Week 22

What a winter we are having!  Groundhog Day reminds me that even though we are in the thick of winter, we can begin to feel hopeful for spring.  In the meantime we can enjoy the beautiful snow that surrounds us and be grateful for living in a place that offers so much seasonal diversity. 

This week, we began uppercase letter formation (A,B,C,D).  We read a new sight word book and learned two new sight words:  for and they.  During writer's workshop students are refining their narratives (small moments).  Lessons this week focused on  using sight words (words we know in s snap) and improving our illustrations by adding a foreground and background.  During reading lessons, students are reading leveled text.  Reading strategies include using pictures to help us figure out words, looking at the beginning letter, and tapping out the sounds to read unknown words.

In Math we began our next unit.  We used number bonds to represent math stories.  Number bonds are a very concrete model for understanding the relationship of putting together (adding) and taking apart (subtracting) .  See the video for more information about number bonds.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn26on8U1X4

We also planned our 100th day projects.   We will be creating these next week during the school day.  Some children have chosen materials for their projects that we do not have at school.  If this is the case your child has brought home a letter asking for these materials.  Please send these materials in with your child on Monday, 

This week during science lessons we learned about animals that adapt and stay active during the winter.  We talked about the cardinal and the beaver (two of our nature names).  Animals that stay active during the winter have what they need (food, shelter, thick fur etc.)

We have ECO next Friday (Feb. 8th.)  I have one parent volunteer at this time. 

I am also looking for one or two parent volunteers to help us with 100th day projects.  We will be working on these between 10:00-11:00 on Monday and Tuesday.  Volunteers will be asked to help any student (or the teacher) who needs help (not just your own child).  Volunteers may help by getting materials organized, helping a child get started, help support students in counting materials etc.  If you have been approved as a parent volunteer and have time available on Monday or Tuesday morning and would like to help us out, please let me know.