Ms. Kaley's Classroom Room 24

Hello!

We are done field trips this year!  We had a great time at the Planetarium and I want to thank all you for helping transporting your child to and from this field trip.

3rd grade testing and breakfasts: Monday and Wednesday begin 3rd grade testing for our class.  Monday is math and our students will test from 12pm-3pm.  If they finish beforehand then they will go back to class.  I will be with the 3rd graders during testing on these two dates.  Wednesday will be their language test and it will go from 9am-12pm.  Recess and lunch will still go on for just those students doing testing. If your 3rd grader already has completed their testing early than they will be with the 1st and 2nd graders on our normal schedule.  3rd grade breakfast needs a few more volunteers!  Even though it is directed towards 3rd grade parents, if you are a parent of a 1st or 2nd grader and want to help out, you are more than welcome to help us out!  Thank you to those who have signed up so far.

Breakfast times:  Eating time will be at 8:30am for Monday and Wednesday.  Misha will run circle for the 1st and 2nd graders on those days.  If you are volunteering, please come in at 8:15am when the doors open.  Wednesday doesn’t have anyone signed up for bacon.  I chose the microwavable bacon, but if someone wants to make regular bacon I’m okay with that.  We could also use some fruit for both days as well.   Please visit Track It Forward for signing up 🙂

Shadowing continues:  We will have Franky, Kaulin, and Jaxston shadow Tuesday and Tenley will shadow Thursday.  This will complete our shadowing for the year by the end of this week

Math check ins:  I have already completed the reading testing and DIBELS is all done for our class.  I will be using this week to do some check ins with where our students are in math.  This data will be part of their portfolio for the end of the year.  On Friday I will also be sharing with our kids our end of the year reflection packet.  This will also be part of their portfolio and a must for them to complete next week.

Classroom money begins Monday!:  We are beginning classroom money again for our end of the year Store Day that will take place on Monday May 20th.  We are hoping to team up with Upper El, but they said they are waiting to hear back on the approval to have the multiple classrooms team up together outside.  I told our class we hope we hear back about it soon, but if not, we will still continue our own end of the year Store Day.  It will be just like the one we did at Christmas time.  Plan with your child now on what they would like to sell at Store Day.  It could be toys, books, games, crafts, services, or food.  Plan on selling items that other would like to buy.  Since we hope it will be warmer, popsicles and little treats like that can be eaten during Store Day.  I will update more about Store Day as we get closer and let you know if we team up with Upper El.  This money round will involve earning AND owing.  Our class is beginning to feel the May fever and our 3rd graders, especially, are testing more limits.  Please make sure your child is helping our school and class out by reminding them to use and show their best grace and courtesy.  They are excited about money again and each student has made 3 goals for themselves.  If they “break” their own goal (or for some, a goal or 2 Misha and I want them to do) then they will owe money to the bank.  Doing their works and anything we need them to complete in a lesson or EOY check in/testing, jobs,  and random acts of kindness/generosity are going to be the easy targets to earn money quickly towards their Store Day.  Avoiding works, disrespect, defiance, breaking a school rule, and breaking their own goal are the main ones they decided that would make you owe money.

EOY Dates and Events:

PTC sign ups on Track It Forward are up and ready for you! 

*Waiting to hear details about Teacher Appreciation Week.  6th grade and 9th grade big field trips are happening this week, so rumor has it that it will take place the week of May 13th.  Stay tuned on more details and please read the MMM newsletter for more information.

May 13th in the afternoon form 1:30-2:30 will be the 3rd grade party

Field Day will be Friday May 17th in the morning until recess time.  At 5:30pm will be the 9th grade graduation in the JR High gym.

May 20th will be Store Day until 10:30am.  We will stop out students at 10:15am and then participate in welcoming the Early Childhood students into Lower Elementary at their Bridging Ceremony. Last full day of school. No school for Early Childhood students.  They are coming for their ceremony.

May 21st is the 3rd grade Bridging Ceremony to Upper Elementary at 10:30am. Once this ceremony is over you may take your 3rd grader early since it is an early release beginning May 21st.  PTC begins at 1:30pm.

May 22nd will be the Upper Elementary’s Bridging Ceremony.  If you also have a 6th grader bridging on this day and would like your Lower El student to attend, please stop by our classroom to pick up your child, so I can make sure your child is with you.  Again, if you choose to leave after their ceremony, please let me know if you are checking out your Lower El student too.  Early release.  PTC beginning at 1:30pm

May 23rd will be the first day of Spirit Week.  I don’t know what it will entail specifically, but I asked our teacher advisor and that is what is known so far.  Early release.  Last day of PTC.

May 24th will be the student’s last day of school!  Early release this day as well.

Hope you have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hi Everyone!

Past Week:

We took a break from our morning Daily Starters and we read books as a class to get to know some famous African Americans that helped change history and were important figures.  The students worked on choosing an important figure for Black History Month.  We have a few students who need to finish up,  so we’ll work on hanging up their person of choice outside our classroom.  This past Monday afternoon I had a Harriet Tubman puzzle to put in order for each kid to do and also a timeline of Rosa Parks.

This past Tuesday was the school’s Spelling Bee!  The Lower El one was quite the nail biter at the end, but it was fun to witness!  It went for an hour and half and our class did a great job sitting.

Wednesday was our afternoon assembly from WSU’s Story Tellers.  Two storytellers came and told verbal stories to all of lower el.  Before we went to the assembly, our 3rd graders got to experience the dinosaur box I checked out for them from Weber State.  It cast models from real fossils that gave our kids some great fun visuals to see and feel regarding the dinosaur periods and dinosaurs we have been discussing.  The kids loved the box!

Friday in the afternoon we went back to review some scientific method skills and I had them do an activity called, The Cat’s in the Bag.  I had 8 bags and split the students up into small groups.  They had to guess the mystery items in their group’s bag and write detailed notes using as many senses as they could use.  The kids loved this activity and we will revisit it in a different way in the next few weeks.

Upcoming Week:

This upcoming week is our field trip to Union Station on Tuesday.  We will have recess at 11am and eat lunch at school at 11:30am.  After lunch we will restore the room and get ready to find rides at 12:30pm.  If you are taking your student or a carpool, please please arrive at the school no later than 12:30pm.  Ms. Misha doesn’t work on Tuesday afternoons, so I will need everyone to pick up their child/carpool at North Shore.  This way I don’t have to hang back with anyone and we can all arrive to Union Station at the same time.  Once you arrive to Union Station, please keep the children in the car until I arrive.  Pick up at Union Station will begin at 2:30pm.  If you have your own child, you don’t have to return back to MMA.  If a student is getting a carpool from you and needs to return to MMA, then they will head back and I will dismiss them from class at regular dismissal time.

We will continue to work on cultural acceptance lessons and skills.  This week we will talk about what does it mean to be a world citizen.

A Message from MAPA:

**Classroom Gala Basket Donations**

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

Hello Everyone!

Past Week:

Our students met their next achievement goal this past week!  They collected 20 points of quiet and 20 points be kind.  This coming Friday, Feb. 16th, they may either bring a board/card game, show and teach, or a craft to share/teach others.  We will still hold our classroom meeting and we’ll do some group learning Friday morning, but they will get time to have their sharing.

Ms. Rachel came in on Wednesday afternoon and shared with the students about where their food comes from and what kinds of plants go into our recipes.

In our leveled math lessons our groups were learning their specific needs this week.  1st graders worked on fractions and are learning simple fraction equivalency.  2nd graders are learning how to measure in inches and centimeters and 3rd graders did fractions also, but are learning to identify fractions on a number line.

In cultural this past week: History

Level 1s: Learning time to the half hour.  Most 1st graders are doing pretty well, so continue working on time at home too!

Level 2s: Venus and Earth

Level 3s: Triassic and Jurassic periods and the dinosaurs that lived during those times.

Feb. Home Project!– This past week I also sent home a pink and white paper that is about the February home project.  Students have until the last day of Feb to complete their service.  When your child has accomplished their service they don’t have to wait to share, they can bring in their reflection and poster/or PowerPoint and we’ll make time to have the students share.

February’s character awareness is learning what forgiveness is and how to forgive others.  We just began discussing it this past Friday and the students are doing a really job participating and hearing each other when it comes to our social skill review and how to use our grace and courtesy within our community.

Upcoming Week:

This coming week we have adjustments to our normal routines.  Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday will be full work cycles in the morning.  Tuesday we will still do our morning recess, cultural/journal time in the morning, and then head off to PE and Music.  Wednesday morning will be our Valentine’s Day activity morning.  Those who are coming in to help may come in with their child in the morning.  We will hold our circle time at 8:35 and that circle time goes close to 9am.  We can begin at 9:00am.  I have 4 paper crafts and Ms. Misha and I can do with the kids too as groups wait to transition or are done all the stations.

Valentine’s Day School Rules– If your child is bringing in any candy with their cards the candy may NOT be eaten at school!  The candy will stay in their Valentine’s Day boxes or bags.  Candy must be eaten at home with your permission.  The same will be true for any treats at the Valentine’s Day party.  Any treats made will be taken home and can be eaten after school hours.  Our school has a wellness policy, so please remember that the wellness policy extends into student’s lunches and brought snack.  Snack has been going well, but the kids ask me about things packed in their lunches

Please no treats, sugary foods, or highly processed foods-as per our wellness policy outline.  Thanks!

PTC- Beginning on Wednesday-Friday there will be 1pm dismissals.  Please remember that students will need to be picked up at 1pm and those who have Early Childhood students will be on a reduced time as well in order to fit on both the morning and afternoon classes.

Please remember to sign up for conferences if you haven’t. I emailed out the link to those needed to sign up, so I hope to see you there!  Please bring your child to conferences.  We will review their progress since the beginning of the year and make goals for the end of the year.

My daughter’s PTC is the first slot on Wednesday and Ms. Misha will have to attend her daughters’ conferences as well throughout the week.  Ms. Nikki will join on some conferences to review progress and goals as well.

Take care and I hope to see all you this upcoming week!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and week!

Ms. Kaley

Hi Everyone!

This past week a lot of our students began the journey of recording their own work progress in their planner.  I am so proud of them.  They really lived up to the expectations and they feel a sense of pride of taking it over.

Even though the students did not have school on Friday, we were able to talk and learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the week and also discuss fairness- January’s character topic.  For Dr. MLK, each language group read the same passage and our Antelopes language group did listening and tracking while I read and we would stop at certain vocabulary and discuss what they meant.  Words such as segregation, color, violence, and fairness were some of the words that we went over.  The Badgers language group read the same passage, but they completed some sentences that were missing a vocabulary word.  They had to figure out which word fit the sentence and then for the last question they got to pick which one they wanted to use in their own sentence.  The Crocs group read the passage and completed the fill in the blank vocal page the Badgers had, but also there were story questions responses they were asked to complete.

The students also went over fairness.  The students left off their conversations regarding fairness about how fairness is about equality.  The students also discussed how fairness to them meant that everyone gets the same because that is equality- you get what you want and someone else gets that too.  We replaced the sentence “You get what you want” to “You get what you need.”  I showed them this picture:
This was a powerful picture to the students.  It lead to our discussion on how everyone is on a different path and has different needs, so some students or people may need a different approach then the person next to them.

Home Project: President Report- Up top in the Projects tab, I added the links to the President’s report pages.  I also sent home a physical copy this past week.  January’s home project is due Jan. 26th.

Past Week:

In cultural this past week: History

Level 1s: Learning that clocks have an hour and minute hand and what does that mean. Began telling time to the hour (A great lesson to practice at home on digital and analog clocks!)

Level 2s: The Sun and Mercury facts

Level 3s: Permian period and Mesozoic Era overview

Each grade level worked on their Geometry lessons this past week:

Level 1s: Endpoint/vertex, line, line segment, ray

Level 2s: Identifying angles given to them (right, obtuse, and acute)

Level 3s: Perimeter

Upcoming Week:

This coming week each level will work in different math areas.  Level 1s will work on fractions, Level 2s will go over time, and Level 3s: will do fractions as well.

We will do Zoology/Physiology this week

Thursday- We have a lockdown drill

Have a great extra day off and rest of your week

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone!

Happy 2018!  Hope you all had a wonderful break. The students came back ready to work and did a great job despite it being a short week.  Our construction team for the new junior high building is busily growing and they delivered the new Early Childhood playground on Friday.  Once that playground is put together then our students will have a chance to play on it until the new big playground is complete.

Home Project- January’s home project is a report on a past president.  Students are to begin researching which president they want to choose for their project and then I will provide a handout for them to record their research on.  Students will need to write facts about their president based on the questions that are on the handout.  For a visual, your child may do a poster, puppet, paper doll, model, diorama etc (again, this is the creative part that the student gets to pick). Due Jan. 26th

There is no school on Friday because of an all day teacher development.  That following Monday is MLK Day which is a no school day as well.

We have the COW (computers on wheels) this Wednesday afternoon

Past Week:

On Friday, we usually have out classroom meeting in the afternoon.  We began discussing fairness and what do the students believe it is.  I gave 5 scenarios and students had to decide whether they believed the situation was fair or unfair.  When there were differences in opinions we heard why those students thought that way.  It was pretty powerful.  This coming week we will continue the conversation of fairness by learning who Martin Luther King Jr was and what he stood for.  As the rest of January continues we will continue our fairness learning in understanding that fairness is equality, but how equality can look different, especially when it comes to people who learn differently or who are differently abled.

Another large part of our class meeting on Friday was the choice to take over the responsibility of planning their own planners.  About 2/3rd of the class were truly interested, so this coming week will be a new lesson in learning how to record lessons from my lesson plan and continuing the independent work they do.  This is a great practical life lesson, especially for the 3rd graders, as they will be going into 4th grade knowing how to take care of a planner and knowing that they need to plan their work from their teacher and for themselves.

We got a chance to do Botany this past week.  Ms. Rachel came in on Wednesday and held her monthly lesson.  On Thursday we had Botany in our leveled groups.  We are back to History this coming week.

1st grade parents: Your 1st grader has so far been introduced to the penny, nickel, and dime coins.  Most are working with adding pennies and nickels.  By the end of 1st grade they should know: pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.  1st grade students should know their name, worth, and know some simple adding with these coins.  Coin counting and conversations at home would be great practice for them.  Also, we using the rest of year in History talking about telling time.  We will go over parts of the clock this week and begin to learn how to tell time to the hour.  They will get to practice their time during work cycle next week.  Use any opportunity to you can find to have your 1st grader practice their time to the hour on an analog clock and digital.  Continue the great sight word, nonsense, and letter work at home.  It is showing. Reading at home for at least 20 minutes in each night shows dramatic improvement in a child’s reading growth.  In our classroom, it is best homework they can do

3rd grade parents: the 3rd graders goal are to work on their multiplication facts.  Please check in with your child often and take a  few minutes of each day practicing flash cards or counting objects in groups (if they need a visual).  Most are where they should be, having completed times tables of 5s and are beyond that.

Upcoming Week:

We have rain in the forecast this coming week.  Keep providing warm attire to wear outside.

Tuesday- specials in the morning

Wednesday- COW in the afternoon and Ms Misha has to leave at 12 noon

Thursday- Ms. Misha has to leave at 10am.

Friday- No School

Have a great upcoming week and rest of your Sunday!

Ms. Kaley

Past Week:

1st graders worked on pennies and nickels for a money lesson this week. We also talked about the names of dimes and quarters and how much those coins are worth.  If you are a 1st grade parent that would be a great home check in with any coins around the house or while you are out.  Have them count pennies and nickels right now.  Most 1st graders are on counting pennies, but some can count by 5s with nickels.  2nd graders did graphing with bar graphs.  We looked at word problems and had the 2nd graders identify which graph was the correct one according to the data in the problem.  3rd graders worked on some perimeter practice this past Monday and then we reviewed fractions equivalency during our lesson time together.

This coming week will be Geometry for all levels

Tuesday we had the students check out a potential music teacher.  In the afternoon we had our Halloween party.  Thanks you to all the parents who donated supplies and their time to help support our party.  Our next class party will be a Christmas party.  We also do a Holiday Luncheon in December.  More on that to come

The Chili Cook off got rescheduled this past week to Jan 30th, so it will NOT be this coming Tues.

Wednesday we had the local fire department come and talk to the kids about fire safety.  The students also had the COW and their monthly Botany lesson with Ms. Rachel in the afternoon.  She talked about composers and decomposers

Friday we had studio and then in the afternoon we had a classroom meeting

In cultural this past week: Zoology/Physiology

Level 1s: Fish parts and characteristics

Level 2s: The eye and sight

Level 3s: Jellyfish review

Upcoming Week:

We will do Geometry with all the levels this week.

Friday is an Early Release- 1pm

Now that it is November, we will will begin a new prompt.  Our new prompt is, “How to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”  Students will write detailed instructions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  On Friday the students will switch their instructions with a partner and test out the instructions.  Any instructions that are needed will need to be revised.  Students will then make revisions next week and try out the sandwich instructions again.

Friday we will also go over the November project.  I will be handing out the template to take home then.

Have a great upcoming week and rest of your weekend

Ms. Kaley

Hi Everyone!

Past Week:

This past week I introduced fractions lessons.  Level 1s are working on labeling the fraction families (whole, halves, thirds…up to tenths family).  Level 2s reviewed naming fractions and did super!  I will be giving them their own practice for this coming week to demonstrate their mastery and work with anyone who needs more time with naming the fractions. Level 3s went over the nomenclature of numerator and denominator and they are in a good place too!  I will begin Geometry with Level 2s and 3s this week and begin learning money with Level 1s this coming week (penny and nickel).

This week in cultural we finished the first cultural rotation with Botany.  We are back to History this coming week.

Level 1s: Parts of a plant, care & needs of plants, what plants give us

Level 2s: Parts of a leaf and leaf venation

Level 3s: Parts of a flower

Language groups were also introduced this week.  I have three groups that are mixed abilities, but each group moves at a different pace.  My three groups are: The Antelopes, The Badgers, and The Crocodiles (Crocs).  Each language group will be exposed to each part of speech appropriate to their grade level and will also learn what their roles are.  We will also go over writing skills, word study lessons, and comprehension.

Thursday was International Day of Peace.  Our classroom and Ms. Stef’s teamed up to color a peace flower.  Our class also went over the importance of peace and examples of peace.

October’s Peacemaker Report:  On Thursday I went over the October home project.  For clarity, your student will get to choose a peacemaker from history.   They can be living or have passed.  I noticed that the project is set to be due Oct. 20th, but that is during Fall Break.  I am moving the due date to October 27th!  Students will fill out the information page, but then are required to present their project.  Some ideas on how they present are: can write a report to read to the class, make a poster of the peacemaker, dress up as the person and tell about them, make a puppet to tell about their peacemaker- the choice is your student’s.  I’m going to attach the information needed for the peacemaker report in the Projects tab.  Print off the template and have your child find the needed information on their peacemaker.  More points for your child’s progress report will be given based on how well they know their person and having a complete project.

Friday we learned about the Morpho butterfly and did a Morpho butterfly craft.  The students then colored two more South American flags (Brazil and Chile) for their country collection.  We went over what earned Friday time is and those students who completed enough of their work cycle works got to take out some of the game, color, or make a paper craft.  Those who missed a few works had those works highlighted in their planners in orange and were asked to complete those works before beginning their Friday time.

Upcoming Week:

Tuesday I have in school all day training for DIBELS (a reading assessment tool).  All the lower elementary teachers are asked to attend.  Ms. Misha and our other assistant will help oversee the day.  The students will still have morning recess, cultural lessons, and then go to specials.  Ms. Misha and the other assistant will also roam for student work check off in the afternoon.

Tuesday from 5-8 is Skate Night in Layton.  A small flyer went home this past week.

Friday is the beginning of studio!  The mornings are dedicated to the three rotations that students attend.  In the afternoon, we will continue talking about the rainforest and how common foods we eat come from the rainforest. We will also do a grace and courtesy check in and go over what are socially accepted norms (saying please, thank you, holding doors etc.)

Have a great upcoming week,

Ms. Kaley

Hello Parents,

Past Week:

We had a busy week filled with activities that related to the Great Lessons!  We finished up the Great Lessons of the History of Writing and Math and extended the learning for the lessons on The Coming of the Universe, Coming of Life, and Coming of Man.

Our students also go to meet our Upper Elementary partner class (a mentorship), Ms. Stephaney’s and Ms. Ali’s class.  We spent an afternoon doing a partner group game called Saving Fred.  Students had to work together to save a gummy worm who capsized his “boat” (a turned over plastic cup) and put on his “life vest” (a gummy saver).  The kids loved it!  As our classroom and Ms. Stef’s classrooms normalize we will have the ability to send our kids to work with their mentor and also have some lessons in her room (if needed).  The same is with her students.

Cultural lessons began slowly this week. This week we began with History:

Level 1s: Months of the year and days of the week, made a calendar for September

Level 2s: What are the 3 States of Matter

Level 3s: Timeline of life overview and the Clock of Eras

Friday: South America and What is Matter?

Upcoming Week:

This coming week will be very busy!  I am excited to start giving lessons and begin the kids on their independent journey.

Monday- No School- Labor Day

Tuesday- The Loveland Aquarium is coming for just the 2nd graders at MMA.  All 2nd graders will attend a 55 minute class about the animals of the rainforest and the rainforest itself.

PE and Music begin on Tuesday!  Please make sure to have your child wear or bring sneakers to run around in!  This year, each special is an hour long.  Our time is at 9:50 and goes until lunch time.  To make the schedule work, students will be going straight outside for recess until 8:50am.  Once we come in then I will cultural lessons until it is their time to go to PE and Music.  After lunch, the students will do their math and language works as they usually do in the mornings of Mondays, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Wednesday- Hour long monthly Botany lesson with Ms. Rachel Bush in the afternoon 1:50-2:50.

Thursday- Computer class begins for 3rd graders only in the morning.  9:50-10:15

I will be doing the new students who are in 2nd and 3rd grade reading assessments first thing in the morning.  It has scheduled out to be 2 a day.  Next week, I will begin doing 1st graders.  The reading team will also begin their state DIBELS reading assessments too this week and into the next.

Reminders:

I will be sending home a bright orange form for the MMA 5K and Pancake Breakfast that will take place on September 23rd.  If you would like to be in the race, please fill out the form out and have your you or your student turn it into the office

Pizza Fridays will be starting!  You can find the pizza forms on our social media and I believe through the website.  Please have the forms filled out by Wednesdays in a sealed envelope with your student’s form inside and their name and teacher on the front of the envelope.  MAPA comes by our rooms and picks up the envelopes early Wednesday mornings.

Reading Volunteers- I am ready for you!  I have Wednesday scheduled for you all.  If you can’t do Wednesday, please let me know and I can make that work.  Please come at 9am.  We will be finishing up circle at that time.  Since I have more volunteers this year, some of you will see the first graders to check letter and sounds and begin nonsense words (ref, mak, tep etc.).  Some other students will need that kind of practice and some will be working on fluency to work towards grade level.  I should have a sheet for you all by Wednesday.

Consequence Program- My team and I are putting together a consequence program that helps students be accountable for their actions.  We wanted to design something that wasn’t a punishment program, but would allow them to see what goal they aren’t following in our classroom and levels that they can follow to help them work towards following all classroom and school rules/goals.  We will send out a parent letter soon with more information about it

The students are working on showing their circle rules when present during circle time.  There are 5 and the students know them pretty well.  It is getting everyone to follow them that is important.  Sitting next to a friend is a privilege.  Some of our students are consistently talking out of turn and will have to have an assigned circle space until they can follow that goal.  This is part of normalizing our class and laying a consistent foundation for our year that all students are held to the same standards.  On Friday, our class voted on their top 5 classroom community rules.  We have been talking about community within the school and within the world and how to be a good community member.  The goals that they made will be apart of our consequence program.

Yarn- Most students in our community are learning to finger knit.  They are getting faster and pretty good!  Some are ready for more weaving works and want to learn the beginnings of crocheting and/or knitting.  Ask your child if they are interested and if so, have them provide their own yarn.  Again, I have some, but to make your child’s project more efficient and organized, having their own would be ideal.

Have a great Labor Day and rest of your Sunday!

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone!

Thank you everyone for getting your child to the the UTA train station on Wednesday!  The kids had a great time.  That is all for field trips this year!  That’s a wrap!

We had some great science projects from the 1st and 2nd graders come in this week!  We only have a few kiddos left who need to share!

Upcoming Week:

LAST Project of the year! Book report on either the genre of Science Fiction or Fantasy.  We will be talking about this genre in the month of May.  Students will choose one more option from the book report list that they haven’t done.  Here is the list again:

Book Report Presentation Choices

*You may only do 1 choice once

___Book cover

___Oral report to the teacher and/or class

___1 page written report

___A wanted poster for a character in your book

___Poster advertising your book

___Design a bookmark

___Make a poem about your book

___Create a picture book about your favorite parts from the beginning, middle, and end

___Create a video about the book

___Dress up as favorite character and tell about the book

___Create a mobile with 5 events

___Write and draw an alternative ending

___Create a timeline with at least 10 events

___Draw a map describing places

___Create a travel brochure

___Make a puppet show explaining your book

___Create a board game

___Diorama of a scene

___Do a 1 page report about the author

___Create a week long journal as if you were the character

2nd SAGE TEST- 3rd graders will take their 2nd SAGE test on Wednesday.  We are 9am-12noon again.  Please make sure your student is on time to eat breakfast and that a snack is packed for them that they can take into the testing environment.  Here is the second sign up for breakfast!

Breakfast Sign up!  

Teacher Appreciation Week May 8th-May 12th 

Monday– Best grace and courtesy from students and give a high 5, hug, or handshake

Tuesday– Bring a flower for your teacher and assistant teacher.  Flowers may be real, fake, a drawing, or homemade

Wednesday– Make a note/letter for each of your two teachers

Thursday– Bring a drink for each of your two teachers.  I like flavored waters and Arnold Palmers.  I also enjoy coffee and hot teas.  Ms. Anna likes any kind of juice

Friday– Teacher Spirit Day!  Wear your teacher’s favorite colors and maybe donate a classroom supply.  I will hint that we are on our last few pencils!  My favorite colors are aqua, green, and pink. Ms. Anna’s are green and blue

Ms. Anna is PREGNANT!  She is due around Thanksgiving time.  She doesn’t know what she is having yet and is hoping to find out at the end of the month

This week marks the start of end of year reading and math tests for all students.  I am having the students accomplish their end of the year CBM Math computer test this week.  DIBELS reading will also begin on our side of the building this week. Next week I will be doing UURC (University of Utah Reading Clinic) reading level tests

3rd Graders will begin Upper Elementary shadowing next week and into the 3rd week of May in Ms. Stephaney’s class.  Her classroom will also be our partner on the day of  3rd grade bridging.

Starting Monday May 1st our class will begin earning classroom coins and dollars.  This will be income practice for our Store Day that will happen May 18th.

Store Day is coming! – May 18th from 9am-11am will be Store Day!  Our kiddos will earn classroom money (and also possibly owe) over the next few weeks that will be used on Store Day.  It works like a yard sale and it become the student’s business.  Students may bring in items to sell (toys, books etc that they no longer want, treats/snacks, or crafts.  A lot of other Upper Elementary classrooms participate and we team up with them.  After Store Day is over we all debrief after to talk about successes and who earned what.  This is a favorite end of the year event, so mark your calendars!

Past Week:

This past week we had the local fire department come and present on Fire Safety.

In group lessons:

Level 1s: Partitioning circles, squares, and rectangles 

Level 3s: Area of shapes

In cultural this week: Zoology/Physiology

Level 1s: Review the 5 classes of vertebrates and Endangered animals

Level 2s: Muscular system, Nervous system, and introduction to the brain

Level 3s: Spiders 

Dates for May:

Hard to believe it is May already.  I don’t feel like it is the end of the year yet, but it will quickly come!

Snack: Alden has snack again this week

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week!

Cheers!

Ms. K