Monthly Archives: December 2016

Thank You

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Ms. Chelsea and I wanted to thank each of you for your thoughtful gifts and cards.

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for sharing your children with me each and everyday.  It is a true gift to be apart of their lives and watch them grow and learn.  I want to wish each of you a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful New Year.  I will miss your children over the break. (I often catch myself thinking of them and the smiles they paint on my face, as I stand washing dishes on Christmas morning).  I look forward to hearing about their winter break adventures.  See you in the New Year!

Playing Cards

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Tomorrow I will be giving each student a deck of cards.  My hope is that these cards will be used, as a fun way, to practice their math fluency.  The students have practiced a few different games within the classroom and I will continue to teach them more as we continue throughout the year.  Building math fluency is an important skill and this is a fun, easy way to help support their learning.  Here are 3 different links that you can use for additional game ideas.  It is great to get friends and siblings involved in the game.  Sometimes, if another player is a little stronger, we have that player count to a certain number before they answer.  Practice different operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, you can even do some games with simple division.  A simple game to start with is for 2 players to divide the deck and each place a card face up and see who can answer the sum first.  If you have questions or concerns, please let me know.

Reminder to everyone to read over the break.  Middle of the year assessments start the day we return from break.  Thank you to those of you who have returned your Roaring Reader folders.  I included extra passages for over the break.  If you forgot your folders bring them tomorrow or let me know if you need passages sent.  I can place them in a zip lock bag.

 

International Festival

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Reminder, tomorrow morning starts our International Festival celebration.  The schedule:

Upper Elementary and Junior High will present 9-11 on Monday

Lower Elementary and Junior High will present 1-2:30 on Tuesday

Parents are encouraged to attend.  If you are planning on attending tomorrow morning, you are welcome to take your student around to the exhibits.  We will be visiting, as a class, Ms. Lisa’s in the Jr. high at 10:30 a.m. I hope you are able to attend this fun event.

Roaring Readers

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Hi,

As many of you may have noticed, this week I included sight word cards inside your children’s reading folders.  We printed these on cardstock in hopes that you will cut these and practice them with your child.  In years past, I was able to create individualized sight word rings for each child.  Each year has its own dynamic and I have not been able to keep the sight word rings updated like needed. Each night you read with your child,  I am asking that you take an extra 2 minutes and practice these words.  Sight words are leveled all the way through 3rd grade.  Knowing these words greatly improves their reading fluency.  When practicing the words, please make certain that your child is not struggling with more than 5 at time.  You can build your “stack” over time.  Once your child is ready for a new set, please send me a note and we can send the next set.  Also, on the classroom blog, you can find a link for sight word games that can be played online.  Creating your own games with the words is another great way to help build their fluency.  One thing to keep in mind, it is okay to also practice using input, rather than output.  If the words are new and your child is struggling, you can give them the word.  Thank you for your continued support with this wonderful program.  Please be certain to keep reading during our upcoming winter break.

 

Field Trip Rides

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Hi,

Just a reminder that you are responsible for arranging rides for your student.  We will leave the school Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. and arrive at the Treehouse by 12:35 p.m.  I have a few more openings with certified drivers.  You can find the sign up here.  Students need to be picked up at the Treehouse at 2:45 p.m.  Chaperones are welcome, but no additional siblings may attend.  This is the policy of the Treehouse museum.  If you have questions, please let me know.

Field Trip Permission Slips

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Permission slips were sent home today.  The form is new and  you will need to sign for the next 3 field trips.  Please make certain you initial each field trip you are granting permission.  Here you can sign up for a ride with a certified driver.  If you are not a certified driver and are willing to drive students, please contact our room mother, Jenney, at deepdish88@rocketmail.com .   She will help to arrange rides for students if our certified drivers slots fill.  Please make certain you read the cover letter and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at my school email address.

Busy Month

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I have a few important key reminders regarding the next couple of weeks.  In the past, I have invited parents during the month of December for a holiday class program.  As many of you may have remembered, we did the fun readers theaters last year.  Since we have the school Winter Choir Concert on Thursday, December 8th, Treehouse Museum field trip on December 13th (permission slips are coming home Monday), and the International Festival on December 19th and 20th (our class presents the 20th, starting at 12:30 p.m.), we have decided to have a class program at a later date.

Please remember that International Festival home projects are due the 15th.  We have already had several students present and their hard work is amazing!  Thank you for supporting your children with this important event.

During the next several weeks our cultural focus will be on the area of history.  Level 1 students are learning to tell time.  Level 2 students are studying our Solar System and creating a booklet. Level 3 students are creating a booklet of research based on the time line of life.  They are really enjoying seeing the evidence of living things that no longer exist on our planet.

Your continued support with reading at home is greatly encouraged.  Don’t forgot to use Myon at home, especially for home project research.  Also, although students do not have formal assignments on IXL for homework, I strongly encourage the use, especially over our long breaks.

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or celebrations, please send me an email at my school email bherrera@mariamontessoriacademy.org