December Classroom News Mrs. Rotterman, Room 109 Throughout the month of December, we will be focusing on Advent and the birth of Jesus. We will be saying Advent prayers and reading from the Old Testament as we place a symbol on our classroom Jesse tree which tells the story of Jesus’ birth. In language arts, we continue to read and respond to a variety of literature. Students are working hard on writing complete telling and asking sentences. We are also beginning a free writing journal this month in which students will be encouraged to write about topics of their choice. We will be practicing concepts such as compare and contrast, setting, drawing conclusions, and analyzing characters. We will also be learning more about adjectives, nouns, and verbs. We continue to work on blend sounds and apply them to reading material. To reinforce reading fluency and expression, we are working on the reader’s theatre “Arthur’s Christmas.” The children seem to thoroughly enjoy practicing this interactive reading activity. I have been pleased with the amount of effort they have put in to their parts. We will be presenting this for parents in our room on Thursday, December 10th at 9:00 a.m. I hope you can make it! In math, we have finished our unit on solid shapes. Your child should be able to identify the names of the shapes and even draw most of them. We will now be covering geometry elements, spatial sense, symmetry, patterns, fractions, and probability in the upcoming lessons. At home, please practice addition and subtraction facts as well as coin identification. We will practicing with money starting in January. We continue to discuss jobs, wants, needs, goods, and services in social studies. We have been studying many animals in science as well as their different habitats. We are also learning about food chains and practicing fun, corresponding science songs. Earth science will be our focus after Christmas break. Topics will include our Earth’s resources, how we should care for the Earth, and what weather does to the Earth’s land. Students are practicing for the school Christmas program during December. You may have heard your child singing the tunes. The program is scheduled for 1:15 pm. and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 17th. Please have your child come to the classroom at 6:45 p.m. as we will process down together. Also, keep their coats because they will be dismissed from the gym after the program. I would like students to give their 8th grade buddy a small treat/present for Christmas. Please have your child bring something in for his/her buddy by Monday, December 14th. Please keep it around five dollars or less. In class, we will be making them cards. Thank you for your support and time working with your child at home. The students are becoming much more confident readers and writers. Thank you for encouraging your child to bring in canned goods before Thanksgiving. We are still collecting donations for the missions. Please see the red December calendar for other important dates. Mrs. Rotterman Friday, December 4th Spelling Test #13 chin together when now wink eat chick too sink think Friday, December 11th Spelling Test #14 snake know made where lake under came why shade name Friday, December 18th Spelling Test #15 sticks try sun old twigs eat fire under snow mud CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS/ NO SCHOOL -DEC. 21-JAN.1 SCHOOL RESUMES Monday, January 4th