Newsletter 3/31/17

We continued our unit on Avid Readers this week, getting more and more excited about our books. This week we focused on reading partners talking about important parts in books, where characters have strong emotions.  We also tried to find just the right word to describe how a character is feeling, instead of just "happy" or "sad".  Lastly, because avid readers just LOVE their books, we picked our favorite book that we read this week and recommended it to a friend.  We learned about the "blurb" on the back of books, and we tried to do the same: give our friends a tease about our beloved stories and try to get them hooked on it, too!

In Writers Workshop we challenged ourselves to teach our readers more and more about our topics.  We learned about a few nonfiction text features that we can add to our pieces.  We read our books to a partner to get ideas of what else we could add, asking, "Do you have any more questions about my topic?".  Lastly, we chose one piece to edit and publish next week!

During math this week we did addition equations both horizontally and vertically.   We played a game where we rolled a die and slowly added our numbers together until we reached the sum of 15.  We also did a big project called "Inventory Bags", where partners counted various items presented in subsets, found the sum and used numbers, pictures and/or words to represent the quantity (i.e. "I count 5 pens, 6 bears and 3 blocks.  What is my sum?  How can I show this on paper?). Finally, we all compared our results to see if we had counted correctly and presented our data in an accurate way.

In science, we attended a S.T.E.M. workshop.  See the post below for information and photos.

Our social studies unit was on shelters this week.  We made a brainstorm of different kinds of shelters, discussed why we need shelters, and we searched in books for shelters made from various materials.  We discussed why different parts of the world use different materials.

We also visited with our 5th Grade Buddies.  We read a story about honesty and worked together to write a letter to the main character.  Ask your child about the story!

News & Notes:

• Book Bags are due on Monday.  There will be no books sent home next week.  Don't forget to have your child read on Raz-Kids for additional practice.
• Save the Date:  Kindergarten Spring Concert, April 25th, 9:30 am.  All are invited!

Building shelters!

Inventory bag data represented in various ways

Taking inventory with partners

Writing partners ask each other questions.

Building shelters

Searching for shelters made from various materials

Building the sum of 15

Sight word spelling practice

Labeling the parts of a house

S.T.E.M. Program

Yesterday a team of Darien High School seniors provided a wonderful S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) program.  Students were challenged to build a community on Mars.  This activity corresponded with our current science unit on shelters.  Everyone got a chance to build shelters of their own.  

Newsletter 3/24/17

We began a new unit in Reading Workshop this week: AVID READERS!  We learned what an avid reader looks like, and how to spot the difference between an avid reader and a "blah" reader.  Ask your child about avid readers and what they do.

We also studied SO many versions of Little Red Riding Hood, getting ready for the play on Thursday.  We read the classic tale, newer versions, versions from other countries, even one from the Wolf's point of view!  We discussed possible lessons the writer wants the reader to learn and we wondered who was the most trustworthy narrator.  We even had some friends act out the story during free time!

We continued our All About unit in Writing Workshop: writing more All Abouts, making sure that each page sticks to the topic and presents new information.  As always, we're working on writing all the sounds we hear within words, remembering to use finger spaces and punctuation.

Our math lessons this week focused on: developing an analyzing visual images for quantities up to ten, using numbers, and/or addition notation, to describe arrangements of objects and decomposing numbers in different ways (see photo).

We continued to learn about weather in our science lessons, welcoming spring by reading spring books and recording weather observations.

We welcomed Lizzy Rockwell to Ox Ridge this week!  She has illustrated MANY of the books we have read.  She, and her father, work to illustrate her mother (Anne Rockwell)'s books.  She has written some of her own stories, too.  It was so exciting to meet someone who has published books that we adore.  Look for them in your library.

Our trip to see Little Red Riding Hoods was a blast!  Who knew that Little Red has an identical twin sister?  We all enjoyed seeing one of our favorite stories take on a new twist!

News & Notes:

• Book sleeves are due on Monday
• Wednesday, 3/29, is a half day to make up missed conferences
• Please note:  I base all dismissals off of School Dismissal Manager, which I receive daily at 2:30 p.m.  Make sure to update it daily with any changes.  Thank you.

Decomposing 6 in various ways

We're all at the Downtown Caberet!  

Newsletter 3/17/17

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  We read all about Irish traditions for celebrating this holiday and we all enjoyed talking about LEPRECHAUNS!  We painted and wrote about rainbows, too.

We finished up our unit on reading nonfiction texts are we switched reading partners!

In math, we reviewed numeral formation (1-20) and worked to fill in blanks on a number line.  We used ten frames to teach us about teen numbers and place value.  We also reviewed various ways to make 10.

In our "All About" writing unit, we learned that authors don't just write one sentence on a page, but write as much as they can in each part.

Our current social studies unit is on economics and that means studying needs versus wants.  We read a book teaching about the difference between the two and then we sorted out various items onto a table.  We had a very interesting conversation about whether we NEED or just WANT certain items (I find this a very helpful lesson for parents)!  Do we need video games to survive or do we just want them?  Ask your child to tell you about his/her needs (water, food, shelter, clothing, air, etc).

We connected this lesson to working like a team to list everything our new friend, Stellan Morgan, will need in our classroom.  Everyone helped contribute to the list and we began to get him his things. Then Stellan visited on Thursday!  Everyone was so excited to meet him.  Stellan's first full day will be on Monday.  Welcome!

Thank you to Mrs. DiBenedetto, Mrs. Katz, Mrs. Law and Mrs. Murphy for coming for Games time!

News and Notes:

• Book sleeves are due on Monday
• We are going on a field trip on Thursday.  Make sure to pack a disposable snack and drink (see email sent)
• SPRING is coming!
• Illustrator Lizzy Rockwell visits Ox Ridge 3/21

Newsletter 3/10/17

Writing Workshop and Reading Workshop are working together right now to teach us all about nonfiction texts.  We are reading them and noting the text features during reading times (see photo), and then trying to write our nonfiction pieces the same way!  This week we did a lot of work in Writing Workshop: we learned that All About writers think of a BIG topic that can be broken into parts (chapters).  We also named each part with a heading that will help our readers know what we plan to teach in that section.  Our classroom authors are writing fascinating texts; I'm learning from them!  Ask your child to share his/her topic with you.

We also had a lot of fun with kites this week.  We read a kite poem, learned how to write lowercase ks, learned how the silent "e" makes "i" say a "long vowel sound"... we even made kites to fly around the room (see photo)!

In science, we learned what the saying "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb" means.  We are certainly seeing "LION" weather!  Perfect for flying kites!  The students had a fun time going outside at recess each day and reporting whether it was "lion weather" or "lamb weather".

We continued our study of 3-D shapes this week, looking at each shape and describing it's properties.  We learned that 3-D shapes have 2-D faces, for example, a cube has many square faces and a pyramid has triangle faces.  We played a fun game called "Matching Faces" where students had to focus very carefully (see photos).  We also reviewed the multiple ways to make 10, playing a game called "Perfect Partner Makes Ten".  Everyone got a card with a number and had to find their addend partner that would make a sum of ten together.  When they found their "perfect partner" they recorded the equation they made together.  The students loved this!

News and Notes:

• Scholastic Book Orders for March due Friday- end of school day
• Report cards are on Aspen at 10:00am on Friday
• Book Sleeves due on Monday
• Half days next Wednesday through Friday
• Wear green next Friday for St. Patrick's Day!
• Have you returned your child's How To writing?  Please do so ASAP.

Kite making!

Math fun during Centers

Drama fun during Centers

Finding headings during Reading Workshop

Geoblock Face Match Game

Matching Faces game with connecting cube shapes

Newsletter 3/3/17

What a fun week we've had!

Please see the post below for information regarding Writing Workshop.  We have learned so much!

We read SO many Dr. Seuss books this week, my own thoughts are beginning to rhyme!  Everyone was excited to see that they could read many of his stories and the students gathered together around his books every free moment they had.  It was wonderful to see them eagerly snatching up as many of his books they could!  We also continued reading nonfiction.  We learned how to use context clues to understand new vocabulary.

In our geometry unit, we studied hexagons and then moved on to 3-D shapes.  We had hands on experiences with 3-D shapes and searched for them all over the classroom.  Some of you had a 3-D shape search at home, too!  Way to go!  We will continue our 3-D work next week.

In Social Studies, we embraced the new month and discussed the special days ahead.  Then, of course, we celebrated Seuss everyday!

On Monday's Silly Sock Day, we read The Foot Book with our shoes off and shared our silly socks with everyone!  We also read The Cat in the Hat.

On Tuesday's crazy hat day, we all made Cat in the Hat hats.  Then we read The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and Dr. Seuss' ABC.

On Wednesday, every thing was wacky in the room!  We mixed up our schedule and read Wacky Wednesday and There's a Wocket in My Pocket!

On Thursday, Dr. Seuss' birthday, we had our Seuss-a-thon, moving to each kindergarten room and doing fun activities based on his books. We read Green Eggs and Ham and Fox in Socks.  Check out the pictures of our favorite storybook character costumes!

On Friday, we read Mrs. Henry's favorite, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!  Then we met our 5th Grade "twins" and read our favorite Seuss titles with them in the Library.

News & Notes:

• Book sleeves are due on Monday.
• Please send back your yellow conference form ASAP
• If your child hasn't searched for 3-D shapes at home, consider doing the orange sheet sent home on Wednesday.
• Scholastic book order deadline is next Friday.

Friends on Wacky Wednesday

Exploring the properties of 3-D shapes

Reading about Dr. Seuss

Our results after our geometry inquiries

Exploring ways to make a hexagon using other 2-D shapes

Crazy Hat Day fun!

Princesses Aurora and Cinderella

Favorite Storybook Friends! (not everyone wanted to be in a photo)