Happy President's Day! When we come back to school tomorrow, we'll be learning all about our U.S. Presidents. On Friday, we'll have a special Teddy Bear Day! Your child can bring a teddy bear to school. (It does need to be a bear, and not another type of stuffed animal. President Theodore Roosevelt inspired the creation of the teddy bear, and that's why we're having Teddy Bear Day.)
*We had so much fun this week with our special days, and learning about teeth! Please read all about it in the "Social Studies and Science" section below. This is a busy and fun time of year, when the children's academic and social skills are just growing by leaps and bounds! I love seeing what the Peeps can do! They amaze me every day!
*Parent/Teacher conferences are coming soon--Thursday, March 16! You can sign up to visit with me about your child's progress. Third quarter conferences are optional; if you don't have any questions or concerns, you don't have to schedule a meeting. Please also remember that I'm available at other times, too. You can always call or email if you need to talk.
*Upcoming field trips:
Progress reports came home on Wednesday; I wrote your child's current reading level, and included a description of what that means. We are all working so hard, and doing so well! I am very proud that everyone is reading! So much happens when we read. Your children are trying to read everything they can. Here are some things you can say and do when they get stuck on a word:
*What would make sense in the story?
*Is there a clue in the pictures that could help?
*Get your mouth ready for the first sound.
*Can you skip that word and read the rest of the sentence, and then go back? (Sometimes your brain can figure it out.)
(You'll notice that we don't say, "Sound it out." That's because too many words have letters that don't follow their normal rules for sounding out.)
BUT, there are times when it's better to just tell your child the word/s:
*If the word is not one that they can figure out relatively quickly, using the strategies that are listed above, just tell the word. That way, you can keep enjoying the story.
*If there are more than one or two words that your child needs help with on a page, that's a good indication that the book is above his/her reading level. That's OK! Just enjoy reading it together.
*If the book is unfamiliar, and above your child's reading level, just read it to him/her. That's how we learn to increase our vocabulary, and our comprehension skills. I read an article this week that said it's terrific to read with your kids of all ages--even your teenagers!
One of the best ways to help your child "move up" a level is to practice sight words. Level 4 sight word lists and bonus lists will be coming home next week, for the Peeps who are ready for them.
This week, we've written and drawn pictures about how we're "dreaming of kindness" and how we "ride the kindness wave." I am so proud of this work--it's on our hallway bulletin board! The Peeps wrote those sentences all by themselves! Look at the terrific ideas and surfing self-portraits! And THEN look at fantastic letter formation, spacing, and periods! WOW!
My favorite part of math workshop this week was playing "Twelve Teeth and a Cavity" with the Peeps, and subtracting teeth! To play "Twelve Teeth and a Cavity," you need 12 buttons, blocks, or packets of sweetner that all look the same. Those are the "teeth." Then you need one that's different. That's the "cavity." When it's your turn, you can take one, two, or three of the teeth. Don't take the cavity! Then the next player can take one, two, or three teeth. Whoever is stuck taking the cavity is the loser of the game. Play several times to see if you can figure out a winning strategy! It's lots of fun!
We continued to build on the concept of subtraction when we made a mouth of ten teeth. We rolled a die to find out how many teeth to subtract from the mouth. We know that all of our baby teeth will fall out eventually...but we have 20 of them in "real life." Not just 10.
This week at school was Random Acts of Kindness Week. Monday was pajama day, as we were "dreaming of kindness." Tuesday was red and pink day, for Valentines Day, (We Love Kindness!), Wednesday was tye-dye day, and we had a kindess walk as an entire school! On Thursday, we "rode the kindness wave" with our beach/tropical clothes! And on Friday, we had school colors, to show our school spirit for kindess. Our special themes made each day extra-awesome!
February is Dental Health Month! This week we learned all about the parts of a tooth, and how to take care of our teeth! On Thursday, we all made a tooth pillow to take home! Did you know that each pillow has a special "sparkle" inside it, to help it stay shiny and clean? We know to brush our own teeth twice a day, to help them stay healthy and strong. After all, we need our teeth for chewing, smiling, and talking!
Monday is a "no school" day; it's President's Day!
Tuesday is C Day - P.E.
Please have your child wear tennis shoes.
Wednesday is D Day - P.E.
Please have your child wear tennis shoes.
Thursday is E Day - Library/Technology
Please remember library books today.
Friday is A Day - Art
It's Teddy Bear Day! Please have your child bring a teddy bear to school, if you have one. (Please note that it needs to be a bear, and not another type of stuffed animal.)
Click here to view our lunch menu.
Dates to Keep in Mind:
IMPORTANT DATES:
3/3 – Spring Pictures
3/10 – Third Quarter Ends & HALF DAY OF SCHOOL
3/16 – Parent/Teacher Conferences
3/17 – HALF DAY OF SCHOOL
3/20 – 3/24 – NO SCHOOL: Spring Break
3/27 – School Resumes
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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