November 2-6

Important News

• No school on Tuesday!

Language Arts

We will be reading about our favorite characters from the stories Bear Snores On and Bears New Friends.     We will be comparing and contrasting these stories and the non-fiction story The Big Bears.  We will be continuing to work on ending sounds.

Our sight word this week is--AS.

Math

We will be playing the games grab , count and compare & the game compare (war).  The children will be working on comparing numbers.   We will also be working on solving story problems.  Please have the children continue to practice writing the their number from 1 - 10.

October 26-30

Language Arts

We will be reading fiction and non-fiction books this week about winter and hibernation.  We will be focused on asking students to share key details from the text.  For word study, we will be focused on ending sounds.

Our sight word for the week is HE.

Writing Workshop

We began writing workshop last week with the goal that our students begin to see themselves as writers!  Did they share that they are in a writing club?  We will be writing several times a week.  Last week we learned that "When we think we are done, we have only just begun!"  That means we can go back, reread our writing and add more details to our pictures or add more words.  We could also start a new paper.  The students chose their own topic.  We suggest they choose something they know a lot about.  What does your child know a lot about?  Talk with him/her about some possible writing topics.  Do they know a lot about animals, baseball, ballet, fishing, the beach, bike riding?  Any topic will work!  If you would like, you could create a list (with pictures) of ideas for writing and send it to school.  Your child can keep the list in his/her writing folder in case they get stuck and need an idea.

This week we will learn about stretching out words to write them and how to write about things that the students might think are too hard to write about.

Math
Our District Math coach, Mike Lipnos, will be working with our students this month during our math time.

Important Notes

• Picture Retakes are on Wednesday.
• Friday is our Fall Festival Party.  Please send your child's costume to school in a bag because the children need to change at the end of the party before they go home on the bus.  Please do not send any costume weapons or treat bags.  Thank you!  It will be a fun party!

October 19-23

Book Fair

Our Book fair will be here next week, October 19-22.  The class will browse the book fair during their library time (Monday for Mrs. Gallucci, Tuesday for Mrs. Haughey) and create a wish list.  Their wish list will be sent home to you.   If you want to purchase books, you have 3 options.

1.You can send money back to school indicating which book(s) from the wish list you would like to purchase.

2. You could visit the family night on October 21 from 4:30-7:30.  The time includes a story time with local author Eric VanRaepenbusch.

3.  You can go online and purchase books using the link below.

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/cptoolkit/homepage.do?method=homepage&url=millerelementaryschool16&appesp=CPT/ib/20120101///txtl/FairFindertoHomepage

Also, please note:  Keep your library books at home for another week!  

 Language Arts

We will begin a unit on the seasons and weather.  We will be reading both non-fiction and fiction books about these topics.  While reading these books, we will focus on main idea and comparing and contrasting.  We will also be writing about the things we see during each  of the seasons.

October 12-16

Sight Words

Please continue to practice the first 20 kindergarten words.  When your child has mastered all 20, then move on to the additional ones sent home each month.  Remember when practicing these words, we want the students to say the word "in a snap".  That means they aren't sounding out the word. They should just know it.

Report Cards
Report cards will be given out at Conferences so that we can go over it with you.

Principal's Pals
On Monday, our classes will enjoy a special time with the Principal called "Principal's Pals".  We will hear a story and enjoy a special treat.

This week we will be reading several stories about Mrs. Wishy-Washy.  The children have enjoyed the versions we have read so far.  These stories will help us continue to focus on character and setting. We will also learn about how a pumpkin grows.

Don't forget next week (October 19-22) is the Book Fair.  The children will create a wish list during their library time and bring it home.  You can send in money any day that week.

No School on Friday!  Have a great week!

Craft Supplies Needed

Do you have extra craft supplies at home?  We would like to make a center that the kids could use their creativity!  We are looking for toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, buttons, cards, ribbon, cupcake liners, stamps, etc.  We would appreciate any materials you donate!  Thank you for your help!

September 28-October 9

Picture day is on Wednesday, September 30!

Important News

• Remember to send your picture envelopes to school on Wednesday!
• Thank you for remembering to send back the book buddy bags every day!  

Language Arts

We will begin a unit on apples that will last two weeks.  We will be reading several stories, fiction and non-fiction, about animals and the seasons.  This works perfectly with our Lake Farmpark field trip.  During the field trip, the children learned how to make apple cider from the apples at the farm.  They had an opportunity to taste apple cider!  We will continue practicing fluency with the Apple, Apple on the Tree poem in our poetry folder.

Phonemic Awareness skills:  letter names, letter sounds, ending sounds, syllables

Practice sight words!  We would like the children to be able to read 5 sight words by the end of the first quarter (October 15).  The words are: a, it, in, on, at

Math

We will continue our unit on counting.  We have learned some strategies for careful counting.  Ask your child to share these strategies with you.  Also, we are practicing counting from any given number.  We have been practicing counting by 10s to 100.  We are also working hard to learn what number comes next when crossing over a decade.  What number comes after 29, 39, 49...

Book Buddy Bags

Your child will be bringing home a "Book Buddy" or "book in a bag".  Right now, the book inside this bag is one that we chose for him/her.  We will begin guided reading lessons in the next 2 weeks.  Then, the book inside this bag will be the one your child received small group instruction on during guided reading.  This book MUST be returned tomorrow.  When guided reading begins, we will add  2 bookmarks with the reading strategies that your child is learning in guided reading.  The students have not received instruction on all of these strategies just yet, but will as the year progresses!  Please encourage your child to use one of these strategies when they get stuck on a word.   The letter you see below is also included in the book buddy bag for your reference.  Happy Reading!

Dear Parents,                                                                                                                   

“Book Buddy Bags” are an important part of our reading program.  Several days a week your child will bring home a guided reading book in the bag, home to practice.  This book will be one that he/she has practiced with me in our small guided reading group lesson.  Please have your child read the book as part of his/her homework.  It is extremely important the book be returned to school the following day.   We will be using it again for our guided reading groups.

At this stage of reading the story has a very predictable text (I like red, I like blue) and the pictures are very important, as they support the child’s “reading” of the words.  At times your child may forget the predictable part of the text (I like).  If that happens, you can help them by reading the first few pages together.

When working with your child, please encourage him/her to:

·         Point to each word as they say it (this helps develop their one-to-one correspondence)

·         Look at the pictures if they get stuck

·         Go back and re-read if they get confused (you may help them by saying “I like…). Then have them read the sentence again on their own.

·         Get their mouth ready for the first sound in the word

Learning to read is a lot like learning to speak. You must:

·         Believe your child will learn to read

·         Praise and encourage your child’s every attempt. Just like you did with their first words

·         Reread books over and over and over….

·         Make reading a relaxed and enjoyable experience

·         Let them see you reading.

Please be careful NOT to:

·         Get impatient or upset when reading with your child (if you or your child is frustrated put it away for another time)

·         Expect your child to sound out each letter.

·         Cover the pictures to prove your child is “really” reading.

Don’t worry if it appears your child has memorized the text…That is a Good thing!!  Just be sure they are pointing to each word as they say it.

A note of responsibility: The children are taught that these books are precious and their responsibility (not Mom’s or Dad’s).  It is their responsibility to keep them in great condition and to bring them back every day.  The “Book Buddy Bag” will keep them dry and protect the pages from being ripped as they are put in their backpacks.  Once they have finished reading their books, please remind them to put them right back in their backpack.

Thank you for all of your help and support as we begin our adventure in reading.

Happy Reading!!!!!