Newsletter 2/15

We continued to strengthen our reading muscles in Reading Workshop this week.  We learned that sometimes readers have to slow down to figure out a tricky word, but other times readers can read a word in a snap!  Before we read a page together, we would look at the picture to get in idea of words we may encounter, then we take a quick glance at the text for sight (snap) words, and then we're ready to try to read the page.  Once we've read a story once, we can read it again with improved fluency.  Practice this routine with your child's books from his/her book sleeve. 

We published our amazing how-to pieces in Writing Workshop!  Our partners helped us to edit, as usual, and we celebrated by hanging them all in the hallway.  Come and check out your child's work! 

In math, we helped a grocer make boxes five and then ten red and green apples.  How many combinations can he make?  We worked with a partner to find all the ways.  We quickly learned a strategy to help us keep track.  See our chart below...

We were so excited to load all of our cans of tuna on the food pantry truck on Thursday.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Thank you to everyone who came to our show!  We had a great time delivering our valentines on Wednesday.

We learned a bit about presidents Washington and Lincoln.  What were their lives like when they were kids?

News and Notes:

• LOOK FOR YOUR CHILD'S GREEN SEUSS SHEET SENT HOME TODAY.  It contains important information for some Seuss fun after vacation!
• Place your February/March book order on Scholastic by 2/27
• Book sleeves due 2/26
• Enjoy your vacation!

Ways to make 5

Ways to make 10

Exercising our reading muscles

Partners edit our writing

Time for Valentine delivery!

Loading on the tuna cans!

WE DID IT!

Intersting patterns we found in our math explorations this week

Newsletter 2/9

In Reading Workshop this week, we learned that while using SOUND POWER we need to focus on the first letter, check for a blend, and the ending sound.  We always have to ask ourselves, not only "Does this sound right?"  but also "Does this look right"?

We are finishing up our How To writing.  This week we learned a few more strategies to make our writing even better: How To writing sometimes gives a warning or a tip, uses connecting words like "first", "then", "next" and "finally" and often has a fun ending.

Our math lessons this week revolved around a story called The Sleepover.  Sarah has a new bunk bed and seven friends come over.  They love to play tricks on Aunt Kate, who comes into the bedroom repeatedly with snacks, drinks and napkins.  Every time she enters the girls have moved around on the bed!  Four on the top and four on the bottom.  Three on the top and five on the bottom.  Two on the top and six on the bottom.  What's happening?  How many ways can the girls trick Aunt Kate?  We used a math rack to explore all the possibilities.

In Second Steps this week we learned how to handle an accident.  What is an accident?  What if you hurt someone by accident?  What should you do?  We learned to say: "I'm sorry.  It was an accident.  Are you OK?".  We can have empathy for one another when an accident occurs and show that we care.

Happy 100th Day!  For the 100th Day of School we did everything the 100 way!  We played games with a 100 number board, counted to 100 by fives and tens, made a 100th Day crown, wrote about what to do with $100 and lastly, we attended the 100th Day Parade of first graders!  Yippee!  We're 100 days smarter!

We are getting ready for Valentines Day!  We made our valentines bags, headbands to wear at the concert and made valentines for veterans with our 5th Grade Buddies.

News and Notes:

• Book sleeves due on Monday.  No new books will go home next week.  Please read on RazKids during your vacation!
• Kindergarten Valentines Concert will be 2/14 at 9:30 am.  All are invited.  You won't want to miss this adorable performance.
• Please send in your child's valentines ASAP.  We'll keep them safe until 2/14!
• Our class collected 133 cans of tuna for the local food bank!  Way to go!  THANK YOU for your generosity and for surpassing our goal.  The class was SO excited.
• Dr. Seuss days are coming up!  Be on the lookout for more information next Friday!

Valentines rehearsal

Ways to make 8 with the math rack

Newsletter 2/2/18

We continue to strengthen our reading muscles and work on our partnering skills in Reading Workshop.  We learned how a partner listens carefully and doesn't miss it when a friend makes a mistake.  Good partners catch mistakes and help one another through.

This week's paper book "Where We Go" is the last of the year!  Please continue to ask your child to read these paper books and, more importantly, the Just Right books in their book sleeve.

Our How To books are getting more detailed!  This week, we learned that "How To" authors usually begin their writing with a list of things you'll need, and sometimes they use BOLD for important words.  We can write like that, too!  Ask your child what s/he is writing about.

We continued to build and take apart teen numbers this week, building with straws and sticks and on the smart board.  We're learning about place value.  We also collected and organized a lot of data this week.  We predicted what would happen on Groundhog's Day and who would win the Super Bowl!  See the photos below for your child's thoughts.

Our current science unit is on matter.  This week, we examined items and used our five senses to make predictions, sort and classify.  We organized groups of natural vs. man-made, items made from glass, plastic, wood and metal, items that attract vs. repel magnets and items that are heavy vs. light.  We really enjoyed conducting classroom experiments this week!

We also gathered January's weather data and discussed special days on our February calendar.

Ask your child about Wednesday's bus meeting.  All Ox Ridge students met in classrooms by bus and listened to 4th and 5th graders teach them how to follow our code while riding the bus together.

Matter:  Natural or Man-Made?

Recording data in our science journals

Playing with rods and cubes

Using rods and cubes to learn place value and build teen numbers

Using the Smartboard for place value lessons

TWO ways to make 20!  Woah!

Matter:  Sorting by material

Collecting and organizing data: Our preferred winter activity

Our groundhog predictions

News and Notes:

• We have 68 of our 100 cans of tuna so far.  Please send in your 5 cans if you have not done so.  Our goal is to have 100 for the 100th Day of school- NEXT WEDNESDAY!
• Book sleeves are due on Monday
• 2/14 Kindergarten valentine show at 9:30 am.  Save the date!
• It's almost Dr. Seuss week!  Be on the lookout for news coming home about how we'll celebrate each day of the week of 2/26.  There will be something special for your child to wear each day.  Hat Day, Silly Sock Day, Twin Tuesday... etc.   More information coming soon!