News From the Nest
September 7 - 11, 2015
Recap from the week...
Most of the week has been spent assessing students and determining strengths and weaknesses. We had our writing assessment, Unit 1 math assessment, Otter Creek fact assessment, and STAR tests. We also got accustomed to the new LRC routines.
New tables were assigned this week and we spent time getting accustomed to their new teammates. Working as a team, students created a team name, banner, and cheer to represent them. Building these cooperative relationships in their teams will be helpful as we progress in the year and students begin doing activities and having discussions with their teammates.
READING
Unit 1 in our new Schoolwide reading program focuses on establishing routines and good reading habits. We discussed how to choose "just right" books and how reading workshop should look and sound like. We have been working on increasing our reading stamina and were able to sit and read silently for over 22 minutes today! We also used the STAR testing to establish reading goals and determine reading levels. These are kept safely in your child's OWL binder.
Throughout the week we will be reading various picture books to help launch good reading habits and discuss what are some elements of fiction and non fiction books. We will continue with our launching unit and introducing the reading strategies and routines we will be using as readers.
SPELLING/WORD STUDY
Our new word study program, Words Their Way, is here! Based on this week's initial assessment, each child will have differentiated word work to practice. Your child will be studying these word patterns in class, as well as bringing the list home next week with ideas on how to study at home.
WRITING
This week we made writing goals for ourselves, as well as behavior, academic, personal, and future goals. Look in your child's OWL binder to look at those goals! Students also enjoyed decorating personalizing their writers notebooks with all the photos they brought in.
Next week we will begin our writing of personal narratives. Students will decide on one small moment they will write about and begin planning on how to write this story.
A parent letter explaining our narrative unit along with a checklist and writing sample came home in your child's Friday Folder. The same checklist and writing sample will be used next week to set goals and improve our writing throughout the unit.
MATH
Students were introduced to our Unit 1 Real World Task. For this task, students will be using estimating, addition, and subtraction to plan a trip around Illinois. This week students chose 5 destinations in Illinois they would like to include in their trip.
Next week we will begin our first topic: Using place value to round to the nearest ten or hundred. This will also include introducing students to the life skill of estimating. Informative letters about Unit 1 was sent home in your child's Friday Folder.
A Few Reminders...
- If picking up your child after school, please remember that your child will be walked to your car when you get to one of the first three spots in line. If you choose to park and walk to get your child, please do not walk between cars that are waiting in line.
- No School Monday (Labor Day)
- Reading Log is due on Tuesday - Sept. 8th
- Friday Folders went home today. Be sure to go through them at home, sing and return them. Thanks!
- Our new schedule begins Monday (PE & Music will be at 1:35)