Happy New Year

School starts again on Thursday, January 2, 2014.

Get ready to learn and have fun times with friends.

Peek at the Week of December 30-January 3

 

Happy New Year!  Welcome back to a two-day week.  It will be great to have these days to catch up with each other and get back into our routines.

No spelling lists this week.


Homework and Specials
Thursday 1/2
B Day:  Art and Music
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2. Blue Writing Journal

Friday 1/3
C Day:  gym
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes

Have a nice weekend!

Mystery Readers

PK was so excited to have her mom and grandparents come in before break to share some stories with our class. 

Cookie Day

Cookie Day was very fun!

Roll a Snowman

Here's a simple dice game for a snowy day. All you need is a dice, scrap paper, and a pencil. 

Peek at the Week of December 16-20

 

 

This is the last week of school in 2013! 

It's going to be a festive and busy week.

Report Cards:  If you still have the large white envelope, please return it to school.


Pajama Breakfast Party:  We are having our class Pajama Breakfast on Tuesday at 9:30.  Your child can wear pajamas and slippers, but please make sure they have "real" shoes for recess and the bus.  Thank you for the following families for sponsoring this event:
             Cinnamon Rolls (Long/Pritchartt)
             Fruit Salad (Faherty)
            Juice, Cups, Napkins, Plates (Orr)


Grab Bag:  If you have not sent in a gift, please do so before Tuesday.  We will be doing the Grab Bag activity at our class breakfast on Tuesday morning.  Writing a thank you note will be the homework for Tuesday night.


Early Dismissal:  Friday is an Early Dismissal Day.  We will attend the school singalong and have our December Pep Rally.  Due to the shortened day we will do our spelling test on Thursday.


December Monthly Minutes:  Please remind your child to return the December calendar to school on Friday.


HOMEWORK AND SPECIALS
Monday 12/16
C Day:  Gym
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Monthly Minutes
3.  Winter Word Work

Tuesday 12/17
D Day:  Library
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Monthly Minutes
3.  Grab Bag Thank You letter

Wednesday 12/18
E Day:  Spanish
1.  Read for at least 10 minute
2.  Monthly Minutes
3.  ***Study for tomorrow's spelling test (We are taking the test a day early.)

Thursday 12/19
F Day:  Music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Monthly Minutes
3.  Finish filling out your December Monthly Minutes (turn in tomorrow)

Friday 12/20
A Day:  Gym

Have a great vacation...see you on Thursday, January 2nd!

Peek at the Week of December 9-13

Thank you for meeting with me during last week's conferences.  It is always good to hear yours and your child's perspective on the school year. If you still have the white report card envelope, please return it to school.


The BIG excitement is this Thursday's Cookie Exchange.  The information for this came home in your child's report card envelope (on pink paper I think).   Your child should bring 23 cookies to school on Thursday.  In the afternoon each child will have the chance to walk around the room and pick up 1 cookie from each person.  It is always fun to pretend our classroom is a bakery for a day!  Your child will bring home a big plate of cookies to share with your family.  After making their cookie platters, they will enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie.  Thank you to the following families for sponsoring this event:
                 Sykes:  24 cups and napkins
                 Kelly:  Box of hot chocolate
                 Bruce:  24 candy canes
                 Orr:  mini marshmallows
                 Reid:  2 cans of whip cream


HOMEWORK AND SPECIALS
Monday 12/9
D Day:  Library
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill our Monthly Minutes
3.  Winter Word Work

Tuesday 12/10
E Day:  Spanish
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out Monthly Minutes
3.  Math:  Mittens word problem

Wednesday 12/11
F Day:  Music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out Monthly Minutes
3.  Make cookies!

Thursday 12/12
A Day:  Gym
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out Monthly Minutes
3.  Study for tomorrow's test

Friday 12/13
B Day:  Art and Music

Have a great weekend!

Mystery Reader

NF's mom was a recent Mystery Reader for our class!

Peek at the Week of December 2-6

It's conference week.  Monday is a full day. Tuesday through Friday will be early dismissal days.

Please sign and return the white report card envelope.  This envelope will be used two more times this year.  The report card and two papers (about the Cookie Exchange and the Grab Bag) should be kept at home.

A new 'Monthly Minutes' reading calendar for December will be sent home this week. 


Homework and Specials
Monday 12/2
E Day:  Spanish
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill in Monthly Minutes
3.  Winter Word Work


Tuesday 12/3
F Day:  Music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill in Monthly Minutes
3.  Math:  Wreath Word Problem


Wednesday 12/4
A Day: Gym
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill in Monthly Minutes
3.  Blue Writing Journals


Thursday 12/5
B Day:  Art and Music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill in Monthly Minutes
3.  Study for tomorrow's spelling test


Friday 12/6
C Day:  Gym
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill in Monthly Minutes

Have a great week!

Pie Party

We had a nice afternoon with some delicious drinks and pie.  We took a survey to find out which kind of pie is the most popular.  Our class voted on pumpkin.  There were 3 kids who had never tried pie before today.  They were all brave and had a little nibble!

Peek at the Week of November 25-29

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for all of your kind emails.  I missed the class and will be very happy to be back with them.

This is a short week.  Wednesday is an early dismissal day.  There is no school on Thursday and Friday.

Due to the shortened week, there will not be a weekly spelling list.

We will celebrate Thanksgiving here at school with a Pie Party on Tuesday at 2:30.  Thank you to the following families for sponsoring this event.  Your items can be sent in with your child, dropped off during the day, or you can come at 2:30 and stay...whatever works for you and your schedule is fine with me.
-Krotee:  2 pumpkin pies with a serving knife
-Long:  2 apple pies with a serving knife
-Orr:  cool whip topping
-Buchesky:  Apple cider (2 gallons)
-Cope:  forks, plates, napkins, cups

Homework and Specials
Monday 11/25
B Day:  Art and Music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Monthly Minutes
3.  Reader Response:  Favorite Part


Tuesday 11/26
C Day:  gym
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Monthly Minutes
3.  Math:  Granny's Pies


Wednesday 11/27
D Day:  library

Enjoy the long holiday break!

Colonial Day Field Trip

We had a beautiful day for our fall field trip. We toured an 1800s house.
We played old-fashioned games.
We used a quill and ink to write our names on parchment.
We made butter (that was quite a workout).
We also each made a doll out of a clothespin and some fabric scraps. 

Mystery Reader

SB was excited to have her mom be our class Mystery Reader. 

Peek at the Week of November 18-22

Field Trip
We will be going on our first field trip of the year on Monday, November 18th.  We will be leaving Ox Ridge at 9:30 to attend a program at the Darien Historical Society.  We will be back at school around 11:45.  Thank you to the Krotee, Mansourian, Reid, and Sykes families for chaperoning.  It should be a great trip!


Pumpkin And Cranberry Tasting
This Thursday afternoon we will have a taste of fall! This event is similar to the apple tasting party we had back in September.  Here is a list of who is bringing what.  Thank you to our sponsor families.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:  Kahn
Pumpkin Bread (cut into 24 bite size pieces):  Long-Pritchartt
Pumpkin Pie (cut into 24 mini pieces):  Mansourian
Dried Cranberries (aka Craisins):  Gately
Cranberry Juice:  Matyszkowicz
Cranberry Sauce:  Bell
Cups, spoons, napkins:  Orr


Homework and Specials
Monday 11/18 (Field Trip!)
C Day:  gym
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill our Monthly Minutes
3.  Fall Word Work

Tuesday 11/19
D Day:  Library
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out Monthly Minutes
3.  Blue Writing Journals

Wednesday 11/20
E Day:  Spanish
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill our Monthly Minutes
3.  Math:  Field Trip Chart

Thursday 11/21
F Day:  music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out Monthly Minutes
3.  Study for tomorrow's spelling test

Friday 11/22
A Day: gym

Have a great weekend!

Non-fiction Readers

We spent time exploring a new genre of books. Today's challenge was to find nonfiction books that match our "just right" reading levels. 

Mystery Reader

CC was so happy to have her mom be a mystery reader!

Peek at the Week of November 11-15

Picture Retakes
Picture Retakes are on Tuesday morning.

Writing Workshop
We will be finishing up our How To Writing unit this week.  This week we will be selecting our best/favorite piece and then we will revise, edit, and copy over our work so that we can publish our How To "manuals" by Friday.  It's not too late to send in a video of your child showing/teaching the class how to do something.

Reading Workshop
We started a unit of study on non-fiction.  Last week we learned all about the genre.  This week we will practice reading in an "expert" voice.  We will continue to use our 'tricky word' strategies, but will also be working on how to 'scoop' words in a sentence so that our reading sounds smooth.

We started our reading groups last week.  Each group picked a name for themselves.  We have the Owls, Monkeys, Snow Leopards, Panthers, and Lions.  While each group meets with me, the other groups will be doing some literacy center activities.  The class is really looking forward to this new part of their day.


Homework and Specials
Monday 11/11
D Day: Library
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Fill in reading log
3.  Fall Word Work

Tuesday 11/12
E Day:  Spanish
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Fill in reading log
3.  Math: Pick a Lunch (graphing)

Wednesday 11/13
F Day: Music
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Fill in reading log
3.  Blue Writing Journals  (Please remind your child to reread their writing out loud to make sure that there are complete sentences and that the sentences make sense.)

Thursday 11/14
A Day:  gym
1.  Read for at least 15 minutes
2.  Fill in reading log
3.  Study for tomorrow's spelling test

 

Have a great week!

Highlights of the Week November 8

*(PG)  We met a veteran.  

*(TH)  We have gym today.

*(WK)  We worked in the garden.

*(CK)  My mom came to take pictures for the yearbook.

*(QK)  We went to the Book Fair.

*(PK)  We learned about tally marks and graphs.

*(MM)  We had art yesterday.  We painted pictures of leaf piles.

*(AM)  We got books from the Book Fair.

*(SM)  We ran lots of laps in the gym.

*(SO)  I tripped in gym!

*(VP)  In gym we threw foam balls against the walls.  We practiced throwing strong.

*(ER)  We had our spelling test today.

*(BS)  We had our tenth spelling test.

*(ST)  We have 7 gold homework stars.

*(WB)  We are taking our first spelling tests of the month.

*(SB)  We started centers and reading groups.

*(TB)  At centers there are 4 groups.  

*(CKC)  Every Friday we have a mystery reader.

*(CHC)  We played Elimination in gym.

*(SD)  We had our first day of centers.

*(NF)  The center groups are:  RAZ kids, Mystery Solvers, Rubber Stampers, and Character Art.

Veterans' Day

We were lucky to meet a real-life Veteran today. Mr. Krotee (aka Captain Krotee) visited our class. He brought some flags and medals from his Army days.

Mystery Readers

TB was so, so, so happy when three of his family members came to read a funny book to our class. 

Peek at the Week of November 4-8

Election Day
There is no school for students on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5th.

Book Fair
We will go to the Book Fair at 2:00 on Wednesday in the library.

Field Trip Collection
Thank you for sending in $10 for the spring field trip.  Please send it in as soon as possible.

Monthly Minutes
A new month means a new calendar should have made its way home.

RAZ Kids
Your child brought home a small card with his/her username and password.  This computer-based reading program can also be used for at home reading. 


Homework and Specials
Monday 11/4
F Day:  Music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out monthly minutes
3.  Fall Word Work

Tuesday 11/5
No School for Students

Wednesday 11/6
A Day:  Gym
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out monthly minutes
3.  Blue Writing Journals

Thursday 11/7
B Day:  Art and Music
1.  Read for at least 10 minutes
2.  Fill out monthly minutes
3.  Study for tomorrow's spelling test

 

Have a great week!