Ms. Kaley's Classroom Room 24

Hello Everyone!

Past Week:

Thank you to all that came and helped on the field trip this past week.  The kids had a blast!  We learned about where the cocoa bean came from that morning before we left and the kids got a flow chart and we cut out the steps and put them in order.  When we were at the factory the flow chart we did was identical to the chocolate movie they showed.  I thought that was pretty cool!

We also had an “in school field trip” this past week as well!  Scale and Tails came this past Wednesday to present on reptiles.  They will be coming back in March to present on birds!

Spelling Bee winners!  This past week I asked who was interested in participating in this year’s Spelling Bee and we found our top 2 spellers: Calvin and Lydia.  Congrats!  Our Spelling Bee contest for Lower El will be this coming Tuesday February 28th at 9am.  Parents are welcome to come and watch.  Lower El classes will also be there to support our 2 contestants.

This week in group lessons:

Level 1s: Types of lines in Geometry- horizontal, vertical, parallel, perpendicular

Level 2s: Types of angles and missing angles in them- Complementary and Supplementary angles

In cultural this week: Zoology/Physiology

Level 1s: About birds and different kinds of birds

Level 2s: The Circulatory System

Level 3s: Echinoderms- starfish and sea urchins

Upcoming Week:

This coming week is Literacy Week!  We will be doing literacy activities everyday in class as part of their work cycle.  We also have Ms. Rachel coming in for Botany on Wednesday.  Here is a rundown at our busy week:

Monday– Read: You’re Here for a Reason and art project.  The whole school will be reading this same book and will do the same project to combine everyones.  PE and Music will still continue in the afternoon.

Tuesday– Spelling Bee 9am.  Fairytale day: Hansel and Gretel read and then do STEM project based on the story

Wednesday– Poetry day: Shel Silverstein funny poems and read The Giving Tree.  Students will do a few activities based on the book.  Ms. Rachel will be in for Botany from 12:45-1:45.

Thursday– Dr. Seuss Day!  We will read Oh! The Places You’ll Go and will do 2 activities based on the book.  We will also read The Foot Book and have our students trace both their feet to measure and then combine with the rest of the class.  We are hoping to join up with Ms. Steph’s Upper El class as well on this.  Thursday night is Literacy Night!  From 6-8 please come to MMA to do fun activities around the school!  This was our most successful and most participated after school offering last year and we hope to out do it this year!  I will be running MyOn with Ms. Elise in the computer lab as a choice to do.

Friday– Studio in the morning and then class personality tests in the afternoon.  At 2pm, the Lower Elementary will then do a Read-A-Thon!  Please allow your child to bring a pillow and a few books to read until 2:40ish.  Students may pick anywhere in the school to quietly read.

Ms. Kaley out of town- On March 9th Ms. Marleen and I will be traveling together to San Diego, CA to the AMS annual Montessori Conference.  I will be leaving early on March 9th around recess time.  Ms. Anna will be covering my studio for Friday as well as the afternoon.  Ms. Dixie will be subbing that Friday and following Monday, however, she is soon to cover for Ms. Jill’s assistant, Ms. Trish for the beginning of her maternity leave.  As of now, Dixie plans to help Ms. Anna Friday March 10th and Monday March 13th.  I will return Tuesday March 14th.

Snack- nobody is signed up for snack for this coming week. If you would like to cover snack this week please let me know 🙂

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week!

Cheers!

Ms. K

Hi Everyone!

Thank you to everyone who came for conferences!  We appreciated seeing you all and checking in with the middle of the year.

We kept to a normal schedule on the half days by sticking to our normal work cycle morning.

We didn’t get to any cultural lessons this past week due to our specials on Monday, the Valentine’s Day party Tuesday afternoon, and the 3 early outs.  We will only get to some Zoology/Physiology and a few afternoon group lessons this coming week due to Presidents’ Day and our field trip Thursday.

Upcoming Week:

Tuesday- Lockdown drill in the afternoon.  Our school will practice what to do if we go “into lockdown.”  Our class will sit tightly and silently together until notified.

Thursday-  Field trip to Mrs. Cavanaugh’s in SLC Thursday!  Students will meet at school and we will have a lesson on chocolate’s origins and process.  We ask that if you are picking up your child or carpool, please be at the school at 10:00am.  We will get everyone ready to go then.  Our hope is to leave no later than 10:15.  Our tour starts at 11:00am.  Looking at the weather, there is a potential for some snow.  Should some snow be coming down, we still plan to go, but let’s have all drivers get to school earlier so we can have more time on the roads.  All permission slips are due to me by Wednesday.  

For our field trip, if you would like to make a donation to make sure all students are covered, please click here for the 2.00 dollar donation to ensure future field trips.

CLICK HERE for LINK

Home projects DUE Friday!- The free project choice is due this Friday the 24th.  Students get the chance to pick anything they would like to teach others.  They may present it by using a visual (powerpoint, poster, tri-board, model, report etc.)  We love allowing a free choice to see what kind of creativity and interests they have!

Please check our snack link to make sure our weeks are covered.  Thanks everyone!

Cheers!

Ms. K

Hello Everyone!

A few reminders I forgot to mention!

Classroom essentials:  I have a list of students who are in need of slippers for our classroom.  Part of the dress code for our school is to have some inside shoes (slippers, crocs, slip ons).  We have our students putting their slippers in their lockers now because it was a solution to having our slippers in the middle of the hallway.  This is also the time of the year when some students outgrown their inside shoes or they are too beat up to function.  Please ask your child about their slippers and remind them to wear them.  If they say they don’t then they need a new pair.

Another item that is greatly needed is a water bottle.  We have students consistently asking for drinks.  To manage this, please provide a water bottle.  For those who don’t have one right now they are using a cup.  It has cut down on the disruptions and leaving the classroom.

February project- February is a home project month!  It is a free choice, so that means that students get to pick what they would like to present to the class.  Ask your student what they would like to teach the class if they could be the teacher.  Some students may do some research and present about an animal, another may love science and want to do a project related to a field of science, another student may want to know more about a place they’ve always wanted to visit and present about that.  The choices are endless.  If your child loves to read and wants to do another book report that is fine as well.  Please, no video game, cartoons, or movie cartoons.  Due date is Friday February 24th.

Nut Allergy reminder!:  We have a student with a severe nut allergy to all nuts.  Please, when getting Valentines that have treats to make sure no nuts are in the food/treat given.  Thanks!

Hello Everyone!

The zoo came this past week for 2nd graders and all went smoothly.  Class pictures also took place that afternoon and were completed for the upcoming yearbook.

Field Trip update!:  Ms. Anna and I booked Mrs. Cavanaugh’s Chocolate Factory in SLC for Feb. 23rd (a Thursday).  We will have the permission slips to sign at PTC.  This field trip will require parent drivers.  We will start out at school and won’t leave until mid morning.  During that time, we will learn about chocolate’s origins and process.  At 10:00am, we will start packing up.  We want to leave by 10:15am.  We are due a the factory at 11:00am.  They will have an hour long tour and education on how chocolate is made.  At noon, they will eat lunch there.  After lunch, any parents who wish to come and students can shop in the chocolate store.  We will gather at 1:00pm and then leave shortly after.  Any students returning back to MMA will wrap up with cultural with us and then leave when the bell rings at 3.  Please email Alicia Thomas and also let me know if you can drive and/or set up a carpool with other parents who can’t make it or take their child.  This field trip will require a $1.00 for any parents who come.

Money due from Nature Center:  Awkward to state, but due to all the many chaperones that came to the Nature Center in January, the Nature Center sent an invoice back to our MMA office paying for everyone.  Ms. Jalee forgot that the budget would cover only 3 chaperones per class, so we used more than we wanted to.  The kids are always covered, but we could use budget back from any of the parents who went on the field trip.  If you attended, a $3.00 cover should be dropped off to Melanie in the office. I am also going to post a donation link for the chocolate factory if you wish to contribute $2.00.  I will email out that link and post it when Melanie emails it to me.

PTC sign up: Currently, we have 17 families signed up to come to Mid Year PTC. They are NEXT WEEK!  Wednesday-Friday. Please bring your child with you and we will have them show you a favorite work they are doing and continue making/improving goals for the rest of the year.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Valentine’s Party: Please keep an eye out from Alicia, our room mom, about our Valentine’s Party.  Kiddos are allowed to bring Valentine’s for everyone.  If a small treat is part of the exchange, please make sure it is wrapped.  All treats will go home and will be eaten after school.

Past Week:

I had a few meetings this past week during the school day and with the zoo, a bit of our schedule for afternoon group lessons had to be skipped.

In group leveled lessons:

Level 2s: Piet Mondrian introduction.  He was an artist that worked with only squares and rectangles and 2nd graders are using their angles knowledge to apply his art.  They will begin the art project this Wednesday on their Geometry day.

Level 3s: Fractions on a number line.   3rd graders used IXL and on worksheets to apply their knowledge. Fractions on a number line is something you can help them with at home.  They are working on ordering fractions that come in-between 0 and 1 whole.

In cultural this week: Botany

Level 1s: Roots and parts of the root.  Ms. Anna brought in rainbow fingerling potatoes that were sprouting lots of roots for them to examine and see in real life.  Try it at home!  Take 1 potato and keep it in a dry dark place (pantry).  See how long it take for it to begin using its nutrients to shrivel and begin growing.

Level 2s: Leaf art and parts of a leaf review

Level 3s: Birthday flowers, Valentine flower meanings, and the review of the stamen.

Snack this week: Daxton.  We have an available spot open next week.  Please check our snack sign up link to the right of the blog 🙂

Have a great upcoming week and Super Bowl Sunday!

Cheers!

Ms. K