Ms. Kaley's Classroom Room 24

Hi Everyone!

Thank you to those who attended Parent Teacher Conferences this past week.  The 3 early outs allowed us to do some cultural lessons we needed to do and for 2nd and 3rd graders it allowed them to begin some new animal research.  2nd graders are beginning research on a fish and 3rd graders have begun research on different kinds of sea sponges (Porifera).  1st graders learned about the external parts of a fish this past week.  We also did some Botany this past week as well.  1st graders did lifecycle of a plant from how they begin as a seed and then transition to a small seedling and then to a full plant.  2nd graders learned about simple leaves vs compound leaves.  3rd graders read a review on seed germination and we will look at seed germination this week when we talk about the cotton plant!

Picture Day is Monday!  Please don’t forget to send in your picture forms with your child!  If you happen to forget, so worries!  Once your child gets their picture taken and pictures are printed, your child’s picture will be printed as a proof.  You can then decide to order pictures once you see your child’s picture.

Box Top Day! Box tops are this week!  According to the Monday Montessori Moments the store will be open on Wednesday from 11am-1:00

Pizza money due Tuesdays!  If you want your child to receive pizza on Fridays, please see the  Monday Montessori Moments Rene sends out.  The forms are on there.  Pizza money is taken down to the office on Tuesdays by 10:30am.

Classroom Halloween Party!  This year our classroom Halloween Party will be held on October 31st and it will be in the afternoon fro 12:45-2:30.  Our room mom has created a link for item donations and volunteers!

Click here to help out our party! 

You can then log in your hours on Track it Forward if you help donate any items or your time!  If you pan on helping out during our party please come between 11:45-12:00 noon on October 31st.  I will have the kids eat in the kiva space while volunteers set up in our class.

Independence Project due November 16th.  Our next project will be due on the 16th of November.  Your child may pick a 13th colony or something they are interested in from the Revolutionary War era (ie: life as an early American colonist, the American flag, important people, clothing, food, battles, war supplies etc.).  We welcome our parents and families to come to MMA to visit our Cultural Fair on the Revolutionary time era from 1pm-3pm.  This is also our last day before Thanksgiving Break.  Your child doesn’t have to present a board, but must have a visual and written aspect to their project.  Students are going to be set up in our classroom or in the kiva spaces so that the tour of all the projects spread throughout the school.

Hope your child had a lovely Fall Break!  This week I will be prepping our Text Time reading comprehension work.  Students will be required to work on it.  I will be also prepping reading take home homework and in class extra reading practice.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hi Everyone!  Important info below!  Please read carefully!

Upcoming Week:

Monday– Permission slips for our field trip Tuesday are DUE!  Please make sure you have emailed our room mom, Katie James, to let her know if you are:

1. Taking your own child to and from the field trip on our wejoinin sign up sheet (that way I can see who is going with who)
2. If you have extra seats and are willing to do a carpool (please also do that on our wejoinin)
3. Email Ms. Kaley to let her know if you are chaperoning (if you haven’t already)

Tuesday– Please drop your child at regular time.  We will have a small work cycle in the AM and 3rd graders will do their computer class.  If you are driving, please be at MMA no later than 9:45am.

1. Please make sure your child has a collared shirt on.  Jeans are allowed! (no holes).  Comfy shoes on
2. Is dressed for the weather outside.  It is in the 50s this week, so hoodies, jackets etc. are welcome!
3. A sack lunch.  We will be eating there at the farm
4. Backpack to hold everything
5. Water bottle

If you are chaperoning I have groups that our class is split into.  When we get to the farm I will put the students into their groups.  I am hoping to use colored stickers for the groups too.  Chaperones are responsible for watching those children in our classroom to make sure they stay in their assigned group.  We will congregate at 1:40pm to have students catch their rides.

Taking your child home after the field trip (if you are): PLEASE PLEASE call the office in the AM to let them know if you are checking out your child right after the field trip.  If you are returning to MMA after our field trip, you may also come in and sign your child out.  Have your ID ready 🙂

Pumpkins on the field trip are for purchase. If you would like your child to purchase a pumpkin you may provide them with $1 or $2.  I’ve been told that for every 5 pounds it costs $1 more.  1st and 2nd grade students who purchase a pumpkin will keep it in class for the week.  I have a fun scientific method activity they will be doing on Friday.  Students can also weigh, measure, and make stories this week on/about their pumpkin 🙂  3rd graders will be doing a candy corn STEM scientific method activity this Friday 🙂  3rd graders are totally welcome to still purchase a pumpkin and join in on measuring, weighing, and writing about their pumpkin this week too.

Wednesday– Since Tuesday we are on our field trip, we will be missing our normal PE/Music time.  Ms. Jalee and I have switched our days so that our classes can still have PE and Music.  Wednesday our class will make up their PE class from 10:50am-11:20am.  Lunch is after PE and then Music is from 12:20pm-1:10pm.  Cultural lessons afterwards and then we will restore early to provide an end of the day recess for our class.  Please let your child know that this Wednesday will be a little different.

Friday– Fall Festival after school starting at 4pm!  Come join in on the fun!  Purchase your wristbands and tickets to play the games and have your child enjoy the bounce houses and slides!  Food trucks on site for dinner 🙂   CHANGE PROJECT DUE TODAY!  Thank you to those students who brought in their projects early!  We will start sharing them and then display them outside our classroom.

PTC Sign Ups are Ready!

Parent Teacher Conferences are upon us!  Beginning October 15th we will have early outs.  Conferences run in 20 minute increments and begin at 1:30pm.  PTC days are on Oct. 15th, Oct. 16th, and Oct. 17th.  No School on October 18th and 19th.  Please sign up on Track it Forward!  

Monday- https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/439125

Tuesday- https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/439126

Wednesday- https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/439127

Original Art!

A yellow folder went home on Friday that I’m pretty excited about!  Every year, we do a special fundraiser that goes directly to JUST OUR CLASSROOM.  This year, we made a special piece of art for our classroom community- The Red Maples.  Students who are done, brought home that piece of art in the yellow folder.  Student who have been absent or are almost done, will bring their leaf art home very soon.  Your child’s classroom art can be turned into anything on that purchase sheet.  This is also a great time to think about Christmas gifts for family members 🙂  Please please review the papers carefully.  The purchasing is not online this year 🙁  It will be on the purchase form also provided in the yellow folder.  Money raised for our classroom will either go towards:

1. a field trip for just our class
2. materials/works for our classroom

Past Week:

This past week our students worked on a writing prompt about which Great Lesson was their favorite and what they liked best about it.  This coming week our students will write a formal assessment also related to the Great Lessons since our time with the theme of CHANGE has now come to an end!  We will now welcome the theme of INDEPENDENCE and students will work on learning about states in the eastern region of the USA, the 13 colonies, and intro to The American Revolution.  We will also look at Eli Whitney as an inventor and continue our study on the scientific method.

Students in our class wrapped up learning about the states in the northeastern region will now see how some of those states will be applied to the 13 colonies.

We made up some cultural lessons in Geography and Botany this week and learned about the Water Cycle as a whole class in science this week.  We also made our first Library trip too this past Friday.

Geography

Level 1s: Zones of the Earth

Level 2s: Zones of the Earth

Level 3s: Heat energy

Botany

Level 1s: Parts of a plant

Level 2s: Parts of a leaf

Level 3s: Seed germination

Reading Volunteers!

If you have signed up to be a reading volunteer for our classroom I am ready for you to come in!  Please email me if you can come in 1 day each week to help our students with reading goals.  I have sight words, group books, games, and materials for you to help our students with.  Please email me your best day and time you can come in and help out.  Helpers will work with students out in our kiva space or at the student’s work space.  As I gather the list of volunteers and their day they can come in I can then begin our reading volunteers after Fall Break 🙂 Thanks!

Picture Day!

Picture day will be Oct. 22nd.  Forms will be coming soon!

Hi Everyone!

Change Project:   Our 1st theme is almost at an end- ending on October 5th.  At Back to School Night there were large manilla folders given out.  If you didn’t attend then your child should have brought it home.  In that folder is project outlines for the year.  Our first project is on change itself.  Please refer to that print out or I have also included it under the Projects tab at the top of our blog.  The due date will be October 12th.

Monday September 24th is an Early Release date.  Please have your child picked up at 1:00pm.

Past Week:

All students are working on writing convention skills and are being taught to use capital letters at the beginning of their sentences, proper spacing, and the role of what a period does for a sentence.  Some writing groups have been working with knowing what a subject vs a predicate is in a sentence.  All students have been part of that conversation, but the practice for all students will continue into this coming week.  I’ve noticed some students needing some extra attention in writing lowercase letters when they are using uppercase letters and sometimes vice versa.  If you see your child not starting their letters at the top or are using capital letters when they should be using lowercase (or vice versa) please bring it to their attention and work on those skills at home too.

Something fun to do to help with your child’s writing and kinds of sentence skills is to hear your child do their 20 minute a day reading and while they are reading aloud have them say *Ping!* when they get to the period that ends their sentence.  As we get into question marks and exclamation marks too, I’ll give you some fun onomatopoeia for them too.  Doing this will allow those readers who read fast to remember to slow down and take a breath and also allow students to see that the sentence being said is a statement.

In cultural this week: History and Zoology

Level 1s: 1st kinds of calendars

Level 2s: Past, present, future writing and sentences. (They all did awesome at this!)

Level 3s: Precambrian life

Level 1s: Vertebrates and invertebrates

Level 2s:  Animal research graphic organizer

Level 3s: Phyla of animals

This coming week I will introduce the mobile cart of laptops for students to work on a reading and math program called Imagine Learning.  This year, it is offered to all levels.  Students complete about 20 minutes each week (more is allowed and encouraged) and this program can also be used at home!  We will have the COW (computers on wheels) every Wednesday afternoons to get the students time in.

Friday we will team up with our Junior High mentor class and learn how to make salsa!

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hi Everyone!  There is important field trip and SAGE information below!  Please read carefully and mark your calendars!

Happy April!  Hope you all had a great Easter and Spring Break!  I’m going to start with all the important updates and reminders as we will have an eventful week back from Spring Break.

Upcoming Week:

*Please return all white colored permission slips for the Hill Aerospace Museum by Wednesday at the latest.  I have extras if your child misplaced it.

Tuesday- Class pictures and Spring pictures.  If your child wasn’t here at the beginning of the year they need to get their picture done for the yearbook.  If you wish to purchase your child’s school picture that is up to you.  Also, if you want to your child to get Spring pictures taken this is also that opportunity.  At 2:20pm our class will get their class picture done.  This is a picture that won’t need to be purchased it is for the yearbook.

Wednesday- 3rd grade parents!  This is our first SAGE testing day.  It will be the ELA test and it will be in the Library from 12:00pm-3:00pm.  Students are not timed on their tests.  Please help me by helping them understand that they can take their time and if they need breaks or don’t finish they can pause their test and pick back up on another day.  This is true if your student happens to be absent on this day.  There will be makeup dates.  The nice thing about this year is that I don’t have to proctor the tests.  Ms. Megan and Mr. James will be monitoring most of the tests so the teachers can stay back with the 1st and 2nd graders.

SAGE testing dates are as scheduled for our class:

1. SAGE ELA- April 11th 12pm-3:00pm Library
2. SAGE Writing- May 1st 9:00-12:00pm Computer Lab
3. SAGE Math- May 7th 9:00-12:00pm Library.  *I will not be here on this day.

Our class has a 3rd grade privilege and that is to have breakfast on the day of testing.  Since our first one isn’t until noon, we will focus on the other 2 tests that are in the morning.  If any of the 3rd grade parents  (or even 1st and 2nd grade parents too!) would like to help contribute to the breakfasts and help cook on those mornings, please let me know.  I make scrambled eggs for the 3rd graders, but the other items are needed for donation.  As we get closer to the May dates I will get “menu ideas” from the 3rd graders and we’ll get a sign up ready!

Please make sure you 3d grader gets a good night’s sleep Tuesday night and has a good breakfast.  Students may pack a snack to have during testing and they may bring their water bottles.

Thursday- Spring Trash Pick Up Outing!  I need a few parents to help chaperone students (email me and let me know) around the school property and nearby neighborhoods.  The Fall pick up was a great success and rain or shine we will do our Spring pick up Thursday afternoon.  If you are looking to help chaperone please be at our classroom at 12:45 at the latest.  This will give us the time to make sure both our class and Ms Steph’s class are divided and ready to go.  Groups will return back to MMA at 2:30 and put their trash bags away and restore their classrooms.

*Please pack weather permitting attire just in case!  Umbrellas, rain boots, sweaters, gloves, hats, and a waterproof jacket may be needed!

Friday- Hill Aerospace Museum day!  Please let Katie James (misskt2558@yahoo.com), our room mother, know if your child needs a ride.  We are meeting at the Aerospace Museum at 9:30am.  Those who have made carpools or are driving their own child can meet us there at the museum, but please let me know if you are choosing this option and who you have with you so I know who not to wait around for at MMA.  If your child does need a ride, please let Katie know if you have an extra seat and can take a child.  Carpools made through our room mom who need to meet at MMA need to be in the North Shore parking lot at 9:15am at the latest.  We will be out at 9:30am to make sure everyone can find their ride.  Parents, please let Katie James know your child’s ride situation by Wednesday 5pm at the latest.  This will give me the time to look over who is going with who.  Students who choose to come back to MMA after the field trip is over will be leaving the Museum at 1pm.

*Please pack weather permitting attire just in case!  Umbrellas, rain boots, sweaters, gloves, hats, and a waterproof jacket may be needed!  A sack lunch is also needed as we will be eating lunch at the Museum.

April’s Project: This project is an in class project on a seed experiment.  We will be talking about kindness and again and how there is power is kind words and negative words.  We will be testing out how a plant can grow when it receives kind words vs a control plant that won’t receive any kindness at all.  The students will be watching their level’s plant over April and partly into May.  Students will log observations and do a writing piece in the end.  This is the last project of the year!  Students who don’t keep up with their in class work on this project will have to finish up at home.

Looking at April and May calendaring: 3rd grade Upper El shadowing dates TBA.

*May Spirit week and end of school activities TBA

April 10th- Class pictures 2:20pm

April 11th- SAGE ELA 12:00-3:00

April 12th- Spring trash pick up 1:00-2:30

April 13th- Hill Aerospace Museum 9:30-1:00

April 19th- In school presentation: Scales and Tales bird show after lunch

April 20th- Early Release 1pm

April 26th- Discovery Gateway Museum and Planetarium Field Trip.  UTA train will be rode.

May 1st- SAGE Writing 9:00-12:00 and 3rd grade breakfast. Breakfast from 8:20-8:50

May 3-7- Ms. Kaley out of town

May 7th- SAGE Math 9:00-12:00 and 3rd grade breakfast. Breakfast from 8:20-8:50

May 10th- 3rd Grade Party 1:30

May 11th- Eat lunch with Steph’s class

May 17th-21st- Ms. Kaley out of town

May 18th- Eat lunch with Steph’s class

May 22nd-24th- PTC 1pm Early Outs

May 25th- Last day of school for students Early release 1pm

Have a great rest of your Sunday and upcoming week!

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone!

Past Week:

This past week we had the Utah Opera come by to do an assembly on the different kinds of voices one would hear at an opera.  The kids loved it.  We hope to have them back next year.

Level 2s and 3s focused on Geometry this past week while Level 1s went over a review with pennies, nickels, and dimes and I introduced the quarter to them.  Level 2s focused on partitioning shapes and Level 3s struggled with how to connect the dot draw area or perimeter in the way the questions asked.  We will be reviewing this skill until they feel comfortable with it.

Our first graders are working at their level to add up change.  This is a great home practice activity or while you find you are out and about.  They are doing really well with staying on track with telling time.  Please have your child continue to practice time at home and begin to count change. The first graders have all had lessons in every area of addition and subtraction.  We will be constantly reviewing and giving extra help and attention to any that may need it, however they have all their stamp games open to them!  They have the option to practice their addition one day and subtraction the next.  Some still want to go in order and that’s fine as they will still get that mixed operation practice in their small math groups.

We have been working on our March prompt little by little.  This coming week we hope to finish up our drafts and then begin rewriting the final draft the last week of March.

This past week in cultural we did History:

Level 1s: Telling time to the quarter after/of hour

Level 2s: Mars and Jupiter

Level 3s: Cretaceous Period and Dinosaurs.  Theories on how the dinosaurs became extinct

Wednesday we had the COW.  3rd graders looked over a practice SAGE ELA test to see the layout and kinds of questions they will ask and how they need to answer them.  Ms. Rachel came in towards the end of the day and did her monthly Botany lesson.

Thank you to Katie, our awesome room mom, for putting together the golf basket for the Gala this past Saturday.  Thank you to anyone who donated to it and for anyone who came.

March Project– I talked to the kids about the March home project (Life in Utah vs. another country).  I will have a hand out for them tomorrow.  I told them I’d like them to discuss with you their country of choice and to let me know by Wednesday so I can write it down.  It will be a compare and contrast assignment for the written research part.  The visual presentation will up to them how they want to show their research.  I think a poster split into 3rds might be best.  Then they can write and put pictures into each 3rd what is similar between life in Utah and that country of choice and what is different in each.  This project will be due Friday March 30th.

Upcoming Week:

I am leaving for the AMS Montessori conference on Thursday.  I will be back on March 27th.  Ms. Misha will cover for me the Friday that I am out.  They will focus on Spring activities and learn about Holi and Spring and then pick a craft from the choices given.  The afternoon will remain the same with classroom meeting and then earned Friday time may begin.

I will not hold Language groups this week, but will still get in everyone’s leveled math lesson.

Those who need their planners planned for them are already ready to go for this week and next week.

There will not be another blog post until Sunday night or Monday.  Have a great week!

Spring Concert in April: There will be a spring concert on April 20th at Weber High School in their Auditorium.  Lower Elementary’s performance will begin at 6:00pm.  Please arrive no later than 5:30pm.  Students should wear black bottoms pants, a solid color top with no logo or designs, and black shoes and socks.  Ms. Clarissa is looking for 2 volunteers from each class to help organize students backstage before the concert.  Sign up for volunteering can be submitted at https://www.trackitforward.com/site/389525/event/406808

Any questions can be directed to Ms. Clarissa Lunt at clunt@mariamontessoriacademy.org 

Cheers!

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone and Happy March!

This past week was very busy!

Past Week:

We had Literacy Week this past week and our week was filled with book activities and events!  On Tuesday we watched as our 3 top spellers participated in the school’s annual Spelling Bee!  Jax, Makiah, and Ella all did very well.  Ella even was in the top 3!  I am so very proud of them in what they accomplished.

We read the book Ishi, a book about a rock having a tough time, but then finds a way to bring its happiness back.  Our classroom made our own Ishi book as well as a 2 page spread of our own Ishi experience for the school’s “Ishi book.”

Thursday we had our Literacy Night!  I had a blast running the Harry Potter Trivia with Ms. Kirsten.  If you got to come and see, the floating candles and witch hats were made by our class 🙂

On Friday we had studio and then did Dr. Seuss activities in the afternoon until the school wide Read-a-thon.

Since our week was busy with new activities and events we were unable to do cultural lessons this week.  We will make up Botany this coming week.

In group lessons this week I had the Antelopes and Badgers language group work on expanding their sentences to be able to add more details and sound more interesting.  The Crocs worked on how to write a letter and learned the set up.

In math, everyone worked on their Geometry:

Level 1s: Kinds of lines in polygons

Level 2s: How to use a protractor and identify acute and obtuse angles

Level 3s: Area practice

March Events:

This coming week we have Scales and Tales coming on March 8th.  The Clark Planetarium will also be stopping by on Friday for a presentation at 2pm

March 9th is the last studio class for the year

March 13th we have the Opera coming to do a performance

March 16th is an Early Release at 1pm

March 17th is the school’s annual Gala.  Each class needs donations for the silent auction.  Our class has the Golf Basket.  If you know anyone who can donate golf supplies or has connections to courses, please send in supplies and/or contact our room mother- Katie James: misskt2558@yahoo.com

Tickets for the Gala are available.  Join us for food, drinks, auctions from classroom baskets and leveled art work.  This year’s Gala is at Union Station

Tickets can be bought online at https://squareup.com/store/mapa-9

Tickets are on sale at the school on March 9th from 3-4 at a sale price (get the sale price if bought before March 10th)

Tickets at regular price can be purchased at the school March 14th and 15th from 3-4

March 22nd I will be leaving to travel to Denver, CO for the annual AMS Montessori Conference.  I will be out Thursday, Friday, and Monday.  Ms. Lori Stewart is subbing.  Our students will follow as much of their regular schedule as possible without me there and on Friday they will do an art activity in the morning and their normal Friday routine since studio will be over.

March’s Home Project– Students will compared their Utah life to the lifestyles of another country. A compare and contrast project will be assigned to complete.  DUE Mar. 30th.  We will begin talking about this project and help the students understand the expectations.  Student should be researching and thinking about what country they want to focus on to compare/contrast their life in Utah to

Upcoming Week:

This coming week we have Scales and Tales coming on March 8th.  The Clark Planetarium will also be stopping by on Friday for a presentation at 2pm

Group lessons will also include Botany lessons for cultural, more Geometry for Level 2s and 3s, and Fractions for Level 1s

We will also work on March’s problem of the month and begin our March writing prompt

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone!

I’m going to start with the Upcoming Week because there are a lot of things to bring up!

Spelling Bee!  This past week I tested the students who wanted to participate.  Our annual Spelling Bee is Tuesday February 27th at 9am for the Lower Elementary Bee.  It lasts about an hour, so on Tuesday we will go to the Bee and then head to PE which will be outside.  PLEASE make sure your child has outside attire for PE and also for recess this coming week!

Our Spelling Bee’ers will be:

Ella 

Makiah

Jax

*If any of our 3 Bee’ers are absent, Joseph is our alternate

Congrats to our students!  Parents of these students are especially welcome to come see the Bee!

Upcoming Week:

This week is going to be Literacy Week!  It is a busy week filled with activities!  The theme this year is “Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.”

Book Swap: If you have any kid books you no longer want or your child(ren) are growing out of bring them in to donate for our book swap!  In each kiva there will be a table where students who bring in books to donate get to leave them to other children to take.  Your child can pick out a new book or two too while at the book swap!

Writing Contest:  Does your child enjoy writing songs, comics, short story, memoir, or book review?  If so, they may submit one of these genres for a writing contest!  Writing pieces must be submitted to the office by Thursday at noon!

Monday: This year’s school wide read and activity is the book Ishi by Akiko Yabuki.  Each student in the whole school will get to an activity based on the book and make their own classroom Ishi book.  We will also begin our door decorating for a contest.

Tuesday: Recess in the morning, Spelling Bee at 9am, specials, work cycle in the afternoon

Wednesday: We have the COW back in the afternoon.  Reading volunteers will be in this day to read with classes.

Thursday: Literacy Night!  Join us from 6-8 and dress up as your favorite book character!  I will be with Ms. Kirsten running Harry Potter Trivia!  I hope to see all young wizards and witches attend! Lots of games and activities will be at Literacy Night.  This is a great event and one of our most attended after school events.  Join in on the fun!

Friday: Your child may bring some of their favorite books to read for our afternoon read-a-thon! I told the kids they may bring 1 pillow (no blankets or stuffed animals).  Bring a few good books and they will be reading from 2:15- until around 3:00 dismissal.  It is also Dr. Seuss’ birthday!  Wear your Dr. Seuss hats if you have them!  Dress in red, white, black, and blue (school clothes)!  I would love a great class pic of those who do! We will be doing a few Dr. Seuss reads and activities too!

Projects are DUE by the end of the week at the very latest for full credit!

Past Week:

This past week we focused on beginning our February writing prompt and also worked on The Problem of the Month in the language and math groups.  In cultural we had Geography this week and in leveled math groups we worked on fractions and measurement

In math:

Level 1s: writing the fraction represented

Level 2s: measuring rectangles at different points on a ruler

Level 3s: fractions on a number line and finding equivalent fractions between the two number lines

In cultural: Geography

Level 1s: Landform unit has begun! Island/Lake and Bay/Cape

Level 2s: What is a geyser and how it works. The Rock Cycle unit has begun!  Igneous rocks and types of igneous rocks

Level 3s: Water cycle review and funny Readers Theater, how to read and tell the temperature on a thermometer

I think that is everything for now!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and hope to see you Thursday night!

Ms. Kaley

Hello Everyone!

Thanks so much for coming to PTC this past week!

As we round out February we will begin our February prompt on beginning to write argumentatively.  We will also do February’s problem of the month for math in our small math groups this coming week

Past Week:

I’ve been working on types of sentences with the Antelopes language group the past 2 weeks.  They’ve been identifying the punctuation and asking themselves how that sentence is read and how it come across to others.  In the Badgers language group we have been working on learning what Main Idea is and how to create a main idea for small story scenarios.  The Crocs language group continued their practice with plural possessives in their writing.  They do a great job at singular possessives, but plural possessives are tricky.

In group leveled lessons I got everyone’s Geometry in for the week:

Level 1s: horizontal, vertical, oblique, parallel, and perpendicular lines

Level 2s: Angles in polygons

Level 3s: Area

In cultural this past week we were able to get in 2 days, since we usually do those lessons in the afternoon.  This week we got some Zoology and Physiology in

Level 1s: Birds external parts, types of bird beaks, and different kinds of birds

Level 2s: The Circulatory System

Level 3s: Echinoderms family and starfish

We had a great Valentine’s Day Party this past Wednesday.  Thank you for all the organizing of supplies needed and if you came to donate your time.  Thank you Katie for another great party!

Also, thank you for the wonderful cards, chocolates, and flowers.  It made for a great day for Ms. Misha and I.  Thank you thank you!

Upcoming Week:

The Spelling Bee is next week!  I will be taking some time this coming week to see who our top 2 spellers are going to be representing our class at the Bee next week.  I am looking to do this Wednesday afternoon.

This coming week I will have the 1st and 3rd graders do their fractions and 2nd graders will continue doing measurement practice with me.

Ms. Nikki has began a 2nd grade writing group this past week and will continue working with 2nd graders on how to do different kinds of writing.  They began this past week learning fact from opinion.  3rd graders will still work with her on their writing skills too.

Friday- if anyone has finished their Feb. Service Project they can bring them in to share.  I have left some time this Friday

We had the book Wonder donated to our classroom!  We will begin to work in some time at the end of the day to read Wonder.

Literacy Week:

Next Week is the beginning of Literacy Week!  Each day we will be doing a school wide activity.  In our classroom each day will be themed with fun reading activities.  The Spelling Bee is also next week!  Next Thursday, March 1st will be Literacy Night!  Come to MMA for some fun!  There will be different “lands” to visit and lots of fun activities to do!  I will be with Ms. Kirsten from Upper El running Harry Potter Trivia and Wand Making!  Join us from 6pm-8pm.  There are door prizes, Usborne Books usually comes, and lots of games.  Mark your calendars!

Take care and have a great extra day to your weekend!

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!

Past Week:

This past week we had the Chili Cook Off on Wednesday.  Our classroom made a chili and the kids had a great time.  The cook off was a great time and our chili was practically gone by the end!

We also had the COW again since Ms. Stef was out of town.

Wednesday was also our Internet Safety assembly.  They educated on to never give out your personal information and if something pops up that is inappropriate to turn it off and seek an adult’s help.

We finished up our January writing prompt which was “Which in your option is the better pet?  A cat or a dog?”  Students will be working on opinion writing into February learning how to support their opinions with facts.  For this past prompt they learned how to state their opinion.

PTC– I have emailed out and also posted on last week’s blog to sign up for PTC.  They begin on Feb 14th and go until Friday Feb. 16th.  After this wejoinin the school is switching over to Track It Forward.  Please make yourself an account as all sign ups will now be through that site.  I had already made my mid year PTC sign up when  it was decided that for all sign ups from here on out we will need to use Track It Forward.

SIGN UP FOR PTC HERE AND BRING YOUR CHILD

Sick Season– Nasty colds and flus are going around.  Some of the kids who are got over something are catching something again.  Ms. Misha and I are making sure the classroom stays clean.  I also chatted with the kids about the importance of hand washing and using a tissue and not their fingers to clean their nose.

This past week in cultural: Botany

Level 1s: Parts of a plant review and about roots (parts of a root and different kinds of root types)

Level 2s: Reviewed parts of a leaf and then looked at leaves from native Utah trees

Level 3s: The stamen of a flower

Each level also studied more in Geometry this week.  Level 1s also had a time box check in to see who needed to practice time to the hour more or if they needed a new lesson

Upcoming Week:

We have our monthly Botany lesson with Ms. Rachel on Wednesday afternoon

Since it is now February we on to February’s Home Project.  We have been studying about community all year.  It is the children’s turn to get out into their community and do a service project. Service project are open ended, but some examples would be: volunteering somewhere, donating clothes/food etc., helping out a neighbor/church, picking up trash, helping at a local shelter, serving at a retirement center/vet center.  Students will complete a reflection on how the experience was to them, but also beneficial to the community.  They may take pictures and make a poster to share about their experience.  Service projects are due by the last day of February.  Those who complete their project earlier on in the month can share about their experience when they have done it.

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week

Ms. Kaley