Monday, October 26, 2015

Week 9 (Nov. 2-6)

Reminders:
*Our virtue for the month is GRATITUDE.  Each Monday, we celebrate "Moral Focus Monday" with lessons devoted to our school virtue.  Vanderbilt will also be collecting food for those in need in our area over the coming weeks. 
*Spelling is now a part of our weekly routine.  Words are introduced each Monday and the students are tested on Fridays.  Please take time to review these ten words throughout the week for mastery.
*Agendas and Take-Home Folders should go home and back each day. Please sign daily. 

*Beginning Quarter 2 (November 10) we will no longer have a weekly homework packet.  Administration has asked our classroom to pilot a "no homework" option.  Therefore, I will give suggestions to parents that are looking for home activities, but they are not mandatory.  I do however, feel strongly in reading daily.   I truly believe that the more kids read (or are read to), the better readers they become.  Exposure to print, story elements, and spelling patterns are all so important at this level and help to create a love of reading and learning.  Please take time throughout the week to read with your child.  If your child is an independent reader, they may want to journal about what they are reading or discuss it with a family member to gain a deeper understanding. 

Here are some potential learning activities to replace homework time if you so choose:
1. mobymax.com (each student already has their own login to use this site to practice any subject area, please let me know if you need another login)
2. MAP Math/MAP Reading (these sites have activities and games geared to student individual RIT levels- I will share these at conferences in a couple weeks)
3. Spelling Practice (chalk, finger paint, shaving cream, computer practice, creative sentences using words...)
4. Visit a library and check out some new books
5. Read!  :)

Nov. 2-6 is the final week of the marking period, so our last Weekly homework packets will go home on Monday and need to be completed and returned by Friday morning Nov. 6.
*Big THANKS to Amber Shepard for copying for our classroom!
*Thanks to all the volunteers that are helping to make our VIP/Harvest a success! 
*Friday, Nov. 6: End of Quarter 1.  We will begin a new marking period on Tuesday, November 10. 
*Monday, Nov. 9: No School (Staff PD Day)

MATH
Addition and Subtraction Review/Interim 1 Test

READING
Interim 1 Test

Spelling for Nov. 2-6: hot, hop, pot, pop, ox, lock, mop, got, rock, mom

Amazing Words: past, produce, danger, snuggle, powerful, present, transportation, serve, enormous

Characters, Setting, Plot: The Big Blue Ox

Predicates of a Sentence

SCIENCE
We are wrapping up our Earth's Surface topic.  Quarter 2 will focus on Social Studies objectives. 

Monday, October 19, 2015

Week 8 (Oct. 26- 30)

Reminders:
*Our virtue for the month is RESPONSIBILITY.  We have been spending time focusing on the importance of taking responsibility at home and at school.   Each Monday, we celebrate "Moral Focus Monday" with lessons devoted to our school virtue. 
*Spelling is added in Unit 1 for our students.  Words go home on the front page of the homework packet each Monday and the students are tested on Fridays.  Please take time to review these ten words throughout the week for mastery! 
*Agendas and Take-Home Folders need to go home and back each day. Also, please sign your child's agenda each day.
*Weekly homework packets will go home on Monday and need to be completed and returned by Friday morning.
*Big THANKS to Amber Shepard for copying for our classroom!
*VIP Day is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30 from 8:10-8:50.  Our classroom has limited space, so please choose 1 (or at most 2) special guest for the time frame.  Thank you to all the parents who have volunteered to bring something in for our special day!
*Friday, Nov. 6: End of Quarter 1
*Monday, Nov. 9: No School (Staff PD Day)

MATH
Subtraction with Drawings & Equations, Subtraction Practice, Generate Subtraction Problems

READING
Spelling for Oct. 26-30: Short i: six, wig, mix, fix, lip, it, sit, in, did, pin

Amazing Words: career, tool, sloppy, comfort, service, scrub, exercise, search

Plot, Summarizing: Pig in a Wig 

Subjects of the Sentence

EBLI Lessons

SCIENCE
Our current topic is on the Earth's Surface.  We will be learning about rocks, minerals, layers of Earth, earthquakes, volcanoes, and fast/slow changes to the Earth.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Week 7 (Oct. 19-23)

Reminders:
*Our virtue for the month is RESPONSIBILITY.  We have been spending time focusing on the importance of taking responsibility at home and at school.  We have also role-played how to show responsibility.  We have added "Moral Focus Monday" into our weekly routine to intentionally teach our virtues. 
 *Spelling is being added in Unit 1 for our students.  Words go home on the front page of the homework packet each Monday and the students are tested on Fridays.  Please take time to review these ten words at home throughout the week!  
*Agendas and Take-Home Folders need to go home and back each day. Also, please sign your child's agenda each day.
*Weekly homework packets will go home on Monday and need to be completed and returned by Friday morning.
*Big THANKS to Amber Shepard for copying for our classroom!
*VIP Day is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30 from 8:10-8:50.  Our classroom has limited space, so please choose 1 (or at most 2) special guest for the time frame.  Thank you!
*Friday, Nov. 6: End of Quarter 1
*Monday, Nov. 9: No School (Staff PD Day)

MATH
 Addition Game: Unknown Totals, Practice Counting On, Represent Subtraction

READING
Spelling Words: Short a: can, cat, back, dad, am, bat, mad, ran, sack, at

Amazing Words: needs, responsibility, shelter, cuddle, tickle, faithful, fetch, heel

Plot, Setting- Sam, Come Back!

Nouns, Verbs, & Adjectives in Complete Sentences

EBLI Lessons

SCIENCE
Our current topic is on the Earth's Surface.  We will be learning about rocks, minerals, layers of Earth, earthquakes, volcanoes, and fast/slow changes to the Earth.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Week 6 (Oct. 12-16)

Reminders:
*Our virtue for the month is RESPONSIBILITY.  We have been spending time focusing on the importance of taking responsibility at home and at school.  We have also role-played how to show responsibility. 
*Agendas and Take-Home Folders need to go home and back each day. Also, please sign your child's agenda each day.
*Weekly homework packets will go home on Monday and need to be completed and returned by Friday morning.
*Big THANKS to Amber Shepard for copying for our classroom!  Also, THANK YOU to all the parents that volunteered for our field trip: Mr. Stradley, Mr. Ross, Ms. Uk, Ms. Welch, Ms. Mares, Ms. Garcia, Ms. Lopez, and Ms. Quintanilla. 
*FYI- I will have a SUB on Friday, Oct 16 because I'll be attending an EBLI workshop. 
*VIP Day is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30 from 8:10-8:50.  Our classroom has limited space, so please choose 1 (or at most 2) special guest for the time frame.  Thank you!
*Friday, Nov. 6: End of Quarter 1
*Monday, Nov. 9: No School (Staff PD Day)

MATH
Explore Solution Methods, Addition Strategies: Counting On, Count on from the Greater Number

READING
Amazing Words: bargain, bustling, fact, customer, browse, library, cost, scale

Plot, Setting- Farmer's Market

Nouns, Verbs, & Adjectives

EBLI Lessons

SCIENCE
Our new topic is on the Earth's Surface.  We will be learning about rocks, minerals, layers of Earth, earthquakes, volcanoes, and fast/slow changes to the Earth.