Friday, March 9th.
Ident-a-Kid - Wednesday, March 21st.
We will be exchanging Valentine's next Tuesday afternoon, following a snack. I have sent home a class list today, so your child can include his/her classmates in the exchange. The exchange is optional.
Come watch us share our Australian book and song at next week's Town Meeting. The students made this book for their reading buddies in Alpha and Kinder, which they read and presented to Mrs. Samuel's class today and will present and share with Miss Conroy's class tomorrow.
Here is what else is happening in the classroom this week.
Language Arts
* Phonics - Vowel diphthong ou, ow
* Spelling - cowboy, surround, ground, powerful, sound, crowd, ouch, allow, cloudless, ounce, without, were where, now, know
* Reading - The Life of George Washington Carver By Joili K. Stevens (Biography)
* Build fluency - Good readers try to read every word correctly, including the words in the title and heading in a nonfiction selection. If they make a mistake, they go back and reread so that the heading or sentence makes sense.
* Students will distinguish how a biography is different from other varieties of nonfiction. It tells the story of a real person's life with events told in time order.
* Comprehension Strategies - Good readers answer questions by looking back at information in the selection. Some answers may be "right there" in the text, while other answers come from what readers already know.
* Vocabulary - crops, discovered, experiments, biography
* Grammar - Present Tense Acton Verbs
* Writing - Publishing
* Handwriting Without Tears - p, r, n
Mathematics - Unit 5 Review
* Symmetrical Shapes
* Review and quiz Unit 5
Social Studies - Asia
* Introduction to Asia (location)
Science - Growth of a Plant
* Part of a seed and what a seed needs for growth
Important Dates:
*Aesop's Fables will be performing in the recreation gym on Tuesday, Feb. 7th at 1pm for grades EC-2.
* Our class shares at Town Meeting on Monday, February 13th at 8:10. Come watch our class present.
* Conference Day is on Thursday, February 9th.
* Professional Development Day is on Friday, February 17th. No school on this day for the students.
* Relay for Life Cook Out will be on Wednesday, February 15th. Sage Dining School Lunch will not be available that day. Order forms were sent home last Friday for the Lower Division Cookout.
* Current Events: Begins next week on Feb. 14th.
* Parent Reader - Mr. Piper
* Class Picture Day: Class picture day will take place on the morning of Wednesday, February 29th in the Crisp Gym.
* Box-Tops - Keep sending in Box-Tops, which is money for our school.
* Hats and Sunscreen - Please make sure your child comes to school with a hat and sunscreen. The students learning how important it is to be sun safe and sun smart!
Science Week - February 27th - March 8th.
Oldie Goldie Book Fair - Friday, February 24th - Begin gathering books to donate now! There is a box out the front of the classroom, that donated books can be left.
Field Day - Friday, March 9th.
Ident-a-Kid - Wednesday, March 21st.
We will be exchanging Valentine's next Tuesday afternoon, following a snack. I have sent home a class list today, so your child can include his/her classmates in the exchange. The exchange is optional.
Come watch us share our Australian book and song at next week's Town Meeting. The students made this book for their reading buddies in Alpha and Kinder, which they read and presented to Mrs. Samuel's class today and will present and share with Miss Conroy's class tomorrow.
Here is what else is happening in the classroom this week.
Language Arts
* Phonics - Vowel diphthong ou, ow
* Spelling - cowboy, surround, ground, powerful, sound, crowd, ouch, allow, cloudless, ounce, without, were where, now, know
* Reading - The Life of George Washington Carver By Joili K. Stevens (Biography)
* Build fluency - Good readers try to read every word correctly, including the words in the title and heading in a nonfiction selection. If they make a mistake, they go back and reread so that the heading or sentence makes sense.
* Students will distinguish how a biography is different from other varieties of nonfiction. It tells the story of a real person's life with events told in time order.
* Comprehension Strategies - Good readers answer questions by looking back at information in the selection. Some answers may be "right there" in the text, while other answers come from what readers already know.
* Vocabulary - crops, discovered, experiments, biography
* Grammar - Present Tense Acton Verbs
* Writing - Publishing
* Handwriting Without Tears - p, r, n
Mathematics - Unit 5 Review
* Symmetrical Shapes
* Review and quiz Unit 5
Social Studies - Asia
* Introduction to Asia (location)
Science - Growth of a Plant
* Part of a seed and what a seed needs for growth
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