Weekly Update

Hello Families,

Spring WAS in the air! I really hope today was out last weather related school delay! The kids have done a FANTASTIC job with our new breakfast program. The clean-up part is still taking a little extra time, but overall it’s gone really well. I’m very proud of how quickly they adjusted to the new routine.

Math

Math Workshop and our money unit are up and running. The children LOVE math workshop. The shorter whole group lesson and additional small group lesson has helped with boredom and off task behavior. We are still working out a few tweaks, but overall it’s going well. Keep practicing with money at home. Be sure your child can name dimes, nickels, and pennies, and the value of each. They should practice counting half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, then pennies. We finished the last lesson today and will review on Monday. Our Topic assessment will be on Tuesday. Time and measurement are our next 2 units.

Reading Workshop

Great readers make inferences when they read. We make inferences when author’s clues and our schema come together to figure out what the author hasn’t told us. We practiced inferring how characters feel based on what they say and what they do. Ask your child about Little Rabbit’s Loose Tooth. We are also working on digging deeper into feelings than just happy or sad. We’ve worked on: proud, nervous, and unsure so far.

Writer’s Workshop

Our research reports are underway. We have researched all parts for our reports. Your child has found out what his/her animal eat, where it lives, and what it looks like. Each child is also looking for three interesting facts to include in the report. We will start final copies next week!

 

This Week I Really Learned!

Thank you for writing to your child each week. We really do enjoy hearing all of the letters written each week. I am only able to check some letters each week. If your child’s letter is not adequate you are more than welcome to have him/her re-write it at home and/or write a letter back to your child stating expectations for next time. J

Word Workshop

We began learning about r-controlled vowels this week. An r after a vowel changes the sound of a vowel. It is not long or short; it’s completely different. We worked with ar words this week: star, car, park, smart etc.

Grammar

We learned about antonyms and synonyms. Please try to use these words when talking about opposites and words that mean the same at home. Developing your child’s academic vocabulary will significantly enhance his/her learning.

Other

Tissues

We are out of tissues. If you have an extra box you’d like to send, we’d be very thankful! Thank you for those that have already come in! J Also, thank you to all of the families who sharpen pencils for us! I can’t tell you how much it helps us out every day. J

Water Bottles

Please remember that water bottles may only contain water. If you would like your child to drink something other than water at snack, please send a small amount (no more than 6 ounces) of a beverage that does not contain sugar. I’ve asked the students to bring their water bottles to school empty and fill them with water in the morning. I’m hoping this will eliminate the bathroom “emergencies” we’ve been having lately. Thank you very much for your help with this! J

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!