Mrs. Buck's Class News 2018-2019
February 4th-8th
Global School Play Day
On February 6, 2019 we will PLAY! NO SCREENS - NO STRUCTURE - ALL DAY LONG
The students job:
- Bring toys and games to school (No electronics, No toys with batteries)
- Spread toys out around the room and PLAY
- Go outside and PLAY
The teachers job:
Let the students play and interact with each other
Let the students play with the toys/games of their choice
- Watch, Listen, and Learn
Other than taking a few pictures/videos, I will try to be invisible and let the kids play. This day is for the kids to explore, create, collaborate, and play together. I can't wait to be amazed at what your kids come up with!
Mrs. Hartman
Dear Parents,
Next week, I will begin to teach a unit on the phases of the moon. The unit will be interdisciplinary, as it will develop knowledge, skills, and strategies in the areas of science and language arts. The standards that will be addressed in the unit are:
1.ESS.1Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
1.W.6.2a Capitalization – Capitalizing the first word of a sentence, dates, names of people, and the pronoun I.
1.W.6.2b Punctuation – · Correctly using a period, question mark, and exclamation mark at the end of a sentence. · Using commas in dates and to separate items in a series.
A few weeks ago we discussed the lunar eclipse that occurred, then we watched a short video on Epic that discussed information about the moon. We also have a display in the classroom with books and photos pertaining to the moon and space. Students have had the opportunity to write questions they wondered and facts they found interesting. To further engage students, we asked them to draw designs for a planetarium. We have started construction on a planetarium in the classroom which will continue next week. I have based my lesson plans on the interests of the students.
For the phases of the moon unit, I sent home a permission slip to allow your child to work with chocolate sandwich cookies for one of the hands-on activities. Please make sure this is returned no later than Monday.
If you are interested in coming into the classroom to play phases of the moon memory or Pictionary with the students please let Mrs. Buck know and I will schedule a time. If you are not able to come in during the school day, there are many opportunities to support your students learning through activities at home.
Each night look at the moon with your child. Discuss what the moon looks like and why it looks different each night. Look up or ask your student if they know what phase the moon is.
The first day of the unit the students your students will be working with a book that has the vocabulary important to the phases of the moon concept. Please take the opportunity to read the book with your child during this unit and discuss the vocabulary. I know I learned a few new terms!
Your child will be posting some of his/her projects on SeeSaw. Ask the student to tell you the phases of the moon he/she created.
Ask your child what his/her favorite phase of the moon is and why. Share your favorite phase of the moon and why.
To support the language art skills, the following activities are beneficial.
If your child is writing encourage them to use capitals and proper end of sentence punctuation with questions such as:
What do we do when we write the first word in a sentence? What do we need to do with the first letter? This also works for end of sentence punctuation.
Point out proper punctuation when you see it in print. Such as:
What do you notice about the first letter in the word that starts this sentence?
What is at the end of this sentence? Why is this important? (helps to tell us when a new sentence is starting-makes it easier to understand and read)
I hope your child enjoys our activities exploring the phases of the moon. My goal is to make learning fun and interesting meeting the needs of all students. Thank you for your support in this endeavor! Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Melissa Hartman
Mark Your Calendar
Wednesday, February 6th- Global School Play Day
Friday, February 8th - PTO Movie Night
Thursday, February 14th - PTO Classroom Friendship Parties from 2:15-3:00
Monday, February 19th- NO SCHOOL in honor of President's Day
Friday, March 1st- PTO Candy Bar Bingo (6:00-7:30) and Read Across America Day
Wednesday, April 10th- PTO Pancake Dinner, TCE Book Fair, Young Author Books (5:30-7:00)
Saturday, May 18th- Geist 5K
Friendship Party on February 14th
The Friendship Parties this year will be held on Thursday, February 14th from 2:15 to 3:00 p.m. Information from room parents will be sent home regarding volunteers.
Students will be participating in a Valentine Exchange with their classmates. We have 23 students in our classroom. Please note that students may NOT distribute Valentines that include food, candy, or balloons.
A Note from Global Studies
In the recent two weeks 1st to 4th grade students have been learning how to say some animals in Chinese. 2nd-4th grade students are doing a great job using the verbs “like” and “have” to form sentences like “I have cats”, “You don’t have dogs”, “I like horses”, and “You don’t like snake”. They also learned how to ask questions like “Do you like horses?” and “Don’t you like rabbits?” in Chinese. I am so impressed with how quickly they learn! 1st grade students had lots of fun learning about the 12 Chinese zodiac animals and coloring Happy New Year 2019, the Year of Pig.
During the week of February 11, 2019, students will be tasting a Chinese snack during their Global Studies class. Please see picture below for the nutrition information. If you do NOT wish your child to taste the snack, please fill out the Opt-Out form by following the link below and submit your response by February 1st, 2019. We will also send out paper permission slips home for certain students with allergy concerns. Thank you for your attention!
Family STEAM Night
Mark your calendars for our TCE FAMILY STEAM NIGHT on Thursday, January 31 from 5:30-7:00 pm. STEAM is an educational term to describe real-world opportunities for students to learn with science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. At the TCE Family STEAM Night, TCE students and their family members of all ages are welcome to come and participate in a variety of unique, educational STEAM experiences. Participants will travel as a family (children with their adults) to share in the learning process! Pizza and water will be available in the cafeteria for families to purchase. We hope to see you there!
Our Daily Schedule
Mrs. Buck’s Flexible Daily Schedule
8:55-9:15- Journal/ Free Writing
9:15-10:45- Reading Workshop/ Project Learning
10:45-11:20-Writing Workshop/ Project Learning
11:20-11:50- Lunch
12:00-12:30 Recess
12:35-12:55- Finish Writing Workshop/Front Row
12:55-1:35- Related Arts (12:50-1:20 on Mondays)
1:35-2:45- Math Workshop
2:45-3:15- Makerspace/ Science/Social Studies/ Project Learning
3:15-3:40- Pack up
Inquiry is a big part of our school day. We embed this into everything we do. We believe it is important for students to wonder, explore, create, and investigate things that interest them.
Upcoming Curriculum
Reading - Story Elements (going on reading adventures), Using Pictures in our reading (context clues)
Writing -Fiction, Characteristics of Fiction Writers
Math - Money/Time/Repeated Addition/ Problem Solving
Inquiry- Space/Moon Phases/ Planets
Related Arts Schedule
Monday -P.E
Tuesday -Global Studies
Wednesday -Music
Thursday -Art
Friday -P.E
Library
Snacks
Snacks in First Grade-
TCE teachers understand the importance of fueling both our students’ minds and bodies; therefore, first grade students may bring in snacks to be eaten mid-afternoon. However, due to allergy concerns, the following procedures must be followed:
· Snacks will NEVER be shared by other students.
· Snacks need to be brought to school with the child. If snacks are forgotten at home, parents do not need to bring the snack to school. If your child forgets their snack, a school-approved snack will be offered to your child.
Snack List:
Goldfish crackers
Skinny Pop Popcorn
Cheese sticks or cubes
Fresh fruit
Veggies
STUDENTS ARE WELCOME TO BRING WATER BOTTLES TOO! :)
Mrs. Carissa Buck
Email: cbuck@hse.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.hse.k12.in.us/TCE/home.aspx
Location: 14642 East 126th Street, Fishers, IN, United States
Phone: (317) 594-4310 (2213)
Twitter: @_MrsBuck_