Miss Jensen's News
Week of Sept 12-16
Classroom Updates
District Assessments: By Tuesday, all of the students completed both their Reading and Math MAPS tests. They also completed a 60-second reading fluency assessment from our Reading Specialist. Information from these assessments will be used to guide classroom instruction to individualize learning, and will also be shared at conferences.
Volunteering: We still need classroom support! Please click here to sign up to add your name to our list! As we build routines, I will be adding new opportunities for those that signed the last page, and will contact volunteers about starting dates. Thank you!
Donations: Thank you for the ziploc bags and disinfecting wipes! All donations are greatly appreciated!
Technology:
- All username and password login information was handed out this week, and students were instructed to keep this information at home. I have made a copy of each to keep in the classroom for reference if needed.
- Class Dojo is in full swing! We use Class Dojo as a way to communicate projects and lessons through the "Class Story" page. It is also used to award behavioral points for students that have exceptional behavior and leadership. Log in to view your child's "Behavior report"! Each Friday we recognize the "Dojo King" or "Dojo Queen" that received the most points by allowing them to select a pencil of their choice, and have our "Dojo Bunny" sit on their desk for the week. Please contact me for you child's Dojo log-in code.
- Seesaw is a great way to get caught up throughout the week! Students have the option to post work that they are proud of, give book talks of exciting books, and so much more! Parents are welcome to leave comments on their child's posts, or simply "like" an entry. If you have not yet signed up, click here.
- Students are beginning to bring their iPads home to work on their unfinished work from Google Classroom, or to practice their fluency on some of our educational apps. Please refer to the username and password sheet for login information.
Academic Updates
- Math: We will be continuing our work in Module 1 with Place Value, Rounding, and Addition/Subtraction. Please click here for a "Tips for Parents" guide for Module 1. You may also see some of the new strategies we have learned posted on our Seesaw feed.
- Reading: Every morning the students have been doing their independent reading, followed by our Book Talk (now done by students) and "Status of the Class" for book sharing and exposure to new titles. Students are adding to their To Be Read List, and adding finished books to their 40 Book Challenge List. It is so great to see the excitement they get while sharing a book to a classmate.
- #BookADay Read alouds are daily where students listen to the picture book and rate it on their Google Doc. Starting next week, these #BookADay read alouds will be our time to teach our "Notice & Note" reading strategies, and for students to practice recognizing them within our picture books.
- Read Aloud: Wonder: Ask your child about the main character, August!
- Article of the Week: "The Get Rich Quick Club" We read this article every day, using it for a new skill each time. We discussed "Point of View" and first-person narration, characterization, and vocabulary. We responded to the article by writing making a claim about the character, and supporting it with evidence and explanation. All AOW responses are submitted onto our Google Classroom.
- Writing: Personal Narratives: We are in the "Generating Ideas" phase of our writer's workshop, and did mini lessons on Generating ideas by drawing maps, and using emotions. Next week, we will be generating ideas by using a timeline, and communicating with our writing partners to choose a story from our list of ideas to start rehearsing.
- Science: Transfer of Energy in Collisions- We worked in pairs to create a "telephone" out of string and Styrofoam cups. We used our telephone to investigate sound energy transfer, and experiment ways to create a clear sound with our partner. In the STREAM lab, we arranged equipment such as a battery, wire, a lightbulb, and a switch to try to discover light, heat, and sound energy. We discussed open and closed circuits, and learned about the transfer of energy.
- Social Studies: We are beginning to dive into the 4 regions of California! We are starting with the Central Valley, and have been note-taking on a document on Google Classroom. We have learned about the weather patterns, landforms, and natural resources. We are excited to continue by learning how these features affect the people, land, and animals within the Central Valley!
Telephone!
We learned about sound energy transfer with our styrofoam cup telephone!
STREAMing it up!
Arranging materials to discover sound, heat, and light energy!
New Classroom Layout!
We are excited about our new layout and are looking forward to more change in the future!