Ms. Kaley's Classroom Room 24

Hello!

Our first full week of school days went off to a great start!  This week the students were introduced to their planners, their Scholastic Daily Starter warm ups, and Spiral Math.

Click on this link to see our classroom’s planner: Work Planner 2.0 This year I added little images to help students quickly see the subject area.  This icons will be helpful reminders where to record their work.  The first graders are doing really well with the planner and it will take them a few weeks to get the hang of it.  2nd and 3rd graders are taking to it like ducks to water.  They are old pros and are doing excellent planning themselves when they plan to do their follow up works.

Reminder: if your child isn’t completing their follow up works that are due or part of their lesson I will send a kind reminder email for them to complete their work at home.

Work expectations during normalization: From the first day of school until October 1st is our period of time we call in Montessori “Normalization.”  This is a very important adjustment period for students to learn the classroom expectations.  As the weeks go on during normalization I look at the progress and adjust students work capabilities and also move them to any groups I think they need to be in.  All the groups I have cover most of the same content, but it is just the level of difficulty that is adjusted.  Some times the child is in the right group, but the work needs to be adjusted individually.  Ms. Misha and I always look to see what your child needs.

After normalization ends then I will look at putting together reading helpers.

Field Trip September 21st.: The permission slips are made, we are still waiting to see about transportation.  I have 2 chaperones who emailed me and I can take 2 more chaperone helpers (please email me if you can).  Show is at 12:30pm and should go until around 2:00.

Lessons from this past week:  There are so many lessons I give throughout the week that I cannot mention all of them. however, the schedule that I posted last week and the hard copy I handed out during Sneak a Peak went off to a great start!  I was able to try out our new lesson schedule and all the lessons on that plan were given.  I wasn’t able to complete all the UURC reading tests for the new students, so I am going to work on that this coming week.  Math U See math testing for the beginning of the year began also this week.  All 3 levels were given the 100s chart to see if the basics can be shown.  If your child wrote a number backwards then technically it is marked wrong, but a note is made that they “know” the number and need a numbers handwriting lesson.  I also made notes if your child had to use any of the concrete materials we have in our class to help them complete it.  This week, I will be giving the next tests called the Alpha and Beta tests.  Every level will be given the Alpha first.  It is a test that looks at basic  adding and subtracting using 1 digit numbers (the units).  If your child gets a passing grade on the Alpha and might be able to complete the Beta test, that test has a few parts to it: rounding, multi-digit adding and subtracting, time, and word problems.  Your child will have all of this upcoming week to complete it.

We began working on first writing prompt to see where the kids are.  Our first 12 weeks will be all about writing Narratives.  Each week I will give the class a whole group lesson and then they continue to work on their skills during their writing group and by themselves.

We did History and Zoology lessons this week.

History #1: Big Bang lesson, Story of Time

History #2: Big Bang lesson, Roman Numerals lesson from 1-10

History #3: Big Bang lesson, Clock of Eras

Zoology #1: Living and Non-living

Zoology #2: 5 classes of vertebrates review

Zoology #3: 5 classes of vertebrates review and intro to invertebrates chart

Whole class science Fridays– Intro to Scientific Method and 5 senses walk outside.  Recorded then shared what we saw, heard, tasted, smelled, and felt.

Next week, the students will be introduced to their next daily expectation work called Word Work.  It is a work that each student has in their binder and walks them through daily activities with word exercises.  The next expectation after that will be Text Time.  Another work that will be in their binder. They will be reading passages to work on for the week and answer reading and comprehension skills.  By the week of September 17th, my hope is to have all 3 expectations going simultaneously.

Have a great long weekend!  Happy Labor Day and upcoming week!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hello Parents!

Welcome to the first blog post summary of our week for this school year!  We were busy this week getting to know the kids.  We worked together as a community getting to know one another through social skills lessons, grace and courtesy lessons on: rugs, chairs, snack, dishes, sitting at circle, talking to one another, hallway walking, being seated at lunch, and opening/closing lockers.  The kids are anxious to get started on lessons and our friends are very interested in the materials we have around the room.  This Monday is the start of our weekly schedule.  I gave out a black and white printable copy during the Sneak a Peak.  We are not ready to begin the red, yellow, and blue reading groups, book club, or specials yet, but they are coming!  This week I will do the 1st graders and any new student’s University of Utah reading assessment.  This reading assessment tells me what grade level they are reading at.  I will also distribute the Math U See assessment to see what skills your child is capable of.  This will help me move any children I need to into the groups I have.  I’m very excited to get back into lesson and begin our United States studying and curriculum content!

Weekly plan 18-19

Mentor Class for 2018-2019- Last year we had the privilege of being teamed up with an Upper Elementary classroom.  This year our classroom is teamed up to work with the Junior High!  This week we will be working with Ms. Leigh and her Erdkinder class on Tuesday from 1:00-2:30.  Tuesday afternoon is when we have our PE and Music specials, but they will begin soon.  Leigh and I are going to take this opportunity to talk about the first Montessori Great Lesson- The Coming of the Universe (The Big Bang Theory).  The students will get the Big Bang material presentation and then choose a work choice to work on with the older students.  Our goal is to meet up with the Junior High once a month (hopefully more).  We will be working with as many of the Junior classes as we can that pertain to what we are working on.

*Please note:  Montessori Great Lessons were created by Maria Montessori herself, an Italian doctor.  As a religious woman, she felt it was also necessary to present many viewpoints to children, so they may become aware of other worldly views, respect viewpoints, and also make decisions for what they want to believe.  During this great lesson I present what a theory is go over how over time there are many different theories as to how the universe was created.  The teachers at MMA, or any Montessori school, will/should never tell your children what is the right one to believe.  We believe in educating the whole child and this lesson is an outlet to present differences.

First Field Trip Ready to Go!-  An opportunity came up for a free field trip and many of the Lower Elementary, if not all, are wanting to attend.  It is a play performed by a children’s theater.  The play is called The Magic Lake. It is a tale from South America.  Our South America study will be towards the later part of the year, but we wanted to take this opportunity.  It will be September 21st (a Friday).  Show begins at 12:30pm.  We will have an earlier recess/lunch time that day.  This trip has chaperone restrictions, meaning, they can only take 4.  We are also communicating right now as teachers on how we are planning to get there.  Buses are expensive to rent, so we are weighing our options right now.  I will get back to you on transportation soon.  Permission slips will be ready to go soon.  If you are available to attend the play and would like to be one of our 4 chaperones, please email me at kparsons@mariamontessoriacademy.org as soon as you can.  This is a first come first serve opportunity. 

Work Expectations- As mentioned at the Sneak a Peak, your child works at their pace. I have different groups according to grade content, but I also differentiate as needed for students.  Your child will be presented a lesson according to our weekly schedule.  A follow up work will then be assigned.  There might be one choice for the follow up work or they may be 2 choices to choose from.  If there is one choice then students are expected to do that follow up work by its due date.  If there are 2 (or more) choices then students choose 1 to complete by that due date.  Cultural follow up works will be due on Fridays and Math & Language ones will be due by the next time we meet for that subject.  Since next Monday is a holiday, I have that work due next Tuesday.  Should your child not do their work or come to a lesson they need to come to.  It will be noted and be taken home for homework.  Misha and myself will address the concerns first as to why they are choosing to not complete it.  This is where differentiation may come into play for students who need it.  If that conversation doesn’t help the situation then that assignment is to be taken home as homework.  You as the parents will be contacted if work is coming home.  Please check backpacks regularly!  

Art Class– Art Class with Ms. Trudy has been scheduled!  These classes will be 6 weeks long and will happen twice a year.  We begin our first 6 weeks beginning on September 7th.  Art class is promptly at 8:40am and will go until 9:30am.  Our next rotation will be in December.

Substitute– I will be out of town September 12th, 13th, and 14th.  I have not ben able to find a sub from our subs we had last year.  I am still working on it and Misha feels comfortable running the class if I cannot find a sub.  Ms. Lana is looking to come in to present some of the lessons on the schedule so we can stay on track.  If you would like to be an MMA substitute, please notify our front office.  A background check is needed.  If you would simply like to just volunteer to help out, please email me.

Thanks everyone!  Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hello Everyone!

Sneak a Peek!

Monday afternoon is Sneak a Peek!  This means you may come into the school with your child(ren) and see where their classroom is located, ask questions, drop off school supplies, and meet the teachers.

They will run every half hour beginning at 1:30pm and ending at 3:30pm:

1:30pm-2:00pm

2:00pm-2:30pm

2:30pm-3:00pm

3:00pm-3:30pm

Hoping to see a lot of you come by!  This is a great opportunity for our new students and families to come in and see where we are.  Even for our students who have been in our classroom there is new organization to our curriculum!  Misha and I will have the parent volunteer papers available for those who didn’t/couldn’t make it to the Pool Party this past Thursday.  We will go over the Lower Elementary whole year at a glance template that pertains to our curriculum.  If you want to know more about our Scope and Sequence, a document that shows the order of lessons presented, then please ask me and we’ll go over that separately.

I have our weekly schedule too that is in a pretty solid state right now.  We are waiting to see when our class will do art classes with Ms. Trudy, but the rest seems ready to go.  Please know it is subject to change if need be, but I will keep you updated.  I am wanting to give this to you all Monday.

Back to School Night- Sept. 13th

I will not be at Back to School night in September.  I apologize for this, but I will be in a wedding back in my home state of Maryland.  Our Back to School Night usually runs like an open house, so I will have my Parent Flip book ready for you by then.  That document will have our classroom reminders, schedule, field trips, and projects.

Reminders!

Also, reminder that students start school TUESDAY the 21st.  If you have a preschooler or Kindergartener those students will begin school on August 27th.  The first week of school (the week of the 21st) are also ALL early out days.  That means dismissal is at 1:00pm.  Lunch time always still happens on early outs, so please pack your child a lunch! 🙂

Please sign up for snack for the year on Track it Forward!  Thanks everyone!  

-Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hi Everyone!

I have created a Google Doc that has our main classroom volunteer opportunities.  Opportunities such as reading, classroom parties, drivers etc.  I will print this sign up sheet for the Pool Party coming up, but I thought I could give everyone a heads up on what I have!  Thanks!

Click HERE to Sign Up!

Hello Parents!  Please read carefully below…

Welcome new students to room 24!  We are a classroom on the South side of the building (near the new Jr. High hallway that connects the elementary to the Jr. High.  We are located in the kiva area (kitchen area).

It’s almost the start of a new school year (already!).  I hope your child has been enjoying their summer break.  I miss them!  My student’s information isn’t ready yet in our school Aspire system, so I will post a few tidbits of information on here:

1.  I will be in and out this week of the classroom.  If you would like to drop off school supplies early (which I recommend), you will have a chance to do so.   I like to start getting all their binders organized with the things I have preprinted for the year and start getting things labeled and put away.  I will be in the building Tuesday and Wednesday for most of the day (not past 4pm).  Thursday I will be in towards the afternoon. If my door is open and I am not there I am more than likely in the printing room by the school’s office.  If I am not there, you may leave your child’s supplies by my door.  The teacher’s are also back beginning August 14th.  We will be off site on August 14th, but this is guaranteed time I will be in the building.  You are more than welcome to drop of supplies then too.  If I am not there, I am in a meeting.
2. Please make sure your child’s supplies are in a bag or box that have their name on the bag or box.  I don’t want to get anyone’s things mixed up!
3. I forgot a supply on the school list!  Please, if you can, purchase a zippered pencil case that can be put into a binder (in the rings).  Thanks!

School Events to Remember! (New Parents and Veteran Parents)

1. School Pool Party- August 16th at 6pm.  There will also be a ribbon cutting ceremony honoring the new Jr. High’s building being officially opened.  MMA families are invited to attend.  Please be there by 5:15pm.
2. Sneak a Peak (at the classroom) August 20th- this is also a great time to drop off supplies too if you can’t make it  the week of August 6th.  There will be half hour time slots to come by and say hi, drop off supplies, and ask questions.  Times begin at 1:30pm. and go until 3:30pm.
3. School begins August 21st (a TUESDAY) for students in first grade-Jr. High.  Tuesday-Friday are ALL early out days 8:30-1:00pm.  School doors open at 8:15am and the morning bell dings at 8:30am.  Please remember to provide a lunch for your child on these early outs 🙂
4. I will NOT be in town for Back to School Night.  I am in a wedding back in Maryland during this time.  Ms. Misha will be present, but I recommend coming to the Sneak a Peak opportunity on August 20th.  I might hold my own little Back to School Night by myself before I leave, but I will let you all know as we get closer.
5. Please sign up for snack for the year!  If each family is able to sign up twice then we will be covered for the year.  * I am currently working on getting the sign ups ready on Track it Forward.I have until February created.  More to come soon!

New Parents with new students to Ms. Kaley’s Classroom:

1. Welcome!  Please come to our school’s Sneak a Peak on August 20th.  This is a great time to ask me questions and see where your child’s classroom is!
2. The school’s Pool Party is at North Shore Aquatic Center (located right across from the school).  It begins at 6pm.  This is a welcome time to say hello and have fun with our school community.  Parents, please save any personal information chats about your child for a more private time.  For any new families coming to our classroom I would prefer that your child’s information remain private and not chat about him or her while others are openly there. If you would like to schedule a time to sit down and talk about your child’s needs please email me at my school email address.
3. My school supply list is located on this blog up at the top.
4. Snack is volunteered at our school.  Sign ups for our classroom are currently being worked on. I have until February created.  More to come.
5. We do all our school volunteering opportunities and sign ups (like for PTC) on a program called Track it Forward.  Please visit:  www.trackitforward.com and create a sign in for your family.  Give it about 24 hours and you will be entered into our system and you can then sign up for events in our classroom and other classrooms if you have other children at our school!
6. This is our classroom blog and I post weekly once the school year gets going.  Please subscribe to our classroom blog by clicking SUBSCRIBE to the right of my blog.  Check your email to confirm and then that should be it!  You will receive an email if any latest blog post I make.  Please know that as a parent of our classroom you are part of our classroom community.  It is the parent’s responsibility to read the blog posts I make during the year.  I post important information about what is going on, so to be in the know about things, please read them 🙂

If you have any questions before the pool party please email me!  See everyone soon!

-Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Dear parents,

I want to thank you all and your children for another great year.  I feel like this year you all really helped me out with all our field trips, class events/parties, and participation.  Again, I cannot express how thankful I am to all of you.  Thank you thank you!

I will be working an extra week in June to help organize our curriculum and better facilitate a more universal and cohesive feel amongst all our classrooms and levels.  It is a topic I feel passionately about and an idea that we brought forward to our school from our time attended at the AMS Denver Conference.

The 2018-2019 supply list for our classroom has been updated and is now available for those returning to our classroom 🙂

Have a wonderful summer everyone 🙂

Hi Everyone!

It is crazy to think that there are 10 more school days left.  This past week I have completed the student’s reading level assessments and the students have worked on their end of the year Math U See assessments.  Some students may be asked to take more Math U See because their score was high enough to move on to the next level.  It will be a very busy upcoming week with a very modified schedule here on out.  Please help me by reminding your student to use their best grace and courtesy while at school and work on what is asked of them.

This upcoming week we will work on preparing the end of the year folders for each child’s PTC.  This upcoming PTC is student led.  Your child will be giving you a few lessons on shelf works and also sharing writing, and work samples.  If you haven’t already, please visit www.trackitforward.com and sign up for PTC.  I have blocked off a time to do my daughter’s conference right before dinner on Thursday.

This week the students also be catching up on some cultural lessons.  They might be doing Zoology one day and Geography the next so that I can give as much as the cultural curriculum to them as possible.

May Spirit Week Events! May 14th- May 18th

Monday– Store Day AND Crazy Sock Day.  We will be outside with Ms. Stef’s Class for Store Day (please provide sunblock!).  It works like a yard sale!  Students will be earning classroom dollars to use towards buying things from others during Store Day.  Students may bring in things to sell:

-Sell books and toys they no longer want, but think someone else may want to enjoy

-Sell a treat: Otter Pops, muffins, cookie, etc.  Must be wrapped up to take home

-Sell a service/craft: origami, play a game, make a craft, sell a craft etc.

Students should bring their own blanket to be able to set up their own store items and also bring a bag to do their shopping with.  We plan on being outside if it is nice out.  It could be hot so please allow them to bring sunblock, sunglasses, and hats.

Tuesday– Crazy hat or Hair Day!

Wednesday– PJ and Movie Day.  Pillows and blankets allowed.  We will be watching a move in the afternoon.  If anyone has Wonder on DVD, please let me know I’d like to borrow it for the class to watch.

Thursday- Occupation Day!  Dress like the occupation you want to be when you grow up or any occupation! Ms. Kaley out of town

Friday- FIELD DAY! It is also dress down day.  We have ours in the morning.  It is outside too and will be in the parking lot.  Please prepare your child for running around outside and for the weather. Ms. Kaley out of town

Game afternoon on Friday!– Our students have worked hard on their grace and courtesy points and may bring a board game or card game for the afternoon.  Please nothing electronic or toy wise.  If you board game is electronic like Operation, for example, that is perfectly fine.

Out of Town-I will be going out of town back to Maryland for my stepbrother’s wedding.  I leave early Thursday morning and will be flying back to UT on Monday.  We will have the same substitute schedule as before.

Last Week of School:

Monday– Ms Kaley out of town.  Last Full Day of school 8:30-3:00pm.  I’d love to have an end of the year breakfast for our class.  If anyone would like to come in and help do a pancake breakfast.  It is going to be a very busy few days for me this coming week and I don’t think I’ll be able to get around to creating a sign up sheet for the pancake breakfast.  I sure will try though!  Monday is also Early Childhood Bridging.  The ceremony will begin at 11am.  After the ceremony the Kindergarteners and any pre schoolers are welcome to have a picnic outside with their Early Childhood class from 11:45am-12:30pm.  There will not be a regular early childhood day this day just come for the ceremony.  The only role our class has with Kinder bridging is welcoming them.  Since our school is under construction with the Junior High, all ceremonies this year are being held in the gym.

Tuesday– Early out at 1pm.  PTCs begin.  3rd Grade Bridging Ceremony from 11am-12pm.  Families of 3rd graders are invited to come to see their child bridge onto the next level!  After the ceremony, parents may take their 3rd graders and siblings.

Wednesday– Early Out at 1pm- PTC. Upper El’s Bridging ceremony is you have an older child at MMA.

Thursday– 3rd grade multiplication official test.  Early Out at 1pm- PTC end this night

Friday– Yearbook distribution and signing.  Early Out at 1pm

3rd grade Upper El placement– The list of where your 3rd grader will be going next year is still in the works.  I have seen a tentative placement of where the students are going.  If I feel like I need your opinion on the matter I may ask you a question so that I can relay it the office.  The potential teacher will not be mentioned, but just the question I have.

Thank You– I want to thank you all for being part of our classroom and for choosing MMA for your child.  I cannot describe the amount of love and care I have for the school and for our students.  Thank you to all of you for the loving amount of kindness and appreciation Misha and I received during Teacher Appreciation week.  Thank you to Katie James, our room mom, for being amazing and for all the work you have done for me and for the class this year.  To all my 3rd grade parents, thank you for our journey together and you all are amazing with amazing children.

Thank you and Happy Mother’s Day!  Enjoy your upcoming week!

Ms. Kaley

Hi Everyone!

I have made sign ups through Track It Forward!  You will probably be seeing a few emails come through inviting you to sign up!

I have made both 3rd grade breakfast sign ups for May 1st and May 7th.  The 3rd grade parents received those email notifications that they have been posted!  For the breakfasts, the school provides me the eggs from our MMA chickens and I make the 3rd grade students scrambled eggs.  The rest of the breakfast is up to you guys! Please sign up to contribute to our breakfast if you can.  Thanks!

May PTC sign ups are ready!  Please sign up through Track It Forward.  Once you are into the program you will click on Event Sign-Up and you will see a calendar.  Be careful to find our classroom sign up as ALL of the school will be posting their sign up sheets on these 3 days.  So far, it is just Ms. Marleen and myself already to rock and roll for sign ups.  During the dinner times there is a date where they make us a nice end of the year dinner.  I might have to adjust one of the spots once I know the date!

May Spirit Week Events! May 14th- May 18th

Monday- Store Day AND Crazy Sock Day.  We will be outside with Ms. Stef’s Class for Store Day (please provide sunblock!).  It works like a yard sale!  Students will be earning classroom dollars to use towards buying things from others during Store Day.  Students may bring in things to sell:

-Sell books and toys they no longer want, but think someone else may want to enjoy

-Sell a treat: Otter Pops, muffins, cookie, etc.  Must be wrapped up to take home

-Sell a service/craft: origami, play a game, make a craft, sell a craft etc.

Students should bring their own blanket to be able to set up their own store items and also bring a bag to do their shopping with.  We plan on being outside if it is nice out.  It could be hot so please allow them to bring sunblock, sunglasses, and hats.

Tuesday- Crazy hat or Hair Day!

Wednesday- PJ and Movie Day.  Pillows and blankets allowed

Thursday- Occupation Day!  Dress like the occupation you want to be when you grow up or any occupation!

Friday- FIELD DAY! It is also dress down day.  We have ours in the morning.  It is outside too and will be in the parking lot.  Please prepare your child for running around outside and for the weather.

Upcoming Week:

The 6th and and 9th graders are on their big field trips.  Some teachers and SPED teachers are helping chaperone and will be out of the building.  We will have Ms. Nikki’s assistant, Ms. Missy, on Monday and Tuesday of this week.

I will be leaving for Charlottesville, VA on Thursday and will be out Thursday, Friday, and the following Monday (May 7th).  Ms. Lori will be subbing for me.  Our schedule will run as it normally does.

Volunteers needed!- Friday the students will be doing Cinco de Mayo learning and activities.  I would love to have a parent or 2 come in and help make homemade salsa for snack.  If would like to help out in the morning and help the kids prepare salsa, please email me ASAP! We will also need tortilla chips donated too.  If you can’t make it, but want to help donate chips, please let me know and send them in with your child this week.  Please email me at kparsons@mariamontessoriacademy.org if you can help out on Friday or help donate food supplies!  Thanks!

DIBLES- Our end of the year reading testing has begun!  Monday (tomorrow) and Tuesday the reading teachers will be testing our students on end of the year DIBELS testing

SAGE Writing- 3rd graders will take their SAGE Writing test Tuesday May 1st.  They will have their special breakfast in the morning and then begin testing at 9am.  They will miss PE and Music this day.

I will be doing 3rd grade end of the year UURC reading level testing this week.  UURC states what reading level your child is reading at.

There will not be any Geometry/Fractions/Measurement lessons this week as each level will work on Problem of the Month with me instead.

No blog post will be posted over next weekend.  Here are some May dates to be aware of:

May 7th- 3rd grade Breakfast and SAGE Math 9am.

May 8th-May 10th- 3 3d grade students will shadow in Ms. Stef’s Upper El class for the day to see what Upper El is like.

May 10th- 3d grade party 1:30-2:30

Past Week:

Thank you to a lot of you who attended the field trip with us Thursday.  We had beautiful weather and everyone had a great time!

Every language group this week continued to work on their parts of speech with me.

1st graders worked on learning pictographs this week, 2nd graders continued to work on their graphing skills too, and 3rd graders used Tanagrams to solve fraction problems to help their equivalent fraction practice.

In cultural this week: Zoology/Physiology

Level 1s: Endangered Animals

Level 2s: The Nervous System and the Brain

Level 3s: Arthropods and Spiders

Friday- Boat building STEM project.  They loved it!

Have a great rest of your weekend, upcoming week, and next week!

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone!

Clark Planetarium/Discovery Gateway Field Trip- April 26th

I’m going to start with important field trip information that has been recently updated!

Jalee and I met and UTA has recently updated their train schedules.  Please read carefully as to what time your child needs to be at the UTA Train station on Wall Ave next to Union Station.

Arriving to train station in AM- Please plan on having your child arrive at 8:10/8:15am.  This will give children time to get their wristbands from their teacher and so we can make sure we have everyone.  If you are planning to come and help chaperone, this will give you the opportunity to get your ticket on time.  I will have extra wristbands for a few chaperones.  Those who plan on coming, please email me to let me know you are coming.  I will see how many extra wrist bands I have.  First come, first serve!

Train LEAVE Wall Ave at exactly 8:37am.  We do not wait for anyone who is late.  If you are late, you can drive your child to The Gateway in SLC.  We get off at the North Temple Station and we walk to the Gateway.  It is a short walk and we’ve never had a problem doing this walk.  This eliminate the need to catch the light rail.

Lunch- There are a few options for your child.  We are at The Gateway in Salt Lake City.  There are limited food buying option, but there will be 3 food trucks by the fountain.  Last year, the whole food court was under construction.  I am waiting to hear back from one of our parents to see if it is rebuilt and accessible.  We still were able to eat outside last year at other restaurants, but the students who brought money to buy food had to eat at the bigger restaurants.

Ms. Kaley’s class will begin at The Clark Planetarium.  It normally opens at 10am, but they will allow us inside a little early when we get there.  The Planetarium is free to go in.  We are not seeing an IMAX movie.  Students are free to explore the exhibits until 11:30 or a little earlier if a chaperone’s group is ready to eat sooner (recommended).  There is a fantastic gift shop at the Planetarium if you decide to give your child money for this field trip.

Our whole class will need to be at Discovery Gateway at 12:00pm.  We will be attending the roller coaster workshop from 12:00-12:30.  Please be on time back from lunch!

Students may have some limited time to explore the rest of Discovery Gateway after the workshop.  We will need to gather and leave by 1:10pm.  It is a short walk back to the train station, but it does take a few minutes to get there.  Our train back to Union Station on Wall Ave in Ogden will leave to head home at 1:31pm.  

Arrival back from SLC to Ogden-  Our train gets back home at 2:24pm.  Please pick your child up at the train station or arrange a carpool to pick your child up.  Please remember to pick your child up on time or have your carpool pick up your child on time.  Jalee and I will have our assistants with us for this field trip, but we do not leave until every child is picked up.  This makes it important to be on time and for us to see that your child gets their ride safely.

Past Week:

This past week in mixed group lessons we had the Antelopes language group work on learning homonyms and creating sentences with a few of them.  The Badgers language group did a great job learning about similes and metaphors.  The Crocs worked on their parts of speech review.  We will continue revisiting each part of speech for review for a few more weeks.

In leveled math groups the 1st graders revisited money.  I showed them some new money works I picked up at the Denver conference I attended.  They are working coin naming and amounts, but also learning to add up coin amounts.  The 2nd graders are continuing to practice graphing skills and learning how to solve differences in amounts with items graphed.  We will spend some more time on graphs for a little bit more practice.  The 3rd graders are working on a mini project for area and perimeter.  I am having them design their own house using graphing paper and they have to solve the area and perimeter for each part of the house (ie: door, windows, roof etc.).  There in class project is due to me on Wednesday.

In cultural this week:

Level 1s: Time to the 10 minute, 5 minute, and 1 minute mark.  Many first graders need practice with these last minute marks

Level 2s: Saturn and Uranus planets

Level 3s: What is a fossil and Paleontologist

We had Scales and Tale come by Thursday afternoon to present the bird show.  It was a great in school field trip to see the different kinds birds and learn what each does!

Friday- our class had music practice for the concert this past Friday and we also snuck in some Earth Day activities

Upcoming Week:

We will complete the Problem of the Month this week and also plant our plants for the April/May in class project.

Thursday is our all day field trip!  Please see above info for details

It looks like beautiful weather this week, so I’m going to do a STEM boat building challenge Friday.  We can test the built boats outside in a bucket.  The kids will learn about water displacement, sink and float review, and learn how/why large ships float and not sink.  They will then build their own boat in small groups to see whose can hold the most amount of weight.  They will only be allowed limited provided building materials and I will use fake class money too for money/budgeting skills as each material has to be “bought.”

Looking ahead:

I am out of town May 3rd-7th and also May 17th-21st.

3rd grade SAGE Writing is May 1st.  Breakfast will be made that morning.

May 7th is SAGE Math.  Breakfast will be made that morning.  I will not be there for this test, but Mr. James and Ms. Megan are proctoring the tests.  I will need more help in the morning to have the 3rd grade breakfast made and served.

I will be getting together the food items wanted for 3rd grade testing breakfast.  Ms. Leigh in the Jr. High provides us with fresh eggs from our MMA chickens.  We have scrambled eggs for every breakfast, but we will need fruit, plates, cups, drinks, and some other breakfast food(s) item.

The Last PTC will be on Track It Forward- not We Join In.  Please make sure that you get yourself signed up for Track It Forward when I get the sign up ready.  It will be new (as it is for me) and I know we are used to We Join In, so if you have any questions once I have the sign up ready, I will try to answer your questions the best I can.  Once you sign up for Track It forward it may take 24 hours, I believe, to be accepted before you can sign up.  I want to have the sign up sheet ready by the 1st week of May.

Thanks to everyone who came and attended the Spring Concert.  There will be 3 more classes of Music for this year.

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week.  See some of you on Thursday!

Ms. Kaley

Hi Everyone!

Past Week:

Thank you to those who came with us on our Spring Trash Pick up.  We got lucky with the weather not pouring or snowing on us!  Friday went great!  That was our first field trip on a Friday that Jalee and I have ever done.  The students enjoyed the scavenger hunts around the museum and had a blast doing the helicopter workshop.

In group leveled lessons this week the 1st graders reviewed the lines they are working on in Geometry.  The lines they are learning are horizontal, vertical, parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting.  These types of lines will then be built upon when they turn second graders and we talk about different angles.  2nd graders are working on graphing skills with bar graphs and pie graphs.  They will continue their practice this upcoming week too.  3rd graders are deciphering whether to use their area or perimeter solving skills to word problems.  This is still tough for them, so we are going to review more skills on area vs perimeter by having them “build” a 2D house on graphing paper and they have to answer what is the perimeter and area for a door, windows, a roof, grass, and the house structure they create.

For the mixed language groups this past week, the Antelopes are worked on creating their own sentences and identifying sentences’ parts of speech.  This group is working on sentences having an article, noun, verb, and adjective.  The Badgers and Crocs both worked on Homophones with knowing when to use to vs two vs too and there, their, and they’re.

In cultural this past week: Botany

Level 1s: Photosynthesis introduction and reviewed all parts of a plant

Level 2s: Photosynthesis of a plant

Level 3s: What are carnivorous plants and kinds of carnivorous plants

Friday- Those students who were with me in the morning had class meeting and we went over kind words and did a compliment circle.  This upcoming Friday we will plant the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade bean seed and go over how to record our April in class project

Upcoming Week:

This week we will have a Fire Drill at some time on Tuesday

Wednesday we will have the COW and also Ms. Rachel will be in for her monthly Botany lesson from 1:50-2:50

Thursday Scales and Tales are back!  They will bring their bird show and teach about different kinds of birds.

Friday is an early release.  Please remember that students eat lunch on early outs and pick up is at 1pm.

April 26th is our last field trip.  We take UTA’s TRACKS train and ride it all right to our destination.  Lunch will be eaten at The Gateway at their food court.  Last year it was under construction, so hopefully this year we won’t run into that problem!  Students may bring money to buy lunch at the surrounding places to eat.  This is a split field trip.  We are with Jalee’s class and both classes will take turns doing each place.  We will be going to Clark Planetarium and Children’s Discovery Gateway.  The classes will then switch.  These places are right next to each other in the Gateway’s vicinity.  We do meet at Union Station on Wall Ave to catch TRACKs.  The train platform we take is right behind the little diner.  Parents who come will buy their own ticket to ride, but I will have wristbands for the kids to ride the train for free that day.  I will check with Jalee this week on which class is starting where and to confirm our meeting time at the train station.

Parent Night Opportunity!

Helping Your Child with Handwriting Skills Parent Workshop

You are invited to attend a free handwriting training provided by our occupational therapist. This training will provide ways to improve your child’s handwriting skills this summer. Join us on May 10th in the MMA Library from 4:30 until 6:30pm.

Thanks everyone!  Have a great upcoming week and rest of your weekend!

Ms. Kaley