November 2021
W.L. Miller Newsletter
Kindergarten
Kindergarten students are now the authors and illustrators of a three page story that contains characters, a setting, and an event. At the beginning of the story we introduce our readers to our characters (our favorite character to write about is ourselves). In the middle of the story we tell you what happened in our story (the event). Lastly at the end of our story, we draw and tell about what happened last in the story or how we felt about the event. We are so proud to share our masterpiece stories with each other!
1st Grade
We have so much to be thankful for in first grade!
First of all, we are so thankful for your student. We are so lucky to have this year to spend with them. Thank you for sharing them with us!
We will be starting to write informational stories in writing. Students will learn how to research and write their very own stories.
In math we are working hard on finding strategies to add and subtract.
A few reminders:
Each of you should have received a link for parent conferences. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have not received it.
Enjoy our Thanksgiving break!
Parent Conferences are Nov 22nd and Nov 23rd
2nd Grade
2nd grade has been learning about matter in science. We discovered that EVERYTHING is matter and all matter has a specific purpose. Second graders investigated what type of material would be best to stir hot liquids. We discovered that some material conducted heat better than others. To celebrate our learning we had a hot chocolate party - using a spoon that would not burn our hands to stir with!
In November we will be wrapping up our science unit on matter with a final STEM project. Students will have to design a box to keep liquid from freezing using any materials they’d like. We can’t wait to see what they design!
3rd Grade
This month we began a read aloud of the Geronimo Stilton book, “Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye.” Students are enjoying hearing about Geronimo’s adventures with his family members. These books have a lot of different graphics so they are fun to read.
Multiplication is the focus in math. We are learning that number bonds are not just for addition and subtraction. Array, row, column, factor, and product are all words we have added to our math vocabulary. There are different ways to find the product (answer) of a multiplication sentence. We are learning that it is just as important to know how to get the answer as it is to have the correct answer. Next we tackle division!
We are winding down our force and motion unit in science. Don’t be
surprised if your child wants to build things at home!
Picture shows the buble gum challenge during the race for education!
4th Grade
Students took a field trip to Hills Creek in October and enjoyed learning about forest ecology, tree identification, bird watching, and leaving no trace behind while visiting parks and other wonders of nature.
5th Grade
Students in ELA have been working hard on building their reading stamina and comprehension skills through book clubs and Achieve 3000 contests. We are wrapping up our unit on narrative text and just finished publishing our personal narrative books in writing workshop. Soon, we are starting our informational text unit and research projects.
Mathematicians in fifth grade are working on long division with decimals in the dividend. They are also working with long division with and without remainders. Fifth graders memorized The Days in a Month poem and are now working hard on memorizing the basic geography of continents, oceans and five major rivers of the world. Spring Math is moving along and we have begun Daily PSSA Prep. Our 5th grade scientists have been exploring ecosystems around the world. This includes identifying consumers, producers and decomposers in each different biome, as well as the non living factors that support these living organisms. Students made 3-D dioramas as representations.
6th Grade
6th graders transformed into actors this month with a reader’s theater and a mock trial centered around The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe! We used this story to study reading fluency, mood, plot, and conflict. We also began to write our personal narratives, which are true life stories. We are learning how to expand a small moment and write it beautifully with descriptive language, sensory details, dialogue, and a deeper meaning.
In math we are learning how to work with word problems
In science we became doctors and studied human anatomy, creating larger-than-life realistic models in our hallway.
Art
Physical Education
This month students in all Physical Education classes will be participating in the world wide cup stacking challenge from November 15 - November 17. Cup stacking has been a part of the physical education curriculum for many years and the challenges and activities are limitless. We are looking forward to this exciting event!
Please remind your child to wear sneakers and active clothing for PE classes so they can stay safe and fully participate in all activities during their time in the gym. I appreciate you cooperation. Please contact me if you have any questions ksmith@southerntioga.org
Library
The Book Fair is coming! The WLM Library will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair! Students will have the opportunity to visit the fair during library classes from November 11th-18th. There will be no Family Night this year, but families can stop in before or after parent/teacher conferences to shop in the fair. This is a fun time for students and families and a great fundraiser for our library. All profits from the Book Fair are used to purchase books and materials for the school library.
Music
November in the music room means we are celebrating Veterans Day and Thanksgiving! Students in K-4 have been singing and moving to our “American Every Day” song for Veterans Day and students in 5-6 have learned to sing the service songs for the Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy and the Air Force. We are looking forward to sharing our songs on Veterans Day.
Students in 5th and 6th grades are invited to sign-up to join the Guitar Club and Miller Singers. See me if you would like a form with more information! These clubs will be starting on November 16th (Guitar Club) and November 17th (Miller Singers).
SAVE THE DATE: Our 5th and 6th graders will be performing a concert for our friends and family on Tuesday, December 14th at 6:30pm in the auditorium at NP-MHS.
Thank you for supporting your children in music!
Guidance
The 5th and 6th grade students are working on the topic of Dealing with Anger. We discuss what that feeling looks like, feels like, what triggers might be for people and the consequences to not dealing with your anger appropriately. The students will be creating a FOOT BOOK that takes the students through the 5 Steps to Controlling Anger.
1. Stop- your body from moving
2. Relax- find a quick way to calm down
3. Think- of your options to deal with the situation
4. React- pick and option and do it and
5. Go On- get out of the situation.
Each student will create a story where each step is used to deal with a situation that could have caused the feeling of anger to get out of control. These books will be read to their classmates during Guidance class and then sent home to share with their families.
Title I
Learning to read between the lines (to infer) is a key to reading comprehension Here are some tips for helping your child make inferences when reading.
Describe the setting. - Pick a book, read a few sentences leaving out a few words that name the setting. (Ex. “Sand stretched in all directions…” “Cacti dotted the landscape.” Can she/he infer where the story is set?
Look for lessons. - Fables are great for reading between the lines. Read one by Aesop and help your child figure out the lesson to be learned.