Week ending 11/21/14

What a busy week it's been!  We've been finishing up our writing workshop stories, focusing on different addition strategies, learning about science unit on ramps, completing a non-fiction feature book to share what we've learned, and we started our poetry notebooks!

Important information:

• Don't forget to check out our "What did we learn this week?" after school ends today!  Each week students will write on their own what they learned in school this week.  This is a great idea to hear what's going on in the classroom and start conversations!  It's at the bottom of this blog! (It may not show up if you received an email, so go directly to the blog! Thanks!)
• I'm still trying to determine how to connect previous Xtramath programs used last year with the students' current accounts.  When I know…I'll let you know!  For now, your child can just continue with what they already have or start a new one…either is fine.
• Wednesday, the 26th is an early dismissal at 12:00 (not 12:30 as other dismissal days).  There is no school Thursday and Friday.
• Math morning is scheduled for Friday, December 5th with 8:30-9 in the auditorium and 9-9:30 in the classrooms.  I have been asked to attend an important conference that day so I will not be there…however, this is about the students sharing their math thinking and games they've learned with YOU!  If you are able to attend, we'd love to have you!  

3, 2, 1 things you should know…

3 skills we've worked on this week are: making predictions and testing them with objects that roll and slide in science, adding fabulous words to show dialogue, instead of "said" (such as blurted, yelled, and exclaimed), and we started making a poetry notebook which we'll do each Monday during morning work.  

2 addition strategies we've worked on to add 2 digit numbers using strategies such as landmark numbers (any number that is a 10) and splitting numbers.

1 thing you should know is that we love the website, GoNoodle!

Created with

Week ending 11/14/14

We only had 4 days this week  but we've been busy!

Important information:

• The Heritage Bears look awesome!  We've started sharing a few a day and the students are so interested in the writing and why the bears are dressed as they are!  I do have to apologize though!  I continued to think the bears were due today, being a Friday.  They are NOT!  The paperwork we sent home says they are due Monday, November 17th.  I let the students know and sorry for the confusion!  
• Thank you so much to those of you that donated books to the classroom!  It was very kind of you and I look forward to reading them to the students over the next few weeks and then placing them in the book boxes for them to read as they wish.
• Wednesday, the 26th is a half day with dismissal at 12:00.  There is no school on the 27th or 28th.
• Math morning has been scheduled for Friday, December 5th.
• The home reading response has started.  It is expected that students will complete this one time a week on a computer or iPad.  You can get to it by going to our classroom website, reading response, then reading response form.  You must hit submit for it to go through.  Please decide which night is best for your family to complete it.  The link is below:

      http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~megan_deking/FOV1-00057CFD/?OpenItemURL=S0B6EF4F9

3, 2, 1 things you should know…
3 skills we worked on this week were: identifying multi syllable words,  finding nonfiction text features in multiple books and explaining their purpose in that book, and deciding if objects roll or slide.

2 new math addition strategies such as adding tens and splitting numbers (just began today and will continue this year as well as learning about landmark numbers).

1 website you need to visit is Padlet!  Each week we will have a "What did I learn this week?" page.  Students will brainstorm a list of skills or activities we worked on this week and then they will type what they think is most important to share. For this week, I will type for them so they can see how the page works but in the coming weeks, they will do the typing and deciding which information to share.
You can visit Padlet either through my own website or here below:

Created with Padlet

Reading Response Online

Reading Response Online

We are starting our reading response online tonight.  It is expected that students will complete this one time a week on a computer or iPad.  You can get to it by going to our classroom website, reading response, then reading response form.  You must hit submit for it to go through.  The link is below:

http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~megan_deking/FOV1-00057CFD/?OpenItemURL=S0B6EF4F9

Here's a few things to keep in mind:

•  Let you child do as much as they can on their own.  I am not looking for spelling so much as the thinking.  
• If you child is struggling typing, you could help them finish up.  They will get faster as the year goes on.  
• Some weeks they will respond using a book they are reading at home.
• This week, we are working on non-fiction.  They received a Time for Kids article about giraffes they can read and use to write their responses.  
• This week, they need to name a non-fiction feature and write how it helps them to understand THEIR story.  
• Features include: photographs, captions, labels, illustrations, maps, titles, diagrams, glossary, index, and table of contents.  
• An example is:  The label points to the crater on the moon.  Another example would be: The caption helps me understand the order of the planets.  

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!  Think ahead of time which day would be best for your child to complete this so it isn't done last minute.  It must be completed by Friday of each week.  It may take a few weeks to get used to it, but I know they all can do it!  

Week ending 11/7/13

This November has started off well!  We've started some new units and all the students seem to be really enjoying them!  

Important information: 

• Monday is our day to shop the book fair.  We will be shopping 2:15-2:45.  Today, Friday, we are going to preview the books and made a wish list for those we are interested in.  Students will bring home the lists and you can decide together which, if any, books you'd like your child to buy and then send in the correct money.  Keep in mind there is tax on items.  If you choose to send in money, please do so in a zip loc bag with their name on it.  If you would like to join us at the book fair, you may come in Monday, sign in at the office and meet us in the library at 2:15. 
• Tuesday, November 11, there is no school.  
• Over the next week, your child will have an extra homework project centered on heritage and culture.  This ties in with our Social Studies curriculum.  Information and bears (chosen by the students) were sent home in backpacks today.  Please be as creative as you'd like and send back whenever it's complete, but not later than November 17th.  
• For the next 2 week, we are working on a special math unit titled, Measuring for the Art Show.  It is focused on number facts, strategies for counting, and a math congress of sharing and respecting ideas.  There may not be regular math homework and if not, please practice either number facts or Xtramath.  
• We are starting the at home reading response.  Students have practiced in school and they are READY!  I'm so excited for them and they are looking forward to it.  The reading response is based on a skill we are working on during the week in the classroom.  It is completed 1x a week on the computer (or iPad) and may take students awhile until they become more comfortable with typing.  If it is very difficult, you may type for them as they tell you their thoughts.  The link and all the information can be found here on my website...

          http://www2.newton.k12.ma.us/~megan_deking/FOV1-00057CFD/

3, 2, 1 ideas you should know about our week:

3 skills we've worked on are: naming, identifying, and learning about non-fiction features of books (such as labels, captions, and photographs), discussing our measuring strategies of large size paper and how we counted our cubes (students a variety of ideas and we needed to sort out which ideas worked and why they worked), and we started finishing up our United States unit by talking about the U.S. Constitution.  

2 events this week were honoring veterans at our ceremony Tuesday am and previewing the book fair. 

1 thing you should know is that by practicing adding 10 to 1 digit numbers will help us become faster mathematicians.  -Eli