12-12-14 Newsletter

12-12-14

Language Arts

During the next few weeks, we’ll explore the theme Tell Me About It. Our reading selections in this unit focus on how we communicate with each other. From a fanciful tale of typing cows to artists from around the world, we’ll read about the ways people share their ideas and feelings. As we read, we’ll explore the Big Idea “We learn from each other.” We began this week with a humorous fiction story called Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type.  Farmer Brown’s cows have found a typewriter, and they’re using it to demand better working conditions. What will Farmer Brown do? We also read about how real animals communicate in the informational text Talk About Smart Animals! Throughout the week we considered the question “What helps you make a decision about a character?”

Target Vocabulary: problem, impossible, understand, impatient, furious, demand, gathered, believe

Phonics Skills: Base words with endings -s, -es (including pronunciation and syllables)

Vocabulary Strategy: Prefixes pre- (means “before”) and mis- (means “not” or “badly”)

Comprehension Skill: Conclusions— use details to figure out more about the text

Comprehension Strategy: Infer/predict—use clues to figure out more about the story parts or important ideas

Math

I posted some video links under Lesson 6, 7, and 8 so you can hear how the lessons are being taught and some of the vocabulary.

Lesson 4 
Objective:  Add and Subtract multiples of 10 and some ones within 100.

Lesson 5

Objective:  Solve one and two-step word problems within 100 using strategies based on place value.

Lesson 6

Objective:  Use manipulatives to represent the composition of 10 ones as 1 ten with two-digit addends.

http://www.oakdale.k12.ca.us/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1415000789795

Students had to use their place value disks and place value charts to solve all the problems.

Lesson 7

Objective:  Relate addition using manipulatives to a written vertical method.

http://www.oakdale.k12.ca.us/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1415000790483

Lesson 8

Objective:  Use math drawings to represent the composition and relate drawings to a written methond.

http://www.oakdale.k12.ca.us/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1415000790508

Sorry it's so small.  Hopefully the examples above help.

Holiday Party

Our holiday party will be on December 19th.  We will be having our Polar Express Pajama Party.  We will watch the movie during the morning and have some popcorn and juice boxes.  Our afternoons are pretty packed as it is but any left over time will be spent having a Read-In.  Kids are more than welcome to bring in a blanket and pillow.  Just remember that they have to be able to take it all home on the bus that day.  I'm all set on popcorn but if anyone would like to send in some juice boxes, please let me know.

Intern

When we get back from winter break, we will be having a Western Michigan Intern.  I'm very excited to have Beth Keith in our classroom.  It will be a great advantage to have 2 teachers in the room at all times.  Her first day will be on January 12, 2015.  When she gets settled, I'll have her share a letter introducing herself to all the parents.

Health

Let's make sure we are all trying to stay healthy.  Especially if you notice your child is coughing a lot.  There has been a case of "The Whooping Cough" in our classroom and it is highly contagious.  The biggest thing about the whooping cough is that it will come back after a week or two.  Antibiotics are needed for it to get better.  Please read over the letter that was sent home earlier this week.  Please keep me posted on any doctor's appointments or schooling that your child might be missing.  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or didn't receive the letter for some reason.