Mustang Roundup
February 2019
Congratulations Mount Holly Elementary School Family!
Principal's Pen
Please see dates below.
Monday, February 4: 100th day of school-Dress like you are 100 years old!
Tuesday, February 5: One School, One Book Kick-off (see information and book sent home on the 5th)
Tuesday, February 5: Combined SIC/PTO Meeting @ 5:30
Thursday, February 14: Valentine's Day Parties begin @1:00
Friday, February 15: Make-up Day
Friday, February 15: Pennies for Patients Kick-off
Monday, February 18: Make-Up Day
Thursday, February 28: Black History Parade @ 9:00
Thursday, February 28: It's BINGO time! @ 5:30
Upcoming Dates
Tuesday, March 5: Combined SIC/PTO Meeting @ 5:30
Tuesday, March 12: Spirit Night at Shane's Rib Shack @ 5:00
Thursday, March 14: One School, One Book Family Night at 6:00
Children First,
Dr. Barnes
Ms. Sadzakov
We continue to learn about our senses and body. We have been reading stories and working with the communication board, Promethean Board and paper-based activities. We continue to do our work boxes, as each student has his/her own goals to practice.
We went bowling for the Winter Special Olympics! It was so fun, and our athletes won a lot of awards. Thank you, parents for joining us for Lunch and Learn. The students had an opportunity to show what they know, and to decorate their art work together with their parents.
Mrs. Tomlin
Mrs. Tomlin's class learned about traditions for the holidays throughout history, in our schools, and in our home life. We read and discussed many different types of holidays celebrated around the world. We explored these topics through interactive stories, arts and crafts, science experiments, and holiday baking. We have also been learning about physical science through our Unique Curriculum. We have studied about seeing, feeling, and describing objects. We have used our five senses to explore different scents and taste. Cooking in our class is so much fun! Using sensory stations, we explored how things feel different (rough, soft, cold, hot, smooth, rough, etc.). We also discussed the new year and Martin Luther King Jr holiday. Lastly, our classes lunch and learn was a success! The students and parents participated in a lesson that focused on how being different and the same makes our class unique.
In February, we will be focusing on history through our Unique curriculum. We will be discussing "A Time For Peace" through history lessons. Our stories will give details into powerful peacemakers throughout the years. We will also discuss Black History Month,
Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and President's Day. The topics will be explored through projects, interactive stories, arts and crafts, and experiments. We are ready to learn!
Kindergarten
Please be sure you are reading with your child every night and practicing sight words and/or letters. It is very important for your child to know these words and practice reading nightly. We only have about 80 more days until the end of the year. Your children are expected to be on a D/E reading level before they leave Kindergarten, so please be sure they are reading every night to you!
We are working on writing how to books. Encourage your children to tell you how to do something then write it down. In class, the children are writing in steps of how to do different things such as; wash their hands, get dressed in the morning, come to school, check out library books, build legos, etc. They are using the vocabulary; first, next, and last.
In math, we are working on story problems that include addition and subtraction. We are working only on addition story problems right now but in a week will move into subtraction story problems. These problems are super easy to come up with and the kids love when you use them in the problem. We ask that children draw a picture or use some type of counting tool to figure out the problems.
Ex.
Mrs. Craven had 5 dogs. Sophia gave her 2 more, how many dogs does Mrs. Craven have now.
In Science, we will start to study the four seasons that we have each year. We study the weather patters, and how they affect us, so encourage your child to talk about what happens in the different seasons, how it looks and feels outside during that season, what holidays we celebrate during that season, etc.
In Social Studies, we are studying about needs and wants that we have. We will also introduce some of our US symbols and why we have them. In addition we will discuss why we celebrate certain holidays each year.
First Grade
Thank you to all the parents and families that came out for our Word Study Lunch and Learn on Thursday, January 24th! It was a wonderful turnout, and we hope you got some tips and ideas as to how to help your child at home with patterns in words!
Our First Grade is rocking and rolling right along! We have already learned so much, and we are continuing to grow our minds and bodies! We have some Fabulous First Grade happenings coming up in February. It is going to be a busy month!
On Monday, Feb. 4, we will celebrate the 100th Day of School! (Yes, I know that’s hard to believe!) We will start off the day by dressing up as if we are 100 years old! During our math time, we will have stations in each classroom that have 100th Day theme and we will estimate, write, create, tally, and do other activities to go along with the number 100. In class, we will also write 100 words and have a writing prompt about the number 100. On Tuesday, Feb. 5, we will have our 1 School, 1 Book kickoff, and there will be a surprise special guest here to help us celebrate the joys of reading! We can guarantee the kids will be pumped about our guest and reading!
Also, another special activity we have planned this year will start in February, and run through May! We are very fortunate to have the Soil and Water Conservation District come in and do hands-on garden lessons for the students. Each class has their own garden, and they will be in the depths of cultivating a vegetable garden from start to finish! More information about this wonderful program will be sent home later.
We are also looking forward to our guest speaker, LT. Raphael Gonzalez, who will come and talk to us about his job as a police officer. He also happens to be the parent of a fabulous first grader, Juliette!
So as you can see, we have a month chock full of some exciting and wonderful events taking place here at Mount Holly!
Get Your Yearbook Today!
Reserve your yearbook now!
Deadline to reserve a yearbook is March 1st.
Cost:
Soft Cover: $20 Hard Cover: $25
Additional Option: Pride Line: $8
Second Grade
As we begin the second half of the school year, students may need to replenish their school supplies. Please check with your child to see if they need more pencils, erasers, glue, tissues, and possibly other materials for school. Being prepared is essential for our students’ academic success.
Math time is filled with engaging and rigorous learning about measurement. The students have already begun measuring objects using centimeter cubes and “inch bricks.” They will learn to use appropriate measuring tools such as rulers, tape measures, yardsticks, and more. In addition to measurement, please remember to help your child build a strong mathematical foundation by practicing their basic math facts so they don’t struggle with the more challenging math standards. The students regularly engage in “Number Talks” and math games that require them to use a variety of addition and subtraction strategies and to explain their thinking through using place value vocabulary, but it is beneficial to reinforce these skills at home too.
In ELA, our students have been busy bees as they have begun working on opinion writing pieces. They have also learned to write a friendly letter that includes a heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature. The students have learned to compare and contrast various elements from a variety of fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Our upcoming reading lessons will require students to revisit identifying the main idea and supporting details of a variety of informational texts.
Weather has been our unit of study in Science upon returning from winter break. We have been observing how our weather is changing, and the students have enjoyed role-playing as meteorologists as they track the weather forecast each day. Fortunately, we have experienced snowy days, icy days, rainy days, sunny days, and windy days this school year. This month has also been filled with random higher and lower temperatures too.
Third Grade
Lunch and Learn - We enjoyed seeing family members at the Lunch and Learn. Our goal was to provide you with insight to how spelling patterns can help your student in so many ways in both reading and writing. Hopefully you saw how the students enjoyed learning vowel patterns and how they are necessary in creating words. Student engagement increases when they see that family members are involved.
Math – Third graders continue to develop their number sense and skills as mathematicians as we work through our fractions unit. Not only are we learning how to create fractions, but we are also studying real models of fractions in our math workshops as “hands - on” practice. This lets us see fractions in action!
Social Studies – We have just begun discussions surrounding “The Causes of the American Revolution”. Students are learning about the importance of government representation.
Brattonsville – All third grade students enjoyed their 1840’s day in the one room Brattonsville schoolhouse. Students were quite vocal about the comparisons and contrast between school then and now.
Family Literacy Night
Save the Date:
Thursday, March 14th from 6:00-7:30
March into Kindness Family Literacy Night
Our night begins with
student performances
followed by
stories, snacks, games and more that will be fun for the whole family!
Fourth Grade
Fourth graders are well into 2019! They have chosen new goals for life and academics in guidance. We are looking forward to a great month and learning lots of new things!
In Language Arts, students have begun a study on informational texts and informational writing. Since February is Black History Month, students will be reading texts that focus on learning about different African Americans and their contributions to the United States government and culture. Students will use the Depth of Knowledge Wheel (recall, concept, strategic thinking, and extended thinking) to enhance their analysis of informational texts. In writing students will be writing informational texts. Look for a Revolutionary War Biography!
Students will choose a Revolutionary War Hero and write about their life and contributions to the Revolutionary War and to our country. Alongside their writing they will create a life like mixed media art piece showing what their hero looks like.
Students will grow in their math knowledge of fractions. Students will begin with a review of fractions and then move to equivalent fractions and comparing fractions with unlike denominators. Students will use hands on tools to make the knowledge more concrete. They will learn different methods to determine if fractions are equal or one is greater. The students will add, subtract and multiply fractions. They will do this through hands on activities and real world problems. The strategies and hands on activities will allow students to form a deeper understanding of fractions.
In Science, we are going to outer space! Students love this unit as we soar through learning about the planets, stars, moon, and sun. They will take previous knowledge from the weather unit and link it to learning about the earth, moon and sun and how they work together to make our planet the “perfect” place to live. Students will learn about the composition of the planets and the order they go in from the sun at the center. They may even learn about why Pluto isn’t considered as a planet anymore. Students will extend their learning through studying the constellations or star formations. They will learn about how the Native Americans and Explorer used the stars as their guide and the tools that they used to find new lands. They will learn about Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. They will even be able to point them out to you on a clear night.
After the Revolutionary War and independence was declared, Americans were faced with creating a new form of government. In Social Studies this month, students will learn about this government, its ideals and development. They will begin learning about the Articles of Confederation and how it segued into the Constitution of the United States. Students will discuss how Americans were fighting to discover and preserve the rights of their colonial assemblies. They will learn the statement and the definition of “We, the People.” This will be a big idea as students begin to learn about the American Government and the development of the Declaration of Independence. Students will also learn about the three branches of government and their checks and balances system.
Thank you for your participation in our January Lunch and Learn. We hope that you learned more about Word Study and how your student is using these activities to learn more about spelling. We are looking forward our One School, One Book literacy component. Students will meet some of the Charlotte Hornets and Hugo as we kick off this exciting time in reading. We hope that you will join us for literacy night later in the month of March to celebrate this book!
We are looking forward to February. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact your student’s teacher.
Art
Music
Kindergarten and First Graders are studying the beat and are beginning to compose their own songs. Kindergarten will begin working on their graduation program real soon. Second Graders are learning about the staff and the purpose it serves. Third Graders are learning to read music on the staff and learning about different forms that composers use in writing music. Fourth and Fifth Graders are starting to jam on their recorders. Fifth graders are continuing learning more chords on our ukuleles.
Go ahead and put Thursday and Friday, April 4th and 5th on your calendars. Alice in Wonderland, Jr. will be performed those nights. Stay tuned for more information.
Physical Education
3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Girls Wanted to Participate in Girls on the Run!!
For more information, check out www.gotrtricountysc.org and join Mount Holly’s Team by February 11th!!!
We are currently working on a Speed Stacking (cup stacking) unit in PE and the students have a chance to purchase their very own cup stacking set online. One of my goals, as a physical educator, is to promote activity at home through positive alternatives to computer, television, and video game screen time. I believe that Sport/Speed Stacking is a unique, fun and simple activity that motivates kids to get up and move. Sport/Speed Stacking uses both sides of the body and brain developing important athletic and academic skills. To purchase your own set of Sport/Speed Stacks, follow the following link:
Guidance
I hope that everyone had a great Winter Break as we gear up for the second half of our school year. For the remainder of this year, Ms. Vinita Maigur will be working with me as a school counseling intern from Liberty University. She is going to be assisting with classroom guidance, small groups and individual counseling meetings as she gets to know our school and our wonderful students. Welcome Ms. Maigur!
Be on the lookout for information in the communication folders about our next Student Ambassador service project. In the next few weeks we will be launching our Pennies for Patients campaign for this year. Start saving up your spare change to contribute to this great organization. Thank you in advance for your support!
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me to share ways that I can further support your children. I am looking forward to a great second semester!
Kaci Kawakami
803.985.1668
Computer Lab
Keyboarding skills are very important. Students in grades K5-5th have been working on their typing skills and learning the "homerow".
Here are some websites that your child can use at home:
*Dance Mat Typing: https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/articles/z3c6tfr
*Typing Test: www.Typingtest.com
*Typing Quest: https://online3.typingmaster.com/login?id=b46ayfrb8 Students must use this specify web address and their login & password they were assigned at school.
*Turtle Diary: https://www.turtlediary.com/games/typing-games.html
Media Center
Reading and Writing Tidbits
"Are we there yet?"
Use the time spent in the car or bus for wordplay. Talk about how jam means something you put on toast as well as cars stuck in traffic. How many other homonyms can your child think of? When kids are highly familiar with the meaning of a word, they have less difficulty reading it.
Tell family tales
Children love to hear stories about their family. Talk about a funny thing that happened when you were young.
Create a writing toolbox
Fill a box with drawing and writing materials. Find opportunities for your child to write, such as the shopping list, thank you notes, or birthday cards.
Be your child's #1 fan
Ask your child to read aloud what he or she has written for school. Be an enthusiastic listener.
One more time with feeling
When your child has sounded out an unfamiliar word, have him or her re-read that sentence.
Often kids are so busy figuring out a word they lose the meaning of what they've just read.
Different strokes for different folks
Read different types of books to expose your child to different types of writing. Some kids, especially boys, prefer nonfiction books.
Talk about what you see and do
Talk about everyday activities to build your child's background knowledge, which is crucial to listening and reading comprehension. Keep up a running conversation, for example, while cooking together, visiting somewhere new, or after watching a TV show.