9-25-15

9-25-15

Turtle trot was another big success.  The kids had a great time running around the track today at their recess.  You can send in the money you raised for the turtle trot at anytime.  I believe all money has to be in by October 9th.

Water Bottles

Please feel free to  have your child bring in a water bottle to school.  I actually prefer it because then I don't have students raising their hands asking to get a drink.  They can just have one at their seat.  It's also very helpful after specials like P.E.  I just ask that they take the bottles home each night so they can be washed.

www.zearn.org

It's taken me a little while but I finally found the perfect website that supports our math program.  If you want your child to get the exact math support that we teach at school, then have them log onto zearn.org.  It goes right along with the common core and NY Engage or Eureka.  Everyone's login is the first letter of their first name and their whole last name.  (Ex:  bcritz)  Password is math.  There are only a few students who have to add a 1 or 2 to their login because it was already taken.  If they can't remember, please email me.  I will add the link to the blog also.

Math

We wrapped up Module 1:  Sums and Differences to 20.  I had everyone take the end of module assessment on Wednesday.  I will probably grade those and keep them for conferences.  If you want to know how your child did on the assessment, just email me.  Please give me a few days to correct them though.  We have already started Module 2:  Addition and Subtraction of Length Units.

Lesson 1
Objective:  Connect measurement with physical units by using multiple copies of the same physical unit to measure.

Lesson 2

Objective:  Use iteration with one physical unit to measure.

Language Arts

By the end of the week, your child will know a lot more about communities. We will look for answers to the question “Why might an author write a story?” We’ll read Henry and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon, a realistic fiction selection about how Henry and Mudge explore their community in different ways. We’ll also read Outdoor Adventures, a selection of e-mails between a girl and her grandmother as they discuss the seasonal changes in their communities. 

Target Vocabulary: woods, turned, tops, chipmunks, busy, picked, south, grew 

Phonics Skills: Words with long a, (gate), long i (mine) (VCe); hard and soft sounds for c (car, cent) 

Vocabulary Strategy: Multiple-meaning words 

Comprehension Skill: Author’s purpose—tell why an author writes a book 

Comprehension Strategy: Analyze/ evaluate—tell how you feel about the text and why

Grammar Skill:  Statements and Questions

Science

We wrapped up our unit on rules, laws, and communities.  We will move forward with some earth science next week but I wanted to introduce the scientific method first.  We will kick off science next week by taking  a closer look at Earth.  We will discuss the different layers of the Earth and eventually focus in on the crust.  The main focus will eventually be on the different types of slow and fast changes that take place on Earth's surface.

9-18-15

9-18-15

Turtle Trot

Turtle Trot collection envelopes and information have been sent home this week. The Turtle Trot is the primary fundraiser for Lake Center Elementary. Please consider helping your student(s) collect funds to support our staff and school. 

The Turtle Trot event will take place next Friday, September 25th.  Feel free to join us out on the track and cheer on your student or jump in and help at a water station.  The event will take place during recess.

Our recess time starts at 10:56.

Online Donations

Please note, the link for online Turtle Trot donations is: www.gofundme.com/Turtle-Trot-2015. This is a great way to collect donations from distant relatives and friends

Vacation Make - Ups

Please know that every instructional minute at school is valuable.  Your students are involved in classroom discussions, hands-on experiments/activities, partner sharing, whole group and small group academic instruction based on their needs and so much more each and every day !  When a student is pulled out for a vacation, it makes it extremely difficult on everyone involved, especially the student.  We do understand that sometimes vacations get scheduled during school due to unavoidable circumstances.  Therefore we want to make sure we let you know how we will be handling these types of absences in terms of make-up work in grades K-5.  If your student misses school he/she will not receive any of the work in advance of the vacation.  Instead, upon returning to school, your student’s teacher will hand your student his/her missing work from that particular time frame with a due date on it.  For example, If your student missed a week of school then it would be due in one week.  Please note that your student will have access to our online resources while on vacation to keep up with their skills in reading and math through Core 5 and IXL.  We encourage you to use these resources.  We will not send home any textbooks as they are often left on vacations and the cost to replace is quite high.  Thank you in advance for your support.  We LOVE having ALL our students with us each and everyday!  

Snacks

Please bring in one snack for the whole class once a month. If your child is a picky eater, they may want to bring in their own snack each day. Let's try and keep the snacks somewhat healthy. Please stay away from sweets like rice krispy treats, oreos, etc... Some good examples would be fruit, cheez-its, goldfish, pretzels, gogurts, string cheese, etc... Even though we don't have any peanut allergies in our room, let's stay away from all nuts anyway. There are other kids close by that have severe nut allergies. The pre-packaged snacks are the easiet to hand out but I can also make the big bags or boxes work too.

Picture day is next Thursday, September 24th!

Language Arts

During the next few weeks, we’ll explore the theme Neighborhood Visit. Through our reading, we’ll visit neighborhoods both imaginary and real, filled with friends to meet! As we read, we’ll explore the Big Idea “There are different kinds of communities.”

This week we begin by reading about Henry’s move into a new neighborhood. As we follow his search for a pet in the realistic fiction selection Henry and Mudge, we will think and talk about the question “Why is the order of events in a story important?” We will also read an informational text called All in the Family.

Target Vocabulary: curly, straight, floppy, drooled, weighed, stood, collars, row

Phonics Skills: Words with short a (can); words with short i (dig); CVC words (consonant, vowel, consonant) such as win

Vocabulary Strategy: Alphabetical order

Comprehension Skill: Sequence of events—tell the order in which things happen

Comprehension Strategy: Infer/predict—uses clues to figure out moreabout story parts

Grammar Skill: Subjects and Predicates

We always begin the year talking about communities, rules, rights, and responsiblilties. We read a few cute stories the emphasize the importance of rules and laws. We read about "Rolly the Raccoon" who didn't know the correct way to behave at school. We also read about a story called Shiver, Gobble, and Snore. It was about 3 friends who discovered what it was like to live in a land with no rules or laws. Everyone will get a chance to create some silly rules next week and some important rules. Then we will jump right into some science with Earth's changes.

Math

Lesson 1 Objective: Make number bonds of ten.

Lesson 2 Objective: Make number bonds through ten with a subtraction focus and apply to one-step word problems.

Lesson 3

Objective: Make a ten to add within 20.

Lesson 4 Objective: Make a ten to add and subtract within 20.

5-22-15

5-22-15

Happy Red Nose Day!

One Day Without Shoes!

Thursday, May 28th from 6:30-8:30




Field Trip is on Tuesday, June 2nd.  Let's try to have all money and permission slips in early next week.

  
Math

Module 8:  Time, Shapes, and Fractions as Equal Parts of Shapes

Topic A Attributes of Geometric Shapes

Language Arts

We continue with our unit on surprises as we read two new selections this week. Two of Everything is a folktale from China. A farmer finds an unusual brass pot that doubles everything put inside it. But is that always a good thing? In the traditional tale of Stone Soup, we’ll read about a clever man who figures out how to make soup from a stone. With both stories, we’ll explore the question “What clues help you understand a story character?” 

Target Vocabulary: contained, grateful, startled, odd, search, leaned, tossed, village 

Phonics Skills: Reading longer words; vowel diphthongs oi (boil), oy (toy) 

Vocabulary Strategy: Antonyms 

Comprehension Skill: Understanding characters—tell more about characters 

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize— stop to tell important events as you read

5-18-15

5-18-15

Growlers Baseball Game

Mrs. Jensenius has made if possible for us to attend Growlers Education day on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. The children are so excited.  We are allowed to bring 4 chaperons per class.  The price is $5 per student and chaperone.  A hot dog lunch will be served that day at the park.  This will be a great way to celebrate the end of the year.

  

Schedule:  Education Day presented by Stryker
Pre-game STEM Expo for Children from 9am – 11am

Game at 11:05

One Day Without Shoes

Click the link to see a video about this great event!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXiQABwCD6k

May, 2015

Dear Parent(s),

Hopefully, this letter meets you in a joyful mood as this crazy Michigan weather has finally rounded a corner! I trust that many of you are taking advantage of this sunshine and warmth. As we are approaching the home stretch of school, I want to issue a challenge to you and all of Lake Center Elementary.

Many teachers here spend time discussing the concept of thinking outside of ourselves and how fortunate we are to be in the situation we are in (having a beautiful school, amazing technology, a caring community, and, of course, a loving, dedicated staff). We live a daily reality that does not exist for many students across the globe. I feel that it is important to enjoy the gifts we have and not take anything for granted, as it is easy to do in the society our youth is growing up in. Therefore, I want to issue the challenge of spending a day in the shoes of someone else and go barefoot for an entire day!

The inspiration behind this concept was completely driven by the TOMS Company, which calls this international challenge One Day Without Shoes. This is an annual event that takes place in May (May 21^st this year) in order to spread awareness, not raise money, of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life by taking off our own. The best part about this event is that it gives students a real sense of what it would be like to not have shoes and the implications that come without having them. Aside from just the fact of not having something on our feet, participating in this gets students feeling (externally and internally) different from our day to day routine. This event will stick with your child and hopefully help mold each student into a more caring, considerate, and connected citizen of the world.

Please authorize your child to participate in this event by either emailing your child’s teacher or by signing the bottom of this sheet and returning it to your child’s teacher byMay 13^th. I encourage you to be bold and participate on this day as well! Please refer to the link below for further information or get a hold of me. Address any concerns/questions you have to Todd Chappa at tchappa@portageps.org or 269.447.4569. Thank you!

www.onedaywithoutshoes.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My child is allowed to participate in One Day Without Shoes on May 21, 2015. I am fully aware of the potential harm that may occur due to not wearing shoes and release all liability from Lake Center Elementary and Portage Public Schools, including all staff therein.

Student Name:                                                           

Parent Signature:                                             

FAQ:
Q: Does my child wear shoes to school that day?
A: If your child rides the bus, he/she will be asked to wear his/her shoes to school. As soon as your child gets to school, assuming he/she is participating, shoes will be put in the lockers for the rest of the day.

Q: Can my child wear socks without shoes?
A: Yes! However, to get the best experience, I would encourage your child to try and go barefoot.

Q: Will my child wear shoes during recess?
A: That is optional. To get the best experience, I would encourage your child to try and go barefoot.

Q: What about lunch? If my child gets lunch at school, isn't there rules about being barefoot where food is served?
A: If your child gets lunch at school, before going through the line, he/she will get foot covers to be worn through the line so that we are following the health code. 

Language Arts:

This week we found out how astronauts explore new places in the informational text, Working in Space. We pondered outer space further when we watched videos of astronauts online and read Space Poems. The students also explored the question “What can you learn from headings and captions?”

This week’s…

Target Vocabulary: astronomy, force, orbit, repair, explored, future, space, and float

Phonics Skills: Words with vowel diphthongs ow (cow), ou (pound)

Vocabulary Strategy: Classify/categorize

Comprehension Skill: Text and graphic features—tell how words go with photos

Comprehension Strategy: Analyze/evaluate—tell how you feel about the text and why

Math

We are wrapping up Module 7 early this week.  I will probably give the end of module assessment tomorrow.  We spent most of last week on number lines and learning how to make a line plot graph.  We will try and get through as much of Module 8 as possible before summer break.  Module 8 focuses on time, shapes, and fractions as equal parts of shapes.

Science

We entered a classroom full of emerged butterflies this morning.  Unfortunately a majority of our butterflies emerged over the weekend.  We still have about 10 or so in their chrysalis so hopefully we will be able to witness a few emerge first hand this week.  Even though it's suppose to be a little chilly this week, we will set our butterflies free so they can continue their life cycle.

5-8-15

5-8-15

Language Arts

This week we will explore the question “How do you know if something is a fact or an opinion?” We’ll begin by reading the biography The Dog That Dug for Dinosaurs. Can you guess what the surprising discovery might be in this story? Then we’ll read an informational text called La Brea Tar Pits, where there are more surprising discoveries for us to find!

Target Vocabulary: discovered, guard, remove, souvenirs, amazed, explained, exact, growled 

Phonics Skills: Words with vowel diphthong oo (book); possessives, singular and plural 

Vocabulary Strategy: Synonyms 

Comprehension Skill: Fact and opinion—tell if an idea can be proved or is a feeling 

Comprehension Strategy: Question— ask questions about what you are reading

Math

We started off the week taking our Mid-Module 7 Assessment.  This test was all based on interpreting graphs and being able to solve word problems with money.  The second half of the module is all on measurement.

Lesson 14 & 15

Objective:  Measuring objects using an inch ruler.

Lesson 16

Objective:  Measure various objects using inch rulers and yardsticks.

Lesson 17

Objective:  Develop estimation strategies by applying prior knowledge of length and using mental benchmarks.

Lesson 18

Objective:  Measure and item twice using different length units and compare; centimeters and inches.

Science

All of our caterpillars are either in their J-shape or have gone into their chrysalis.  All the caterpillars will emerge as butterflies in 7-10 days.  During that time we will learn about all the body parts of a butterfly.  Every butterfly has a head, thorax, abdomen, wings, 2 compound eyes, antennae, 6 true legs, and a proboscis(straw-like mouth).  I'm thinking we might even have a few emerge towards the end of next week.

Typingweb.com

I set up an account for all of our students on typingweb.com  Typing is a skill that we introduce to second graders but are not responsible for mastery.  Typingweb is a great resource to use and is free.  They teach the students the basic placement of your fingers while typing.  There are also a lot of fun games.  Try to encourage your children to not peck at the keys anymore with 2 fingers.  All usernames are firstname.lastname and the password is type.

4-24-15

4-24-15

Language Arts

This is the final week for our unit on changes. We have read many interesting selections and talked about how they relate to the Big Idea, “Living things change over time.” The living things in question this week are plants. We are going to explore the question “What steps would you take to plant a garden?” In the fantasy story How Groundhog’s Garden Grew, we will find out how Squirrel helps Groundhog with his vegetable garden. In the informational text Super Soil, we’ll learn how soil helps plants grow.

Target Vocabulary: sprouting, crops, blossomed, underneath, fortunate, drooping, promised, harmful Phonics Skills: Words with /aw/: au, aw, al, o, a 

Vocabulary Strategy: Using context 

Comprehension Skill: Sequence of events—tell the order in which things happen 

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor/ clarify—find ways to figure out what doesn’t make sense 

Math

Module 7:  Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data

Topic A:  Problem Solving with Categorical Data

Lesson 1

Objective: Sort and record data into a table using up to four categories; use category counts to solve word problems.

Lesson 2

Objective: Draw and label a picture graph to represent data with up to four categories.

Lesson 3 & 4

Objective:  Draw and label a bar graph to represent a given data set.

Lesson 5

Objective: Solve word problems using data presented in a bar graph.

Science

I'm sure by now you've heard that our caterpillars have arrived.  This will be an exciting unit that will last for the next month or so.  One of the reasons we choose the Painted Lady butterfly to observe in the classroom is because of it's rapid life cycle.  Another reason is because they can survive in an artificial classroom environment living off of processed plant food.  The children each have their own caterpillar to observe on a daily basis.  There are a few objectives to the unit.  Learning the life cycle of a butterfly, body parts of a caterpillar and butterfly, and the basic needs that all insects need to survive.  We will cover all of these things and more over the next month.  Feel free to stop by and see the caterpillars for yourselves.

We have one more week to bring in any change around the house to help out with a wonderful cause.  The class that raises the most money in K-2 gets to duct tape Mrs. Jensenius to a wall.  The last day of collecting will be April 30th.

Everyone did a fantastic job on our economics unit.  Assessments should be in everyone's Friday folder.