Medcalf Minutes
Oct. 3rd - Oct. 7th
Anderson Grove Purpose and Direction
Purpose: The purpose of Anderson Grove Elementary is to prepare all students to achieve their greatest potential and to positively impact the future.
Direction: In collaboration with families and community, our direction is to support and prepare all students for success through high expectations and individualized learning in a safe and positive environment.
Values & Beliefs:
Family Atmosphere
Collaboration and Communication
Integrity
Continuous Improvement
3 Be’s – Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible
Be Known
Anderson Grove is Known for Being a . . .
Collaborative
Dedicated
Positive
Community
Expectation of the Week: Playground
Be Respectful
Invite others to play
Follow adult directions
Take turns
Be Responsible
Line up when the whistle blows
Bring equipment into the classroom
Be Safe
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Stay in designated play areas
Use equipment safely and appropriately
Go down the slide on your bottom
Social Skill of the Week: Having a Conversation
- Look at the person.
- Use a pleasant voice.
- Listen to what the other person says.
- When there is a break in the conversation, ask a question or share your thoughts.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 24- Harvest Hoedown- 5:00-8:00 at the Bellevue Berry Farm
Oct. 28- Fall Parties- 2:00
Specials
Tuesday - Day 1 - PE
Wednesday - Day 2 - Music
Thursday - Day 3 - Art
Friday - Day 4 - Guidance/Checkout
News from the Learning Center
Tips for improving behavior…
Follow through on your promises and rules (barring unforeseen consequences) and stay away from empty threats. If you tell your child that they can pick a favorite book to read after they finish their math assignment, make sure you stick to your end of the bargain. If you tell your child that he can go on the computer after his sister has a turn, make sure he gets a chance to do that. Have consistent rules that teach your children that they need to stick to their end of the bargain as well. For example, if you have a rule such as “Homework first, then TV.” stick to that rule by making sure your child completes homework before watching TV. Stay away from empty threats such as “If you don’t stop I am going to leave you here” or “I’ll throw all of your toys away if you don’t clean them up.” First of all, these statements can be scary for children leading to crying, tantrums, etc. and in all probability you are not going to do those things. If you keep making empty threats your child will learn that you don’t mean what you say and will also learn to not take you seriously. If your children have faith in what you say, and know the boundaries you have set for them, they will feel a sense of security and trust which leads to confidence in themselves and respect for you. Children with confidence and respect feel good about themselves and the people around them, making them more likely to cooperate with requests and make healthy choices.
Learning Center Team
From Mrs. Osborn, Librarian
Fall Party Information
Boxtops Information
*Box Tops for Education News*
With just one month left in our fall collection drive, we have approximate totals for the classrooms at AG. Remember that the classes are competing to collect the most Box Tops before our final fall deadline of October 21st. The overall top collecting class of all of AG, as well as the top collecting class at each grade level will be awarded.
Last fall we had an amazing submission of 13,744 Box Tops. That was $1374.40! Last Spring we collected 7,500 Box Tops ($750.00). Let's keep that momentum going Quails!
This year there is a NEW way of earning even more for AG! Download the new Bonus Box Tops App to your smart device. After you purchase participating Box Tops products, you scan your store receipt, and additional Bonus Box Tops are automatically added to the Anderson Grove total! See the attached document for more information!
A Peek at our Week - Update
In Class: This week we’ll ask “What do traditional tales tell readers about life?” In the folktale The Harvest Birds, we’ll read about how a young man, Juan, listens to nature to achieve his dream. We’ll also read the folktale The Treasure about a poor man who follows a dream to look for a treasure, but ends up finding it in his own home instead. Target Vocabulary: harvest, separate, ashamed, borders, advice, borrow, patch, serious
At Home:
Vocabulary: Ask your child to use this week’s Target Vocabulary words to help him or her tell about the types of crops that are harvested in the community where you live.
Dream Big: Talk with your child about dreams for the future. Tell about your dreams and what you do to try to achieve them. Then have your child tell about his or her dreams for the future.
The Moral of a Story: Select a popular folktale or fable to read with your child, such as The Tortoise and the Hare or The Crow and the Pitcher. Then have your child write a summary of the reading that includes the moral or lesson of the tale.
Writing
In Class: Writers will work on a response paragraph. A response paragraph tells the writer’s answer to a question or a prompt. Sometimes, the response answers a
question about a story. We will study the parts of a response paragraph: a topic sentence that uses words from the prompt, details and examples that explain the writer’s ideas, quotation marks that go around a speaker’s exact words.
At Home: Ask your child their opinion about their favorite book, movie character, food, or subject at school. Why did they choose that as their favorite? Can they support their opinion with specific reasons? If your child responds with something like "It is fun" ask them to give you more details to help pinpoint exactly what it is they like.
Math
In Class: Mathematicians will begin our much-awaited unit on multiplication and division. This will introduces to students by counting a number of groups containing a certain number of items. Students will solve problems such as: A pack of juice contains 3 juice boxes. How many juice boxes will be in 4 packs?
At Home – Give your child two factors and ask them to solve by drawing out the number of groups and the number of items in each group. You may also visit these sites for more practice!
Carl's Cookie Capers
Math Cats
Science
In Class: Scientists continue observing and collecting data on the growth of their bush bean plants growing hydroponically. Students will soon begin observing Bess Beetles. Scientists will have the opportunity to compare the structures of crayfish and Bess Beetles to gain a better understanding of the function of those structures. Vocab: function, insect, thorax, abdomen, head, mite, terrarium, and balance.
At Home – Check out this website with your child to reinforce what they are learning in Science at school. Your child may even find new facts to share with the class! Bess Beetles
Spelling
In Class: Students will study words with short and long vowel sounds. Words for the week are: itch, knife, wreck, stretch, knee, write, patch, new, wrap, knock, knot, match, watch, wrong. Look out for the oddball words: new and watch.
At Home: Your child should practice his/her words everyday for 10-15 minutes. I recommend keeping a spelling notebook at home. Have your child try using each word in a sentence and then writing it out in the notebook. He/she can even draw a picture with each one to show understanding of the word. We also have access to our spelling list words on https://www.spellingcity.com/BeckyMedcalf. This site has fun games for students to play while studying their spelling words. There are parts of the site that require payment but please do not feel like you need to pay for them! The free games are a great way for students to review!