1G Weekly News
January 31st, 2016
Notes and Updates
Dear Parents,
This Tuesday is ASD Sports Day. Please make sure your students wear clothing for physical activities, wear sneakers, have a water bottle, and bring a hat/jacket as they will be outside most of the morning. Its always a fun filled day that students enjoy.
Last week, in reading students learned the importance of activating their prior knowledge. We practiced and discussed how previewing a story and thinking about what we already know helps us understand the story and can help us solve unknown words. Students also learned about metacognition and thinking and their thinking.
In writing, students learned about different pages they can use in an all about book. They got to make a fun fact page, a fact page, and a list page. Then students learned about how headings help the reader know what the page is about, so we write them on the top of each page and begin the heading with a capital letter.
In Math, we are continuing to practice place value. We deepened our understanding of less than and greater than. We also practiced how to use a 100s chart to know 10 more and 10 less, as well as 1 more and 1 less. Then we started learning how to add two digit numbers using the arrow method.
In Social Studies, we completed our project and did a reflection of our learning. Then each student got to present their diorama and use a standing desk to help them be professional speakers. Finally students took a gallery walk to see everyone's hard work. I videoed each presentation and will be trying to upload them this week to the google doc folder.
Scroll down to read about what we will be learning next week and important dates and information for next week.
Cheers,
Shannon Keane
Special Announcements
Snack
This is just a reminder to please send students with a snack everyday as they are not allowed to buy snack. We recently have had a few students without snacks and it is a long morning before lunch. Also please make sure to send healthy snacks. We have asked a few students not to eat the sweets until they get home. As a school we teach healthy choices and snack is a good way to reinforce the message to your child.
Valentines Cards
Last week you received a Valentines packet for students to make Valentines Cards. This is a project to be worked on over the next few weeks. Please make sure to read the directions and have students make some valentines each week as it will be hard to do 20 valentines cards all in one sitting. Finally in the packet is a list of teachers. The students are required to do everyone in the class, but the other teachers are optional. Students can request extra Valentine's for the optional teachers.
Friendship Festival T-Shirts
If you have not ordered a T-Shirt they will be sold at Gate 5 and Gate 8 the week of February 21st - 25th. This year’s Friendship Festival T-Shirt gives you free entrance to this years Friendship Festival which will be on February 26th.
Lower Elementary Math Parent Drop-in
Our Math Coordinator, Mrs. Carol Little will be holding a Lower Elementary parent drop in / office hour every Wednesday from 2:00 – 3:00pm. Mrs. Little will be available at this time every week to assist parents who need further information about our Math program or who would like help / suggestions with how to support their children at home. It will be held in Ms. Mindy Martin’s office.
Scholastic Order
Purchasing from Scholastic allows our classrooms, library and students to benefit from Scholastic rewards. It also provides ASD parents and students access to an ever-changing selection of books.
Scholastic will now be charging a 10% shipping fee. We will no longer include a fee on top of our orders.
There will be an option at check out to choose your child’s grade level order. If you have children in multiple grades, you can make one combined order for all children, or individual orders, one for each child.
How to order online
1 Visit http://world-schools.scholastic.co.uk/american-school-of-doha
2 Select the books that you’d like to order and add them to your basket by entering the catalogue code (item number in catalog) in Shop Search.
3 When you checkout, choose your child’s grade level open order (ie. Grade One order, Middle School order, etc.). Please add their class too! (ie. 2A)
4 Checkout and choose the ‘school delivery’ option.
If you have difficulties ordering online, please contact Lauren Elliott at lelliott@asd.edu.qa or Karen Genest at kgenest@asd.edu.qa
Order will be OPEN Monday, January 25 until Monday, February 1 at midnight
We hope that you enjoy browsing through the leaflets and the website – it’s a great way to encourage your child to widen their reading experience.
Kind regards,
Lauren Elliott, Cindy Wright, and Karen Genest
Librarians
Pick Up Procedure Update
Nannies and Drivers are not allowed on campus until 2:45pm daily. If you are sending a driver or nanny to pick up your child throughout the school day for an appointment or other reasons you need to let the Elementary Office know by email. Please email Deb Fenley dfenley@asd.edu.qa and Swati Korpal skorpal@asd.edu.qa the following information: Who will be picking up your child, what time they will pick up and the reason for picking the child up and family ID Number which is located on your ID badge.
Arrival Procedures
Gate 5 Entry Update
After 8:00am parents can enter through Gate 5 on days when there are Principal Coffee Mornings, Counsellors Coffee or Workshops and Let’s Do Math Workshops.
Parents picking up sick students can enter through Gate 5, the ES Nurses will leave the parents name with the Guard House for easy and quick access.
All students will be required to scan their Dragon Wristband entering and exiting the campus. It is recommended that you remind your child to wear their wristband daily. Replacement Dragon bands may be purchased at the front desk of the Administrative entrance for 50 qr. Your childs dragon band will be labeled with their name by a key tag. We kindly ask parents to keep this label on the wrist band for easy identification.
Parents and domestic staff will not be permitted through Gate 5 for morning drop off. Students may enter through Gate 5 using their wristbands and teachers will be there to supervise starting at 7:40 AM. Parents wishing to accompany their children to classes are asked to enter through Gates 8 & 10.
Pick-up procedures will remain the same, parents will be able to enter and exit the campus through Gate 5 from 2:45 - 4:15 PM. Pick up procedures for PACT Tuesdays and our Pre-K Students will also remain the same, parents will be able to enter through Gate 5 at 12:15 PM.
We kindly ask parents and guests to enter through Gate 8 during the school day.
We thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as we work to keep our school safe and continue the improvements to the ASD campus.
Homework
Math Packet
On Thursday a binder of math games was sent home in your child's home bag in a brown envelope. Some of these are games we have played before, and many we will be playing in class after the new year. Please feel free to use these as a fun way to keep your child's skills sharp over the break. The cards needed for each game are included with the packet on yellow card stock. Please keep this game binder because we will be using them as part of the homework assignments.
Upcoming Dates
February 2- ASD Sports Day
February 4- Elementary Swim Champs
February 9- No School, Qatar Sports Day
February 11- 1st Grade 100th Day of School
February 14- Valentine’s Classroom Party
February 14-18- Reading Week
February 23- 2nd Grade Concert
February 26- Friendship Festival
March 10- Trimester 2 Ends
March 17- Report Cards sent home electronically
March 17- St. Patrick’s Day and Shamrock Shamble
March 25-April 4- Spring Break
A Peek at the Week Ahead
Reading
Text features
Table of contents
Index and Glossary
Fluency
Nonfiction readers use a voice in their head like a teacher’s, to emphasize what is important.
Writing
Big Idea: starting independent book, spelling strategies
Planning for new book
Spelling strategies
Using twin sentences in writing: i.e. Frogs sit on lily pads. Lily pads are flat plants on top of the water.
Math
- add 10’s to a two digit number
- counting on and making 10 to add across decades
- using single digit sums to support analogous larger sums
Science
- New Unit Launch: Plants and Animals
- What parts do plants have?
Word Study
- Word Wall Words: when, back, your, I’m
- Long Vowel Sounds
Whole Child
- Solving social problems independently
Shannon Keaane
Email: skeane@asd.edu.qa