Room 7
February 16, 2007
Friday’s Message:
Hearty Party
Thank you everyone that brought treats for the Valentine’s Day party and helped with the set up/ clean up. A special thanks to Mack’s and Mikayla’s moms, Karen and Kristin, for organizing the party.
Many parents and siblings joined us for this heartfelt celebration. We hope you enjoyed the party, too. I especially enjoyed watching the students pass out their cards to one another. Hopefully when your child gave you the card/mobile they made, they also said something to you. !
Magnets for Valentine’s
Karen, Mack’s mom, did an art project with the class. They painted glass beads, then attached magnets to the back. It was a fun, simple project they were going to complete on Valentine’s Day, but with 20 kids, it didn’t go as quickly as planned. So they painted on Wednesday, and attached the magnets on Friday. Now they have magnets to hang up important notes and artwork. Thank you Karen for coming back and doing the project with us!
Field Trip
Our field trip is next Wednesday, February 21st. Please make sure your child brings a bag lunch, and wears “tennis”/closed shoes and layers of clothing as we will be walking and outside the entire day.
I told the students to keep their fingers crossed for good weather. The trip will be canceled if it rains.
Book Fair Lesson Continued
Your child is bringing home a copy of the math lesson we did after going to the Book Fair last week. Students had more practice counting and showing how much their book cost.
Have your child count the coins on their paper to you or better yet, give them a bunch of coins to count out the cost another way.
Continue to practice counting money with your child as needed.
Bread from China
Vera brought pineapple bread from China. She told us that it is called pineapple bread because it is the color of a pineapple, but there is no pineapple in it. She also said kids love this bread, especially when and it is served warm for breakfast. When her mom, Ping, brought in the bread for the class, she said she just picked it up from a bakery in Chinatown. It was still warm and from their smiles and “yums,” I think Vera was right,
the kids liked the bread.
Star Students
***Barbara Griffith*** was the star this week. Next week the stars are
***Matthew Young*** and ***Mikayla Nicholas***
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
WRITING
Attached are characteristics of the different animals of the lunar new year. Find the animal signs for each member of your family. Help your child read/understand the meaning of the characteristics.
Then have your child tell/write how the family member is like one (or more) of the given characteristics. Write at least two sentences for each person in your family.
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. 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.
USING YOUR SENSES
After the field trip on Wednesday, have your child write about something s/he sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches on our field trip. Tell what she liked or didn’t like about each and why.
Room 7
January 26, 2007
Friday’s Message:
Standing Tall and Proud
Congratulations to Barbara and Blythe for doing individual speeches at the Oratorical today! We’re proud of you!
The class did “We Shall Not Be Moved.” They were terrific!
“Book Bag” Reader
Initially when I chose your child’s “book bag” book it was based on their independent reading level. I also checked for reading fluency and comprehension. Many students have made great progress, but need to continue reading these books to reinforce their confidence with words.
Many of the words in these readers contain high frequency words. These words should be automatic and students should also be able to spell them. Continue to ask questions as they read and/or have them retell in their own words.
Remind your child to put their completed book bag reader in my mailbox so I can issue them another.
Time Capsule
We have been writing for our time capsules. Please have your child bring in his/her time capsule container. Remember to include your letter to your child.
From Mystery to Star Student
Everyone has had a chance to be our “mystery student.” (Students were tape recorded as they read from their “Who Am I?” paper where certain questions were asked.
After the class listened to the recording, they guessed who it was. Then the mystery student changed their statements into questions for the classmates to answer)
Now we will begin choosing star students each week. (I’m behind schedule and need to do more than one a week.) The selection process is simply picking their names out of a “hat.”
When it’s your child’s turn to be the “star,” you will be informed the week prior to their week. It will give them time to get an estimation activity ready to do with the class. They also get to bring in a “show and tell” item. Parents will be asked to write something about their child; it could be about something you did with them, a special talent, a quality you love, etc. You might even write a poem or song for your child. Parents get to be creative.
In class, students will be writing about the “star.” These writings will be compiled into individual student books.
End of the First Semester
We’re halfway through the school year. I’ve had a conference with all the families. If
at any time you would like to have another conference, please feel free to contact me and/or send a note with your child. Thanks.
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
WRITING
We’ve been focusing on ways to make our world better by learning to get along with others. Students have been writing / making a “Kids for Peace” book.
This week they had an assembly on another way to make our world better, a cleaner environment. They learned about the 4 R ’s: REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE, and ROT.
Have your child write about six things s/he can do and why it will help our earth. Write complete sentences.
MATH
We have been building numbers, showing how many tens and ones in two-digit numerals. We do this daily as we record how many days we are in school and what the number means. (This activity introduces students to place value.)
For homework, use the gridded paper to reinforce this concept. Have your child choose at least ten two-digit numerals Encourage her/him to choose numerals with varying numerals in the tens and ones place.
-Write the numeral
-Cut out columns/sticks of tens and squares of ones to represent the numeral
-Glue/tape the corresponding set to the numeral
-Have your child count the set to you
If your child would like to make numerals in the hundreds, encourage him/her to cut out a block of one hundred along with the tens and ones.
CONSONANT BLENDS
Students have been blending words. Now have your child come up with 5 words for each of the following blends.
gl fr pl st
dr bl sk/sc sw
tr spr spl
Have your child write the words. You can underwrite if needed.
Room 7
January 19, 2007
Friday’s Message:
Oratorical Fest
The Martin Luther King Oratorical Fest is next Friday. The attached flyer was sent home before the winter break. If your child is planning to participate, s/he needs to bring the completed form next Monday. Your child must have their “piece” memorized.
Teachers will be coaching students at lunchtime next week. Please let me know if your child is participating so s/he can be included in the program. Parents are invited to attend the Oratorical on Friday, January 26th at 10:20. (See Walkie-Talkie for details)
Class Participation in Oratorical
As a class, we will be reciting “We Shall Not Be Moved.” We started practicing the poem/song this week. Please help your child learn the words. Thank you.
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 be bring in. If you would like to make the bread with the class, that would even be better!
Please sign up A.S.A.P. I’m hoping we’ll be able to taste a couple of kinds of bread a week. If we start soon, we may finish before Spring Break!
Student’s name__________________________________
Name of bread___________________________________
Country________________________________________
I would like to make this bread with the class______________
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
MATH
We’ve been playing coin memory and counting pennies, nickels, and dimes to make various amounts. Attached are some pictures of coins and their value. Have your child cut out the coins (I showed the students to cut the coins into strips, then into squares)
or use real coins.
Take your child shopping with you and/or use the grocery advertisement. Have your child read the cost of a dozen 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 can tape real coins (the homework will be returned), use the picture coins attached, or draw coins.
Encourage your child two use more than two different coins when they are capable. If your child can count easily using a combination of pennies, nickels,and dimes, then use quarters.
WRITING
Imagine you found five dollars! What would you do with it and explain why.
SOCIAL STUDIES / Where my ancestors came from
In November we learned about the pilgrims coming to America from England. I’ve also read Captain Bill Pinkney’s Journey; it’s about the first African-American to travel by sailboat around the world by himself. As we’re reading, we learned that his ancestors came from Africa. I told the class my grandfathers, ancestors came from China.
Tell your child what countries their ancestors came from before coming to the United States. Help your child locate the country(ies) 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 write the names of the countries your ancestors came from.
Then draw a house where YOU live. Color the ocean blue.