The Gower Gazette
Follow us on Twitter @MsGowersClass January 8, 2016
In the News...
This week Social Studies and Reading were integrated together. Our focus was on wants and needs and how people earn money (jobs). We used a couple of books to help us develop our understanding of these concepts. On Monday we focused on Poems and earning and saving money; this was tied in with New Years. We read the story Twas the Night Before New Year’s. With this story we talked about our celebrations and what each of us did to celebrate New Year’s. We took a look at the format in which this book was written and talked about Poems. We watched celebrations from around the world and I shared different traditions from some other countries; the kids REALLY enjoyed this. Our Book of the Week was Alexander Who Use to be Rich Last Sunday which shares the story of a little boy who has a hard time saving his money to buy something he really wants. We had a great discussion about how kids can earn money and about saving money. We talked about the bank and how to use money wisely. The children made a list of things they wanted and then they wrote their New Year’s Money Goal. Have them share their ideas with you!
In writing this week, the boys and girls worked together to collaboratively write their "How to Build a Snowman" paper. They worked in groups of 3 and created some nice work. These will be hanging outside on our wall. Next week we will begin working on writing about what we want to be when we grow up. The boys and girls will chose a job and we will focus on how school (college) helps prepare us for our future careers and how jobs help us earn money to take care of our wants and needs. The children will publish their "career" writings and we will display these in our hallway when we track back in!
Next week we will begin our unit on Rocks for science. Get ready for some rock collectors as the kids always LOVE becoming geologist!!
For math this week, we wrapped up telling time. Our focus was on time to the half hour. We did Math Stations to help target this skill. The kids played bingo, used IXL, and they played time memory as they matched analog and digital clocks together that had the same time. We also started working on Fluency and being able to add/use math facts to solve problems quickly. The kids used the iPads to work on an interactive site called XtraMath. This site assesses your child's skills with fluency and math facts and times them on how many problems they can solve. The kids really enjoyed seeing how many smiley faces he/she could earn. Inside your child's Friday Folder you will find a login sheet for XtraMath. You only have to login once onto your device after that, the computer will remember your child's pin. There is an app for an iPad or tablet; however, there is a fee. I recommend just using it on Safari or any browser versus buying the app. It is free to use on a web browser and works the same. I encourage you to have your child practice their facts using this site a few times per week or on the weekend. This will help them build their fluency with solving problems and prepare them for our next objective of adding 3 numbers.
Just a couple of things: Don't forget to finish up Math Stars/Sunshine Math and return it in your child's Friday Folder on Monday. Also in your child's Friday Folder is his/her assessment data for reading. Please review the Home Connect to see how your child did with these assessments and let me know if you have any questions.
I hope you all have a super weekend. We have two more weeks before it's time to track out again. There is a lot to do and learn! Y'all take care and I will see the kids back on Monday!
~Ms. Gower
January Birthdays...
We Could Use...
- White Copy Paper
- Sidewalk Chalk for Recess
- Jump Ropes
- Wands for Bubbles
Reminders...
- Mon. Jan. 18th- No School/Holiday
- Thurs. Jan. 21st- Career Day in our classroom, Dress up as the career YOU chose during Writer's Workshop
- Fri. Jan. 22nd- Track Out Day!
- Mon. Feb. 15th- Track Back In!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
- Jaiden- 8 pts
- Tristan- 10 pts
- Caden- 11 pts
- Maia- 12 pts
- Ethan- 17 pts
- Allison- 25 pts
Notes...
- Website- I will be posting a new Math Stumper & Blog this weekend... I promise =) Check it out!
- Written Comprehension Homework- Several children are NOT completing this assignment on Wednesday nights. This homework is the MOST important assignment that your child has. He/she truly needs to work on this each week in order to meet the end of year benchmark requirements. Please, please ensure that your child completes this assignment and puts fourth good effort. At this point in the year, your child should be attempting the written part independently and then checking his/her response with you in order to make sure the questions have been answered fully and with good details and evidence from the book.
- Reading Envelope- Please make sure your child returns these every Thursday. We prepare these on Thursday afternoons so that they are ready to go home in the Friday Folders.
WSES- Embracing the Needs of Every Child!
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~Arthur Ashe
Email: egower@wcpss.net
Website: www.msgower.weebly.com
Location: 6800 Dwight Rowland Rd, NC, United States
Phone: (919) 557-2770
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Twitter: @MsGowersClass