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.
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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.....
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