Holiday Party

Thanks to all the parents who sent in money for the holiday party. Almost all students brought thier money in. Therefore we will be able to have a great party come Friday. Remember that Friday is a half day. Students are released at 11:40.

Chores for Change

Keeven school is raising money for needy kids by doing chores! Have your chilid do a few extra chores around the house and give them change for doing so. They in turn, bring the change in to school and I collect it. The classroom that earns the most money from doing chores wins a popcorn party. This not only teaches students about giving back to the community, it also shows them that to get something extra they must do something extra. They must work for it. (Feel free to send in a bill if you want.) Remember, the goal here is to work for small amounts to make a big difference. Don't feel like you need to give your kid 10 dollars for doing the dishes. Give them a quarter or fifty cents or some small amount. Your child will enjoy watching the small amounts get bigger each day.

Counting

In Math, students are learning how to count by 2s, 3s, and 5s. This is an easy thing to work on at home. Have your child skip-count for you at bedtime or at the table. You can practice in the car. You may even want to have them practice counting 1-50. Many students make mistakes when having to count high. Spend some time this week on this skill and watch the 3s and 4s come home!

Peace Ball

As you are probably already aware, one of Keeven's main focus points is "peace". In fact it is one of you Hi-Five Rules. Hi-Five rules are the five rules we expect every student to follow.
1. Be Peaceful
2. Be Respectful
3. Be Responsible
4. Be Safe
5. Be Ready

Students say a pledge each morning to help remind them of these expectations. (As your student to recite this, it begins....We,, the students of Keeven school promise to be.....)

Back to the subject

It is November and that mean Peace month. Instead awarding good behavior with golden tickets, we have been passing out peace strings. These strings are wrapped up into a peace ball. Our yarn ball is getting bigger every day. I will post pictures in December of our ball.

Tungsten

Each month, students take two Tungsten tests. These tests align to Hazelwoods district curriculum. The tests are used to show teachers which students have mastered which skills. To encourage students to try their best, Keeven is beginning a new tradition. All students who score 75% or higher on the test will be given a special treat at lunchtime and eat in a "special" area of the lunch room. Students are very excited about this. Be sure to encourage your child, and congratulate them when they meet the goal.

Telling Time

Your student is learning to tell time to the nearest five minutes. Most students understand how to count around the clock by 5s. However, a few are still having a hard time remembering which hand tells the hour and which hand tells the minutes. Whenever possible, have your child look at a clock that has hands (called an analog clock) and tell you what time it is. I know most of us have digital clocks around the house but this is a necessary skill for your child. Use your cell phone if you can, most cell phones have an analog clock feature.

Uniform Policy

As the weather gets colder, remember that Keeven is a uniform school. I have noticed students frequently in pants or bottoms that are the right color but not uniform. Many girls have also been spotted wearing tall boots with skirts. This is against the uniform policy. Also remember that if girls are wearing tights, they should be in uniform colors, as should long sleeved shirts under the uniform shirts. If you need a copy of the uniform policy please let me know and I will forward it.

Native Americans

In Social Studies we are studying five or six different Native American tribes. They are learning about where the Native Americans once lived and how they lived. Students will soon be comparing and contrasting thier ways of life. Talk to your child about these tribes and see how much they are learning!

Miss Me?

I know it has been a while. I have been sick for the past two weeks, and I know my posts have be sporadic. I apologize profusely for this and I promise I am back on my game, healthy and ready to hit the bricks running.

This week shapes up to be a very exciting one. We will be studying lots of things. One big thing is TEETH. Talk to you kids about their teeth. Many students don't realize that once their teeth fall out, the teeth that grow back...those are permanent. They will be there for the next 60-70 years of their lives, if not longer. Let them know that so they can begin to take pride in their teeth and really commit to learning about them.

Growing up and Making Changes

This week was all about animals growing and changing. We read about a lion cub, a caterpillar, and a goose. In small groups we read about bats, hermit crabs, and penguins. In writing we wrote about life growing from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Talk to your child about their growth. What was it like when they were a baby compared to now? Look at pictures. Concentrate on similarities and differences.

First Quarter Awards

Congratulations to all those students who earned First Quarter Awards. Below are a list of those names.

Darryl Cannon - Citizenship Award
Sierra Franklin - Attendance Award
Joe Hellwig - Citizenship and Attendance Awards
Trinity Merritt- Citizenship, Effort, and Lion Club Awards
Brittney Ralph - Effort Award
Chris Ray - Citizenship and Effort Awards
D'Chyra Ridgel - Effort and Lion Club Awards
Maurice Taylor - Effort Award
Harrison Vickers - Citizenship and Lion Club Awards
Ma'Kayla Whiteside-McGill - Citizenship, Attendance, and Lion Club Awards
Chaunte Williams - Citizenship and Attendance Awards
Angelique Wilson - Citizenship, Attendance, and Lion Club Awards

Thank you to all these students for showing EXCELLENCE. All students in room 5 are good, even great, but only those who showed EXCELLENCE recieved awards. Thanks also to all the supportive parents.

Have a Great Weekend!

Harvest Fest

Harvest Fest is coming. This is the first time Keeven School has done a Harvest Festival and we are hoping to make it an annual event.

What is Harvest Fest?
Harvest Fest is a Reading Carnival being held at Keeven. It will have games, stories, and refreshments. There will also be prizes to win.

When is Harvest Fest?
Harvest Fest will be October 29 at 6:30-8:00 in the Keeven Gym.

Who can come?
All Keeven students are welcome but they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

What do I wear?
Participants are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite book character. (They may also come to school that day dressed as their favorite book character). This is not a Halloween costume. Students should not wear face paint, scary costumes, masks, or anything that involves weapons of any sort. They should be dressed as a recognizable book character.

I will be working the sign in table. I hope to see you there!

Muffins and Math

Thank you so much for the parents that came out for this event. Enjoy the math games that went home with you. I am sure we will have another event soon for those parents who couldn't make it. Remember you are always welcome to come to Room 5 and experience the excellent learning that is taking place. Just call first, so I can tell the office that I am expecting you. Hope to see you soon!

Symmetry

In Math, we are still doing Geometry, but have entered the section called "Symmetry". Students are learning what a symmetry means and what is looks like. The students are using geoblocks to build symmetrical buildings as well as pattern blocks and mirrors. Extend your child's learning by asking them to spot symmetrical objects at home. Or if they have time creating a symmetry journal with nothing but symmetrical designs. They are having a lot of fun with this concept, so be sure to talk to them about it.

Balance and Motion

We finally finished with Sunshine and Shadows. Now we are beginning to study balance and motion. Today students worked to balance a cardboard crayfish on the tip of their finger. To my utter disbelief they were able to do it. The activity really got me and the students excited about what is to come in the new unit. Ask your child, what they know about balance.

My Conference Schedule

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14
4:00-4:20 B. Ralph
4:20-4:40 T. Merritt

5:00-5:20 H. Vickers
5:20-6:00 M. Taylor


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15
1:40-2:00 M. Whiteside-McGill

2:20-2:40 C. Williams

4:00-4:20 A. Cheshier

5:00-5:20 T. Dew
5:20-5:40 C. Ray
5:40- 6:00 J. Laurel
6:00-6:20 D. Cannon


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
8:20-8:40 J. Hellwig
8:40-9:00 A. Wilson
9:00-9:20 D. Ridgel
9:20-9:40 S. Franklin
9:40-10:00 K. Burdette
10:00-10:20 A. Johnson

A Few Reminders

Report Card Conferences start tomorrow. I will post times for each conference on tomorrow's blog. Your child is more than welcome to come to the conference.

Bookfair is still going strong. Drop in before or after your conference, it will be open.

The weather is turning chilly. Remember that while it is important to dress your child for the colder weather, they still need to be in uniform. Tights should coincide with the uniform colors and shoes are always worn under pants. No tucking pants into shoes.

Book Fair

The book fair has landed at Keeven Elementary. Today your student got to go visit the fair and make a list of books they would like to read. Students were really excited by all the choices that the book fair has to offer. The book fair will be open each day next week, including during Parent/Teacher Conferences. Be sure to bring a bit of cash and share your child's excitement for new books. See you next week!

Weather Change

In case you haven't noticed, October has brought cooler weather. It is time to break out the sweaters and jackets. Please send your child to school with a sweater and light jacket. Often at recess, it is cool outside, and our classroom thermastat is not controllable by me. This means some days it is cold in the classroom and I have no way to fix it. You may want to put a light jacket in your child's backpack and let it stay in there. That way they will have it for the rest of the year. Be sure to write your child's name on the tag as many jackets look the same.

Enjoy the cool weather!

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit...Welcome October!

My fifth grade teacher would say this every month on the first school day of that month. I still have no idea why, but I always say it to myself.

I hope this beginning of the month finds you well and in good spirits. The weather is changing and that is having a profound effect on students. I have had several sore throats and students out each day. This month's newsletter that comes home tomorrow talks about how to help your child stay healthy so that they can be present and successful at school.

Parent/Teacher Conference Confirmations

Thank you to all parents who sent back request forms for Parent/Teacher conferences. I have done my best to honor all requested times. This Friday, confirmation forms will be coming home. Please review these and let me know if you need to reschedule.

Geometry

As October rolls around, Room 5 is starting a new unit in Math. We are moving into Geometry. Students are studying shapes using pattern blocks, wooden geoblocks, and square tiles. Students will also be reviewing doubles. Take the time to talk you your child about the shapes they see in everyday life. If they have legos or wooden blocks at home, encourage them to explore building things with them. A big factor in this unit is being able to see shapes from different angles so any exploration of shapes will be helpful.

Weekly Reports and New Student

Weekly Reports went home today because I was absent on Friday. Please send them back to school tomorrow or your child will be penalized. Homework packets also went home. These are due Thursday as usual. Book reports are due on Friday.

Room 5 is welcoming a new student. Darryl Cannon started today. We are very excited to meet him. Encourage your child to make a new friend.

Journal Writing

In writing, we are still focusing on personal narratives. This week, students will keeping a journal. I have created small blank journals for students. They will listen to a story and then write about the story as well as their thoughts and reactions. Students are really enjoying this. Ask your child what he or she wrote about today. Extend this learning by buying them (or making them) a blank notebook or book. I buy blank books from the book store. This is great practice for writing. It is also a healthy outlet for their thoughts and feelings. Above are a couple of pictures of journal writing time in Room 5.

Peace Place up and running

Our peace place is up and running. Like I mentioned before it is a place students can go to calm down and regain their composure. Students are doing very well with it.

Think about establishing a place like this at home. It works really well.

This is John, he is demonstrating how to use the peace place.

Midquarters

Today midquarters are going home. Only the students who have a 1 or 2 will recieve a midquarter. Please sign the accompanying sheet and send it back to let me know you recieved it. If your child recieves a midquarter, remember that it is only a warning. They still have time to bring their grade up. Please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions 953-4450.

Maps

In Social Studies we are studying maps. Students are learning not only cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) but they are also learning how to use a map key to find places. Most students are picking up on this concept pretty easily. However, there are things you can do to extend their learning. If you have a road map or atlas at home, allow your student time to explore it. Or have your child draw you a map of your home or neighborhood. We are not so worried about dimensions as the map key and cardinal directions.

Writing Letters

We are practicing writing letters in room 5. Students are using the basic friendly letter format.

The date here

The Greeting (Dear.......),

The body goes in the middle.

The closing goes here. (Sincerely,)

Name goes here

Practice letter wriitng with your child. Write them a letter using this format and have them write you back. Or have them write a relative that lives outside of the house. Knowing they may get mail is a great incentive to write. You may also want to buy them a diary and show them how to write (Dear Diary -style). The more they practice writing the better they get. This is also a great chance to practice neat handwriting.

What is your morning routine?

I just got my monthly newsletter from Vegetarians.com (or some such site). It asked an intriguing question that got me thinking. The question was: What do you eat for breakfast? I spent a good thirty minutes scrolling through the answers. I wondered, what are my students eating for breakfast (the most important meal of the day). Moreover, what is their morning routine like. I know many of them eat at school, but what are they doing at home. Here are a few things that you can make sure are part of their morning routines.

• Use the restroom (so many come to school, not having gone all morning and we don't break for the restroom until 9:40)
• Drink a glass of juice or milk (even if they eat at school this can go a long way building up their immune system)
• Brush teeth
• Wash face
• Make sure everything is in backpack
• Fix bed
• Put on lotion

TIP: Make a list of things to do in the morning and post it on the bathroom mirror or fridge. Remind them to follow the routine each morning and reward them for their accomplishments.

Science - Sunshine and Shadows

We have been studying Sunshine and Shadows for a few weeks now. Students have a firm understanding of what a shadow is and how it is made. We have moved on to analyzing, how and why shadows move as well as how the position of the sun changes the shape and length. Students explore shadows both inside and outside. Next time you are outside (or even inside) ask your child where there shadow is? Where is the light? Why does your shadow look like that? Prepare to be amazed at how much they know!

Picture Day Monday

Monday is Picture Day. If you plan to purchase Fall pictures please send your money in the picture money envelope with your child on Monday morning. Also if you would like them to wear something besides their uniform, please send those clothes with them. They will be allowed to change before the picture. Whether or not you plan to purchase pictures, please send your child "picture ready". These pictures will be the ones used in the yearbook. They will also be taking the big class picture. In other words, all students will take a picture Monday whether you purchase or not.

Have a great weekend. See you Monday!

Healthy Classroom

In an effort to establish a healthy classroom, please try to keep your child home if they are sick. Wash hands often and use hand sanitizer when necessary. This is the time of year when many of us feel under the weather. I am keeping sanitizer and kleenex within easy reach of students. I am also being liberal with water and bathroom passes in an effort to help Room 5 stay healthy. If you know your child is sick, let me know, I will send work home. If we work together, we can battle this flu season.

Spelling Words, 9/8/09

Room five doesn't have conventional spelling tests, but we do look at a spelling pattern each week, and use this pattern to help us read and write more fluently. Usually the spelling review is done using the activotes and the Promethean. Ask your student about the activotes, they are pretty cool.

Spelling words this week concentrate on the long 'a' and the short 'a'. Students learn how a silent 'e' changes the sound of the vowel. For example 'man' and 'mane'.

This week's words:
bag
cap
ham
bake
ate
mad
back
cape
made
rake
Review words: fog, tug
High Frequency words: different, number, other

Feel free to work with your student on this spelling pattern and these words.

Reading

Room 5 has a great classroom library. It has taken me years to collect enough books to interest and appeal to everybody. Your student gets to choose three of my books a week to keep at their desk to read. You should begin or expand your library at home as well. Go to the library and keep library books next to your child's bed. I also find many books (cheap) at the Goodwill. Whenever you can buy your child books, this will not only help them on their weekly homework, but will help them become better readers.

On a side note, Homework Packets are due Friday since this is a short week.

Make 10

Today I introduced a new game that you might want to duplicate at home. It is called Make 10. We play with number cards but you can use a deck of regular cards (take out face cards) or Uno cards. Students lay out 4 rows of 5 cards. They take turns choosing two cards that equal 10 when added together. They then replace the cards they took. Keep playing until the deck is empty. I found that many students stumbled trying to make 10. They didn't know which cards to use. Try practicing this at home.

Technology in the Classroom

Yay! Our classroom laptops are up and running in Room 5. I am so excited to have this learning tool to share with your child. My next step is to buy a mouse to go with each computer so that students do not have to try to navigate using the internal mouse (that sensory pad). In the beginning students will be asked to play simple educational games, type in Word, and draw in Paint. These activities are designed to help your child better understand the laptops and how they work. If you have one at home feel free to look at the educational websites I posted last week and allow them to explore with Word and Paint.

September 2

Well, the weather is beautiful. Take advantage of it by doing something outside with your child. Today in the classroom, we are going to take the time to go outside and look at the shadows. (Cross your fingers that the sun keeps shining).

First of September

A Few Notes:

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. The school server was down. As is, I am posting this from home.

A new week is here. Homework Packets went home, be sure to get them done to be turned in on Thursday.

Thank you so much, all weekly reports came back this week. What a great turnout! Look for them this Friday as well.

This weeks spelling pattern is short e, o, and u vowel sounds. Make sure your child knows all five short vowel sounds and examples of them.

Recommended Websites

As promised in your September Newsletter here are several websites that are educational and worth checking out.
www.nasa.kids.com
www.kiddonet.com
www.funbrain.com
www.aplusmath.com
www.superkids.com
www.mathcats.com
www.betweenthelines.com
www.funschool.com
www.puzzlemaker.com
www.noogrin.com
www.biography.com
www.discovery.com
www.educationplace.com

Classroom Jobs

Most weeks your child has a classroom job. These jobs are designed to promote responsibility and a sense of community in the classroom. Ask them if they have a job this week and what that job may be. Extend this responsibility by giving them jobs at home if they do not already have them. Encourage them to complete the jobs without being asked to. Reward them when they succeed. Our students are capable of so much! Help prepare them for the workplace now, by showing them how to do a good "job".

Counting Change

In Math, we are studying coins. I am noticing that students need the most practice with identifying coins and their worth. Not exactly counting money but knowing which coin is a nickel and how much that is worth. Many of them don't realize that each coin has a different value that doesn't change. When you really think about it, identifying coins and their values is complicated. WHAT CAN YOU DO? Show your student change and ask them to identify them. Quiz them on how much each is worth. Don't try to get them to count change just yet. Let's get down the identification first.

Jordan Says Hi!

Jordan Fulton is a student in Room 5. He has worked so hard today. I wanted to let everyone know how well he is doing today. Ms. Coleman and his classmates are very proud of him.

Peace Place

Today Mrs. Stodola came in and talked to students about peaceful. She helped install a peace place in the classroom. This corner is place in the classroom where students can opt to go to help them calm down. This is NOT a consequence but a step for students to learn how to calm down. Talk to your student about the Peace Place and remember not to punish them for choosing to calm down, this is the goal.

Shadows

As you may already know students are studying shadows. This is a great time of year to do this as it is still sunny outside when they come home from school. Encourage them to play shadow tag or experiment with different objects to see if they can see their shadow. For example, do clear objects, like a glass, cast a shadow? What about water? Call attention to their shadow and its shape at different times of the day. All of this will increase their experience and knowledge of shadows and make learning Science a little bit easier.

HOMEWORK PACKETS

Finally, homework packets went home. I know you are as anxious about that as I was. Here are some homework tips.

1. Review the packet as soon as you get it to make sure you have all the materials needed to complete.
2. Do a little at a time so it is not overwhelming to your child.
3. Mark off the assignements as you complete them.
4. Keep all assignments in the Homework Folder so they don't get lost or torn up.
5. Sign the packet only when all assignments are done.
6. Packet is due Thursday.

Thank you so much for your continued involvement. By the way, Mrs. Connors, First Grade now has a blog too. Look for link on this site.

Running Records

I am amazed. Today I did a modified assessment. I just gave students a quick running record which is an assessment of their oral reading. I must say I am pleasantly surprised. Most students are pretty good readers. This tells me that they are much more capable than most second graders. Keep reading with them, they are doing so well.

Spelling Words

I have had many requests for spelling words. We will have spelling words each week, but students will not be assessed in the form of a test. Instead they will be encouraged to work the words and spelling patterns into their writing which is a much more meaningful assessment. This does not mean we dont "do" Spelling. We do it each day, but students are encouraged to learn to spell not learn individual words for a short period of time. Below are the words that fit the pattern for this week. (The same words plus a few more will be repeated next week)

1. has
2. wag
3. bad
4. six
5. will
6. sat
7. had
8. fix
9. him
10. if

August 18

There is no homework this week. Next week the first Homework Packet will go home, however the Weekly Progress Reports WILL go home this week. I am working on them now. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Room 5 is doing a stellar job right now. They are learning how to think critically and behave responsibly. This is a really great group. If you have time, stop by the classroom.

Our PBS lessons right now focus on being safe. Talk to you student about basic safetly. How to walk safely to school or the bus stop. How to behave safely in public. I find that I often overestimate how much some kids know. Remember, there is no such thing as a child being too safe!

Peaceful-ness

One of the best things about Keeven is that it is a PBIS school. This means we focus on the positive behaviors to reduce the negative ones. One of the things your child is learning about this week is Peacefulness. We discuss what being peaceful looks like and what it sounds like. Ask your child what being peaceful in the hallway or the cafeteria looks like. They should also be able to discuss what it sounds like. Students have worked really hard on these concepts. I am proud of them. Hope you have a peaceful weekend. See you Monday!

August 13

We had a good day today. Students came in ready to learn and excited to see one another again. I want to commend all parents who have already sent in school supplies. I was shocked and amazed at the sheer amount of supplies that came in my door. WOW! Talk about dedicated parents. Because we use all supplies communally, your good timing benefits all the learners in Room 5.

We spent a lot of time getting to know one another and learning the routines of school. In Math, we introduced counting cubes and students spent time exploring them. In Reading, we laid the foundation for Reading Corners, which should be up and running by next week.

Homework packets will not go home until 8/24/09. Keep your eye out!

Thanks again for all you do.

Thank You

Thank you to all the parents and students that came to "Meet the Teacher" Night. It was wonderful meeting each and every one of you. Just seeing you got me all excited for the first day of school. So I want to say a big welcome to Harrison, Eric, Sierra, Ade'Ja, Ke'shawn, and Chris. See you guys Thursday morning!

Meet the Teacher Night

Tonight is Meet the Teacher Night. I am so excited to see everybody. This is going to be great. I have a great activity planned to help you get to know the Promethean board. Check back later....

Milestone

Got into the classroom for the first time. Managed to move all my stuff into the room. Now all I have to do create an optimal learning environment for your students. I have plenty of ideas. I just hope I can get it all done before Meet the Teacher Night.

Pictures

Stay tuned, I will periodically post important images that reflect your child and thier learning. Specifically from Meet the Teacher Night...

Why blog?

Welcome parents and students to a brand new year. I am so excited about this blog. This will help you keep up with the activities in Room 5. Check this blog weekly for what your kids are doing in Room 5. Feel free to comment on any of the posts or contact me with questions.