Didn’t we just bid adieu to October?  Crazy…

Speaking of December, it is a short one and it is jammed packed with lots of things to do!

First thing to take care of is to get your child’s permission slip in when we come back from Thanksgiving Break.  Thank you for those who got there’s signed and back to me the Friday we got out on break, that was most helpful!  Remember, permission slips must be in 24 hours before we go to The Nutcracker Ballet in Ogden.  This field trip will NOT require any parent chaperones.  Please also to make sure to get your child’s $2.00 fee in to the office either through the link to the right of our blog or in person.

December’s project is a book report!  Projects are due the week of December 16th.  Students are to read a book for their reading level.  If your child is seeing Ms. Kathy for reading, she will be doing mid year reading testing the first week of December.  You can email me if you would like those results.  This month’s book report project is called Cereal Box!  Please visit the Home Project tab for more information!

In December we do a Holiday Feast.  December 19th is the date, that is a Thursday.  It will take place at lunch time (12:00pm).  We will need helpers with food/drinks, tableware, etc.  I will send out a we join link for those who want to help.  This is our big get together of year and you’ll DEFINITELY  will not want to miss out!

Now for what we did before Thanksgiving Break!

In group lessons:

Level 1s: Golden bead point to solid (geometry)

Level 2s: Making angles with pipecleaners

Level 3s: Hypotenuse of a triangle

Open lessons: Dime layout, Exchange game (money)

In cultural:

History:

Level 1s: Learning about AD and BC timeline

Level 2s: Life and death of a star

Level 3s: Devonian Period

Zoology/Physiology:

Level 1s: Introduction to amphibians

Level 2s: The ear

Level 3s: Intro to Annelids

Geography:

Level 1s: Mercator map

Level 2s: Earthquakes

Level 3s: Global atmospheric movement

Botany:

Level 1s: There Once was a Daisy reading

Level 2s: Palmate margins

Level 3s: Corolla/Petals

Friday: Family Tree projects, Meaning of Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving crafts

Happy Thanksgiving!  See you all in December!

Cheers!

Ms. K

Hello!

Our class is working on something special for the Gratitude Feast on Thursday the 21st.  The 3rd graders created a poem together about being thankful.  The 1st and 2nd graders are teamed up in pairs of 2, most groups containing one 2nd grader, one 1st grader.  Each group will draw a visual to each line of the poem.  On Thursday, the 3rd graders will read the poem.  the 1st and 2nd grade pairs will sit with their 3rd grade buddy and hold up their visual as each line is read.  We will finish up the visuals and practice more this coming week to be ready on Thursday.

I will be making permission slips for the Nutcracker Ballet field trip, December 9th, this week.  I will be sending them out Wednesday. If you can have them back ASAP, that would be fantastic.  All permission slips MUST be in 24 hours before the field trip.  Please do not forget to submit your child’s 2 dollar fee for the ballet through the payment link on the right hand side of this blog.  I have heard from one parent so far on submission, so please don’t forget to email me or leave me a comment on the blog that you completed the payment.  That way I can mark your child off on my check off list 🙂

This soon to be Friday is our Thanksgiving party.  In the morning we talk about the history of Thanksgiving.  Since we don’t have studio this Friday, we will do recess first and then lunch, like we do the rest of the week.  By the time the kids get cleaned up it will be around 12:40pm.  I need a few more helpers for Friday.  If you are coming to help, please be at our classroom at 12:30pm.  After they get cleaned up,  I’ll sit them down and explain each of the crafts.  They are then free to choose until 2:30pm.  

Group lessons this week:

Level 1s: Intro to point of a line (geometry)

Level 2s: Interior and exterior angles (geometry), Marshmallow angle review

Level 3s: Features of a triangle (geometry), Arrays of multiplication with fruit loops

Open lessons: fractions equivalence with pizza visuals, how to read a ruler to whole inch, half an inch, 1/4 an inch

In cultural:

History:

Level 1s:  BC and AD timeline.  Introduction to a century with golden bead

Level 2s:  Formation of a star

Level 3s:  Silurian Period

Zoology:

Level 1s: Fish report

Level 2s: Shrews and hedge hogs

Level 3s: Roundworms

Geography:

Level 1s: 3D Earth to 2D using a grapefruit

Level 2s: Faults

Level 3s: Weather reader’s theatre

Botany:

Level 1s: Land and water food chain paper model

Level 2s: Pinnate margins

Level 3s: Position of the calyx

Friday: Studio, Library, Great Barrier Reef animals and learning watercolor painting

Home projects are due Monday and this coming week!

Have a great (wintery) weekend!

Cheers!

Ms. K

Hello!

Some information from the Office!  Thursday November 21st is our school’s Gratitude Feast.

To help with our Gratitude Feast please sign up below!

This field trip does require a $2.00 fee.  The Office has conveniently given us a payment link so you can pay from home!  Please follow the link below and post a comment or email me that you have submitted payment for your child! Thank you!

Nutcracker Ballet Field Trip Payment Link: https://secureinstantpayments.com/sip/cart/event.php?EID=1151

Don’t forget that the November Home Project has been posted!  Please have them due the week of the 18th.  Please HAVE them in ON the 18th, but if a child forgets, you have a few days.  It takes that week to have all the kids share.

On November 22nd the student’s do not have any studio.  That Friday I wanted to use to educate the kids on the history of Thanksgiving during the morning.  In the afternoon I have found some fun Thanksgiving projects.  Please let me know if you would like to volunteer to help or help with supplies!   I would like to have a helper per craft 🙂 I am going to oversee the corn painting wreath, but I would like a helper.

Supplies: No supplies needed for poem/hand turkey craft

Supplies: Gumdrops, mini-marshmallows, nerds, toothpicks, gummy worms (enough for 25 students)

Supplies: Clear plastic gloves (nobody has a latex allergy), Cheerios, Fruit Loops

Supplies: No supplies needed

Supplies: No supplies needed

Now that our upcoming events are out of the way, this week in group lessons:

Level 1s:

Level 2s:

Level 3s:

In Cultural:

History:

Level 1s: Body Measurements/ Project Sharing

Level 2s: Galaxies/ The Milky Way

Level 3s: Ordovician Period

Zoology/Physiology:

Level 1s: Types of Fish

Level 2s: Building an eye

Level 3s: Intro to Nematodes

Geography:

Level 1s: Building a 3D Earth

Level 2s: Faults

Level 3s: Weather elements

Botany:

Level 1s: Water food chains

Level 2s: Margins: entire/indented (the outline shapes of a leaf)

Level 3s: Calyx: gamosepalous & polysepalous

Friday: Cleaning, Australian animals and crafts

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Cheers!

Ms. K

Hello!

We sure had a busy week!

Everything went well and the students really enjoyed their field trip and party on Friday.  Thank you to all of you who came out this past week to help out!

Our next field trip will be to see The Nutcracker on December 9th. It won’t be an all day field trip.  We will need to take a bus and each student will need $2.00 for this field trip.  I will send out information as the date approaches, but I putting in the request for us to go this week and wanted you all to be aware that this field trip will have a small cost.  If for any reason a child cannot pay, please email me and let me know.

Level 1s have a mini project.  For History, we have been discussing the calendar and also length of time.  This will lead into our large unit of telling time later on in the year.  This project is very similar to how a celebration of life works in our class, except that it is more visual.  All level 1s need to create a poster timeline of their life for every year they lived on our Earth.  For example: if your child is 7 years old, they need 7 pictures, one for each year of their life on their board.  Under each of the pictures, please help your child out with a memory from that year.  It can be something about that year from the picture they chose or just a general fact from that year.  No more than 2 sentences per picture.  I would like if level 1 students wrote the sentences themselves, but they will need help and maybe motivation.  I want them to each share to the class and then put them on display for about a week.  This project is due: November 4th (a Monday, the day we do History).

This week in group lessons:

Level 1s: Making halves and 3rds with fractions

Level 2s: Expanded notation

Level 3s: Perimeter

In cultural this week:

History:

Level 1s: Story of a Lifetime project assigned

Level 2s: Friction and Equilibrium

Level 3s: Pre-Cambrian

Zoology/Physiology:

Level 1s: Fish parts booklet

Level 2s: The eye introduction

Level 3s: Intro Platyhelminthes

Geography:

Level 1s: Globe booklet

Level 2s: Earth’s folding

Level 3s: Weather layers

Have a great rest of our weekend!

Cheers!

Ms. K

Thank you everyone for coming out to conferences!  It was a pleasure to meet with all with all of you and talk about your child!  I love my job and especially your child 🙂

With the short week there wasn’t any group lessons, we focused on individual lessons.

They enjoyed their little break day on Wednesday and seemed to be the calmest class in the school that day!

Let’s talk about this coming week since we have some events!….

Tuesday 10/22 is Picture Day!  I sent home a picture form with your child 2 weeks ago.  They should bring that form on Tuesday with your choice.

10/ 24 FIELD TRIP TO BLACK ISLAND FARMS:

Black Island Farms Address:

3178 S 3000 W  Syracuse, UT 84075
(801) 825-6236

 Click here for Black Island Farms’ Website!

If you are dropping your child off at the school to get a ride with a certified driver, please drop them off at normal morning drop off time. Here are the drivers taking the children to Black Island Farms:

-Melinda Montgomery

-Austin Teuscher

-Jen Noyes

Drivers, please be at the school by 8:20am.  We will be leaving the school around 8:55am, loading the children around quarter of 9.  Black Island Farms opens at 10am.

Drivers taking their own children or are coordinating carpools outside MMA are:

-Urbano Cortes (own child)

-Dixie Brenchley (own child)

-Annie Petree (own child)

-Sandy Ruiz (own child)

-Kim Patterson (carpool, (own children + 1 student)

-Liz Herring (own child)

– Brady Panter (own child)

– Irene Linenberger (own child)

– Kim Winward (own child)

-Heather Misner (own child)

Drivers taking their own children or are doing carpools, please meet us AT BLACK ISLAND FARMS between 9:30am and 9:45am.

We will be departing at 1:45pm

Please pack a picnic lunch and a water bottle in a backpack.  Please dress your child is layers and also warmly!  

Friday’s Halloween Party!

Friday afternoon will be our Halloween party.  The children have studio in the morning from 8:40am until 11:30am.  From 11:30am-12:00pm we do lunch.  12:00pm-12:30pm we have recess.  When we come back in we will do our Halloween activities from 12:30pm-2:30pm.  Here are the helpers and activities:

Helpers:

-Sandy Ruiz

-Dianne Cortes 

-Kim Winward

– Kim Patterson

-Dixie Brenchley

Activities for 26 students:

Need: paper plates, googly eyes

Need: Play sand (Home depot: a 50lb bag is $3.99), 3 things of pumpkin spice, 6 cans of cornstarch, orange food coloring or orange powered paint.  Each child will get 1 cup to take home in a baggie.

Need: Pretzel sticks, cream cheese, 1 jar of peanut butter, raisins

Need: Graham crackers, white frosting, red frosting, plastic knives

Even if you cannot come help Friday, you can help donate the supplies we need 🙂

Come out Saturday 10/26 4:00pm-6:00pm to our Annual Fall Festival!  It helps raise money for our 6th grade field trip and it is a blast!  There is food, games, and you can dress up!

Hope you all are enjoying your Fall Break.  Please email me and let me know if you can drive or something changes.

Cheers!

Ms. K

Hello!

Few things to pass along to you all!

On Fridays, please no characters on shirts!  Not even sports teams.  If your child wears a hoodie, they must put them in their locker while inside the building.  I have the heat on in our room if it is chilly, but if it becomes cold, please have your child wear a sweater.

Fall Festival is Saturday October 26th.  This is the day we can wear costumes.

I am looking at having an afternoon Fall/Halloween small party for the kids on Friday October 25th.  Please let me know if you would like to participate and help out.  I have some craft and snack ideas I just need the help getting the supplies and helpers on that day for it to be successful.  Please email me if you would be interested!

October’s Pumpkin book report is up!  Please look under the Home Project tab!

Thursday, October 24th is our first field trip to Black Island Farms.  Permission slips went out Friday.  They are brightly colored.  I asked the children to try and return them by Wednesday 10/16.  That way I can work on putting together rides.  However, at the very latest, permission slips are due NO LATER than 10/22! 

Here is the information for Black Island Farms:

3178 S 3000 W  Syracuse, UT 84075
(801) 825-6236

If your child needs a ride, please drop them off at the school at normal time.  Please no later than 8:30am, so I can take roll.  Certified drivers will take your children.  If you are a certified driver, please be at the school by 8:20am at the latest!  If you wish to take your own child or want to carpool with another parent form our class, I, nor the school can have any part in your arrangement.  The carpool must take place off school ground and I can not arrange anything for you.  Please see the pink page (2nd page) for times on the permission slip.  If your child loses their permission slip, please look under the Field Trip tab.  I will post everything under there as well, as well as the permission slip so you can reprint it.  We are allotted 1 chaperone per 5 students.  Accounted for chaperones for field trips will always go to certified drivers.  If you wish to come you are welcome, but you will have to pay separately.  If you have younger children I would suggest a babysitter for this field trip.  Their numbers are limited and between our class and Ms. Jalee’s class we meet the exact maximum number of 55.  However, I would call Black Island Farms to double check, but from their emails they seem strict about their numbers.  On other field trips we go on, paying for a sibling has been okay.

In group lessons this week:

Level 1s: quadrilaterals, ways to make 10, making wholes with fractions, one step word problems

Level 2s: vertical angles and vertical angles are equal, one step word problems

Level 3s: one step word problems

In cultural this week:

History:

Level 1s: Birthday beads

Level 2s: Centripetal and Centrifugal forces

Level 3s: Introduction to the Timeline of Life

Zoology:

Level 1s: Fish- External parts

Level 2s: Manatees and Dugongs

Level 3s: Hydras

Geography:

Level 1s: Zones

Level 2s: Tectonic plates booklet

Level 3s: Earth’s atmosphere usefulness

Botany:

Level 1s: Use of plants

Level 2s: Forms set A- with art

Level 3s: Calyx and Sepals

Friday: Studio, Static electricity

Please sign up for Fall Conferences if you haven’t!

Wednesday I will let the kids have a free morning.  They are welcome to bring 1 or 2 board games or card games.  No electronics.  

Cheers!

Ms. K 

Hello!

Please remember that September’s home project is DUE MONDAY! 9/30

I will give the details for October’s book report this coming week, so look under the “Home Project” tab at the top of our blog soon!

Thank you Level 1 parents for returning your child’s reading!  I call them book baggies…but overall, I am receiving 7/9th of them.  Please make sure you send them back EVERYDAY.  I check the box to make sure you signed off their nightly reading.  Before they went home this weekend I gave them a new book for the week.  Please make sure they are reading it 4 nights out of the week.  I saw some lovely flash cards in some of the baggies, so thank you for helping out your child!  I spoke with Nancy and even if your child finds the book very easy it is very important they still do the reading!  Nancy’s program will get harder, but the goal is to build fluency and speed!

I have been doing reading groups everyday with Level 1s and some other levels.  I call them my pink reading group.  We read in the morning right after Morning Meeting and before time test.

I read with those who are on a Pre-Primer and Primer level 2x’s a week.  Those on a 1st grade level read with me also 2x’s a week. 2nd grade level reads on Tuesdays with Ms. Jill, 3rd grade level on Wednesdays with Ms. Holly, and 4th grade level on Thursdays with Ms. Krista.  Those who are 5th and higher, which is 2 students in our class, will have their own group.  There might be a group later on for those who read at this level, but for now, I will have them read on Thursdays in our class.

We had our 1st Spelling test this week! Spelling tests are every Thursday.

Start thinking about if you would like to come to Black Island Farms on October 24th.  I’d like to know who my certified drivers are, so if you did the background check program since being at MMA, please let me know so I can start working on that.

After lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays is our Writer’s Workshop time.  We have been learning about different methods of story telling for the past couple of weeks.  This coming week we will take a break to make time for all the home projects.

This week in groups lessons:

Level 1s: Polygon drawer

Level 2s: Reflex/Convex angles

Level 3s: Classification of Triangles

In cultural:

History: No History

Zoology:

Level 1s: My vertebrate book

Level 2s: Whales

Level 3s: Jellyfish

Geography:

Level 1s: Hemispheres N & S

Level 2s: Tectonic plates map

Level 3s: Atmospheric layers

Botany:

Level 1s: Food from plants

Level 2s: Blade: Simple/compound

Level 3s: Kinds of flowers overview

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.  Enjoy your Sunday!

Cheers!

Ms. K