Writing With Buddies

Today's learning buddies focused on writing! Each pair of students are first planning their stories by making webs on a white board. Their imaginations are running with ideas as they share their fun and different ideas with one another. Some pairs were able to start writing today and get to the beginning of their stories. However, many were also in the planning stages ready to write next time.

We have stories about ice cream eating people, roller coaster clowns, soccer players, etc. Very creative and excited to see the additions next time!

Team Peaceful

Our team name is Team Peaceful! Our meeting today focused on how to be brain alert. Ask your child what are the six things a student needs to remember to be brain alert? They did an awesome job modeling and sharing their thoughts and feelings of staying brain alert!

New Spelling Words!

We introduced spelling words this week in a different order so students can hear that sometimes the spelling 'n' sounds like /ng/.

sand, hunt, and thin

These are pronounced in the expected way. 'n' spells /n/

sang, hung, thing

These are also pronounced in the expected way 'ng' spells /ng/

sank, hunk, think

When the 'n' is followed by the 'k' at the end of a word, the 'n' sometimes sounds like /ng/.

To hear the /ng/ sound, point to eh words and say sand and then sank, hung and then hunk, thing and then think.

/ng/ is sometimes spelled 'ng'. 

/ng/ is also sometimes spelled 'n' when followed by 'k'. 

Quick Reminders

Parent Volunteers

If you would like to help out in our classroom with Book Clubs please sign up at the link below. As of right now I have Monday, Wednesday, and Friday sign ups from 10:30 - 11:00. 

http://signup.com/go/cHvR4m

Thank you so much!

Move A Thon

Friday, October 7

Please make sure to turn in your donations by October 7th or October 14th.

You can sign up to be a volunteer at the link below

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f094aa8a92ba6fe3-markers

Library HELP!

The Westwoods library is looking for volunteers and would love any help from our community. Please contact Mrs. Swartz at swartzer@tcaps.net if you are able and willing to donate some of your time.
Thank you!

Packed Folder!

Your child is bringing home a lot of hard work and important papers to take a look at this weekend in both their Friday Folders and Communicators. Please take a moment with your child this weekend to review their week of work!

CKLA Skills Stories

In our reader, The Cat Bandit, the students have read a few stories now that tell an exaggerating tale of a cat who continuously is stealing food in very clever ways. Two stories coming home for the students to share with you are "The Ham" and "The Chicken Nugget." Please let your child read these stories to someone and then tell of the other crazy adventures the cat has been on sneaking food that does not belong to him. 

CKLA Listening

We have begun a new Domain in our Listening Curriculum for CKLA. We are traveling into the continent of Asia where we will focus on the two most populous countries of India and China. Students will learn about the early civilizations in India and China and how they were both able to form because of mighty rivers.

Students will first learn about early India and will be introduced to the basics of Hinduism and Buddhims - two major religions from this area - as major forces shaping early Indian civilization. They will also hear two works of fiction originally from India:"The Tiger, The Brahman, and The Jackal" and "The Bling Men and the Elephant." 

The students will learn about early Chinese, including paper, silk, and the Great Wall of China.

So far the students are really enjoying all the new and interesting content they are learning. After finishing each story/lesson, I am not only able to have a conversation of comprehensions with the students as a whole, but they are also engaging in many questions wanting to know more. It is one of my favorite parts of the day as well, because of all the student interest and rich learning.

 

Weekend Homework

On Friday, students were assigned a short worksheet that cover the tricky words we have been reviewing. I asked them to complete the story, filling in the tricky words that make the most sense, then bring it back to school on Monday. 

Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you!

Peace Makers

Our classroom is participating in weekly class meeting with Westwoods school social worker, Mrs. Sulecki! We are becoming Peace Makers! This past Thursday was our first group meeting and the students did awesome! Conversation involved what peace means and how to act peaceful in our community. The students were also able to talk about what choices they make in order to make peace. We will do this each Thursday afternoon with Mrs. Sulecki...and the students are already looking forward to our next class meeting! Ask your child about our Peace Makers meetings and see what more they can tell you!

Learning Buddies

Another fantastic day of Learning Buddies! This time around we shared a new, old, or interesting story that we have been reading in the class. Some students even shared a favorite read of their own that has been read in the past. 

Beyond reading the text, students shared in conversation about their text, enjoyed one anothers company, and even expressed a giggle here and there. 

It was a great end to our Thursday!

Parent Volunteers!

I am organizing a new way to get parent volunteers signed up for helping in the classroom. We're using SignUp.com. This is an online coordination tool, to help us organize the parent volunteer schedule. 

You will see for the month of October we are doing Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays all from 10:30 - 11:00. This is our read to self/book choice time. Then I will go from there to see where modifications need to be made for November and so on. 

What I would love parents to help me with is our classroom book clubs. Each child is in a book club with other students of the classroom. Your involvement here would be to help with a variety of activities/books the students have been assigned within their book clubs. You would be reading selected books with the clubs while also engaging in conversation connecting to the text. In addition, there will be other activities to do as well some days pertaining to reading.

Please click the link below if you are interested in being a parent helper.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps: 

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on SignUp.com: http://signup.com/go/cHvR4m 

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp.com) 

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy! 

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone.

If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. 

Thank you in advance for your help!

MONDAY

Students are bringing home a thicker than usual Monday communicator. There are a couple items that need your attention and student attention this week. 

 

Scholastic Book Order

There are three magazine coming home. Many students are super stoked about the possibility of NEW book! If you are wanting to make an order, I have directions attached on the front. Online orders are welcome anytime you like, however many times you like. If you are sending in an order for me to place please have these in by Friday, Sept. 30. 

Homework Packet & Spelling

An new homework packet is one its way home! Please remind your child to find time throughout the week to plug away on selected activities. All is review and should be independent activities for students. Word ladder and math page needs to be returned back by Friday.

New spelling words are part of their week to practice. Last week we focused on adding a suffix and changing a root word ending (double the consonant) if it follows the three rules.

1. Root word has one syllable

2. Root word has a short vowel sound

3. Root word has one consonant at the end

ex: sip

double the consonant and add an -ing = sipping

Tricky word is how. Ask your child what makes how a tricky word?

Picture Form

If your child is looking to get school pictures ordered for picture day on Friday, Sept. 30 then please fill out the form sent home with a form of payment included. These can be turned into school Tuesday-Friday. Our class will take pictures that morning, however, I do not know the exact time.

Thank you!

STEM

This past Thursday the students formed small groups for our FIRST STEM activity! It was a bit messy but worth it because of the outcome. 

All groups had 20 uncooked pasta noodles and 3 marshmallows

They worked in groups of four (two second graders and two fourth graders) where they had to construct the tallest tower using only the material given.

This STEM activity was not just a crazy art project, it had all students using a set of thinking and reasoning skills, while developing teamwork to collaborate. They investigated and drew in small bits of ideas from other groups while also creating a set of skills that can be used in future lessons and in the real world. This was our first STEM activity, however, there are MANY more to come.