Sunday, December 6
Wow! It's freezing outside! I hope you are staying warm inside. Be sure to bundle up your child this week. Our classroom may be a bit chilly, too. You may want to send a warm sweater or jacket your child can wrap up in.
We have some fun learning in store this week!
MathStudents will test over Topic 6 Monday, then begin Topic 7. Students will also participate in Math Workstations reinforcing various mathematical skills.
We are rockin' right along with our Rocket Math, too! To help your little one master computation fluency, be sure to practice with him/her at home. We practice our math facts 3 days every week as we team up with classmates, then take a 1 minute timed test. Every Friday, students take a 2 minute timed test.
Monday, November 23
Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope your turkey day is filled with yummy food, fun with family and friends, and wonderful Black Friday Shopping! I am very thankful for my family, friends, WONDERFUL students, and amazing DC families! Thank you for sharing your child with me - they add so much joy to my life!
Thank you for all the congratulatory messages you sent me for certifying for National Boards! I am printing your messages to place in my National Boards book so I can look back and read them again and again. I must say, I am walking on a "cloud of relief" right now and rejoicing in the fact that I will get to ENJOY my Thanksgiving and Christmas break instead of researching and writing! Whew!!
We only have two days this week - but days full of GREAT FUN! We are busy working on our Plymouth Colony packets, learning about the life when our great country was settled. I think students are realizing they have it easy compared to Pilgrim children! We will be making a Snazzy Snack tomorrow - a "cookie turkey!" It will be reading for a DIFFERENT purpose...reading for INFORMATION - specifically a recipe!! What a fun lesson...don't you agree??
If you are traveling this holiday season, please be careful and return to Oklahoma safe and sound. I will miss your little one and will be ready to see him/her on Monday, November 30. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Patrick
Sunday, November 15
Dear Parents-
Can you believe NEXT week is Thanksgiving?? Time has really flown by this year! Have you begun the countdown to Christmas? If not, or if so, there are only 40 days left!
Did you tell your little one congratulations for a job well done on Friday? Their performance in Rendezvous was fantastic! I was so proud of them. Those of you who were in attendance, if you were able to take digital video, will you either burn me a DVD or arrange to bring your camera up to the school and allow me to download it? I would really appreciate it!
So, we have a fun week of learning ahead...
Math
We will finish up Topic 5 over money this week, then have a fun review day before our test on Wednesday. Students will then begin Topic 6 - Mental Addition. Students have a great foundation already established for Mental Math and will work on extending their skills and broadening thinking strategies.
Rocket Math is going great! Students have learned the routine and are doing a great job! We will continue working on our fluency throughout the week.
Daily 5 Students will have a wonderful time this week as they read to learn about Life in Plymouth Colony. They will enjoy this collaborative reading project and can earn AR points for completion of their student booklet and extra projects.
Many Smarties are enjoying working together to write books! I must say...they have some very creative ideas. Can't wait to read their final products!
This week in writing, students will begin working on a "Thankful" book.
AR Students are doing a fabulous job with AR! Students are remembering to read in their ZPD, read and test on a daily basis, and are reading a TON of books! If our class goal of 359.50 points is met, the kiddos will earn a class party. We are already over halfway there! If they exceed their goal, they will earn more privileges. We will vote on what kind of class party they want to work for next week...stay tuned!
I hope you have a spectacular week! May you and your household stay well amidst all the viruses that are floating around!
Mrs. Patrick
Sunday, October 26
Dear Parents-
Greetings! I hope you had a great weekend! Does your little one have his/her Halloween costume, yet? We were at the store this evening and it's down to "slim pickings!" Hopefully your child has a fabulous costume for this weekend. Costumes may be worn to school on Friday. Please make sure they are friendly costumes with no weapons or blood. I can't wait to see all the kiddos dressed up!
Our
fall party will begin at 1:15 with lots of fun crafts and yummy food. Parents are more than welcome to attend - great photo opportunity. At 2:15, we will go to the gym for our annual
costume parade! This is great fun for the kids, parents, and teachers.
Red Ribbon Week is this week. Students are invited to dress up each day of the week.
Monday - "Join the FIGHT against drugs!" wear camouflage
Tuesday - "Stay in the game -be drug free!" wear favorite team jersey
Wednesday - "Follow your dreams! Don't do drugs!" wear your favorite
flannel pajamas
Thursday - "I'm a JEAN-ius!" wear your favorite pair of jeans
Friday - "Hocus Pocus, drugs aren't my focus!" wear your costume
Monster Trap ProjectHave you ever thought about how you would catch a "monster?" Would you leave a trail of chocolate leading to a 'lock box?' Would you leave out some stinky gorgonzola cheese to entice it? Well, as a final activity to our monster unit, students will concoct a way to "trap" a monster. This will be a HOME project. I'm including a link so you can see what other students have done...but please assist your child in creating something uniquely their own.
I will send home a rubric and basic instruction sheet tomorrow so you will know my expectations. This project will be a lot more fun if your child does the work - and not you. I know it's tempting to take over when projects are sent home and make it look the way we as parents envision it. However, it is important that this project be your child's. Can you assist your child? Absolutely! Just don't take over and make the project yours.
Monster Traps are due on Monday, November 2nd. Visit this
link to view Monster Traps created by Mrs. Wilson's class in Arizona. Use this website for inspiration, not replication! ;O)
Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming up next week. I will send out an e-mail tomorrow asking for time preferences. ALL CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE BY E-MAIL...I won't be sending home any papers. I will then place the schedule in Parent Packet of Teacher Web.
Please e-mail me your top three time slots you can meet and which day. Times are in 15 minute increments.
Thursday, November 5 - 4:00-7:00
Friday, November 6 - 9:00-12:00 a.m.
PhonicsStudents will be working with suffixes and how they change the meanings of words. We will also review digraphs /ee/ and /oo/.
Math
Students will practice ordering numbers from greatest to least and least to greatest, review patterns on a number chart, work with even and odd numbers, and use data from a chart.
In Rocket Math, students will take their first 2 minute timed test. Homework procedures in Rocket Math will begin on TUESDAY. Look for more information coming home. It's not difficult or time intensive...but the home component will be important.
Daily 5
Since I was out ill one day last week, we will pick up where we left off on checking out equipment properly for Listen to Reading. Students will also work on Working with Words this week. The final component is Working on Writing. I will introduce Monster Writing this week and will expand next week on "Why Do We Write?"
As students develop their reading abilities, they will run across unfamiliar vocabulary in their books. An important component of Daily 5 is Expanding Vocabulary. We will begin conversation this week about what to do when a new word is encountered and its meaning is not understood. Students will begin finding and recording new words they run across in their reading. It will be exciting to see how this will begin transferring in their speech AND in their writing.
AR
Students were given new AR goals on Tuesday. One aspect of AR is learning to "pace" oneself and take a test almost daily. If done this way, students will read and test on a consistent basis instead of trying to read oodles of books to get all their tests done in one day.
Many students were amazed at how quickly they met their goal when reading a book each day and taking the test. It's definitely a work in progress. It's wonderful to see them so motivated about reading!
I hope you have a fantabulous week!! Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Mrs. Patrick
Tuesday, October 20
Dear Parents-
A big "thank you" to my Smarties for being such wonderful Rose Union Ambassadors while I was out ill on Monday! The substitute was extremely impressed with their helpfulness, manners, and respectfulness. She complimented the class on their knowledge of classroom procedures and routines and asked to be invited back in case I ever needed another sub. Wow! What a wonderful note! It just made my morning!!
We have a busy week as we enter into our second quarter. Students have a couple of new procedures added to their day's routine, and also some new goals for themselves. I'm very excited to watch them grow as learners during our next nine weeks together.
Book Orders are due on
Friday, October 23. I will have the order overnighted so it makes it to your child before Halloween. You can go online to order
and to shop!! See the Book Orders section of Teacher Web for the link. For every online order, we receive a free book!
Next week is
Red Ribbon Week! This is a national drug awareness and prevention program. There was a flyer sent home today about next week's activities. Take a moment to look over it and see all the great things planned for our school.
The children are very excited about our
Fall Party next week! It sounds like a lot of fun things will take place! Thank you to all our parents for working on making this a fun event for all the kiddos! Our party will begin at
1:15 in the classroom. Moms may want to arrive earlier so they can set-up. At
2:15, we will go to the gym for the
Costume Parade! Parents are welcome to attend...great photo opportunities!
Phonics
This week in Phonics, students will work on digraphs, blends, and long vowel patterns.
Math
Students are working with place value, using models to compare numbers, using symbols to compare numbers (the alligator mouth! < or >), numbers that come before, after, and between, and ordering numbers from least to greatest.
We also began procedures for Rocket Math today. Next week, students will begin procedures for Rocket Math at home. I promise it's not time intensive. A small commitment whenever Rocket Math does come home with your child will pay BIG dividends in the classroom. :O)
Daily 5
We will review how to properly check out equipment for Listen to Reading, and how to put it away properly, too. I'm sure students will need frequent reminders throughout the year as this is a skill all young children continually work on. We will also review our role as learners during Daily 5 and why we participate in our various literacy routines.
When children understand WHY they are doing an activity, they develop a stronger sense of ownership and sense of urgency. Their motivation to work comes from within themselves and not from me. This is what I see every day in my classroom. Isn't that exciting?! :O)
Although I assist in goal setting, students understand WHY they are working toward their goal...to become better readers and writers. Goals help motivate children, but it's UNDERSTANDING WHY they are working toward a goal that helps them actually achieve it.
Speaking of goals...
AR
I met with almost every child today and discussed their AR achievements from October 5 - October 14 (that's only 8 days!). I was amazed at their diligence in reading and taking quizzes almost every day! I think when they saw it on paper, they were a little amazed at what they did, too! Most every student EXCEEDED the AR goal I set for them...which was only for an EIGHT day period!! If they exceeded their goal in only 8 days, just think what they will do in the next nine weeks!! Amazing!!
How are AR goals determined?
Accelerated Reader looks at the amount of time children spend in the classroom reading and at their ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development-developed by Lev Vygotsky). Based on these two factors, a goal is suggested. Of course, I look at their past achievements, motivation, and ability level, too. So far, what I have witnessed is in direct alignment with what Accelerated Reader is suggesting.
I have broken the nine week goal into weekly goals. Then, I broke the weekly goal into a daily goal. This should help students see the steps they need to take in order to meet their goal by, or before, Christmas Break. Students will develop the ability to keep track of their tests and points earned. I will meet with them weekly and send reports home every Thursday of their week's testing progress.
As we near the middle of the nine weeks, if goals need to be adjusted, I will work with your child to do so. We will either come up with some alternatives to help him/her gain points, or if need be, we can lower the goal. Please keep in mind, by using the Daily 5, students spend their afternoon PRACTICING reading. They aren't involved in busy work, but in AUTHENTIC reading practice. So they have plenty of time to work on AR, as well as read other materials they are interested in. Daily 5..."it's a good thing!"
I hope you enjoy your week and all the surprises tomorrow has in store for you (which is why tomorrow will be your present)! Should you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. If you don't hear back from me within 24 hours, please send a note with your little one...it could be that I didn't receive your e-mail due to our network (which they are working on).
Thank you for sharing your children with me! I enjoy spending time with them every day and watching them grow as tomorrow's leaders.
Mrs. Patrick
Monday, October 19
Dear Parents-
I will do my best to be back at school on Tuesday...I don't have much of a voice so I may have to whisper all day.
I will update Teacher Web on Tuesday...sorry for any inconvenience. :O/
I will extend book orders to Thursday. I will send home papers tomorrow.
Enjoy your evening!
Mrs. Patrick
Sunday, October 18
Dear Parents-
I will be out on Monday, October 19 due to illness. Hope you were able to spend your fall break being healthy! :O/ I'll update everyone tomorrow evening.
E-mail has been down all weekend. I'm hoping it will be back up on Monday.
Mrs. Patrick
Sunday, October 11
It's definitely cloudy...but IS there a chance of meatballs? There was this afternoon at Kickingbird Theater on Danforth and Bryant! Six Smarties were able to make it to the 3-D afternoon matinee. It was very different from the book! Only a few of the same elements were present. Our next At the Movies experience will be Where the Wild Things Are, which is scheduled to come out on October 16. I'll let you know the date and time for our next excursion soon! Keep checking back!
All of us are looking forward to Fall Break this week! I hope you have a wonderfully relaxing time with your family whether you choose to stay here or travel abroad. If you are traveling, stay safe.
Here are a few announcements for the upcoming week:
No Spelling! Enjoy your time off!
Keep reading this week! Your child should have more time since there is no spelling - so help him/her make the most of it! By Oct. 17, students should be halfway to their goal of 400 minutes for this month's Book It goal. Once your child reaches his/her goal, sign the reading log and return with your child to school. I will then send home a certificate for a FREE Personal Pan Pizza at Pizza Hut.
Remember to clip those Box-Tops for Education for our school! Every dollar helps!
Our e-mail at the school has not been working well. Sometimes I may not be receiving your e-mails, and there may have been times you haven't received mine. You might want to have an "e-mail buddy" that you check with to make sure you are receiving important updates. The district is planning to switch server support to help with the increased flow of traffic/data. If you haven't been receiving my e-mails, please send a note with your child and I will send you updates via my home e-mail.
Costume Parade/Fall Party - Our Fall Party will begin at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, October 30, and last until about 2:10. At 2:15, students will go to the gym for the Costume Parade. Students may wear their Halloween costume to school on this day. Please no scary costumes or weapons. Thank you for your help! I can't wait to see how they dress up!
Phonics
This week in Phonics, students will review sight words, digraphs, and irregular spellings.
Math
Students will begin Topic 4 - Place Value: Numbers 1-100. Studying Place Value allows students to explore the various patterns represented in our numeration system. Students will expand on their knowledge gained last year through working on the 100 Number Chart. Some comments you might hear your child make are, "Hey, when I count by 5's, my answers end in either 5 or 0!" "Whenever I add 10 to any number, only the first digit in each answer changes...the second digit stays the same!"
Discovering these patterns is exciting for children and solidifies their number sense AND their self-confidence. Such work lays a foundation for future work in adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, as well as beginning work with multiplication.
Students will also work in Math Workstations and participate in activities such as Set, 3 Minute Math, Word's Worth, Addition Top-It, Name That Number, 24, and many more! If you know of any great Math games, I would love to know about them! Also, if you have a Math game you would let us borrow or you would like to donate, we would appreciate it!!
I encourage you to set aside a night or two to get on Fact Dash, which is in the Homework section of Teacher Web. We will begin Rocket Math once we return from Fall Break, and this would be a way to study in a fun and motivating way.
Mr. David and myself have previewed the flash cards available on the Rocket Math website and have decided to purchase several for our two children who are still working on Mathematical fluency. You might want to check it out, too, www.rocketmath.net
Daily 5
Students are doing an outstanding job in their Daily 5 routine. They are immersed in reading activities and stay focused on the procedures of becoming a better reader. I must brag for just a moment on your kiddos...
This is my 11th year in teaching. I've always struggled with centers/center activities that keep students engaged so that I don't have to stop and correct behavior. Daily 5 is the FIRST routine I have found that TRULY keeps them engaged and basically eliminates behavior challenges. Each time I look up in our classroom, your children are always on task! The noise I hear is from them reading out loud, reading to each other, checking comprehension, retelling a story, coaching a classmate on how to figure out an unknown word...it's rare that I ever find a child off task. I think they are pretty amazing students!
This week, students will continue practicing 3 previously learned routines - Read to Self, Read to Someone, and Listen to Reading. They will also begin Working with Words this week. I think they will enjoy this new aspect to our Daily 5.
AR
Mrs. Patrick's Smarties are "rockin'" AR! Many Smarties have already met their goal which is due on October 14th. If your child is "intimidated" by AR, or hasn't taken many tests, let me offer a few suggestions to help.
1. Go through your child's books at home. Pull them out and then visit our DCRU Accelerated Reader library online. You will find the link under the Links section of Teacher Web. Once at the site, click on Rose Union, then click on catalogue. You can type in the title to see if we have it in our library and if it's an AR book.
I found close to 30 books in my daughter's library - and I'm sure there may be even more. Finding these books allowed me to read with my son in the comfort of our own home, and read books immediately - without waiting for him to visit the library the next day. He will have MANY evenings now full of reading books that will enable him to take a quiz EACH day he goes to school (he's so excited-LOL). This will help him reach his goal AND keeps him immersed in reading every night (something we often struggle with-like many of you).
2. If your child is anxious about taking the AR quizzes, there is a site than can help ease his/her anxiety. It is called Book Adventure
You will need to sign your child up for this completely free site in order to take advantage of the THOUSANDS of comprehension quizzes it has available. These tests are similar to the AR test, but they are NOT the exact quiz.
Once your child has read an AR book, visit this site and type in the title. If there is a quiz available, it will tell you. If there is, you can proceed in one of two ways: 1) have your child take the test on the computer or 2) ask your child the questions. This focused review at home can help your child feel more comfortable when taking his/her quiz at the computer the next morning.
3. There are many wonderful and interesting books for reading enjoyment that AREN'T AR books. So, I am coming up with different formats that will allow your child to still accumulate points even if his/her book of choice is not AR. I will try and have these posted after Fall Break. They will be worth more than just half of a point, but will also require some time and effort.
Have a wonderful week! If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. If you don't hear back from me within 24 hours, send me a note via your child...most likely your e-mail didn't make it through to me.
Thank you for having such AWESOME kids!
Mrs. Patrick
Tuesday, October 6
Wow! Fall has definitely arrived! I love the cooler weather, but I thought it would be a gradual decline of temperatures - not a sudden drop! Time to pull out the jackets and sweaters! Brrr!
Thank you so much for allowing your child to stay after school last Thursday for Teach the Teacher Play Date! It was a HUGE success! The teachers were totally impressed with how well behaved the children were and also how they could articulate what the game was about when asked. I do believe our games will be utilized now that the students taught them how to play! ;O) I hope your child enjoyed it as much as the teachers did. I will upload pictures this week and let you know when I do so. Again, thank you!
Our week is already off to a fabulous start! Keep reading to find out about all the fun and fascinating things going on in our classroom! But first, a few announcements...
Picture Day is Thursday, October 8th. You can send your order anytime before Thursday. Be sure and save a picture for me!
Thursday evening is RU night at Celebration Station! Students get to eat and ride rides for FREE! Sounds like a super opportunity for a fun night with the family! Hope to see you there!
I am looking forward to seeing Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs on Sunday with you and your child at Kickingbird Theater on Danforth and Bryant! They will be showing it in 3D at this theater. I will e-mail exact time Wednesday afternoon. Please remember you will need to stay with your child. All the second grade teachers will be there and several other second grade friends. See you there!!
Book It! began last week. I sent home a reading log, but if it didn't make it home, you can find it in the Parent Packet section on Teacher Web. Keep your little one reading each night to reach his/her goal of 400 minutes each month. (20 minutes each evening, 5 nights a week, for a month) When your child has met his/her goal, I will send home a certificate for a FREE Personal Pan Pizza!
Phonics
This week in Phonics, students will practice contractions, reading sight words, reviewing Wild Colt words, and reviewing the Floss Rule.
Math
The students have done a fabulous job of learning subtraction strategies. We will finish Topic 3 this week and begin Topic 4. A new routine we've added to our Math time is Math Workstations. These activities allow students to work on sharpening Math skills, while allowing me to work with small groups. I'm very excited about our new routine and I think the kiddos are too!
Daily 5
Students have learned the next part of our Daily 5 - Listen to Reading. Thank you for sending earphones for your child. I think this is just a proactive approach to any situations that could arise. With this new routine down, we only have two more to learn and practice building stamina in. Students will work on Word Work and then Writing after Fall Break. Each time I look up from whatever I'm working on during our Daily 5 routine, I'm amazed that the noise in our room is completely from working on reading. I rarely ever find a student off task...they really are working on becoming better readers! I'm so proud of them for taking responsibility for their learning! Imagine the great things they will accomplish this year...WOW!
AR
Students are now into the full swing of AR and each student has a goal to reach by October 14th. I sent home goals on Monday. Please encourage your child to be reading at home as well as in the classroom.
One way you can help your child is by looking for books you may have at home that are in our Rose Union AR catalogue. You can access this in the Links section of Teacher Web. If there is an AR book your child can read at home with you, then the next morning, he/she may take a test on it.
Don't forget next week is Fall Break - no school next Thursday and Friday! Stay warm this week! See you on Sunday at Kickingbird Theater!
Mrs. Patrick
Monday, September 28
Dear Parents-
I hope you had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed that final burst of 90 degree weather! I wonder how long it will be before temperatures are that high again!
Thank you for your patience while I was out ill last week. I never like being away from the students...it's hard on all of us. It happens occasionally and when it does, it's nice to come back to positive notes from a substitute. The students were very well behaved and both of the substitute teachers commented on what a great group of kiddos I have. Kudos to your children for a job well done!
Recently, we have had several students out with illnesses. I anticipate more to come in the following months. Mrs. Edwards addressed the entire student body today about how to wash their hands. I followed that up in the classroom by giving a few choices of songs, washing between the fingers, and washing under the fingernails by rubbing nails on top of each palm. We also wiped down our tables, chairs, door knobs, faucet, water fountain, pencils, markers, and map pencils with Clorox wipes.
We will begin using our pencil boxes for individual pencil usage...we'll stop community sharing of this one major used supply for a while. Maybe this will help stop some spreading of germs. I will label pencils with children's names and have students store them in their pencil boxes. A little tedious, I realize, but I hope worth the time invested. :O)
Please go over the following procedures with your child:
Wash hands after going to the bathroom and after coughing or sneezing into them.
Always use soap! Warm water is preferred, but might not be an option at school.
Sing one of three songs while washing to ensure elimination of most germs:
Happy Birthday (two times)
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (one time)
ABC's (one time)
Be sure to wash between fingers and under nails. Students rub their nails on top of their palm while washing with soap.
Use hand sanitizer after blowing or wiping nose. Sometimes, hand washing may be in order instead of just hand sanitizer.
Sneeze or cough into the bend of the elbow - NOT into hands!
Thank you for helping reinforce these procedures with your child.
Thank you to all the parents who participated in donating items to our Chocolate Basket for our basket fundraiser! Your donations were wonderful and helped raise money for our school that will directly benefit your child. I'm sorry I missed seeing all of you at Family Fun Night. I heard it was very fun!
Teach the Teachers Play Date is THIS Thursday, October 1, from 4-5 p.m. - you may pick your little one up in front of the school at 5:00. I will provide snacks for the students, too. Thank you for letting your child participate in this very FUN event to help our teachers!
Book It! is a reading incentive program offered by Pizza Hut. If students meet their monthly reading goal (400 minutes), then they will receive a Book It! reading certificate to take to Pizza Hut for a FREE Personal Pan Pizza! How cool is that?! The program begins on Thursday, October 1. I will send a reading calendar home with your child, and will try and make it available in the Parent Packet section of Teacher Web. There is a Parent Letter available for you to read in the Parent Packet, but I'm having difficulty loading any other Book It! files. I'll keep trying, though. Here is a link to the website if you would like to read more about the Book It! program. http://bookitprogram.com/Parents/index.asp
Phonics
Since I was out last week due to illness, we will continue reviewing what Bossy R says, and learning a few NEW Bossy R rules.
Math
Students will take Topic 2 test on Tuesday and begin Topic 3. Topic 3 is over Subtraction Strategies. Subtraction strategies are mental-math techniques that provide a bridge from understanding the meaning of subtraction to being able to automatically recall basic subtraction facts. Thinking addition to subtract, and finding a missing part to subtract are subtraction strategies based on mathematical properties of numbers and operations.
Some strategies students will be learning are:
Think Addition Subtraction (if a + b = c, then c - b = a and c - a = b)
Fact Families
Think Doubles Subtraction (7 + 7 = 14 so 14 - 7 = 7)
Daily 5
Students will continue learning Read to Someone this week, since I was out for two days last week and didn't cover this new routine completely. Students learned a new activity for the Working with Words section of Daily 5. They loved it!! I've requested permission to place this on our website for your child to access at home. I'll let you know when I find out!
AR
To help students feel more in control of their individual AR progress, I am creating a time(s) during the week for them to work specifically on AR. This week, I've asked students to try and earn 2 AR points. That would require reading four, 0.5 point books, and making a 100% on each quiz. We discussed that if they missed a question or two, they would need to read another AR book and take another quiz. Students were excited as they looked for books on their level and began reading and signing up for quizzes. This temporary goal will help students see what they are able to achieve in one week's time, so we can begin setting some realistic goals for the next nine weeks. If the 2 points are not achieved this week, that's okay. It's a GOAL - not an absolute. :O) We just need a starting point.
Be sure to visit our Smarties calendar to see what's new for the month of October. Can you find which day is school picture day?
I hope you have a wonderful week! May everyone in your family stay healthy!
Mrs. Patrick
Monday, September 21
Dear Parents-
Happy Monday! Fall officially begins this week on September 22nd! The "doggone days of summer" are officially over. It shouldn't be long before we see the leaves turning gorgeous shades of red, golden yellow, and chocolate brown. It's such a beautiful time of year!
We will have another busy week as we continue learning Daily 5 routines, working on Math strategies, and learn some new Phonics rules. Keep reading to find out this week's details!
Family Fun Night is
Thursday, September 24th. This is always such a fun time for our Rose Union family. Dinner will be available, games and activities, baskets for auction, snow cones, great fellowship, and lots of fun!
The
Jog-a-Thon will be on
Friday, September 25th. Our time is from 10:25-11:15. Please feel free to come out and support your little one and take pictures. Great photo opportunity! All grades will be finished by 12:10 thereby allowing our students to attend the DCHS Homecoming Parade! Go Antlers!
Book boxes are due today! I can't wait to see them! Students will "shop" for just right books to place in their boxes for Read to Self and Read to a Friend portion of our Daily 5. This also allows students to get started right away on their reading thereby helping them to use their time wisely.
If you haven't sent a check for your child's Weekly Reader, please do so ASAP. You can make checks payable to
Weekly Reader News for
$3.99. Thank you!
Thank you for donating to our classroom's chocolate themed basket! You sent in some awesome items! We decided to combine ours with Mrs. Janz's class to create a bigger basket that will hopefully sell for a higher price than if each were left separate. Be sure to stop by and check it out Thursday at Family Fun Night!
Next week is
"Teach the Teachers Play Date!" On
Thursday, October 1, students will teach Rose Union teachers how to play various games acquired from the grant "Let the Games Begin!" You may pick your child up at 5:00 in front of the school. Thank you for letting them participate in this fun activity!
Math
This week students will finish up Topic 2 - Addition Strategies. We worked last week on making 10 to add 9 - an important strategy for fluency with +9 facts. Students were taught a "trick" to assist in mastering this strategy. Ask your little one to explain it to you. We will continue to use this math "trick" throughout the week and will use our prior knowledge of making 10 to add 8. We will review on Wednesday and test on Thursday.
Last week, your child brought home directions concerning how to access the Pearson Success website. This site complements our Scott Foresman Math program used in the classroom. Each student has a username and password. Once logged on, students have an assignment they will want to complete. They also have access to all the tools used during Math at school. They, as well as you, may review the day's lesson, view past lessons, and see what is up and coming. There are also games and videos in the Explore section that accompany the units. This website will come in most useful if your child must be away from school. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Phonics
This week is Bossy R week!! Students will review the sounds they know bossy r makes, and will add to their learning new sounds and rules. They will also be introduced to Bossy "W!" add words to our sight word vocabulary.
Daily 5
Students will continue building stamina in Read to Someone as well as learn new reading strategies to improve comprehension. Our next routine to learn will be Working with Words.