What's Going On This Week?

Wow! We have been so busy here in Room 13 that I hardly know where to start! :)

The biggest news is probably the fact that students have all been sitting on Witt Fitt balls this week!  Although they are a little "bouncy," the children have been pretty responsible with their new "chairs" and I am very proud of them! 

 

Reading

This is our second week with the new reading anthology and we have been reading some great stories!  The theme this week is“making friends” and all the stories we read are related to this theme. The main selection this week is Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea, written by Cynthia Rylant.  Cynthia Rylant is a very well-known children’s author and this story is only one of the many she has written in the Mr. Putter series.  She is also the author of the Henry and Mudge series and the Poppleton series.   Encourage your child to look into this author next time you are at the library!

Students have been working very hard on identifying the beginning, middle and end of the stories that they read. Determining the main events (the plot) is a very important reading strategy and one that should be practiced and reviewed on a regular basis. Suggestion: Ask your child to tell you about a book that s/he has read by telling you just the important events that happened in the beginning, the middle and the end. (Hint: important characters and settings are usually mentioned in the beginning, the problem in the middle, and the solution in the end.)

Spelling/Phonics

This week, the short vowel spelling pattern has continued. Most students have spelling lists that contain words with the short e, short o and short u sound.  Keep an eye out for words with these sounds as you go about your daily life.  Challenge your child to “hunt” for them while you drive, shop or read!  Don't forget that ALL students must do one spelling activity by the end of the week!!

Science

We have been learning all about matter these last few weeks.  Students should now understand that
matter is anything that takes up space (has volume) and has mass.    So…matter is just about everything!!

Today, we talked a lot about mass and determined that mass is the amount of "stuff" (matter) in an object.

Working in groups, students conducted different experiments with pan balances to compare the masses of different objects and they made some interesting discoveries! See the pictures below:

 

Math
Students' 3D Addition Number Stories are FABULOUS!! Mrs. Glazier and I have already hung them up on our math wall - we are so excited to show them off!! I can tell that students put in a lot of time and effort and they should be very proud of themselves! Thank you for your help and support with this fun project!
We are well on our way into Unit 2 of the Everyday Math program now and students have been working on creating and solving number stories, reviewing “easy” addition math facts, identifying and learning doubles facts and turn-around facts, and even learning the +9 shortcut! On Monday, students were introduced to a fun new game called Beat the Calculator! Challenge your child to play with you at home!!
Math Tests
I sent home the Unit 1 Math Test today. Please take a few minutes to look over the test with your child. You are welcome to keep the top paper for your records (the grade sheet) but I need the test signed and returned to me as soon as possible. Thank you for your help with this!

D.E.A.R.
Drop Everything And Read!  Today was our first D.E.A.R day - "Team Up with a Good Book!"  Staff and students all wore their favorite sports shirts today and at 2:00, everyone at Elmwood School stopped what they were doing and read a good book!  I love D.E.A.R. days!!