October 2021
WLM Newsletter
Kindergarten
Wow!
We have been busy in Kindergarten. In science we have been learning about living and nonliving. Kindergarten students have observed the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. Students enjoyed releasing the butterflies and watching them fly away. In ELA we have been learning about narrative stories and identifying characters, settings, and events. In math students are learning how to write numbers 1- 10 and counting sets of objects.
1st Grade
The first grade students were excited to begin their narrative writing unit! In this unit students learned the difference between a “Watermelon Story” and a “Seed Story.” A “Watermelon Story” is difficult to write because it contains so many stories inside of one story. We learned that picking a “seed story” to write about allows us to choose just one small moment to write about.
After learning about “Seed Stories,” students chose 8 “Seed Stories” from within their hearts to write about over the next few weeks. We can’t wait to share their stories with all of you soon!
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
The October word of the month will be MULTIPLICATION! Your child is going to be learning how multiplication works, as well as working on memorizing their multiplication facts. You can help your child by practicing multiplication facts at home with them. A great app to download on your phone to help your child learn their facts is called Pet Bingo by Duck Duck Moose. This app is interactive and fun for your child, while at the same time helping them learn their facts.
In Science we will be discovering magnetism with force and motion. Ask your child about the investigations they are doing in their Science class!
4th Grade
Fourth graders have finished their reading of Owl in the Shower and will soon be choosing their first book group book!In writing, students are using strategies to add details to their writing as many are publishing their first stories.Some students are deciding to use their Google drive to type their stories.The Google drive is exciting to 4th graders because they can incorporate photos, fonts, and colors into their stories.
5th Grade
6th Grade
In math we have been working with ratios and proportions. We have worked with equivalent ratios in many forms and played a game called Covered Percents and Conversion Bingo to practice some conversion skills. We also grew different amounts of Orbeez with the same ratio of Orbeez to water to see if they would grow at the same rate, which they did.
Art
Skill building is an important part of the art curriculum. The bottom four artworks are a progression of first grade projects. We were identifying different types of lines to build a common vocabulary first. Then we practiced using a ruler to control the straight lines and make frames. Then we learned the best way to hold and trace circle stencils and make curves to mimic a shape in the bubbles. Currently we are working on optical illusion pieces that will employ many different lines and controlled, careful handling of the tools.
By fifth grade we are learning how to put ruler skills to the ultimate test in perspective drawing. Our vocabulary develops even more when we talk about parallel, perpendicular, and orthogonal lines as they represent edges and vertices of three dimensional forms in a two dimensional drawing. (See the progression of drawings on the right.)
Gym
This October, students in grades 3-6 will be completing the PACER test. PACER stands for Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run and it is one of the fitness tests completed here at school. Students are encouraged to run as long as they can during this challenging test.
Students in grades K-2 are continuing to practice spatial awareness concepts, and skills such as kicking, throwing and catching. Students in primary grades are also working on muscular strength while using the climbing wall!
Please remind your child to bring sneakers and wear clothing for activities in PE class. Please feel free to contact me throughout the year at ksmith@southerntioga.org if you need anything.Library
We love fall in the WLM library!
Students in grades K-2 are continuing to learn about the library space and to become independent users of the library. We are also exploring some great authors and illustrators and associating the sections of the library with the types of books found there.
Students in grades 3-6 are working on projects using the library website. We have explored ebook websites and are now become familiar with our online databases in order to be ready for upcoming informational writing units.
Music
Our Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade, musicians have been busy learning how to play lots of new instruments and learning how to safely move in the music room. Now that it is fall we have been singing songs about apples, leaves, pumpkins and more! Our first and second graders are getting ready to learn how to write out our apple songs using apples and then music notes.
The 3rd and 4th graders have received their very own recorders thanks to our phenomenal PTO! We are learning how to play our first 3 notes - B, A, and G. Once we know those we will begin learning a few songs!
All of the 5th and 6th graders are reviewing how we read music on lines and spaces to make learning music in chorus, band, and in the music room a little easier. We have been busy practicing this by playing games, reviewing in center activities which will lead to us trying an “escape room” to check our skills.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
(570)662-2192 x1702
Guidance
The 6th grade Safety Monitors are out and about at W.L. Miller making sure that the school is safe from harassment and bullying. The 6th grade Safety Monitors can be seen in the hallways of the building, at recess and in the cafeteria making sure that kindness is happening all around us.
The safety monitors can be identified by the lanyard that they are wearing either around their necks or hooked to their shirts. They wear a badge that has a picture of a tiger on it.
A huge shout out to these 10 students for training for this position and being willing to take on the extra responsibilities. We all appreciate your effort!
Title I
One way to help your child succeed in reading is to listen to them read at home on a daily basis. Use the 3:2:1 strategy to get your child engaged in a book. Write down or discuss 3 things they learned, 2 things that are interesting and 1 question they have.