A Peek At Our Week!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! Please enjoy updates and announcements from Room 115. GO PATS! ❆🏈💕

Important Dates:

February 13th:

Valentines Day Celebration

(See below for details)

February 16th-20th

No School

February Vacation

Announcements:

Valentine's Day 💘

Our class will be celebrating Valentines Day on Friday, February 13th! As part of our celebration we will be exchanging valentines. Please click here for some helpful hints and tips for making our celebration an enjoyable one for your child. Please note food and candy is not allowed. A hard copy of this notice was sent home last week.

Happy 100th Day!

Although Friday was a short day for students, it was packed with 100th day fun! The class enjoyed completing self-selected 100th day themed activities which included necklace and crown making, cup stacking, and lots of counting to, of course, 100! Our fashion show was also a HUGE success!

Fashion Show Part 1

Fashion Show Part 2

Curriculum Update:

Morning Bins

Last month the students enjoyed starting their day with morning bins! These bins provide hands on, STEM based activities that reinforce the skills taught in class in a fun and engaging way. The bins provide a nice "soft start" to our morning and are a great way for the students to socialize as they get settled in for the day. I look forward to providing new morning bin activities for the students each month. Take a peek at two of February's activities below! 

In the activity above, the students enjoy playing a Jenga type game with heart shaped pieces! Each piece contains a letter that can be used to make a CVC word. This open ended game provides students practice opportunities with fine motor dexterity, concentration skills, word building and reading practice, as well as strengthens the ability to distinguish between real and nonsense words. 

This month the students also have the opportunity to practice their sight/heart words using fun writing boards. After reading and writing each word, they put it in the Valentine mailbox! 📪🩷

Reader's Workshop

In Reader's Workshop last week we continued to discuss the essential question: "What does it mean to try hard?". To help deepen our understanding of this question we read the stories The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges and The Little Red Hen on Stage by Karen Knapstein. While we read we practiced comparing characters, identifying character traits, and making inferences. In phonics, we learned about the letters v and z and continued to practice reading the sight/heart word see. 

Math

In math we continue to work in module (unit) 5 and explore geometry concepts. During last week's lessons the children sorted and graphed shapes by name, and also sorted shapes by the number of sides and corners.

Writing

Our sentence writing practice was still going strong last week! In order to deepen their understanding of the importance of word order, the students were tasked with unscrambling the words in sentences, then writing them in the correct order. This proved to be a challenging, but fun activity for the class! 

Thanks so much for taking a peek at our week! Please check back soon to watch us learn, grow, and play in the wonderful world that is K! 🍎📖🚌

A Peek At Our Week!

 It was a short and chilly week last week! My fingers are crossed that warmer days are ahead!! ⛄

Important Dates:

February 6th:

The 100th day of school 😎

Early Release 

11:55am Dismissal

February 14th:

Valentines Day

(See below for details)

February 16th-20th

No School

February Vacation

Announcements:

The 100th Day of School! 

The 100th day of school will now fall on Friday, February 5th. To celebrate, our class will be having a t-shirt fashion show! Please refer to the notice that was sent home with your child last week for specific details. You can also click here to view the notice. In need of an idea? Try one of these!

*Although the notice asks your child to bring their t-shirt to school ahead of time, if it's easier for them to wear it to school on Friday the 6th that's fine with me! Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need help purchasing a plain t-shirt. A shirt you already have around the house is ok too!

Valentine's Day 💘

Our class will be celebrating Valentines Day on Friday, February 13th! As part of our celebration we will be exchanging valentines. Please click here for some helpful hints and tips for making our celebration an enjoyable one for your child. Please note food and candy is not allowed. A hard copy of this notice was sent home last week.

Curriculum Update:

Reader's Workshop

In Reader's Workshop last week the children were introduced to a new module (unit) of stories and asked the essential question: "What does it mean to try hard?" We began to explore this question by enjoying the books Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall and All by Myself by Mercer Mayer. We also used picture and text clues to identify character's feelings, and continue to practice making and checking predictions. In phonics the students learned all about the letter w, and practiced reading the sight/heart word see.

Math

In math we continued to explore two dimensional shapes. The class enjoyed playing a partner called Circle and Squares Race you to 20 which incorporated both shape and number identification. They also compared circles vs. spheres and sorted and counted pattern blocks!

Writing

Our sentence writing was in full swing last week! The students were introduced to a checklist which remind them that a sentence needs to start with a capital letter, end with puncutation or an ending mark, include finger spaces, and tell a complete thought or idea. We also enjoyed a fun song that helped remember these important elements. Click here to listen at home! 

Thanks so much for taking a peek at our week! Please check back soon to watch us learn, grow, and play in the wonderful world that is K! 🚌📖🍎

A Peek At Our Week!

 I hope everyone stayed warm and safe in the storm, and your child is enjoying their extra day off from school! Please see below for updates and announcements from our classroom. ❆

Important Dates:

January 30th:

Report Cards Available on Aspen/X2

February 4th:

The 100th Day of School!

February 6th:

Early Release 

11:55am Dismissal

February 14th:

Valentines Day

(See below for details)

February 16th-20th

No School

February Vacation

Announcements:

The 100th Day of School! 

The 100th day of school will fall on Wednesday, February 4th. To celebrate, our class will be having a t-shirt fashion show! Please refer to the notice that was sent home with your child last week for specific details. You can also click here to view the notice. In need of an idea? Try one of these!

*Although the notice asks your child to bring their t-shirt to school ahead of time, if it's easier for them to wear it to school on Wednesday the 4th that's fine with me! Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need help purchasing a plain t-shirt. A shirt you already have around the house is ok too!

Valentine's Day 💘

Our class will be celebrating Valentines Day on Friday, February 13th! As part of our celebration we will be exchanging valentines. Please click here for some helpful hints and tips for making our celebration an enjoyable one for your child. Please note food and candy is not allowed. A hard copy of this notice will be sent home this week. 

Curriculum Update:

Reader's Workshop

Last week in reading we finished our fourth module (unit) titled Happy Healthy Me! The students worked hard over the past few weeks to answer the question, "How can I be my healthiest me?" and enjoyed reading books and participating in writing activities that helped them discover what is needed to have a happy, healthy lifestyle. In the week ahead we will begin our fifth module titled "I can do it!". During this unit the children will answer the essential question, "What does it mean to try hard?". In phonics the students learned all about the letter e and reviewed the sight/heart words are, does, and put.

Math

In math we continue to learn about measurement using nonstandard units! A highlight of our week was measuring the length of our foot using pasta, paper clips, unifix cubes, and plastic pennies!

Writer's Workshop

In writer's workshop last week we completed our unit on opinion writing! As a result of this unit the children are now able to give an opinion about a topic and provide at least one reason to support their opinion. In week ahead the class will participate in a sentence writing bootcamp which will teach them the "must have" components of a sentence including beginning with an uppercase letter, ending with a punctuation mark, and using finger spaces.

A Look Inside Specials 👀

In media/stem the class was introduced to a coding app on the iPad. In P.E./Gym they enjoyed a lively game of battleship!

Thanks so much for taking a peek at our week! Please check back soon to watch us learn, grow, and play in the wonderful world that is K! 🍎📖🚌

A Peek At Our Week!

 I hope everyone is staying warm on this snowy day, and your child is enjoying their extra long weekend! Here's a peek at what we were up to in Room 115 last week! ⛄

Announcements:

Snow Gear

The snowy weather is finally here and we will continue to go outdoors for recess as often as the weather permits. The children will be allowed to play in the snow as long as they bring snow pants and snow boots to school (as well as a jacket, hat, and gloves/mittens). A hardtop area is available for children who do not have these items or do not wish to play in the snow. PLEASE have your child practice putting on their snow gear at home. With only two adults in the classroom we are not able to individually dress each child. Since storage space in our classroom is limited, your child's snow gear will be sent home each Friday. If you would like it to come home more frequently please let me know!

Curriculum Update:

Into Reading

Last week we continued to answer the essential question: "How can I be my healthiest me?" We read the books Jack & The Hungry Giant by Loreen Leedy and Edible Colors by Jennifer Vogel Bass to help us deepen our understanding of this concept. We also used these read alouds to practice identifying the topic, central idea, and key details of a text, and explored the concept of shades of meaning. In phonics, we learned about the letter x and y and also practiced reading the sight/heart word put. 

On Thursday, we enjoyed reading What Does the X-Ray Say? a book that was written an illustrated by students in a second grade class in West Allis, Wisconsin. We also created x-ray projects using black paper and Q-tips! It was a fun, and engaging way to learn about the letter x and the sound it makes!

Math

Last week in math the class began to explore the concept of measurement! Our main focus was comparing lengths and identifying objects that were shorter or longer than a given example. We are looking forward to having more fun with measurement in the week ahead!

The students above estimate the length of my lanyard using a piece of yarn. We discovered that most student's yarn strings were either too long or too short, but one student's yarn piece was the exact length of the lanyard! 😁

The class also enjoyed measuring the length of insects using nonstandard units (unifix cubes!). 

Writing

Last week in writing we completed our unit on opinions! The students enjoyed writing their final piece about their favorite recess activity, and using the word "because" to provide at least one reason. In the week ahead the class will participate in sentence writing bootcamp where they will be introduced to how to construct a sentence, and include certain elements such as beginning with a capital letter, including finger spaces, and ending with punctuation. 

Social Studies

In Social Studies we discussed the important contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. The students watched a portion of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech" and learned about his life through our Let's Find Out magazine. 

A Look Inside Specials 👀

In music the students learned a new song and dance called "This Way, That Way". In art they created their own pinch pots using clay! 🎵🎨

Thanks so much for taking a peek at our week! Please check back soon to watch us learn, grow, and play in the wonderful world that is K! 🍎📖🚌

A Peek At Our Week!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is ready to cheer on the PATS tonight! Please enjoy a few pictures and updates from Room 115 below. 🏈

Important Dates:

January 16th:

No School

Professional Development Day

January 19th:

No School

MLK Day

Announcements:

We've Got Spirit!

We had a great time showing our Patriots pride on Friday as we get ready to cheer on the PATS in tonight's big game!

We are SO lucky to have Mrs. Feeney join our class! She works in Mrs. Lyons' room in the morning, and joins us in the afternoon. Welcome Mrs. Feeney!

Lost and Found:

The lunchbox below has been in left in our classroom for quite some time and is missing it's owner. Please let me know if it belongs to your child! 😊

Wish List

Our classroom is currently in need of Clorox/Lysol wipes. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated! 

Curriculum:

Into Reading

Last week we continued to answer the essential question: "How can I be my healthiest me?" We read the books Get Up and Go! by Nancy Carlson and Stretch by Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin to help us deepen our understanding of this concept. We also used these read alouds to practice identifying the topic, central idea, and key details of a text, and also explored the concept of shades of meaning. In phonics we learned about the letter k and s when it is an ending. We also practiced reading the sight/heart words are and does. 

Writer's Workshop

In Writer's Workshop we continue to practice our opinion writing. Last week we wrote our opinion about a season we do NOT like. We also began to practice adding reasons for our opinion using the word "because". One example of this was: "I do not like spring because there are bees." We will complete our unit on opinion writing in the week ahead!

Math

In math last week we explored the concept of counting on which can be used as a very helpful addition strategy. We played a fun game called Foxes and Dens to help us practice this skill. We also practiced adding and subtracting 1 or 2 more from a given number by playing a game called The Forest Game.

The goal of The Forest Game was to get all 10 of your squirrels (aka counters) into the forest! 

Thanks so much for taking a peek at our week! Please check back soon to watch us learn, grow, and play in the wonderful world that is K! 🍎📖🚌