Week of December 10-14

Hello from the light blue room!

We had a wonderful week together. This week, we have been talking about the second habit: "Beginning with the End in Mind." We read a story about this habit and the character Goob taught us the importance of starting our day by beginning with the end in mind. In the story, Goob makes sure to save his money so he has enough to do all of the things he wants to. He plans ahead and thinks of others before making choices.

Together, we thought about how each of us wanted to end our day. We talked about filling our fishbowls, helping mom and dad out at home, making a new friend, etc. We also drew pictures of ourselves beginning with the end in mind and wrote about those choices. We talked about how we could all reach our goals if we continue to be the leader of our choices each day.

Deputy Knott came in to talk to us about safety and how we can help our community to be safe.

This week we read a book called "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" This book talks about how everyone in the world has an invisible bucket. When a person is feeling loved their bucket is full. We talked about how something as small as giving someone a smile can fill their bucket. We also talked about how when we fill other friend's buckets, we are also filling our own. We are using this term in our room when we talk about how our actions affect one another. We all want our room to be safe, happy, and a place where everyone feels loved with a full bucket. 

Checking out the police car!

We learned two new sight words this week: in, can. Your child should have come home with their first sight word list this week. Please study these words along with reading your child's JRL book. Every Tuesday I will be assessing students to see if they are ready to move on to their next list. Way to go readers!

We are continuing to talk about authors and illustrators in both reading and writing. Before reading books we talk about the author and what the book may be about just by the title and looking at the cover. In our daily fix-its, we continue to focus on the beginning of our sentence having an uppercase letter and punctuation marks. This week we learned about quotation marks and how they tell us when people in the book are talking.

Brody, Olivia, Abraham and Alexis writing and designing a thank you card for one of the donors of our school.  

Way to work as a team!

In writing this week we learned about writing lists. We discussed how writing comes in many different forms: stories, lists, letters, etc. As a class we talked about what a list might look like and how there are many different kinds of lists for many different reasons. We discussed how people may make grocery lists, chores lists, present lists and more. Individually we created our own personal lists and will continue working on them next week. Soon we will learn about writing letters!

In math this week we continued to work on simple addition and subtraction math equations. We also focused on the teen numbers and drawing numbers using 5-groups. We put two 5-groups together and added more tiles to make the teen numbers. We talked about how when we solve math equations, we can draw pictures, use our fingers or use math manipulatives if we need extra help. What a phenomenal group of mathematicians!

Memphis, Braylee and Abraham working on Frosty hats for our caroling!

On Monday, we finished our Civics and Government unit. Deputy Knott came in to discuss his role as a police officer in our community. He talked with us about community safety and how we can practice good citizenship. We also learned the Pledge of Allegiance. We talked about why we say it and where it came from. Later in our week we role played different safety situations and what we should do in those situations. We "practiced" calling 911 and talked about when to call and when not to. At the end of our week, we began our Economics unit. The students learned what a good was and classified different goods as needs or wants. Next week we will learn about services.

Notes/Reminders:

-Youngest Friend's field trip is this Wednesday, December 19 to the Appledorn Living Center. Please drop off your child's labeled car seat that morning or they will not be able to join us on the field trip.

-Spelling tests will begin when we come back from break.

-Please continue to review the sight word list your child brought home.

-The Beta high school students are putting a talent show together for this coming February. If your child is interested, please see the Innocademy blog for more information.

-Growth portfolios will be sent home again this Thursday.

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of December 3-7

What a wonderful week!

We had a great week together in the light blue room. In reading this week we continued to practice our punctuation marks. We are able to use and recognize a period, exclamation point and question mark. When reading with your child, point these marks out and ask your child what they are and what they are used for. We practice our sight words every day and buttered them in our Funny Fish booklets. Everyone took home our first sight word list this week. As your child learns more words, they will bring home new lists to practice. Please practice these sight words with your child. Next week we will begin learning more about authors and illustrators. Students continue to meet with me for small group reading time and are doing a fabulous job!

Spanish time with Ms. Mel!

Writing our sight words.

Practicing story sequencing during centers.

In writing this week we continued to work in our booklets. We are focusing on stretching out our stories into four events. We are also working on adding details to our pictures and our words. In our room we practice "writing with stamina." This means we write for about 25 minutes and we keep going. We remind ourselves that when we think we are done with our writing, we are just getting started. This helps the kiddos really focus on their small moments and turn them into beautiful pieces of writing. I am so proud of these authors!

Writing math equations.

In math this week we learned about partners of numbers 1-6. To introduce this concept, students came up to the front of class to act out each partner of each number. Then, we used number tiles to show these partners as well. The students also used white boards to show each equation using number partners. For example, 2+3=5. We talked about how even though these number partners will stay the same, they may switch order. For example: 2+3=5 and 3+2=5. At the end of the week we practiced solving addition and subtraction equations. We talked about how we could use our fingers and draw pictures to help us solve these equations. They did a fantastic job on solving their equations!

Acting out positive choices and good citizenship.

iPads during Friday Fun Centers!

Going through the obstacle course in Brain Blast!

Acting out math partners!

In social studies we talked about positive and negative choices. Students demonstrated these choices in front of the class and we discussed if it was a positive or a negative choice. Later in the week we talked about good and poor citizenship. Students took pictures of good and poor citizenship, sorted and glued them in the appropriate column. We had a discussion about our own personal lives and how we are working on sharing, taking turns, and sticking to our class pledge.

Notes/Reminders:

-Please pack a morning snack for your child

-When your child is the "Innokid" of the week they will be able to bring show and tell all week

-I will be doing assessments this week on sight words. Look for your child's individual list this week!

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

November 26-30

Hello from the youngest friend's room!

We had such a wonderful week this week! Everyone had such a great time walking around the marketplace and book fair with his/her older friend. We had so much fun looking at all of the items and supporting our older friends and their field trips!

This week we began new specials! We continue to have Music and Art, but we also have Technology and Brain Blast on Fridays now!

Jossalyn, Isabelle and Ezekiel working on the iPads in Tech!

Exercising our brains and bodies in Brain Blast!

In reading this week we learned two new sight words: black and white. We continue to practice our sight words every day. We will soon be sending home individual sight word lists with about 8 words on them. Please continue to practice these high frequency words with your child. We have learned the following sight words so far this year: 

a is

to my

go me

like on

in we

and yellow

green blue

orange red

purple black

white 

the 

I

We continue to do small group reading in class at their just right level. We also continue to practice our letter sounds and punctuation. Ask your child to show you what a question mark, period, and exclamation mark look like!

This week we worked on the letter Ee and learned our "Elmo the Elephant" song! This song is more challenging than our previous songs but the kiddos did a great job with it! Each student received their very own "Elmo the Elephant" book and we "buttered" our sight words in them. They did a wonderful job!

 Micah, Jossalyn, Olivia, Sierra and Brody working on their "Elmo the Elephant" books.

In writing this week we worked on stretching out small, true moments and putting them in our booklets. We talked about how writing in booklets helps us write like real authors, putting one piece of our story on each page. When writing, we are learning to picture each moment in our minds, stretching it out, and putting the pictures on each page. After that, we add words to each picture and part of our story.

This week in math we took our Unit 2 math test. On Wednesday we began our third unit in our just right math books. We talked about groups of ten and groups of five. Using pennies and our ten strips, students created math equations! We are focusing on the teen numbers. Students organized their pennies into groups of ten and added more to that group of ten with pennies. They then wrote equations to show the teen number they had made (10+4=14). This was great practice for learning our teen numbers.

On Monday, we finished our Geography unit by talking about ways we can improve our environment. We read a book about this and students learned about recycling and other ways we can reuse our resources. On Wednesday we began our unit on Civics and Government. We discussed the concept of safety and citizenship at school and at home. As a class, we made a list of class promises that would help us stay safe at home and at school. We also talked about what it means to be a responsible citizen. We talked about how our actions affect others and why it is important to keep our class promises both at home and at school.

Abraham, Braylee, Aliana and Bryce making snowmen during our Friday Fun Centers!

Notes/Reminders:

-If you have not turned in your child's growth portfolio, please do so by the end of this week.

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of November 12-16

Our youngest friends finished their MAPS testing this week! It was wonderful watching the kids work so hard on their very own computers! The kiddos took tests in math and reading and did a great job.

This week in reading the students learned a new sight word: purple. They did a great job with this! We are almost complete in learning our color sight words. As you read with your child, ask them to point out any sight words they may know. We are continuing to practice our zoo phonics letters a-z. Ask your child to act out any of the zoo friends! Remind them that the motions will help them remember their letters and sounds. When reading, it is very important that they know their letters and sounds. This will also help in writing when stretching out words. We also continue to do our daily fix-its, and the youngest friends will continue to work on punctuation, including periods, question marks and exclamation points!

In writing, we have been writing in booklets, just like real authors! In the beginning stage, students are encouraged to think of a true moment from his or her life.  They then draw pictures on each page of their booklet that help tell the story. After this, they add words to their booklets! This technique in writing helps students to organize their thoughts and ideas when writing about a true moment from their life. They are doing a wonderful job with this and I am so proud of these authors!

In math, we learned all about hexagons! Students described hexagons by the number of sides they have, corners, sizes, etc. We also talked about where we can find hexagons in real life. We also talked about the differences between the numbers 6 and 9 and practiced writing these numbers. We continue to practice the -1 pattern and the +1 pattern. Ask your child to tell you what 9-1 is, or 6+1, or any other combination. They may use their fingers for help. They are doing a wonderful job with this!

In social studies we talked about the differences between wants and needs. As a class, we made a t-chart to illustrate the differences between wants and needs. We had a wonderful discussion about this and the kids showed great understanding! We then talked about how people use the environment to meet their wants and needs.

Reminders/Notes:

-Growth portfolios may be returned in the next 2 weeks. They will be sent home again with more work added to them. Please do not empty the contents, this may be done at the end of the year.

Thank you and have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of November 5-9

What a wonderful week in the light blue room!

This week flew by! We continued with MAPS testing and the youngest friends are doing a great job! It is so fun to see them working independently on computers.

In reading this week we learned two new sight words: orange and red. We will continue working on our colors sight words. You can practice our sight words on flashcards at home. These words are a big part of reading vocabulary for our youngest friends. We are continuing to do our daily fix-it in class as well. In our daily fix-it we use our sight words and the students help me write and read the sentence. Together, we fix the mistakes in the sentence. This week the youngest friends learned what a question mark looks like and when it is used in reading and writing. They did a great job! They now know what a question mark, period and exclamation point is. When reading at home with your child, point to these punctuation marks and ask them what they are and why we use them. How exciting!

In writing this week we worked on stretching our stories out onto more than one page and into booklets. We focused on a true, small event from our lives. Students were given booklets with four pages in them. We practiced telling our stories first. Next, we practiced drawing pictures in our booklets to tell the story. Lastly, we added words to our booklets. The kids did a wonderful job stretching out their words and stories like real authors.

We continued to make groups of numbers this week with pennies using our new math vocabulary: less than, more than, minus, add, take away, etc. The students told math stories using addition and subtraction. We introduced the plus one pattern and the minus one pattern. In these patterns, students learn the pattern of adding and subtracting the number one from numbers 1-10. They did a great job! Practice adding and subtracting with your child at home using the number one as a base. You can also ask your child to tell you a math story using a real-life example.

In social studies this week we discussed the differences between natural and physical characteristics. The students helped me create a t-chart that focused on these differences. They did a great job with this and we had a great discussion as a class! The youngest friends then created their own t-charts that showed the differences between natural and physical characteristics. You can practice this activity at home and ask your child to find natural and physical characteristics.

Have a wonderful week!

Ms. Monica

Reminders/Notes:

-please pack a snack for your child to eat during our 10 a.m. snack time

-please pack an extra set of clothes for your child to keep at school or in their backpack

-growth portfolios will be sent home this Friday 

Week of October 29-November 2

We had a great week in the youngest friend's room!

We had a fun-filled week this week! On Wednesday we enjoyed a musical performance from some of the members of the Grand Rapids Symphony. We even received autographs from the symphony members! On Thursday we helped keep our school clean by picking up trash outside. The kids were a great team and did a wonderful job! We also had our annual Harvest Party. Our youngest friends had a great time traveling around the stations with an older friend. On Friday we took our very first MAPS test. The youngest friends did a great job using the computers!

This week in reading we focused on the letters d and e. We learned a new song this week called "Daisy Doll." They did a great job learning this song while brainstorming words that start with the letters d and e. Our new sight word this week was blue. We are now focusing on the colors sight words. It is so fun to see our youngest friends grow in reading while building their sight word vocabulary. We continue to do a fix-it every day where students not only help me write the sentence on the board, they help me correct the mistakes! Ask your child why the beginning of each sentence needs an uppercase letter. They also now know the difference between a period and an exclamation point. How exciting for our young readers!

In writing this week we focused on writing true stories from our lives. I challenged students to really focus on a small memory that they had and expand on it in their writing. They did a wonderful job! Next week we will be moving forward as we learn to write lists.

In math this week we continued to focus on telling math stories through pictures and our own experiences. When telling the math stories, we also wrote the math equation to go with them. We have learned what an addition, subtraction, and equal sign are. When telling these math stories, we are learning new math vocabulary. Some examples of this math vocabulary is take away, less than, more, now, and altogether. The youngest friends are doing a wonderful job telling math stories! This week we focused on writing the numbers 6,7,8 and 9. We also practiced drawing groups of these numbers. 

This week on social studies we focused on the difference of natural physical characteristics and human characteristics. We created a t-chart to tell the differences between home and school characteristics. They did a great job with this and are really growing as leaders when having group discussions!

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of October 22-26

We had a wonderful week together in the youngest friends room!

In reading this week we learned our last two letters and zoo friends: y and z. Ask your child to show you Yancy yak and Zeke zebra! They are doing a fabulous job remembering the motions of the zoo friends along with the names and sounds of the letters. 

In writing this week we continued to practice using the tools around us when writing, like our zoo friends banner, word wall, and other print in the classroom. Students are working on taking their time when writing and coming back to finish writing another day if they need more time. Our authors have grown so much already, it is so fun to see them improve every week!

In math this week we continued to tell math stories. Students were given their own opportunity to share a math story from his/her own life. We practice telling addition and subtraction stories as a group. We also worked on the numbers 6 and 7. We practiced writing these numbers and drawing groups of 6 and 7. We also worked on math equations using pennies. Students practiced showing numbers 1-10 with pennies and we practiced different math equations as a group with addition, subtraction, and equal signs. This week we really focused on writing the numbers 1-10 in order. This was great for number recognition and penmanship as well.

In social studies this week students finished their classroom maps in partners. I loved watching them work collaboratively with their partner! They did a wonderful job mapping out our classroom in pairs. Not only did they work well together, they accurately showed a map of our classroom that identified all areas! We also talked about different environmental characteristics between home and school. Students helped me create a chart of items you would see at school and at home. They did a great job!

Notes/reminders:

-Please pack a snack for your child for our 10 a.m. snack time

-Please send an extra change of clothes to school with your child. They may keep this in their backpack or locker at all times.

-Please send any lunch money or notes in your child's blue folder. Please do not use the JRL bags for this as it may get misplaced or lost

-If your child brings home a JRL book with no words, that is okay! This is an important age where we are learning to read with pictures as well as words. Students may do a "picture walk" and tell their own story with the pictures. This is a great tool to use when learning to read.

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of October 15-19

What a wonderful week we had this week with the youngest friends! We are working on being great leaders and I am so proud of our group. 

In reading this week our youngest friends reviewed all of their zoo friends and learned two new letters: w and x. We will continue to learn and review our letters and sounds all year. They are doing a great job connecting their zoo friends with reading and writing!
We also introduced a new sight word this week: is. I am so proud of the kids as I see them point out their sight words on any print they see. 

Centers have been going very well! This week students met with me for small group reading, focused on words that started with the /a/ sound, practiced penmanship of the letter c and had letter races as they traced four different letters. Each day students rotate to a different center that focuses on a specific skill for 15-20 minutes. Way to go readers!

In writing this week we continued to focus on using tools around the room to help us with our writing, like out zoo friends banner and our word wall. Students did a great job referring to these tools when they needed them. We worked on adding details to our writing and our pictures. I am so proud of our writers, it is amazing to see the growth in their writing progress each week.

In math this week we had our very first math test! Students did a phenomenal job with this. We began talking about groups of the numbers 6-10. We told math stories with these numbers and practiced adding and subtracting in our math stories. The kiddos had so much fun telling math stories that they took from their real life experiences!
We also reviewed shapes and specifically talked about triangles. We practiced drawing shapes and tracing them. This was great practice for fine motor skills as well!
At the end of the week students worked in partners with pennies and practiced adding and subtracting them. They practiced counting out the money to make different amounts. They did a great job!

In social studies this week we began our Geography Unit. We talked about the differences between a picture of a place and a map of a place. We talked about the difference between a picture of the Earth and a globe. Students loved looking at the globe and discussing ways to use it. They also looked at a map of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and talked about how we would use it and other maps.
We also talked about positional words and used them to identify different locations in the classroom. We read a book that used these positional words and then practiced using the words we had learned about, including up, down, under, beneath, around, on top, over, etc.
At the end of the weeks students toured the classroom and identified different regions and their functions. Together, we created a classroom map that included everything in our room. The kids really loved this! They took great leadership and loved creating the classroom map. We talked about how someone might be able to use the map if they were entering our room for the first time. They were so excited about it!

Reminders/Notes:

-Please pack a snack for your child to eat during our 10 a.m. snack time

-Please send an extra change of clothes to school for your child. They may keep them in their locker or backpack

Thank you and have a wonderful week!

Ms. Monica

Week of October 8-12

The youngest friends had a beautiful week of learning this week! We are so excited to see Ms. Heather on Monday and are so thankful that she is okay. Thank you for all of your kind support through this time.

In reading this week we learned about two new zoo friends: U and V. Ask your child to show you who Umber Umbrellabird is or Vincent Vampire Bat. The zoo friends are really helping our readers to learn their letters and sounds.

We learned one new sight word this week: my. We added it to our new sight word dance and voted on a motion to out with the word. The kids really love the dance and it gets them moving while they learn their new words! Ask your child to show you the motion for the following words: I, the, a, and, me, to, go, like, my. A few weeks ago we began doing small group guided reading groups. It is so fun to see the kiddos reading and recognizing their new sight words.

This week in writing we practiced spelling our very best. Students learn that even though they may not know how to spell everything, they do know enough letters and sounds to spell the words they want to use as best as they can. They did a wonderful job this week! It was a beautiful week of growth for our youngest friends. It is so fun watching and listening as they practice the writing techniques they have learned. They really are doing their personal best! We have a "can do" attitude in our room!

In math this week we continued to practice writing our numbers, making groups of numbers, graphing and shapes. Students practiced differentiating between shapes that have no straight sides and shapes that have four sides. We talked about where we may see shapes like these in real life. They did a great job! We finished our first math unit this week and students will have their first math test this week. So proud!

This week in Social Studies we concluded our History Unit. Earlier in the week we talked about how we share different life experiences. As a class we talked about different experiences we have had and compared them. We also talked about how we have different experiences and thoughts when we are experiencing the same thing, like our field trip to Art Prize. We shared what each of our groups did at Art Prize and our favorite pieces of artwork. Students each made a quilt square out of paper of their favorite part of that day. We are excited to make our quilt displaying our love of Art Prize!

We also talked about decisions and consequences that characters might come across in some of the stories we have read. We read a Curious George book and talked about the choices George was making in the story because he would get curious. We discussed how George could make better choices and avoid consequences if he would stop and think about what he was about to do. The kiddos then wrote about a time when they made a good choice and how they made that choice. What a great learning experience!

In Mosaic last week we finished our unit on the UK. What a fun tea party, thank you Ms. Jacque and parents who volunteered!

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of October 1-5

What a great week with the youngest friends! We had a blast at Art Prize as we explored all of the different pieces of art in Grand Rapids. The youngest friends did a great job representing Innocademy on their first field trip!

In reading this week we added the letters s and t to our new group of zoo friends. We review our letters every day. Ask your child to show you who Sammy Snake is or Timothy Tiger! We also learned a new song this week: "Benjamin Bunny." Ask your child if they can remember the words to their new letter b song. We focused on words that start with the letter b and where we hear the /b/ sound. We also practiced penmanship of the letter b. Ask your child to show you how to write the letter b!

We learned two new sight words this week: like and go. To practice all of our sight words we did our new "Sight Word Dance." We put a motion with each of our sight words to help us remember them. They loved our sight word dance! Ask your child if they can tell you the motion for the following sight words: I, the, a, and, me, to, go, like.

In writing this week we practiced really taking our time. We practiced using our pictures to help us form our ideas and words.  I am so proud of the kids! We practicing stretching out our words to hear the sounds that make up a word. We continually practice our "can do" attitude as we keep writing and do our personal best. I can see their handwriting progress as we continue our daily writing workshop. Great job authors!

This week in math we talked about the following shapes: rectangle, square, circle. We talked about where we see these shapes in our daily lives. We also talked about how they are different and how we use shapes in math. The youngest friends even learned these shapes in Spanish with Ms. Mel! Ask your child if they can remember what these shapes are in Spanish!

We also reviewed graphing this week. Students worked in partners as they graphed different numbers 1-10. We talked about comparing numbers in a graph and introduced vocabulary of "more" and "less." We used real-life examples when graphing to help students connect the meaning of graphs to their every day life.

We continue to practice counting and creating scenes of numbers 1-10. Students are learning to differentiate between different groups of numbers. Along with our scenes we practiced penmanship of the numbers 1, 2, and 3. Ask your child to recite the number rhymes they use when writing these numbers.

This week in Social Studies we focused on birth order and different generations. We talked about the differences between youngest and oldest. We talked about our different families and who was born first and last. The kids had a blast making their very own family tree! We talked about how our parents were born first and our families are formed later on. Students labeled their family trees with correct birth order from oldest to youngest. They did a great job! We will finish our History unit this week and begin Geography next week.

Reminders/Notes:

-Please use the blue folders to send any forms, lunch info or money

-Please make sure your child has a snack in their backpack for our 10 a.m. daily snack

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of September 17-21

What a wonderful week of learning! Thank you for attending conferences this past week. I am so proud of the kiddos for doing such a great job during their student-led conferences! It was exciting to see the youngest friends speak about what they have learned so far and what they love about school. They have already grown and learned so much already!

In reading this week we learned the following letters: m,n,o,p,q and r. Ask your child to show you some of their new zoo friends! They can tell you their name, motion and what sound they make. We also learned a new song this week: "Apple Annie." Ask your child to sing the song for you! We talked about words that began with the letter a and where we hear that "a" sound. They did a great job!
We learned two new sight words this week: and, to. The kids did a great job with these.
We complete a "fix-it" each day to help them remember their new sight words. The kids help me write a sentence with our sight words and then we correct it! They have learned that we need an uppercase letter in the beginning of a sentence and a period at the end of a sentence. During this time the kiddos also circle their new sight words. You can practice fix-its at home with your child as well. Here is a complete list of the sight words we have learned so far: I, the, a, and, me to.

We have some little authors in the youngest friends room! We did a lot of writing this week and I am so proud of the kids! We practicing stretching out our words to hear the sounds that make up a word. We also used our new zoo friends banner to help us when we need to match the sounds we hear to a letter. We practiced our "can do" attitude as we kept writing and did our personal best. What a great week for our writers!

This week in math we introduced the concept of graphing. The students learned that graphs help us display information in a new way. With a partner, students graphed the numbers we displayed on the board. They did a great job!
We also discussed the terms same, alike, and different. Students practiced this concept individually with a worksheet and in groups at different math centers. They practiced making groups of objects that were the same, alike or different. Students were able to explain to me why the shapes were the same, alike or different and why. They explained these concepts by using size, shape, color, etc.
Lastly, we talked about the concept of roundness. We talked about how the shape of a circle is a flat drawing yet a ball is completely round. We used a cone, cylinder and ball when talking about this concept. Together, we described the similarities and differences between these objects. Students were able to list several real-life examples of where they have seen these objects. Practice looking for these objects over break and see if your child can point some out to you!

Monday was the last day of our All About Me unit. I am so happy students were able to show you some of these pieces at conferences. On Wednesday we began a new unit on past, present and future. We practiced drawing examples of what we did yesterday, today, and what we might do tomorrow. Students made and explained their own examples. As a class, we discussed what we ate for dinner yesterday, what we wanted to eat for dinner today, and what we wanted to eat tomorrow. The students showed a great understanding of this subject! We will continue talking about these things during our daily calendar time. At home, you can practice talking about the daily agenda and events of your day. Talking about these things on a daily basis will help your child as they learn to understand days, weeks, months and years.

Have a wonderful relaxing break week!

Ms. Monica

Week of September 10-15

Hello Parents!

We had such a wonderful week together! It is so exciting to see the kiddos remembering their daily routines and responsibilities. Our youngest friends have been doing such a beautiful job of reading their JRL books and writing our morning message in their planners! We are super proud of them!

This week in reading we focused on the following letters using our Zoo-Phonics friends: a,b,c,d,e,f, g, h and i. You can practice these letters and sounds with your child when asking them to show you the motion of each zoo friend! We also learned two new sight words this week: a and me. So far your child has learned I, the, me and a. How exciting! As your child learns more words and sounds you will see much growth in their reading. You can practice recognizing these new words while you read your child's JRL book with them every night.

This week in writing workshop we practiced writing about small events and moments from our lives! Together we learned that we can draw and write about anything we want to as long as we keep going and try our best! The kiddos practiced writing like the authors of books we have read by drawing pictures and using words. Together we practiced "stretching out words" while we write by listening for our letter sounds. I also challenged the kids to use their new sight words! It is so amazing to see the students using their new words and sounds as they become little authors!

In math this week we practiced visualizing groups of 2, 3 and 4. Together we drew our very own class scene and then students were able to practice drawing their own scene using these numbers. We also used Anno's Counting Book during these lessons. It was so fun to see their creativity blossom as they drew these scenes. We also learned a number rhyme for writing each number 1-5. Ask your child to recite this rhyme while practicing writing their numbers!

This week we continued our "All About Me" unit. We talked about how each one of us is unique and special. We also talked about the different things that make us special, happy, and healthy.  We had so much fun making our fingerprints, tracing our hands and drawing our friends at school!

Reminders:

-If you have any lunch money, forms or notes please send them to school in your child's backpack. We are getting new plastic folders this week that will be used for our "take home folders."

-We are still collecting our "All About Me" home project so please send it in this week if you haven't already! They are looking so cool!

-One Friday we sent home two papers in your student's backpack that are important for students conferences next week. The blue paper states the day/time for your child's conference, while the other is a 7 habits graph that is intended to be filled out by each parent before your child's conference.

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica