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.