Week ending 2/27/15

Is February over already?  I can't believe how quickly it's gone by!  We've had quite a few snow days this past month and it's been great to be in school for a full week, especially after vacation.

Here's a few reminders:

• Don't forget to send appropriate clothing in to go outside for recess.
• Don't forget to send in sneakers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for physical education.
• Be sure your child is practicing their math facts on a regular, if not daily basis.  There are lots of computer games you can search for, flash cards, paper and pencil, etc.  Everyday Math, our math program, even has apps to practice with.  Find one way that works well for your child. 
• If you do not have a current CORI on file, please check with Ms. Sheehan.  I have checked with her about many parents and only a handful of parents in our class have a current CORI on file.  Please check with her about how to attain a current CORI.  Thank you. You can not be considered for a field trip, to work in the library, or help with an activity in the classroom without a CORI.  

3, 2, 1 things that have been happening this week…

3 skills we've worked on are understanding how a character's actions tell us about their feelings while reading Something About Hensley's in reading workshop and practiced solving ages problems in multiple ways, explaining how we solved the problems, and why the strategy worked.  We also learned about how why the Earth and moon are important to our solar system.  

2 very important pieces of information for you are:

• The field trip forms went home yesterday.  There are 3 sheets: The first explains the field trips and the cost.  The second is the form for the Chinese Cultural Center and the third is the form for the Museum of Science.  Both of those forms must be filled out completely, along with cash for $45 which covers both trips (admission and busing).  Forms are due back to me by Thursday, March 5th.  You MUST have a CORI or have filled on out (and hope it returns on time) in order to be considered for field trips.  After that, I will put the names of those who offered to chaperone in a hat and we will pick the chaperones that way.  
• Conference sign up is now live and you can sign up following the link below.  Conferences are for you AND your child so please find a time that works for both of you.  Looking forward to it!

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0A4EA8A928A20-spring3 

1 thing Ceasar wants you to know about science this week is when the Earth moves, the moon moves with it and orbits it while moving.  

Week of 2/2/15

What a crazy two weeks it's been!  I know all the students love the snow and being home but I also know we all love summer!  Hopefully, not too many more days are used and we can continue with the learning we're going without many more interruptions!

This blog is short this week with just a few updates…

• Secret Pal is due next Wednesday.  Please be sure to have you child bring it in by then, if not before, and I will collect them.  
• Right now our 100th day of school is next Thursday, the 12th.  There will be a notice going home  next week about dressing as if you're 100 years old and finding 100 small objects…start thinking about it this weekend and more info will be sent home next week.
• We will be doing valentines in our room on the 13th, next Friday.  There is a notice going home today as well as a class list.  Be be sure that if you are sending in valentines that every student will receive one (we have 18) and that there is no food.  If valentines are brought in with food, I'll have to send them back home.  If you choose to send in something...little erasers, pencils, temporary tattoos are always big hits, but you definitely do not have to send in anything.   Home made valentines are just perfect!  
• School vacation is the week of the 16th.  
• Please be sure to send your child in with everything they need to go out if they are planning on it.  

We finished up our unit on Mexico and we wanted to share our final project.  

We made a book…called Mexico ABC Book.  We used a program called VoiceThread to record our voices to match the pictures.  We hope you enjoy it!

http://voicethread.com/share/6522607/

Have a great weekend!

Weekly Update 1/16/15

We've had a busy week and have been moving right along in all academic areas this week!

A few reminders...

• Monday there is no school.
• The kids are coming in nice and warm with lots of clothes for recess!  Please keep sending them in with the appropriate winter gear.
• In the next few weeks there will be emails going home about the 100th day of school and friendship day activities.  Please keep an eye out for these as there's things the students will need to do and some may require a little bit of help from you!  Thanks!
• Here is a link the the current Scholastic ordering!  You can order directly online and I will send the order on the 30th, so please order by then.  The points used from the books you purchase are used for books for the classroom.  I love choosing new books and old favorites to add to the library for our students to expand their love of reading!
• Order at: scholastic.com/readingclub
  One-Time Class Activation Code: H6JBB

3, 2, 1, things you should know...
3 skills we worked on in math were identifying characteristics of 3-D shapes, working on explaining how we solved our math problems (addition and subtraction) and noticing that many can be solved in different ways, and working on comparing quadrilaterals.

2 skills we worked on in writing were adding a more interesting introduction to our informational stories by asking questions, telling a fact, or talking to the reader.  We also practiced writing questions about our topics that we want more information about and we will research for the answers next week.

1 activity we did this morning was to recognize the Martin Luther King Jr holiday coming up.
When students arrived this morning, they were surprised that some tables were marked "no girls here" and others marked "no boys here".  Also, when sitting on the rug there were signs for "no girls upfront" and later "no boys upfront".  This is an activity that helps them understand a little bit more what it may have been like for Martin Luther King, Ruby Bridges, and Rosa Parks.  They were instructed to follow the rules and they changed throughout the day in the classroom.  After reading workshop, we had a talk about what they thought about it, how they felt, how people may have felt then when they couldn't sit on the bus where they wanted or couldn't use the water fountains (for examples).  The students did a great job in the discussion!

Created with Padlet

Weekly Update 1/9/15

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful break and enjoyed family time and winter activities.

Important information:

• Unless it is badly snowing or unbearable cold, we typically still go out for lunch recess so please be sure your child is dressed appropriately.  Also, if it does snow, only children with snow pants are allowed on the snow so please send those as well.  It's also helpful if you have your child practice putting it all on before they come to school.  I know it can be hard! 
• Monday, December 19th, there is no school.  
• Homework is back in full swing.  As before, typical homework is a math sheet, Fundations review, math fact practice a few times a week, nightly reading, and the reading response on the website 1 time a week. 

3, 2, 1 things you should know about this week…

3 skills we practiced during math were learning to draw and identify parallel lines, sort polygons based on their sides and angles, and identify quadrangles in the classroom.  Have your child point out some quadrangles/quadrilaterals in your own house.  How many can they find?

2 skills we've been working on with our author study of James Marshall are identifying the events, problem, and solution of the stories and writing lesson of the story using evidence from the text.

1 person we learned about during social studies was Diego Rivera who was a Mexican painter.  His paintings helped tell the story of all Mexicans in many different situations.

Have a great weekend!

Week of 12/15/14

Hello Families!
I can't believe December vacation is upon us so soon!  We've had a busy week!  We've continued to stretch our thinking with non-fiction, started geometry in math, and learned quite a bit about Mexico.

Important information you need to know:

• If your child will not be here Tuesday, please let me know.  
• Tuesday is a regular Tuesday release with a 12:30 dismissal.  
• We will be having a special day on Tuesday and will be enjoying movie theater style popcorn (from the 99 Restaurant).  If your child will not be able to eat it, please send them in with an extra, different special snack.  Shhh….it's a surprise for the students!
• We return from vacation on Monday, January 5.

3, 2, 1 things you need to know…

3 things we've learned about Mexico are: The Great Maya Reef is home to many fish and tropical plants, there are many volcanoes, and there many big cities.  The capital is Mexico City.  

2 things we learned about shapes are: Shapes can be the same shape but have different designs and the attribute blocks can be different sizes and thickness.  

1 thing I'd like to tell you is that I hope everyone has a wonderful December vacation!  Enjoy the time with your families, be safe, have fun, and take a few moments to enjoy the wonderful times the holidays bring you each year.

Thanks to the parents who came in today to help and for everyone for sending in supplies for today's project…here's a picture of the class with their snow globes!  They did a great job!

What did we learn this week?

Created with Padlet

Week of 12/8/14

Hi Families!
What crazy weather we're having!  Freezing one day and rainy the next!  We're trying to keep moving in here by doing the website GoNoodle where we can do zumba dances, yoga, and other movement breaks to keep our attentions focused and our bodies in check.  You can try it out at home too at
gonoodle.com.

Important information:

• We have a full week next week and then only 2 days the following week.  
• Happy holidays to those who start celebrating next week!  I love hearing all the stories the students have to share with us as they celebrate together with friends and family.
• On Friday, December 19th, we will be doing an activity in the classroom.  I sent an email earlier this week but we are looking for: a mason style jar from each student (please bring in your own).  
• If your child is leaving early before school ends on the 23rd for the winter break, please let me know as there are some things that need to go home.   Thanks!

3, 2, 1…things you should know.
3 things we've been doing in social studies is flying to Mexico and getting our passports stamped, learning where Mexico is on a map, and learning about Luis' life in Mexico and where he lives.

2 skills we started working on in writing workshop are choosing a topic that we know a lot about to write our informational books and writing a table of contents of ideas that we could share with others.

1 thing I am very proud of them for is the reading responses this week!  I can see the students are really thinking about their nonfiction reading!

Don't forget to check out our page on what we learned this week…

Created with Padlet

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