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.
Room 7
October 5, 2007
Friday’s Message:
“Book Bag”
Your child is bringing home their “book bag.” The book I chose for your child is at his/her independent reading level. As your child reads to you, initial the “bookmark.” Do not record the “book bag” reader in your child’s Reading Log.
The note inside the bag tells you how this book was chosen for your child. Next week parent volunteers will start reading with your child on a 1-1 basis.
Please have your child read daily from this book, a few pages or a story. The book bag is a read at home reader. Hopefully parent volunteers will be able to listen to your child read once or twice a week. Parents write notes so I can keep track of students’ progress.
Open Court Phonics Workbook
At “Back to School” night I explained my reading program. We use a Story Workbook in class to reinforce concepts. I am sending home the Open Court Phonics Skills workbook for you to do with your child. The lessons correspond to the blending lessons sent home. The directions are on the inside margin of each page.
The blending lessons and decodable readers correspond to the phonemes introduced. We have covered the letter sounds of s, m, a, t, h,p, i, n, l (ll, all), d,
and o. We are on Unit 2, Lesson 7. This workbook is for you to keep and use at home. Work with your child as needed.
Smith Family Farm
Thank you parents. We have 8 drivers and a couple parents who also noted that if we didn’t have enough drivers, they would drive if needed. The parents driving for this trip are Aria’s, Gemma’s, Jacky’s, Jordan K.’s, Jordan R.’s, Keziah’s, Reese’s, and Sam’s. As mentioned (at Back to School night), I will assume you are driving unless you notify me of a change. (When I get more drivers than needed, sometimes I pair parent drivers together to help chaperone a group of kids, but please be prepared to drive.)
Parents driving on field trips need to fill out “proof of insurance” forms before each field trip. The form will be sent home with your child next week and/or it will be available to fill out the day of our trip.
If your child needs a car seat, please label it and leave it in the hallway under our bulletin board.
Ready to Plant
Thank you to the parents that brought a bag of soil for our planter box. After a few weeks and only 3 bags of soil, Sam’s mom, Dolly, offered to write a letter to American Soil to ask for a donation. In the meantime, one of my parents from last year, Wendy Pattillos, Diana’s mom, donated, picked up the soil, and filled our planter box. The students wrote a thank you note to Mrs. Pattillos, but if you see her, it would be great if you also
thanked her.
Bringing in Weights
Your child shared their homework of one and five pound weights. Now they need to bring one 1 pound weight and one 5 pound weight to school. We will be using these weights for various math activities. The weights will remain at school for several weeks. The weights should not rot or be breakable. No “exercise” weights, please.
Students can bring items that were listed on their homework or they can bring other items. Please have your child label their items with their name. Items will be returned.
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log. Please turn in the Reading Log with the other components of the homework.
WRITING
We’ve been making rhyming words. We read Down By the Bay this week. (The song is attached.) After reading it students came up with other rhyming words phrases to go with the animals in the book. Then they came up with an animal that was NOT in the book and a rhyming phrase for that animal.
Your child’s homework is to write and illustrate for two more different animals. (Do not use the animals in the song/book.) When writing, start with the phrase: Did you ever see..........(I’ve attached pages for your child to use)
MATH
Your child finally got to wear his/her macaroni necklace home. They recorded their pattern and did some counting with it. Using toothpicks, this week they are making a fence pattern and identifying the unit.
Patterns are all around us. Find at least six patterns. Draw the object to show the pattern. Write what the object is.
Then using some kind of coloring “tool,” (markers, crayons, colored pencil, paints, oil pastels, chalk, etc. ) have your child fill on 81/2 by 11 inch size piece of paper with a colorful pattern. Have him/her write the pattern unit on the back of the paper. If your child would like to do more than one pattern picture, they are welcome to do so.
WORD FAMILIES
We’ve been working with rhyming sounds and making words by changing the beginning sound/letter. It is called a word family because they have the same middle and ending letters. Have your child make real words for the following word families
in ip ot op ad all
To help students think of words I sometimes give clues like “something you wash the floor with (for mop) / the opposite of good” (for bad). Try to come up with at least six words for each word family. (They did a lot more in class.)
Room 7
September 29, 2007
Friday’s Message:
Field Trip to Smith Family Farm
We will be going to Smith Family Farm on Tuesday, October 16th, near Brent wood. We will need parent drivers for this trip. It is an all day excursion. A permission slip was sent home yesterday. Please return it ASAP. Thanks!
Open Court Blending Lessons
We do a blending lesson daily. As I write the letters, students give the sounds. Then they blend the sounds together to decode the words.
Decoding is an important skill, but they also need to know the meaning of the words. I extend the blending lesson by having the students use words in sentences. Students can also tell the meaning of words or give words with a similar meaning/ synonyms and/or opposites/antonyms. We also discuss multiple meanings and word endings as the students use the words in sentences.
Continue to reinforce these concepts as you do the blending lesson with your child.
This week one of the homework assignments is an activitiy we do with the blending lesson words.
Open Court Decodable booklets
After the blending lesson, we read the decodables. Initially, I would have students talk about the pictures, then I woud read the words. Then we read it together. Next they read with partners.
After the blending lesson, students take turns reading the words and using the words in sentences. We also play a few word games, then go right into the decodable. Students take turns reading a sentence. After everyone has had a chance to read, they go to the table and read with partners. Then they bring the materials home to read and practice with YOU!
Your child should be able to read these books with fluency and understanding. After reading these books a few times, students begin to memorize the story. Randomly point to words to see if your child can read/decode words.
For students that are easily reading the decodable books. dictate a few sentences for your child to write. The words from these books should transfer to spelling.
Homework On Line
Lucus’ mom, Lucy, has been helping me put the Friday’s Message and Homework assignment on line. I will continue to send the packet home with your child, but if it gets misplaced or your family is out of town, you can acess it on the JM website.
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
MATH
We have been telling addition stories. Have your child use objects (toys, beans,boxes, etc.) to tell a story where the objects come together. Then ask how many
in all.
Have your child tell three addition stories. Please record the story for your child. Encourage your child to use manipulatives (We used unifixcubes for animals), then have him/her illustrate the story. Write the number sentence below the illustration.
We wiil be using their stories next week.
WRITING
Your child is bringing home their days of the week “flash cards.” Have your child write one thing s/he does each day of the week.
PLAY “FIND MY WORD”
After the blending lesson, we started playing “find my word.” (The students came up with the name for the activity.) Using the blending lessons your child has brings home, have your child first read the words to you. Then ask a question like:
What word
i.e. is another word for a short rest
is the opposite of “in”
means a little cut
(blending lesson Unit 2, Lesson 3)
Alternate between you and your child asking the questions
For this section of the homework, write five questions your child asks. Have your child write the answer/word. The homework is five questions, but hopefully you’ll do more and continue to play “find my word” with future blending lessons.