Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Our Tribe!

Newsletter 11/18/16

We continued to learn about our SUPER POWERS in Reading Workshop this week, putting our "Partner Power" and "Sight Word Powers" into practice.  Learning to talk about books with a partner is a big part of our reading curriculum this year.  We learn how to be a good partner, giving our peer attention/support when needed and we learn how to discuss stories, ensuring deeper comprehension.  These lessons start at the very beginning- learning how to sit together so that we aren't distracted, how to give compliments, etc.  Partners help us read with accuracy and figure out tricky words. There are also a lot of words that we can read "in a snap" (sight words).  Knowing these words helps us read with fluency (reading in a smooth voice- not like a robot).  Some books contain word patterns and repeated phrases; if we recognize them we can also improve our fluency.

We examined new specimens in Writing Workshop this week, using the "looking closely" skills we know.  We can also write patterns in our stories, using the sight words we know ("I see the shell.  I see the curves.  I see the spots.), etc.  Partners can help us in our writing, too!  They can make sure that our sight words are spelled correctly.

In math this week, we played a card game where we put cards in order from least to greatest.  We focused our attention on numerical order and on Exemplars.  We solved some problems that required new "math tools": a five frame and a table.  We even added in an equation!

We continued our preparations for our Thanksgiving Feast this week!  We are the Native Americans.  We formed our own tribe with tribal names, head dresses, necklaces and vests.  Native Americans used patterns and symbols in their drawing and paintings, so we did, too!  We listened to Native American music while working on crafts.

News and Notes:

• please make sure to let me know now if your child will NOT be eating the cafeteria food provided for Tuesday's feast.  
• also confirm that your child has money in his/her account for one hot lunch to cover the expense of Tuesday's feast 
• unfortunately, due to cafeteria/lunchtime rules and spacing, parents will NOT be attending our feast.  Only the two classroom volunteers attend, but I promise to take photos and share them here!  Thank you for your understanding.
• 11/23 is a half day
• 11/23 is also "Homecoming Day" at Ox Ridge.  Our Leadership League invites all students to wear their favorite college/school shirts
• there will be no newsletter next week.  Happy Thanksgiving!  

Mozart visited during a Music for Youth assembly

Math Exemplars group work

Making our Native American vests

Our Thankful Turkeys!  Check them out in our hallway!

Safe Buddies!

We will be studying each word in the Ox Ridge Code with our 5th Grade Buddies this year.  Today we learned about safety.  We toured the school with our buddies and discussed how to be safe in various locations.  Then we signed a safety contract together, promising to follow the safety code in school.  Lastly, we read Thanksgiving books together.

Sharing ideas about bathroom safety

Sharing ideas about cafeteria safety

Sharing ideas about hallway safety

Reading Partners!

Newsletter 11/11/16

WE ARE SUPER READERS!!!   We are learning all about our reading "Super Powers" in Reader's Workshop.  We all have strategies that we use while reading- our "super powers"!  This week we learned all about Pointer Power!  Readers point to each word they know while reading, matching words with one to one correspondence.  We used "Double Pointer Power" when our partners did the pointing and we had to read.  Using a pointer finger while reading helps your child slow down his/her pace and recognize more words.  We had fun learning about how longer words may look like you need to point to them more than once, but "one word gets one tap".  We will soon be sending home paper books that your child can read to you.  Please make sure that s/he is pointing to each word (not just running his/her finger along the bottom) and reading with one to one correspondence.

We used magnifying glasses to really look closely at our specimens in Writing Workshop this week.  We wrote about every little thing we saw on our leaves: holes, spots, etc.  We also used our other senses and tried to describe our leaves with even more detail.  See the photos below.

We finished our number books in math this week and have now learned how to form all numerals correctly.  A practice sheet was sent home on Friday for you. Please feel free to make copies for additional work.  Reversals of numerals are very common at this age, so please do not worry if you see that happening.  Ask your child to notice that a number is written incorrectly and to please fix it. Remind him/her of each numeral's starting point and that all numbers and letters start at the top.

We also measured the lengths of our names this week, using even more new math vocabulary.  We compared names to see whose names were the shortest, longest and equal.

Social studies was all about the election and Veteran's Day.  What an important week for our nation. We completed our Election Day packets and enjoyed singing for our local veterans.  See my prior post for a photo.

News and Notes:

• the deadline to send in school supplies for Ox Ridge's 50th birthday is next Tuesday.
• students will attend a Music for Youth assembly next Wednesday about Mozart

Phonics fun

Looking closely in Writing Workshop

Comparing names in math

Happy Veteran's Day!

The results are in...

We have a winner!

Newsletter 11/4/16

We finished up our study of emergent/story books this week, trying to use exact words that the characters say while reading and attempting to recognize some of the printed words.  See the emergent book lessons in the photo below.   In our phonics lessons, we learned about letters N, R, E and sight words "you", "are" and "at".  We are reading many books which we call "paper books" here at school.  These are thematic books that focus on the sight words we are studying each week.  Students color them and read them multiple times, to themselves, partners and to me.  These will be coming home soon.

We began a new unit in Writing Workshop this week: Looking Closely.  We are observing objects (leaves right now) like scientists and recording our findings.

Our math lessons have been on comparing this week, comparing lengths and amounts.  We played a fun card game called "Compare" (which you may know as "War"). We are also working on numeral formation and increasing our number sense.  We worked on quickly recognizing amounts rolled on a die.

We are busy rehearsing for our sing to the veterans next week and we are also learning all about the upcoming election.  This week we talked about the job of the president, the land he leads and his schedule.  We also looked at some of the rooms in the White House!

News and Notes:

• please let me know if you have a veteran in your family who will be attending Thursday's program.
• No School next Tuesday, 11/8

Playing "Compare" with partners

Happy Halloween!

Bus Safety

We had a bus safety session today with an evacuation drill!

The White House

I can't wait to share this amazing creation!  We kicked off our study on the election today, and look at what some friends made in the block area during Choice Time!  Today we discussed the role of our president.  The president gives speeches, makes rules (laws), and works to make our country a better place.  We'll be studying the election every day through next week.