Room 7

March 21, 2008

Friday’s Message:

Walkathon Writing/Math
After the Walkathon, students shared how many kilometers they walked. (They had made predictions before the event) The first writing assignment of the week was to tell how much more or less they walked compared to their guess. Then they wrote about it. I told them to tell about it from start to finish. I prompted them by giving suggestions of what to write about. They could include the time they started, how they felt, who they walked with, did they take a break, anything they wanted to tell. I asked them to end it with their feet and/ or what happened when they got home. How they rested their feet/bodies!
We also found out how many kilometers we walked as a class. Students used unifix cubes to show how many kilometers they each walked. As they combined their unifix cubes, they made “trains” of tens. Ask your child how many kilometers our class walked!
(Only one student had a “good” estimate of our total kilometers walked. Everyone underestimated!)

Spring Harvest
We finally harvested part of our abundant garden. All the students got to cut a leaf of spinach, swiss chard, red chard, and lettuce. In small groups, they pulled out radishes.
I cut off two big heads of cauliflower. Then they helped wash the vegetables and cut them. They also peeled rice noodles apart. It was all tossed together in a wok, a traditional chinese stir-frying pan. We made vegetable chow fun. In Chinese, “chow” means fry, and “fun” means noodle. Kids told me they had fun. We got to chow down. Of coarse they ate the chow fun with their chopsticks.

A Taste of Ireland and Mexico
Grant and his mom, Peggy, made Irish Soda Bread from Ireland on
St. Patrick’s Day. We learned that Ireland is a small island; it’s about same size as West Virginia. There are 4 million people on Ireland; the Bay Area (where we live) has 9 million. It is a lot more crowded here than there. They speak English just like us, but the weather is cooler because it is so far north.
Of the bread, we found out that originally it used only four ingredients: buttermilk, baking soda, flour, and salt. Peggy did a variation by adding an egg, butter, and golden raisins. We also learned that baking soda is the ingredient that makes the bread rise. Unlike yeast, baking soda is fast acting. Irish soda bread is quick and easy. The kids sifted the dry ingredients together , then stirred in the buttermilk. After the dough was mixed, it was baked for 30 minutes. In Ireland, they eat Irish soda bread with their main meal, supper/dinner. Often it would be eaten with soup and stews. We enjoyed our bread just by itself.
Jacky brought bolillo from Mexico. Sometimes this bread is called pan frances; different parts of Mexico refer to this bread by different names. But everywhere in Mexico people will have bolillo in the afternoon with a cup of milk or coffee. It’s also a favorite to use to make “thorta,” a big sandwich. Bolillo is made of wheat flour, water, salt, sugar, and vegetable butter. Bolillo is famous around the world.

Persian New Year and Bread
Sam and his mom, Dolly started by explaining that the Persian Empire was one of the greatest empires of the ancient worlld. Using the world map, they showed how far the Persian Empire once stretched, from Greece to India, also touching parts of China and Africa. Now, Iran, is considered Persia. Because of its roots, the Persian new year, Norooz, is celebrated in countries besides Iran. Norooz starts the first day of Spring; it means “new day.” Springtime is a time for rejoicing. It’s a time to celebrate warmer weather, the melting of snow, and the rejuvenation of the earth. This celebration last 13 days, during which people don’t work or go to school.
Haji Firooz is a funny guy who comes out with a red dress and hat and black face and sings and dances in the streets and does funny things to announce festivities. Sam had a Haji Firooz doll that he shared; it put a smile on all the students faces. There is also a Persian Santa Claus that gives gifts to children and tells them stories. Children get to run through the streets banging on pots and pans with a spoon; they knock on doors and ask for treats, similar to our Halloween. There is also a time when seven small fires are set, and adults and children jump over them singing a chant that celebrates the renewal of life, taking in the redness, warmth, and energy of the fire.
As with many celebrations, tables are set with special foods. There is a “haft seen,” where the items symbolize the family’s beliefs and values: sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree (love), wheat pudding (sweetness), apple (health), gold coins (prosperity), crushed sumac berries ( the color of sunrise), vinegar (age and patience), and garlic (good health) . There is also a bowl of spring sprouts (sprouted wheat or lentils) that signify rebirth. The last day of Norooz is spent outside the home. It’s like a national picnic day where everyone goes to the park or mountainside. They take the spring sprouts that are starting to turn yellow by this 13th day. They toss it into a flowing stream or creek; this symbolizes their sicknesses and problems floating away.

Then we had Persian breads. Sam brought lavash, barbari, and sangak from Iran. Iranians like to eat their bread warm and fresh every day. Traditionally bread was baked in special big oven at home (similar to pizza ovens.) In villages, some people still bake their own bread, but now most cities and towns have bakeries. Bread is eaten with every meal.
Lavash is a very thin bread. Sam brought both regular and wheat lavash.
Sam asked the class if they thought there was yeast in this bread. The kids said “no,”
but there is. Lavish is just rolled until it is very, very thin. Our lavash was fresh and soft. But if left out, in a day, it could get hard like a cracker. The students compared this lavash
to lefsa, matzoh, and a tortilla.
Barbari is made of white flour and is a thicker bread. This bread seems to be more popular with Turkish speaking people.
Sangak is made of brown flour. It is baked in special ovens where pebbles are at the bottom. When the pebbles get really hot, the heat of the pebbles bake the bread.

Star Students
***Jordan Klein*** was the star this week. Next week ***Mari Takata *** is the star when we return from Spring Break.

There is no homework over the Spring Break. Just read and record in your Reading Log.

HAPPY SPRING!

Room 7

March 14, 2008

Friday’s Message:

Report Cards
Your child brought home their report card today. I have met with all parents at least once and have been scheduling additional conferences as needed. If you would like a conference, or have questions/ concerns, please feel free to contact me and/or sent a note with your child.

Get Out Your Walking Shoes
Tomorrow is the school’s Walkathon. We’re hoping for 100% class participation. Come walk a few kilometers with us if you don’t have time to stay all day. If you don’t want to walk, there are plenty of kids for your child to walk with. I plan to be there for part of the day; I’ll walk with them, too.
Don’t stay away just because you didn’t turn in your Walkathon sponsor sheet. You can turn it in when you sign your child in. If you’ve misplaced it, there will be extra forms.
Hope to see you!

In class, students wrote predictions of how many kilometers they will walk. Next week we will be doing walkathon math and writing about the experience. (If your child couldn’t make it to this event, there will be an alternate assignment.)
Thank you Jon, Nola’s dad, for being our room coordinator for this event.

Purim
Reese’s brother, Alex, came to visit and teach us about Purim, a Jewish celebration. We learned about Haman, an assistant to the king. He was a bad person; he wanted to kill all the Jews. The students would “boo” every time Alex said Haman’s name.
Mordecai, a relative of the king’s wife, queen Esther, wanted to save the Jews. He was a good person. Everyone said “yay!” when they heard his name. With students cheering, Alex told the story of Purim. He told how Mordecai, pleaded with his cousin Esther, who was also Jewish, to tell the king of Mordecai’s plan. (Back then, women didn’t have much say, and to approach the king about “business” was not common.) So Esther and Modecai risked their lives by confronting the king. By doing so, the king sided with them and got rid of Haman. Purim celebrates survival, life. It is a fun and festive holiday. It’s a time for good food and sharing.
Alex shared a special treat made especially during Purim, hamantashen. This is a fruit filled cookie that is shaped with 3 points. Hamantashen is supposed to be representative of the 3-cornered hat Haman wore.

Learning with Bread
Alex K. brought croissants from France. We learned that croissant means crescent in French; and that crescent is a shape. Several students drew the shape. Then Alex’s dad, Richard, showed them croissants that were premade, all we needed to do was bake them. He told us the croissants had risen overnight, and when they are baked, they would rise some more. Besides the flour, water, and salt, we learned yeast makes them rise and the butter makes the bread light and flaky. We learned French people like to eat croissants for breakfast, but they really can be eater any time of day.
Alex brought in a book that had pictures of other kinds of delicious French food. He also taught us a few French words like “bonjour” for hello, and “merci” for thank you. Someday Alex wants to go to France to see the Eiffel Tower.

Students have been turning in the form with the bread they will be sharing. Several students listed the same bread. To be fair, the student that turned in the form first gets to bring the bread; it’s a “first come, first serve” basis. I will be contacting you when to bring in the bread or if a particular date/day works for you, please let me know and I will schedule you in.
Besides naming the bread and pointing out the country it originated from on a world map, the student tells something about the bread / country. Classmates then repeat something they learned that the student has shared. (I write the short blurb on the bread for YOU, so you know what was presented. Ask your child questions about the bread. Hopefully s/he can tell you more.)
Please leave the bread whole so students can see what the bread looks like. Then we will do math as we cut up the bread.
We work hard for our food! We are doing geography, cultural diversity, language arts, science (when you make the bread with the class), math, methods for cooking bread, similarities and differences, and so much more....
Please turn in the bread forms if you haven’t done so. Thanks!

Star Student
**Olivia Petty*** was the star student this week. *** Jordan Klein *** is the star next week.

A Clean Sock
Please have your child bring one clean (old) sock. We will be making sock puppets.

Tissue Please
Spring is in the air and allergies are rampart, or kids are coming to school with colds.
We’ve been going through two boxes of tissue a week. If your child could bring a box it would be appreciated. Thanks.

Book Orders
If you would like to purchase books, please return the forms by next Friday,
March 21. Make check payable to Scholastic.

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
The students have listened to the story Clever Tom and the Leprechaun. The leprechaun outwitted Tom. For the writing assignment, the leprechaun is going to let your child find the gold because he knows your child will use the gold to help people that are less fortunate than themselves.
Have your child write who s/he would give the gold to and why. Then because your child is so kind and generous, s/he gets a gold piece. Have your child tell what s/he would do with the gold and why.

MATH
After spending all that gold, they get to come back to reality and learn the value of a dollar. Let your child use $3.00 in assorted coins. If possible, take them “shopping” at a grocery store or use the ads in the newspaper. The purpose of this math lesson is to have your child practice counting / adding coins to pay for the items up to one dollar.
The following are suggestions when you take your child shopping to help him/her focus on spending money in dollar increments.

What kind and how many fruits can be bought for one dollar?
What kind of vegetable and how many vegetables can be bought with a dollar?
Are there any novelty toys you can buy for a dollar?
Are there any dairy products that can be bought for a dollar?
Do you have any money left?

After your child counts out the coins needed to pay for the items, put all the coins in a pile and have your child group the coins into dollars. Then have your child write the total amount spent. (If your child would like to spend a couple more dollars, please encourage him/her.)
Students should the coins at home, but when they turn in the homework, their list will suffice. Their list should include the number of the items bought for each dollar. Students will see how much/little one dollar buys. Then write what the total cost is for everything you “bought.” How much change is left?
The objective of this lesson is to review money and the value of 100 cents. (Also when they make sock puppets, they will be given a certain amount of money to buy items and sometimes will need to make change. They will also have to calculate the total cost of their puppet.)

HOW ACTIVE ?
What kind of physical activities do you do during the week? Write the name of the week day, the activity/activities, and how many minutes you do each activity. If you don’t do a physical activity on a particular day, just write “none.”

Room 7

February 22, 2008

Lucky Tuesday
It was our lucky day. Though it started to rain, we decided to head for Chinatown in hopes that the rain would subside. It did. Hopefully your child told you about things they saw, smelled, touched, heard, and tasted. We looked in delis, markets, restaurants, and
the wide assortments of foods outside the markets. We went to a fortune cookie factory,
a medicine/herb shop, a fish market, and the town plaza/square. There we tasted baked bread filled with barbecue pork and steamed bread with chicken. They also tried bok tong goh, steamed rice cake, a “jello” like dessert.
Then we went to the lunar new year presentation. It started with a lion dance, two lions dancing and prancing. The audience was awed by the different forms of martial arts. Students from Fruitvale school did a Vietnamese fan dance. There was also violin music and a Korean senior group sang songs in English and Korean. After the performance, we went to a park where the students woke up a sleeping dragon. It was a full day.
Thank you Alexander’s, Aria’s, Gemma’s, Nola’s, Reese’s, and Sam’s parents,
Glenn, Caroline, Jean, Jon, Dolly, and Steve for driving and chaperoning on our trip.

Star Student
***Christian Singleton***is the star this week. ****Aria Everingham *** is the star next week.

Aesop’s Fables
Since the field trip is today, I’m thinking/ hoping the Theaterworks performance will delight the students. All three 1st grade classes attended this performance. Later in the Spring, we will be present a performance for you about Aesop’s fables.
Thank you to Alex K.’s, David’s, Jordan R.’s, Keziah’s, Leah’s, and Olivia’s parents, Richard, Nanci, Marcia, Angela, Lynn, and Rebecca for driving/chaperoning on this trip.

Asian Pacific Islander Day
Wednesday, March 5th, all the first graders will participate in this event. Students will be able to do crafts and games from other countries. Artifacts are displayed. Lunch is provided. Students are encouraged to dress in clothes from these countries. This is a fun-filled learning day. Parents are welcome to join us.
Flyers have been sent home about volunteers and costumes. If you have questions, please contact Nancy Kho (336-9518), Joan Korin (530-0312), or
Kerryn LaDuc (915-2314)

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
I started reading a few Aesop’s fables this week. After I read these short stories, students told what they thought the lesson of the story is.
Choose your favorite story/fable from the performance. Write several sentences telling why it was it your favorite? Then tell what lesson/ moral is from the story. If your child would like to tell the lesson from another story, please encourage him/her.

MATH
Your child will make a schedule of two days: a weekday, school day and one of the weekend days.
Have him/ her list what they do and what time of the day they do it . We have been telling time as we do activities in class. Choose a day for your child to record the many routines and activities they do. (You can be flexible in the definition of a “day,” more the daily routine when things go according to “schedule.”)
Start with when they get up to when they go to bed/ lights out. Try to include when they eat, go somewhere, get back home, things you do together, getting ready for bed, etc.)
In class we’ve been using an analog clock to read and show time. Your child can write the digital time (the way we write time) when s/he is writing their schedule or
can use the attached analog clocks.

TANGRAMS
Tangrams are great for visual perception. They originated in China. It is a seven piece puzzle that can be manipulated into many shapes. In class I read Grandfather Tang’s Story where animals made from tangrams kept transforming. Students then had the opportunity to try puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty. Now they can try the challenge at home.
Have your child cut out the 7 pieces of the square. Remind him /her to cut carefully on the line. All the pieces are used for each tangram. How many can your child do?

The tangram kit is for your child to keep at home. If your child enjoys and/or is challenged by this activity, there are many more tangram puzzles you can buy. You can also extend this kit by having your child make up his / her own puzzle. After s/he makes a shape, help trace around it. Then take the pieces off and see if s/he can put it back together, or better yet, can a family member. Can you get the pieces back into a square? Have fun!

There is nothing to turn in for the tangram portion of the homework. If our child wants to turn in a puzzle shape outline s/he makes with the 7 pieces, s/he can do so.

Room 7

February 15, 2008

Friday’s Message:

Walking Tour on Tuesday
Our field trip on Tuesday to Chinatown and the BART lunar new year presentation are outside activities. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that it won’t rain. I’ve told students they need to:
-dress in layers
I also recommend they bring a jacket
(they can leave it in the car if it is a warm day)
-wear “closed” shoes
-after the performance, I’m hoping to take the kids to a nearby park
-bring a bag lunch

For the parents driving/chaperoning on this trip, we will be leaving school at 9:15.

More than a Taste
Leah brought matzah from Israel. She told us the story of how the Jewish people had been slaves in Egypt. When the ruler of Egypt, the Pharaoh, agreed to let the Jews go, they had to leave quickly and could not wait for their bread to rise. The flat bread they brought with them is called matzah. They left Egypt and crossed the desert into Israel.
Lynn, Leah’s mom, read a story about Passover. Passover is when Jewish people are imagining their first day of freedom. They have a ceremony called a seder. There is a book everyone reads from, it is called the Haggadah. They eat matzah in memory of the flat bread the Jews carried as they escaped Egypt. There are bitter herbs to remember the bitter taste of slavery. There is a mixture of apples, wine, and nuts called haroset. It is to remember the cement the slaves made for the pyramids; this mixture also a little sweet and also reminds them how sweet to be free. Lynn explained that though Passover is a Jewish holiday, friends are often invited. Freedom is for everybody.
Before tasting the matzah, students estimated how many pieces were in the box.
Then I counted the pieces, and Leah told who had the closest estimate. There were 11 pieces, but I asked what am I going to do since there are 20 students? They knew to break them in two, but first we discussed the difference between two pieces and equal halves. After cutting four pieces in half, I had students figure out how many halves would there be when we cut all the matzah equally.

Celebrating a Day of Love
Thank you everyone that brought treats for the Valentine’s Day party. The kids thoroughly enjoyed all the goodies. We had heart shaped sandwiches, cupcakes, fruit, crackers and cheese, cookies, and juice and water. Hopefully they still had an appetite for dinner. Thank you Jen, Isabel’s mom, for organizing the party.

Star Students
***Alexander Arriola*** was the star this week. Next week
***Christian Singleton*** is the star.

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

MATH
I’ve been making more reference to the clock as we do activities. When they had to be quiet for 100 seconds, they watched the second hand go around as I counted off the seconds by 5’s. We’ve counted the minutes on the analog clock and have been telling how many minutes past the hour. When we do activities in the class, I usually tell them how much time they have and where the “big” / minute hand will be.
This week have them go on a clock hunt around your house. How many clocks can you find? Draw a picture of the clock and/or what it is on/part of. Write what it is. Show the time on the clock.

WRITING
Students will be writing for BOTH field trips. This week have your child write
for lunar new year performance and chinatown tour. Write about something saw, heard, smelled, tasted ( a food not in their lunch), and touched. Extend each statement and tell why they like it or didn’t like it.

The second writing assignment will be due with next week’s homework. I’m giving it now while the Theaterworks performance is “fresh” in their minds.
for the Aesop’s Fables performance, write which story was your favorite and why. Then tell what lesson/ moral is from the story. If your child would like to tell the lesson from another story, please encourage him/her.

(Later in the spring, the first grade classes will be presenting their performance of Aesop’s Fables.)

SOCIAL STUDIES / Where my ancestors came from
Now I’m reading Captain Bill Pinkney’s Journey. It’s about the first African American to travel by sailboat around the world alone. As we’re reading, we found out his ancestors came from Africa. I told the class my grandfathers, ancestors, came from China.
Tell your child what country their ancestors came from before coming to the United States. Help your child locate the country on the map provided. Draw a person in the country/countries (if the country is small, draw an arrow from the person to the country.)
At the bottom of the map, have your child write the name of the country/countries their ancestors came from.
Then draw a house where YOU live. Color the ocean blue

Room 7
February 8, 2008
Friday’s Message:

Book Fair
Students made their choices and counted out their coins to pay for their book/s. It was hard for some students to make a choice with limited funds (a real life experience!)
Thank you to the parents that assisted / checked the students as they counted their sets of 100 cents.

Watching it Grow
Leah’s mom, Lynn, did a science experiment with yeast. First she talked about yeast being alive and told them the three things that makes something alive: it eats, breathes, and grows. They were going to find out which food makes yeast grow the most by feeding it.
Students measured equal amounts of warm water (300 ml) and yeast (one package) into each bottle. The first bottle had just water and yeast. Then they put
( one tablespoon) of other “ingredients” into each of the other bottles: #2 sugar,
#3 sugar and salt, #4 sugar and baking soda, and #5 sugar and vinegar. (I gave you the materials needed in case your child would like to do this experiment at home ).
Lynn put balloons on top of the bottles to trap the gas the yeast makes when it grows. Students also could observe how “fluffy” the ingredients got. Have your child tell you what food made the yeast grow the best. They might even want to tell you the order to the least. Thanks, Lynn.
We then made the connection that yeast is sometimes in bread, and that’s why some breads rise/ are airier than others. When yeast is an ingredient, it’s eating and producing a gas (just like they could observe in the bottles) and it makes the product/dough fluff up.

Breads Around the World
Alexander brought pandesal from the Philippines. He showed and told us where the Philippines are, and that it is made of at least 7,000 islands. He explained when his parents were young, they moved to San Francisco with their families. Growing up and now they still eat most of the same Filipino foods they enjoyed in the Philippines. One of the foods is pandesal. Traditionally this bread is eaten for breakfast with coffee or hot chocolate. But you can eat pandesal any time of the day. Alexander likes flattening the pandesal and putting in the toaster. When he showed how he flattened it for toasting, he added that one of the ingredients in pandesal is yeast. He also eats it as a snack, with vanilla soy milk. Sometimes he even dips it in the soy milk.

Celebrating the New Year
Lucas’ and Mari’s moms, Luci and Tammy, visited our class today. They taught us about the lunar new year calendar. They also explained some of the symbolism of foods. Then they did a craft project with us. They ended with a new year’s treat for us to taste and a li see for everyone. Thank you Lucy and Tammy!
In class students have been preparing for the new year. They’ve been writing and painting with mobuts, Chinese brushes. I’ve also brought Chinese candies for them to taste; these candies are fruits / vegetables that have been dried, then dipped in sugar. Ask your child what kind they tasted and what it represents.

100th Day of School
We have been doing many activities around 100. Students have made number squares to 100; we’ll be using these squares to make a number quilt. They’ll be making a bag of trail mix by picking up 10 sets of ten “goodies” with chopsticks (a fine motor skill). We did 100 jumping jacks. They wrote what they wished they could have 100 of, and why. My favorite activity was getting them to be quiet for 100 seconds (just kidding.)

Star Student
***Leah Shear*** was the star this week. ***Alexander Arriola *** is the star next week.

Valentine’s Day
Next Thursday is Valentine’s Day. We will have a class party. Jenn, Isabel’s mom is organizing it. She may be calling you to bring things for the class. The party will be held the last hour of the day, 1:50- 2:50. Parents/ younger siblings are invited.
A class list is attached. If your child is planning to pass out cards, please let him/her
“address” the cards to their classmates.

Field Trips
Attached are the field trip forms for our trip to Lunar New Year presentation / Chinatown on Tuesday, February 19 and the Theaterworks production/Lake Merritt
on Friday, February 22nd.
I need parent drivers for these trips. Please turn in the permission slips at the beginning of next week so I can determine if we have enough drivers.
I color coded the field trips forms to help me keep things organized. Thanks.

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
Write five things you love to do with the people in your family. Explain/ extend why each activity is so special to you.

MATH
Have your child sort their valentines cards two different ways. Use all their valentines each time. Then make two separate graphs to show how the valentines were sorted.
The total should be the same on both graphs. Encourage your child to make two different kinds of graphs to show the information.
Then answer the following questions.

What kind of Valentine do you have the most of?

Which Valentine was your favorite? Why?

What makes a Valentine special?

FLOUR and FLOWER
Students have been introduced to homophones, words that sound the same, but have different spellings/meanings (knead / need, sun / son, I / eye, road / rode).
Bread is one of the many foods the uses flour. Help your child discover at least six other foods that use flour. They can look for the word on packages where ingredients are listed or maybe they know of recipes where you use flour. List the foods under the heading “flour is used.” Besides each word have your child draw or cut out a picture of that particular food.
Now do the same activity under the heading of “flower.” Go on a nature walk and draw flowers you see or cut out pictures from magazines, newspaper ads, etc., or even use real flowers (but I told students to only pick from their own yards). If you know the name of the flowers, have your child write it. Do at least 6 flowers.
Students will be sharing and doing a math lesson with the foods. We’ll also share our garden of flowers.

Room 7
February 1, 2008

Friday’s Message:

Library/ Book Fair/ Math Lesson
Next Friday, as a class, we will be going to the school’s Book Fair. At that time I would like to make our visit a learning experience (that’s why I’ve been pushing them to learn money!)
The (average minimum ) price of a paperback is about $5.00 plus tax. If possible, I am asking students to bring six dollars in coins so s/he can choose and count out the money to pay for a book. Bring a combination of quarters, dimes, nickels, and no more than ten pennies for the 600 cents. (Reinforce counting coins throughout the week as needed.)
Have your child put the coins in a see through zip-lock baggie with his/her name on the outside; this will be your child’s “wallet.” Your child can bring in their “wallet of coins” anytime next week. I will hold it for safe keeping.
I will need parents to help during our time at the book fair (8:30-9:15 a.m.) next Friday. Students will count out their coins before paying at the register. Please let me know if you can help! I can’t do this myself.

There are other things besides books that can be purchased. When your child is with me they will only be able to purchase book/s. (You may send extra $ with your child if you want them to buy several books. Your child will also learn about making choices within their means/funds.
The Book Fair is open Tuesday-Friday and you are welcome to take your child before/after school. (see Walkie-Talkie for details)


Asian and Pacific Islander Day
Attached is a flyer for the 1st grade living history cultural event. Hope you can help out and join us for the exciting learning experience.

Star Student
***David Schneidinger***is the star student this week. ***Leah Shear *** is the star next week.

Field Trip Reminders
We will be going to see a lunar new year performance and have a mini tour of Oakland Chinatown on Tuesday, February 19th and on Friday, February the 22nd we will see a theaterworks production of Aesop’s Fables. Permission slips will be sent home next week. We need parent drivers for these trips.

Everybody Eats Bread
We will be starting a multicultural unit on breads around the world. Please let me know which country and the name of the bread your child will bring in. If you would like to make the bread with the class, that would even be better!
When students bring in their bread they will find the country it originated in on the map. They can also tell something about the bread/ country. We will be tasting our way around the world and also learning about it.
Please sign up A.S.A.P. I’m hoping we’ll be able to taste a couple of kinds of
bread a week.

Student’s name__________________________________

Name of bread___________________________________

Country________________________________________

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
Chinese New Year begins February 7th. Students started writing Chinese characters / symbols for the numbers 1 -10 and the names of the animals in the zodiac. Attached are characteristics of the different animals of the lunar calendar. Find the animal signs for each member of your family. Help your child read/ understand the characteristics.
Then have your child tell / write how the family member is like one of the given characteristics. Write at least one sentence for each person in your family.

MATH
We’ve been learning about money and counting by 5’s, 10’s, 25’s (and 2’s)
Attached are some coins and their value. Have your child cut out the coins in strips, then into squares, or use real coins. Practice counting by 5’s/nickels, and 10’s/dimes and add on 1’s/pennies.
Then take your child shopping with you and/or use the grocery advertisement. Have your child read six items that are less than one dollar (i.e. cost per pound).
Make a chart showing the name of the item, the cost, and the coins needed to pay for it. Your child can tape real coins (the homework will be returned) and/or use the coins/value attached.
Encourage your child to use more than two different coins when they are capable. If your child can easily count a combination of nickels, dimes, and pennies, then use quarters. If your child wants to shop for more, certainly encourage him/her.

BAGGIE OF 100
Next Friday, February 8th, is the 100th day of school. Help your child think of
100 of one thing that s/he can share with the class. There are 20 students in the class so 100 will divide evenly. (Your child’s 100 items will be given to classmates. After everyone shares, they will have a mixture of 100 items). We will be doing lots of math as students pass out an equal number of their “thing” to all the kids in the class.
Put the 100 objects in a clear zip lock bag. Please have your child write his/her name on the bag. We will be sorting and doing language arts activities with their bags of 100 before passing out the “goodies.” No food items please.

Next week we will not be checking out books because of the Book Fair. At our regularly scheduled library time, Friday at 8:30 a.m., students will have the opportunity to purchase books. (See Walkie-Talkie for more information/hours)
Since we have started learning about money, this would be a great time for your child to practice counting money to make his/her purchase. I am asking all students to bring six dollars in coins (mostly quarters, but also dimes, nickels, and some pennies)
to purchase a book at the book fair (The money raised at the book fair goes directly to our library so they can get more books).
I need parent volunteers to help as students count out their coins before paying at the register. PLEASE let me know if you can help. I definitely cannot do this myself!
Put your child’s coins in a ziplic bag with his/her name on it. This will be their wallet.
(Your child can practice counting coins, six sets of 100 cents, to fill their wallet). Students can bring in their wallets in anytime next week. I will hold it for safekeeping or they can bring it in Friday.
The Book Fair is open before, during, and after school. You may visit it at any time if you would like to purchase additional books.

Room 7

January 25, 2008

Friday’s Message:

What A Wonderful Class
Hats off to Christian, Mari, and Olivia for speaking at the Oratorical today! Christian wrote his speech and titled it “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream.” Mari and Olivia recited the poem “Follower of the North Star” by Sanchez. We’re proud of the three of you for standing tall and speaking out!!!
In the spirit of the Oratorical, our class did a choral presentation, “What a Wonderful World.” The kids were terrific!

Star Student
***Boris Tonsky*** was the star this week. Next week ***David Schneidinger***
is the star student.

Luncheon for Joaquin Miller Staff
First grade families hosted a luncheon for the staff this week. A personal thanks to you. Several families from our class brought soup, salad, breads, and desserts for us. It was delicious and enjoyed by all!

End of the First Semester
We’re halfway through the school year. I’ve had conferences with all families. If at any time you would like another conference, please feel free to contact me and/or send a note with your child. I’ll call you to set up/ confirm a meeting time.

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
It is a wonderful world. What is wonderful to you? Write a half dozen (or more) things you think are wonderful and tell why. Write complete sentences. Remember to start with a capital letter and end with punctuation.

MATH
We started identifying coins and their value this week. They’ve had lots of practice counting by fives, tens, and ones; we just tied it in with money. Give your child a pile of assorted coins. Make sure there is a minimum of 20 nickels, ten dimes, and a bunch of pennies. Have your child sort the coins, then count the nickels by 5’s, the dimes by 10’s, and the number of pennies you have by 1’s.
Then do a combination of differing amounts of coins:
-nickels with pennies
We did this with 5 and 1 pound weights,
and tally marks.
-dimes with pennies
We do this daily with the number of days we’re in school.

-dimes and nickels
-dimes, nickels, and pennies
We will continue counting money next week.
Get practice at home.

Write to 100 by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s. Form numerals from the top. Check for directionality of numerals. This writing portion needs to be turned in.
Keep the coins at home. Just practice counting the mixture of coins with your child as needed. (I also introduced quarters this week. If your child is ready for it, certainly encourage him/her to use quarters.)

FLASHING SUBTRACTION FACTS
Using index cards (3 x 5) or paper, have your child make subtraction flash cards. Start by having your child write two different subtraction number sentences that begin with 5 (each on separate index card).

for example: 5 - 3 = 2

then, 5 - 4 = 1

Then continue writing two subtraction number sentences that begin with 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. After writing the number sentence, cover any one of the numerals. In class students cut a piece of paper and taped it over a numeral. Make sure your child writes his/her name on each card. Then practice for the missing/covered numeral.

Room 7

December 21, 2007

Friday’s Message:

Sweet Lessons
Your child brought home his/her gingerbread house. My original plan was that it would take a couple of days; we spent 6 days. The first was making the icing and building the walls, then the roof. We played “What’s my rule?” when we sorted the candies; then we did a blending lesson as we spelled out the name of each.
We spent two days decorating the house and doing the landscaping. When decorating, they got to choose 25 candies at a time. Then they recorded with tally marks the number of each candy. Next they wrote a number sentence for that set of candies. Yesterday they wrote a story about their gingerbread house adventure. Ask your child
how they made their house or tell you the about the story s/he wrote.

Hanukkah
Jordan K’s mom, Tiffany, shared some of the Hanukkah traditions with us. She
read a story and explained how the holiday began its celebration over 2000 years ago.
She told us Hanukkah is a fun winter celebration; it is the celebration of lights.
We learned about the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days, instead of one. Then Tiffany showed as a menorah, and the 8 candles that represent each day the oil burned.
She told us how they light one candle for each night of Hanukkah, and that on the eighth night how bright the light shines! Then she lit the candles.
She showed the students a special dreidel that Jordan has, and our class read the symbols. She told us these Hebrew words actually mean “ a great miracle happened here.” Then she told us a special Hanukkah food is latkes. These potato pancakes are cooked in oil. It’s the oil that makes it an important holiday tradition. Then Jordan passed out a latke to everyone.

Time Capsule Container
When your child returns to school next year, have him/her bring in a clean plastic container (one pound size) with a lid. Please have your child label his/her container. We will be putting writings in it to save and to be opened in a couple of years.....

Winter Recess
Have a great winter break! There is no formal homework except to read and record in your child’s Reading Log.

See you next year!

Room

December 14, 2007

Friday’s Message:

Singing Lessons
David’s mom, Nancy, had the class singing songs related to themes we’ve been doing in class. Each student got to beat on a drum as they sang about the root vegetable they sliced, diced, and chopped a lot to put in our big soup pot.
We’re making rain books now, so she showed them a rain stick. Then they waved scarves to music to show the wind blowing. As the storm grew, they beat rhythm sticks together for thunder. When the storm subsided, they sang a song about how very very special they are. I hope they shared it with you.

Dutch Celebration
Aria’s mom and grandmother, Caroline and Oma (grandma in Dutch), came in and told us about Sinterklaas Day. This holiday is celebrated in Holland on December 5th.
It started long ago when a bishop from Spain traveled by boat to Holland. He would ride his horse through towns and children would sit on his lap. He would look up their names in a book and find out who had been good or bad that year. (Sound familiar?)
Kids would leave their shoes by the fireplace, and the next morning they would find little “goodies” in their shoes. In the evening, when families are celebrating together, there would be a knock on the door.....open it, and there would be gifts! Sometimes there would be “josh” gifts. Ask your child about it. There was a knock on our door, and they got such a gift. After opening the josh gift, they had a speculaas, a dutch cookie. The cookie was shaped like a windmill. We learned that windmills were an important part of Holland’s culture. They were used to grind flour and pump water into canals.

The Teamwork of Building Houses
This week we only were able to make the icing and assemble the gingerbread house. For the icing they read the recipe, measured the ingredients, and mixed the ingredients together. They separated egg whites from egg yolks. They measured and leveled the ingredients with partners. Then they took turns holding the bowl and using the electric beaters. Today they worked with a partner building the walls and roof ot their house.
We have been doing math activities with the candies they brought to share.
Next week they will record with tally marks the number of candies they put on their house.

More Buddy Work
Today they worked with their fourth/fifth grade buddies making tissue paper
decorations. We try to get together with them once a month. Have they told you about the older friend?

Time Capsule
When students return in January, they will be writing for a time capsule. Save a plastic jar or container with a wide mouth opening (at least a two pound size jar, like a peanut butter size jar or large yogurt size container). Your child can bring it to school when s/he returns in January 2008! Please have your child label their container.

This will be the last homework assignment for this year!

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
The year 2007 is almost over. Have your child write one special thing that happened. Be sure to include why it is special. Write several sentences.
We’ve been working on using descriptive words and extending sentences/stories. Please encourage your child to do so.

MATH
Your child is bringing home his/her dreidel and the directions for the game. (We used beans instead of pennies.) When your child made the dreidel, they were using math concepts. Playing the game, they used more math.
Have your child play the dreidel game with you and/or the family at home. When your child plays, have him/her write at least a dozen number sentences (or more) to show what happens to his/her pile of beans/ or whatever counters you decide to use..

For example, in class each student started with ten beans. The dreidel is spun and lands on “shin;” the student writes 10 - 1 = 9. When it is time for another round / spin, everyone puts another bean in, including your child, so s/he would write 9 - 1- = 8. Spin the dreidel again, if it lands on gimel, your child takes all; write 8 + ___ (whatever is in the middle of the “pot”) = ____ (total amount). Continue to play and write number sentences.

The purpose of this week’s math assignment is to practice writing addition and subtraction number sentences, understanding when to add/plus or subtract/minus.
As student’s spun their dreidel, they read/told the name of the Hebrew symbol and did the action. Play the game with your child at home. This is the chart we used in the class.

HOW MUCH MORE?
We’ve been comparing numbers. Students have been building two digit numbers with manipulatives. They tell which number is larger / smaller. Then they tell how much more the larger number is than the smaller number.
Have your child practice this concept at home. Have two “piles” of things your child can compare (i. e. a handful of quarters to a handful of dimes, a pile of legos to a group of toy animals, apples to oranges, any two sets of objects) Have your child tell which pile has the bigger number. Then tell how much more it has. Have her/him “prove,” explain how s/he got his answer.
For the homework, have your child do at least 6 comparisons. Have your child write the two objects they are comparing, then the number each has. Then tell how much more they have of one object than the other.

Room 7

December 7, 2007
Friday’s Message:

Report Cards
Your child brought home their report card today. If you have questions / concerns, about your child’s report card, please send a note with your child and we can schedule a conference.

Conferences
I have just about completed conferencing with everyone. If at any time you would like another conference, feel free to contact me. You can send a note with your child and / or call the school office (879-1420) and leave a message. I will get back to you.

Root Vegetable Soup
Hopefully your child told you about the root vegetable soup we made. We had a variety of vegetables. Students did all the cutting with “real” knives. When we ate the soup, students noted the difference between raw and cooked vegetables.
We also did math with the vegetables. After everyone shared their vegetables,
I put them on one tray and everyone got to feel how heavy they were. Then they estimated how many pounds it was. We weighed them, then found out who had the closest estimate.
Another activity we did was to figure out how many trays I needed to serve the soup. There were 21 bowls of soup on the table. Six bowls fit on one tray. Only a couple of students know the answer, but we shared strategies on how to get the answer.
We wrote about the experience and learned a poem to go with the soup. (It’s an adaptation to Dennis Lee’s “Alligator Pie ) The words are:

Root vegetable soup, root vegetable soup
If I don’t get some, I think I’m gonna droop.
Give away my hockey stick, give away my hoop,
But don’t give away my root vegetable soup!

“Gingerbread” Houses
We will be making gingerbread (graham cracker) houses. They will work with a partner to build their house. A variety of math and language arts activities will be integrated into this project. Students will make the icing by following the recipe. They’ll sort, count by 10’s, graph, make comparisons, and do various number sentences with the candies. Then they’ll write about their houses and tell how they made them.
I will get the graham crackers and the ingredients for the icing, but would appreciate parent donations for the candies/ treats we’ll be using to decorate the houses. We need things like m&m’s, gum/spice drops, mini candy canes, holiday candy mixes, colorful breakfast cereal, and other treats you think the kids will have fun putting on their houses. Please send the candies early next week so we can start the oral language and math activities before using them. Thank you!
Winter Celebrations
If you have a special tradition or activity that you do this time of the year, it would be wonderful if you could share it with the class! If you would like to teach us a game, cook, show “artifacts,” do a project, show/teach us a dance or song, read a book, or do any other activity with the class we would truly welcome it! Please send a note with your child or come in so we can schedule you in!

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
Have your child think of family and friends that they know outside of Oakland. Name
a few in California, then expand to other states and countries.
Take a map out and show your child where these places are in relationship to Oakland. Then have your child write the name of the city and the country. Remember to capitalize the name of the city/country and the person that lives there.
Write/name a dozen places/people outside of Oakland, California.

MATH
We have been working on related addition and subtraction facts. Students have been using manipulatives (unifix cubes, dominoes, number sets, beans) to show
combinations that use the same set of numbers. After proving each statement, students write the number sentence. They show/ prove two addition sentences, then two subtraction sentences. This is called a number fact family. Have your child prove, then write six number fact families. Below is an example of one.

5 + 3 = 8
3 + 5 = 8
8 - 3 = 5
8 - 5 =

SING A SONG
What is your favorite holiday song? Sing it at home. Choose a favorite stanza. Write the words (your favorite part of the song). Draw a picture of it.
Students will tell the name of the song and share their favorite phrase/picture.
If your child would like to sing the song, (part or all) we’d love to hear it.

Room 7

November 30, 2007

Friday’s Message:

Off to the Circus
Before starting off to see Circus Oz we learned a little geography. We identified the seven continents and found the island continent of Australia. I told them Australians sometimes refer to themselves as “Aussies” and to Australia as “Oz.” This is the only prep I could give the class (it’s my first time going to see this) besides theater etiquette. I told them it would be a fun, exciting day! I hope they are excited to tell you all about it! (You’ll find out about at least one of the acts because they have to write about it for homework. )
Thank you Alex A.’s, Grant’s, Jacky’s, Lucas’, Mari’s, and Sam’s parents,
Glenn, Peggy, Blanca, Yas, Lucy, and Dolly for driving and chaperoning us to the performance and park. We hope you enjoyed the day as much as us. Thank you.

Root Vegetable
We have been learning about plant parts we eat. Next Wednesday, we will be making root vegetable soup. Please bring one whole washed “root” / tuber vegetable to school on Monday. so we can do a variety of science, math , and language art activities prior to cutting the vegetables and making the soup.
You may want to take your child to the produce / grocery store this weekend so s/he can select his/her root vegetable. We’re hoping for a variety of root vegetables for our tasty soup!

Conferences
The following conferences are scheduled for next week.

Reese Monday Dec. 3 at 3:00

Aria Tuesday Dec. 4 at 3:00

Keziah Thursday Dec. 6 at 3:00

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
Many special occasions are celebrated in December. Write about a holiday you celebrate with your family. Name the holiday and tell what special activities you do. Write complete sentences.

MATH
We’ve been counting by 5’s and adding on 1’s to get to specific number. We used the five and one pound weights your child brought to school to show the weight of each student. (Check out our hall bulletin board. Your child can tell you what we did.) Students also drew themselves and used tally marks to represent their weight.
This week’s homework is to choose a dozen numbers from 20 to 100. (Your child can cut out those numbers from food ads or other advertisements and/or just randomly choose a variety of odd/even numbers.) For each number have your child make the
tally marks that represent it.
Your child is welcome to do more than the twelve numbers and/ or a couple higher numbers if s/he wants.

CIRCUS ACT
Write about one of the circus acts. Describe it. Tell what was so amazing and/or what you liked about it. What did the people do? How many people did the “trick”? What happened to the music, sound or lighting during the act?
Draw a picture of the act you wrote about.

Room 7

November 9, 2007

Friday’s Message:

Bone Talk
Reese’s mom, Ann, brought in some real bones for us to look at and touch. We learned that bones give us structure and protect our vital organs. (Ask your child what the skull and/or ribs protect.) She told us about muscles and ligaments, and how muscles move bones. Then she showed us several joints, and we could see how the bones moved.
We also learned what bones are made of and how to take care of them. She asked students if they know what foods are good sources of calcium, vitamin D and K. They discussed it. She also told them which foods “suck out” these vitamins and minerals.
Ask your child what s/he needs to eat and do to build strong bones.
Thank you Ann for reinforcing what we need to do to take care of our bodies!

Welcome Grant
We have a new student, Grant. His parents are Peggy and Zack. Please welcome them to our Joaquin Miller family. Now we have an equal number of boys and girls and everyone can have a partner (when we are all here)! YES! The perfect mixture to our fantastic class.

Field Trip to Circus Oz
We will be going Cal Performances’ SchoolTime performance of Circus Oz on November 30. We will need parent drivers. The permission slip will be sent home at the beginning of next week.

Conferences
I have scheduled the following conferences for next week. Please send a note or call the school if you cannot make it. Thank you

Olivia Tuesday Nov. 13 at 7:45 a.m.

Lucas Tuesday Nov. 13 at 3:30p.m.

Leah Thursday Nov. 15 at 4:30p.m.

There are no conferences on Friday, Nov. 16 because it’s the start
of Thanksgiving vacation!

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
This is a time when we often think about being thankful ( We have been discussing how they should be thankful every day.) Write five things you are thankful for. Extend your writing by explaining why.

MATH
This week’s math homework is to:
*Make graphs of the number of fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits/vegetables you have at home. Make a graph for the vegetables, and another for the fruit. Then use the information/data and write six observations.
.
For example:
I have ______more (vegetable) than (vegetable).
We have fresh, frozen, and canned corn.
We have more fresh vegetables than fresh fruit

If your child has difficulty figuring out “how much more,” with the graph, have him/her manipulate the vegetables by pairing the two kinds, and whatever is leftover, is the “more.” (We did this with their candy bones and pumpkin measurements.)

*After making the graph and comparisons , have your child list the kinds of vegetables your family has in the different categories. We will be making more comparisons in class with this information/data. Try to include varieties of some of the different fruits/vegetables.

CONTRACTIONS
We have been working on contractions for two weeks. Attached is a set of flash cards your child can make. Have your child cut it out. The cards are color coded to make the game easier. *Read the words
* Use the contraction/words in a sentence
* Match the contraction to it’s corresponding meaning
*Play memory / concentration
(line up “cards”, blank side up, turn over one blue and one pink to find matching set. If not a match, turn them to blank side and try again)
Now go on a contraction hunt. Find at least six contractions in books that you are reading. Write the contraction and the two words it means.

PLANTS WE EAT
Take your child to the grocery store/produce market (or look in your refridgerator). Have him/her find five vegetables that are: stems, leaves, flowers, roots/tubers, and seeds. Find 5 of each plant part. Sort the vegetables into plant parts they eat. Write the name and draw a picture or cut a picture of the vegetable. Happy healthy eating!

Room 7

Friday’s Message:

October 26, 2007

Listen to the Music
We’re off to the Oakland Symphony on Tuesday. Students need to bring a bag lunch as I’m hoping the weather will hold and we can go on a picnic. The drivers for this trip are Aria’s, Boris’, Jacky’s, Mari’s, Nola’s, Reese’s, and Sam’s parents.
Students that need car seats can leave them in the hallway under our bulletin board. Please label your child’s car seat.

Halloween Festivities
It’s work first, then play later...on Halloween day. We will have a regular day in terms of classroom work up until lunchtime. After lunch (students usually finish eating by 12:15) students can come back to the room to change into their costumes. I will be in the room; and hopefully a couple of parents will be here to assist kids ,too. If you want to take your home to “dress,” you can pick up your child at 11:50. This is the time the class goes to lunch. (See Walkie-Talkie for details.)
Isabel’s mom, Jen, is coordinating our classroom party. She may have called / emailed you about how you can help. Parents will be needed to help set up and clean up after the party. Please join us for the festivities! Families are welcome!

The (Sentence) Structure of the Haunted House
Your child built a haunted house with their 4th / 5th grade buddy. The next day, s/he wrote about it. Students were given the prompt: It was a dark night. They did a great job writing their stories.
Prior to writing, I told them I would be looking for sentences. We reviewed how to start and end a sentence. When they read to me, we corrected sentence structure. As your child writes, please reinforce this concept.
Their haunted houses and stories are in the front enty hallway. Come see their work.

Open Court
We’ve completed units 1 and 2 of Open Court. These beginning units focused primarily on consonants and short vowel sounds. Yesterday we started unit 3. Students are being introduced to other spellings for phonemes (i.e. / j / spelled/ j /and / j / spelled
/ dge /.) Several of the lessons also have multiple books. Please practice the blending lessons at home. Reinforce phonemes and spellings in the Open Court Phonics workbook your child brought home.
In addition to blending/reading the words, students also use the words in sentences and/or tell the meaning ot the words. There have been words in several blending lessons that students can read/ blend, but no one can explain or use the word. Playing “Find the Word” goes beyond just blending/reading, but builds vocabulary and enhances understanding of words. I also think it’s more creative when students come with ways to use the words! We also come up with multiple meanings and homophones for the word. Play this “game” with your child often. You can also come up with variations of “find the word!”

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
What do you like or don’t like about Halloween? Tell why? Write at least five sentences. Encourage your child to explain “why.” We’ve been working on “extending,” giving more information.

MATH
Before your child starts to eat his/her Halloween candy, have him/her sort their candy three different ways. Have your child tell/write how they sorted and count how many there are in each group. Then find the total number after each “sort.”
The purpose of this activity is to have your child sort the same pile of “goods” different ways. Students will also have practice counting candies/manipulatives with one-to-one correspondence. The totals should be the same for the different ways they sorted.
Your child may sort something other than candy. It’s your/their choice.

IMPORTANT FACTS
Have your child learn/write his/her address and telephone number. Practice writing each five times. (Watch that your child is forming the numerals correctly. It is important to form numerals/letters from the top.) I will be asking students to tell me their information.
If the weather is nice this week, go for a walk in your neighborhood. Point out the house numbers. As you go from house to house, see if your child notices a pattern....

Room 7

October 19, 2007

Friday’s Message:

A Perfect Day!
We lucked out. It was a little “misty” at times, but the rain held back and we enjoyed a full day at Smith Family Farm. We started our day learning about different kinds of pumpkins and gourds. Then there was a planting station where they could choose a basil or cauliflower plant (your child brought their plant home). Next we went to the barn for a hootenanny. Next we rode in a covered wagon out to the pumpkin patch. They spotted a lot of pumpkin flowers and could tell how pumpkins grow. Finding the “right” pumpkin wasn’t easy for some of them because there were so many choices. After they found the one they wanted, they carried it over to where the tractor-pulled wagon picked us up. They carried their pumpkin to the car, then got their lunch. After lunch they got to explore the farm with the parent chaperones. There was a corn maze, animals, a Miwok village, a hay tunnel and maze, bee hives, and more Hopefully your child told you about it!
Thank you to the parents that drove and chaperoned us. They were Aria’s, Gemma’s, Jacky’s, Jordan K.’s, Jordan R.’s, Keziah’s, Reese’s, and Sam’s parents, Caroline, Jean, Blanca, Tiffany, Marcia, Angela, Steve, and Dolly. We hope you had a good time, too!

Music is in the Air
We are going to the listen to the East Bay Symphony on October 30th.
The performance is at the Marriot Convention/ City Center, in downtown Oakland. We are scheduled for the 10:45 performance. The performance is about an hour.
Weather permitting, we will go to Montclair Park for a picnic before returning to school. We will need parent drivers for this trip.
Permission slip is attached. Please return it by next Monday.

Planting Seeds
We finally planted seeds in our planter box. The class decided how they wanted to plant the seeds. They chose rows. We planted lettuce, swiss chard, cauliflower, radish and spinach. In the middle we will plant a couple of sugar snap seeds. (We ran out of time.) We will also be planting in the barrels and in origami cups in the classroom.
We need cardboard egg cartons for the paper cups. If you have one or two, could you please send it with your child. Thanks!

Halloween Festivities
On Wednesday, Halloween day, we will have a regular day in terms of classroom work up until lunchtime. After lunch students can come back to the room to change into their costumes. I will be in the room; if a couple of parents can help out it would be greatly appreciated. Kids are usually back in the room by 12:15, ready to change, parade, and party! (see Walkie-Talkie for details).
If you want to take your child home to “dress,” you can pick up him/her up at 11:50. This is the time the class goes to lunch.
Parents will be needed to help set up and clean up after the party. Our room coordinators may have called you. Please join us for the festivities! Families are welcome!

Parent Conferences
I will be starting conferences in November. Please return the form below. I will send a note with your child/or call you to schedule/confirm the date of our conference. Your child is welcome to attend the conference with you.

******************************************************************************
Please indicate the days and times you are available for a conference. I will call you to schedule the date.

_________________________________________________________
student’s name phone number

_____Monday _____7:45 a.m.

_____Tuesday _____3:00p.m.

_____Wednesday (no p.m.) _____3:30 p.m.

_____Thursday _____4:00 p.m.

_____Friday _____4:30 p.m.

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
I told the students before we went on our trip to the farm that they would be writing about the experience. Now’s the time. Using your senses, write about something you saw, heard, smelled, touched, and tasted. After naming the object, tell why you liked or didn’t like it.
Students have been extending their oral statements in class. I’ve been encouraging them to do the same with their writing. They have great things to say, and their writing should reflect their oral language.

MATH
We have been telling subtraction stories. Have your child use objects to help show what happens in a subtraction story. Then have your child illustrate and write the number sentence below the illustration. Your child needs to tell 3 subtraction stories.
Please record the story for your child. Remind him/her to ask how many are left.
Though you write the story, the illustration will be the clue for your child what his/her subtraction story is about. (Your child will be telling their math stories to the class).
I will be mixing their addition and subtraction stories together, then students will have to determine which math strategy to use to solve the problem. (When it was all addition, they knew automatically to add. It was too easy.)

3 CLUES
If your child is planning to wear a costume for Halloween, have him/her write three clues about what s/he will be (without telling what s/he is). Write complete sentences.
If your child is not planning to wear a costume, s/he still can do this activity. Have him/her give three clues for what s/he wants to be when they grow up.
Before lunch (when students are still in their regular school clothes), students will be reading their clues to the class. Their classmates will be writing down what/who the students will be. After lunch they will be checking their guesses.
Remind your child to keep his/her “costume” a secret. Shhhhh.....

Room 7

October 11, 2007

Thursday’s Message:

Smith Family Farm
We’re off to the farm next Tuesday, the 16th. We’ve been counting how many more school days and working hard to get our work done. We will leave school at 9:00 and return by 2:30. If your child needs a carseat, please label it and put it in the hallway under our bulletin board.
Students need to :

*bring a healthy bag lunch (no sodas or glass containers for drinks)
*wear long pants and closed shoes (no sandals)
*wear layers (the weather may be cool)
*put on sunscreen at home and/or can wear a cap
(we will be outside the whole day)

Parent drivers, I have attached the insurance form that needs to be filled out and returned to me before our trip. Please have your child return to me or bring it in on the day of the trip. Thanks.

“Book Bag” Reader
Parent volunteers are reading with your child from their book bag reader. Please make sure your child has their book in their backpack. I reminded students that it’s their responsibility. I told the kids that they should get in the habit of putting their reader back in their backpack after they read from it. I told them I know they are reading to you,
but I want others to listen to them as well.

Auction Basket
Our school’s auction is November 3rd. It one of the major fundraisers for our school. Aria ‘s and Gemma’s moms, Carolina and Jean, are coordinating putting together our class auction basket, “Every Little Girl’s Dream Come True.” We need donations.
Please contact Carolina (482-2338) or Jean (530-7424) if you have questions. There is also an envelope in the classroom where donations are being collected.
The Fall Auction is our school’s biggest money maker. The money raised at this event pays for special programs and staff. It pays for Rhythm and Moves (p.e. program), the computer lab teachers, the librarian, and teacher assistants are just a few of the things funded through the PTA. Thank you for supporting our school.

Weights
Each student needs to bring a one pound and five pound weight that won’t spoil/ rot or break. Students will be handling them for several weeks. Items will be returned. Please have your child write his/her name on the item (students will be writing their name).

READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.

WRITING
We had the word “habit” in one of this week’s blending lesson. First we discussed what a habit is. Then we talked about having good habits, as well as bad habits. Have your child write 3 good habits and 3 bad habits s/he has.

MATH
Have your child practice using a ruler. Measure a dozen objects no more than twelve inches long. Have our child draw a picture and write the name of each object. Measure to the nearest inch.

WHERE AM I?
Students wrote about what they want to be when they grow up. Then they had to think about places, the surroundings, for their occupation. They wrote about what they would have to go over, under, around, and between when they are on the job.
For homework they are back to being 1st graders at home. What would you go over, under, around, and between? Also what would you be in and on? Write a sentence for each and tell why.