Friday, September 13, 2013

Week 2 Update


School BBQ and Open House
Thank you to everyone who came out to the BBQ and Open House Thursday night. It was a fantastic event and I really enjoyed meeting you and your family. The students had a great time preparing the classroom room for our Open House guests. They completed a “Guess Who” writing activity and created their own personalized team jersey to display for our families.   If you were unable to attend, please stop by our classroom, at your earliest convenience, to pick up your child’s Parent Portal Information. 





New Reading Strategies
This week we added 2 new reading strategies to our Café board:
1) Practice and Read Again (Fluency):
By backing up and rereading what we have already read students can practice how to read with greater fluency, expression and understanding.
2) Listen for Interesting Words (Expanded Vocabulary):
We have also been focusing in on interesting words during our Daily 5 reading to increase our vocabulary. Students are encouraged to share any interesting words they come across in their reading during our Daily 5 check in. 




*We are continuing to work towards building our reading stamina.  Our current reading stamina is 18 minutes!  This is a big accomplishment as we started at only 3-5 minutes of focused reading at the beginning of last week.  Each day is a celebration when students learn they have exceeded their previous record of time spent on task.  We have also introduced the next component of the Daily 5 called Read to Someone.

Math
In math, we are currently working on unit #1: Patterning
Students have been exploring repeating patterns which include 2 or more attributes (size, shape and color). We have also been learning to identify a pattern’s core (the part that repeats itself). It has been a lot of fun creating our own patterns through music, dance and hands on materials!





Mystery Reader Update:
I'm thrilled over the excitement the Mystery Reader Program is stirring up in our classroom! If you are interested in becoming a Mystery Reader there are still spots available! Please check the Mystery Reader blog post to see which dates are currently available. I will be updating the blog post regularly, as the dates are requested. Thank you to those who have volunteered to be a Mystery Reader. I greatly appreciate your help in making this exciting idea come to life! It wouldn't be possible without your help!


Reminders: 
Parent Project: "Letter About My Child" is due Monday, September 16th.
* I understand life can be busy, so please know that I will happily accept the letters after this date. However, I would greatly appreciate it if the letters were completed before the end of the month. I will be sharing these letters with Mrs. Sanchuck in January to help with a smooth transition for your child.

Scholastic Book Orders: Due Tuesday, September 17th
Picture Day: Wednesday, September 18th 
*Please fill out the "Smile Flyer" if you wish to select your child's pose and background. The flyer was sent home with the photo release, lunchroom and school directory forms. 

Home and School Connection:
Help your child explore and identify patterns in their home and community.

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