Ms. Kaley's Classroom Room 24

Hi Everyone!

Past Week:

This past week we talked about what an Economy is.  To learn how an economy works we are having the students earn fake paper money for tasks during their day.  This last Monday we held a classroom meeting and students talked about how they will earn money.  We all agreed that if you:

1. Do your classroom job you can get a $1.00 (a total of $5.00 if done every day at the end of the week.)
2. If someone borrows something of yours you can charge $1.00.  This will be the same for wanting to have or borrow something that belongs to the teachers or classroom supplies.  It will be the teacher’s decision on how much to charge depending on the item and the frequency of use.
3. Students can earn $5.00 for doing their assigned follow up works on time.
4. Students can earn $5.00 for completing all work goals done for the day
5. Students can earn $10.00 at the end of the week if all Spiral Math, Word Work, Text Time, and any needed writing assignments are in the “done” bins before recess on Fridays.

Students are also learning the business side of an economy.  If a student has completed all of their work goals for the day (Coming to lessons included), then that student may participate in what we are calling Market Time.  A student may open their own small business to sell a skill of theirs to others.  A lot of our students like to craft really inventive things and some students are learning to crochet.  Students who want to participate can then work on things to make and then on Fridays if your student gets to Earned Friday Time they can sell their crafts.

When we get to the week of conferences and Valentine’s Day week, on one of those half days we will have what is called Store Day.  If you have been with me in the years past, we have done this activity before.  Students can elaborate on the business they want to run and sell items during that morning with the money they are collecting over these next few weeks.  Students may make baked goods, do hair/nails, sell unused toys they don’t want anymore, auction something they no longer want, but someone else may want, and sell crafts (bracelets, drawings, origami etc.).  We like to debrief with the student after to see how much money they began with, how much they earned through their business, and how much they spent.

PTC- Mid Year is approaching!  Please sign up on Track It Forward for your time slot!  These conferences  are students led.  Each student has a portfolio that they have been doing reflections in and putting in works that pertain to a standard.  If a student isn’t quite achieving that standard then we will show you how they are working towards it.  If your student doesn’t have that piece for their portfolio then that student isn’t abiding by their turn in due dates.  We work with each child in our classroom at their own individual pace and each student works and different rates and paces.  Seeing real work samples of your child’s work will allow you to see how they are doing.  Since your student will be talking and showing their examples it will be a showcase of their current progress and how they want to progress on those standards for the end of the year.  The hope is to show growth and that your child isn’t just a number on a progress report 🙂

This past week was STEM Week.  What a week!  We had assemblies and project presentations throughout the week.  This past Friday we set up our class’s projects like a mini cultural festival and half the students presented and the other half visited the others.  Then we switched.  I was able to make it around to all the projects that were there to hear their presentations.  This week, our 3rd graders will display their projects in the hall on Wednesday.  2nd graders will display theirs on Thursday and 1st graders will display theirs on Friday.  After their display day they can take their projects home.

Home projects are on break for now and the rest of the themes have events to participate in.  The next one in February will be The Spelling Bee.  We will have each student participate in trying their best and then I will test who will represent our class at the MMA Spelling Bee.  Our students will have a month to practice and prepare.  The Spelling Bee will be February 26th from 9am-10am.  The last event will be in March for Literacy Week.

Upcoming Week:

We will be back to a regular schedule this coming week.  We will get into some Geography lessons for cultural and work on learning about the Westward Expansion for our Group History and Geography.  This week we will learn about the Louisiana Purchase.

Remember: Pizza Money is due Tuesdays!

We are in need of some snack!  The next few weeks are not signed up for.  If you can, please sign up for snack support 🙂

Have a great rest of your long weekend. Please sign up for conferences!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hello Everyone!

Upcoming Week:

We have an extremely busy upcoming week filled with assemblies, activities, and project sharing.  Please look at the schedule carefully to help inform your student.  Recess and Lunch times are also effected by some of the changes and to accommodate them they will come at different times throughout the week!

Monday: STEM Assembly from 10:30am-11:45am.  Lunch is 1st at 11:50am-12:20pm.  Recess will then follow from 12:30-1:00pm.  3rd graders will go off to an assembly on Caves and Rock Stratification from 1:15pm-1:45pm.

Tuesday:  No Computers today (Ms. Megan will be out).  Botany with Ms. Rachael will be from 9:35am-10:25pm.  Recess for everyone will then be after from 10:30am-11:00am.  Everyone will then continue work cycle.  3rd graders will attend another 3rd grade only assembly from 11:30am-12:15pm and it will be on Chemistry.  1st and 2nd graders will get cleaned up at 11:50am and then everyone will do lunch from 12:15pm-12:45pm.  Everyone will then do their normal PE and Music time in the afternoon beginning at 1:10pm.

Wednesday: I will be judging Upper Elementary and maybe Junior High Science Fair projects until after lunch.  Ms. Misha will stay with the class and will do a STEM Shelter Challenge in the morning.  If any parent volunteers would like to help out Ms. Misha this day, please email me 🙂

*We are in need of “building materials” for our STEM challenge!  If you have any of these around your house, please bring them in by Wednesday!

• Cardboard (tissue boxes, cereal boxes etc.)
• Toilet paper/ Paper towel tubes
• Paper plates
• Aluminum foil
• Craft sticks
• Wax paper
• Pipe cleaners
• Rolls of tape

Thursday: We will clean up from work cycle at 10:45pm and then do recess at 11:00am-11:30am.  Lunch will be from 11:30am- 12:00pm.  3rd graders will be going to a Planetarium assembly at 12:00pm.  2nd graders will then go to their Planetarium assembly at 12:35pm and then 1st graders will go last at 1:10pm.  We will do our Library visit early this week at the end of the day from 2:30pm-3:00pm

Friday: STEM PROJECTS ARE DUE TODAY!  We have Art with Ms. Trudy from 8:40am-9:30am.  I don’t need any volunteers this morning for reading because afterwards the students will share their STEM projects in our room.  We will then do a portfolio reflection about STEM week and their projects. A Scales and Tales presentation will take place in the afternoon (we are waiting on our time)

This coming week the students will learn what an Economy is and will decide together how our Classroom Economy will be set up.  I have paper money that can be earned for doing their classroom jobs and how else they want to set up their economy earning.  This financial literacy skill will be to help students understand how earning works.  Part of the activity is event learn how to write a check!  In the coming weeks we will set up a Classroom Market day  where students can work together or individually on selling a skill of theirs (certain crafts, auctioning an item, a baked good or food etc.)

We will also continue our group Geography with beginning the Westward Expansion.  The students have been wanting to know more about the states out west, so we will begin how Early Americans decided to go west and why they wanted to.

Past Week:

This past week we looked at early American paper money and how paper money was created differently in each of the colonies.  Some money was worth more depending on what colony you went to because of their economy’s success.  Students got an overview that some designs of paper money failed and money went from being private to becoming something all Americans can use within any state.

Students made a money flip book on Thursday to help them remember how much each of our coins we use are worth and how many of those coins tally up to a $1.00.

We began the mid year Math U See assessments on Wednesday.  Depending on how your student did at the beginning of the year was the starting place for them this time around.  I’ve graded the tests they took and then if they can do any of the problems on the other tests they will continue to work on those.  The majority of the tests show a great improvement in adding and subtracting skills.  I’ve noticed that more 3rd graders attempted the rounding problems this time around than they did in the beginning of the year and also tackled more the larger adding and subtracting problems.

Dyad reading is going well and the students seem to be enjoying reading out loud together after lunch.

We continued our 13 colonies 4 square note taking some.

In Cultural: Botany, Geography, and Science

Level 1s: Parts of a root

Level 2s: Different kinds of leaves, The Rock Cycle intro.

Level 3s: Simple machines, compound machines, and how Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion show up in these machines.

Have a great upcoming week and rest of your Sunday!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hello! Welcome 2019!  Please read carefully for important information!

With the 2 days that we were back we organized binders and added the 2nd half of any papers that are needed that the students do weekly.

We also began a special kind of reading called Dyad reading.  This is something the students will be doing after lunch for 15 minutes Monday-Thursday.  If we can get it in on Fridays we will.  It is a special kind of buddy reading that looks at a student’s exile reading level.  I obtained the information from the recent DIBELS testing that was finished before Christmas break.

What is a Lexile level?

The Lexile^® Framework for Reading is a scientific approach to measuring both reading ability and the text complexity of reading materials on the same developmental scale.

I list the students from highest to lowest and you split the list in half and match the students up.  One partner is the “higher reader” and the other is the “developing reader.”  The higher reader tracks the words and the buddies read aloud together.  The developed reader hears their buddy and sees the word and tries to keep up with them.  The University of Utah has developed positive research behind the reading method and data shows this kind of buddy reading can help significantly help raise reading scores.  The developed reader also reads above their reading level according the research.

Dyad reading is also something you as parents can do with your child.  For more information, please take a moment to look at this:  DYAD READING

We also began another writing piece regarding informational writing. Students are picking a topic of interest from the 13 colonies era.  They are using a note taking skill called 4 square writing that will help them turn their research into a piece of learned writing.  We had the COW Friday morning and some students were able to get started on picking a topic.  The others were working on finishing up their time with Imagine Learning because some of the computers weren’t all the way charged, so some had to wait.

STEM Week is approaching!  Not this coming week, but the week after is STEM Week!  It looks like the project touring day will be Wednesday to see Upper El and Junior High projects.  The Lower El’s project day will be the week of January 22nd (After MLK day).  I would like to have the student’s projects due on January 18th.  We will use this time to share their projects in class with our students.  When it is the Lower El’s turn to show their projects the week of the 22nd, they won’t be standing and presenting.  Their projects will just be on display to see.

The week of STEM Week will also bring lots of assemblies and out of routine lessons.  These workshops might be for the entire class or just for certain levels.  Some of the workshops are at times that go into normal recess and lunch time.  We will adjust recess and lunch schedules to accommodate students’ workshops.  By the end of this week we will know more on what levels and workshops students will be attending.  I will make those updates in next week’s blog post.

An after school event is taking place on Thursday from 6-7:30pm.  The movie ScreenAgers will be shown.  It is a movie about screen time and the effects it has on the developing teenage brain.  It is open to anyone, so if you are interested it will be taking place Thursday the 10th in the Junior High Commons area.

Friday January 11th- No School for students- PD day for teachers.

Have a great rest of your weekend and upcoming week!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hello All!

Thank you to everyone for a smooth field trip this past Friday.  The kids had a great time and they said they really enjoyed the workshop on simple machines.

STEM Fair Projects:  LE display the week of Jan 22nd.  Projects Due January 18th.

In January the school will host a STEM Fair display.  I talked to the kids this week on what their focuses will be:

1st grader’s projects:  Research a famous scientist and create a project about their life and what they did for science (what made them famous?)

2nd grade’s projects:  A simple science experiment that the student can do the scientific method on.  2nd graders should be able to: 1. Pick a focus (a topic), 2. Create a hypothesis for their topic, 3.  Conduct the experiment (take pictures/video for presentation display!) *include materials/supply list for experiment! *can the experiment be conducted multiple times? What kind of results happen each time, 4.  Write down observations, 5. Make a conclusion and was their hypothesis correct or incorrect?

3rd grader’s projects:  Choose between a project on a simple machine OR a demonstration that explains one of Newton’s Laws of Motion or a demonstration on how momentum or acceleration works.  3rd graders’ projects should be a display that can explain the meaning of the simple machine or laws of motion, explain why/how it works, and how it relates to real life.

Past Week:

3rd graders were excited to learn about round worms (such as earthworms).  We went over the parts of an earthworm and what they do.  We also looked at other kinds of Annelids such as leeches and how they are parasites.  2nd graders reviewed amphibians and the life cycle of a frog.  Since we have the COW on Wednesday afternoons, some 2nd graders got started on reading and researching on an amphibian of their choice.  1st graders learned what an amphibian is and learned they go through a change called “metamorphosis.”

3rd graders have now had a lesson on division with remainders (such as 67 divided by 8).  We will continue practicing this skill and then will work with a triple digit dividend and then move into division with a double digit divisor.  The 3rd graders have seen division in multiple ways with the use of our Test Tube material and also on a white board.  I’ve tied in their division into their multiplication, so they can see how the two are similar to each other.  A skill that is challenging for almost all our 3rd graders is a missing multiplier or missing multiplicand.  This is also true when it comes to division (ex. A x 6= 24 or 28 divided A= 4.

2nd graders are working towards seeing how addition and multiplication are similar.  This week they saw how when numbers go over 10 in a given place value the steps to solve in either addition or multiplication are similar on our materials.

1st graders have begun what we call dynamic addition.  Dynamic is when a given place value goes over 10 and there is exchanging that is needed.  We are starting basic right now, going up to just the 10s place.  As the skill develops they will work with addition that goes up to the thousands place.  This week we will look at subtraction and begin practicing.  1st graders will then have addition and subtraction skills to practice during the week.  After Winter break they will look at multiplication and see how multiplication and addition are similar.  Subtraction skills will also continue.

We begun an important prompt this past week.  It is the 1st summative writing assessment given this year.  After every 2 themes there is an assigned writing prompt that is used to see if they are applying the needed skills they have learned in their writing lessons.  1st graders should be able to write 3-4 complete sentences, 2nd graders should have a fluid beginning/middle/end to their story, and 3rd should apply what 2nd graders do, but be able to add dialogue to their writing.  This coming week the students are working on finishing up their drafts, edits, and revisions, and move into their final drafts.

Upcoming Week:

There is a Parent Night on December 6th at 5:30pm on how a Montessori Class runs and what expectations your child should be applying.  It will go over what makes a Montessori school different from other public schools and what student life at a Montessori school is like.  Please check out the Montessori Monday Moments that was just sent out.  The flyer is located on there.

Ms. Clarissa, our music teacher, is hosting a Winter Concert on December 17th at 5:30pm.  The flyer for the concert is also on the MMM that was just sent out.  Our child has been practicing for weeks in music class! Mark your calendars!

Please note that on December 10th, next Monday, is an early out.

This week I am going to create a sign up on Track It Forward for our annual Holiday Feast!  Our classroom feast will be December 19th at 12:00pm.  Immediate family members are invited to join your child.  The sign up will be for food.  Part of the sign up will be for each level to make something for the feast.  I should have that sign up out by the end of the week so that gives about 2 weeks of preparation.  Our feast will go until about 1pm.  Some years it has gone over 1pm by just a little bit.  The students also present Winter holidays in December from around the world.  We’ll see if we continue that or we change it up some.  Students are welcome to be checked out after the feast.

December Challenge!  Now that we are in December I have a challenge for the students!  If everyone completes their Spiral Maths, Word Works, Text Times, and writings before recess on Fridays in December then we can watch a Christmas movie in the afternoon.  Help encourage your child!  Spiral Math is only 1 column a day.  I tell the students to complete it right after circle time in the morning.  Word Work is also a few language exercises each day.  Text time is the shortest.  It is a short passage and then there are 3-4 questions about the reading.  If everyone followed the exercises then everyone would be done by the end of Thursday (All the exercises in Spiral Math and Word Work are Mondays-Thursdays).

Have a great upcoming week and rest of your weekend.  Happy December and for anyone who celebrates or that you know celebrates Hanukkah!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hello!

Ogden Electric Lights Parade November 24th 5:30pm

November 24th is the annual Ogden Electric Lights Parade. Our school will be represented and the marketing committee has come up with a float that will represent MMA.

We are looking for students from MMA who would like to be part of our parade! The meeting place will be in front of the Ogden Temple. The parade starts promptly at 5:30pm. The floats will be lined up at 5pm. If you are riding or walking then please meet in front of the temple at 5pm.

Students 12 years and younger must ride in the trailer or truck. If your student is over the age of 12, then they may walk next to the float. Students who ride or walk will be carrying white peace signs or holding tea lights. All students will need to sign up to participate. Waivers will need to be signed at our meeting place, the Ogden temple. (The sign up is currently full, however, we are filling up a trailer and the back of a truck.  Come anyway and we’ll see what we can do!)

The parade starts on 22nd and Washington and then ends at 27th. The marketing committee advises our MMA parents whose child(ren) are in the parade park towards the end of the parade so when we are done you can find your child.

We have some, but if your child would like to wear glow necklaces and bracelets during the parade we highly suggest the more the better! (It is a light parade!) the glow wear is also our symbol to honor Troy and Molly Cox.  You can find glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets at the dollar store, Walmart, Smiths etc.

Thank you to all that came to the Cultural Festival!  The different project choices that related to the United States were really interesting to see and learn about!

The STEM fair projects will be in January.  The projects will be due on January 18th.  We will begin talking about project choices and displays when we get back to school.

November 30th half day Field Trip!

On November 30th, students will have a morning field trip to the Hill Airforce Museum!  Students brought home an information sheet about it this past week.  We will do a simple machines workshop and participate in a scavenger hunt.  Meeting is at 9am at the museum.  You can meet us there or catch a ride, if need be, at the school/North Shore.  Pick up will be at 11:15am and then students will have lunch and recess when they get back to school.  Please dress your child accordingly for the weather!  Please email me if you would like to be a chaperone!

The forms have already been signed, so the page that went home is just an information sheet.  Please email our room mother, Katie, if you are taking your own child/can take other students/or your child needs a ride.  Please email her and let her know by November 27th.  Thank you!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and great break!

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

Hello Everyone!

This week we experienced something I never thought I as a teacher would have to experience.  We lost two  amazing students this past week in the horrific car crash on Washington this past Tuesday.  Our school provided support for both students and staff members as the week went on this past week.  Thank you to any of you who provided support and comforted our students and participated in the ribbon tying outside on our fence.  If your daughter happens to be in Girl Scouts, she may wear her Girl Scout’s sash or t-shirt on Monday in honor of Molly Cox who was one of the students who passed.

I taught Molly when she was a 3rd grader during our Studio Friday time.  Back then, I taught theater and Molly was a bright light that enjoyed every minute of my class. She was such a joy to have.  She would always tell me how much she loved theater and always had a smile to show.  She and her brother, Troy, will be deeply missed.  I’m waiting to hear about their services and will decide if I am able to make it.

Past Week:

This past week I did an introduction to what was the cause of the Revolutionary War.  Students learned that America wasn’t free and was ruled by England at the time by a King.  Our students then learned that the King put taxes on products,  who Paul Revere was and his role, and that America wanted to be free with their own form of government.  I went over the meaning of the colors on the American flag and what the Pledge of Allegiance means with 1st graders in Geography this week.  Our whole class then learned what the colors of the USA flag means and then they got to create their own redesign of the American Flag and decided what their door choices meant.  The ideas were beautiful and the students really embraced the feeling of love, peace, protection, and freedom for our country.

My favorite lesson this week went to working with the 3rd graders this week on learning improper fractions.  I showed them how to solve a fraction that has a larger numerator than its denominator with our fraction materials and also using abstract division skills.  The group really enjoyed this lesson and all interested in how to solve fractions like that.  We will continue to continue learning about improper fractions through practice and reviews this week and into next.

2nd graders had a review in time to the hour and half hour this past week and will move onto time to the quarter hour and quarter past.  We talked about the word “quarter” and how that relates to the 4th’s family also this week in their fraction lesson.  If you can point out time to the hour, half hour, 15 minute mark, and 45 minute mark with your 2nd grader, that will help them practice at home.

Everyone worked on a practice narrative this pat week with brainstorming skills and using a graphic organizer that helped all students come up with a topic sentence, have a beginning/middle/end, and a closing sentence.  This week we will talk about transition words like: first, next, last etc. in their writing. Students will then move into how to revise and edit (which some students already got to last week) and learn to write a final draft in their purple notebooks.

In cultural this past week we had Geography, a little Zoology and History, and Botany to catch up on.  With the passing of our two students, emotions were also felt pretty high in our class, so I had students do some reading on books I assigned them that matched their cultural for that day with our COW Wednesday afternoon.

Level 1s: American flag and color meaning, kinds of trees

Level 2s: Layers of the Earth, time to the hour/half hour review, and leaves

Level 3s: Sound waves and vibrations, Electricity and static electricity

Upcoming Week:

Tuesday– Evacuation Drill practice.  Pizza money is due.

Wednesday– Our Halloween Party is upon us!  Wednesday afternoon from 12:45-2:30 will be our time to enjoy the holiday.  Please NO COSTUMES to school on Halloween.  Any treats and things the students make at the party will be taken home.  Having a class party is also a privilege to have and attend.  Some students are currently testing boundaries and classroom rules.  We sat down as a class community and the students said we should have 3 goals that everyone should follow in order to participate in the class party.  The students voted on 3 rules:

1. Do silent clean ups silently (This is done before recess and at the end of the day).
2. Focus (if you are off task and are disrupting others or yourself then you are not focusing in class on your work or lesson).
3. Body rule (no part of your body should be disrupting or invading someone else’s.  No pushing, kicking, pulling etc.).

I’m hoping everyone can follow the goals they set as a class and everyone can participate.  Any student who doesn’t follow the goals will do Halloween themed work with me and Misha (we will rotate) and any work needed from their planner.

If you want to help out with our party with volunteering or bringing supplies, here is the link again!

SIGN UP for HALLOWEEN PARTY!

If you are volunteering please come at 11:30-11:45.  We will have our class eat out in the kiva space so stations can be set up.

PLEASE NO HALLOWEEN CANDY IN LUNCHES AFTER HALLOWEEN.  Thanks.

Have a great rest of your weekend, upcoming week, and Halloween.

Ms. Kaley and Ms. Misha

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!

Please don’t forget that this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday is Fall Parent Teacher Conferences.  

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

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

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

Misha and I will be going over normalization observations and talk about goals.  I will also give out Dibel’s reading progress reports that have fantastic information regarding what you can do to help your child’s reading. It shows’s their strengths and areas that might need improving.  I will also have the MMA progress report.  Since our school revamped it’s curriculum and we hoping to show portfolio’s at our Winter PTC, the progress report will only have Executive Functions, Math, and Language progress stated on the report.  The cultural areas on the progress report didn’t align with our new revamp, so you will not see it on this go round.  Please know your child is getting cultural lessons and cultural is one of my favorite areas to teach.  I state what cultural lessons your child gets on our blog, so please keep referring to our blog for updated information 🙂

Thank you parents for helped on our field trip and got everyone there.  The children had a great time even with the weather sprinkling on us a little. Thank you all again.

No school will be held on Thursday and Friday of this week because of Fall Break.  Monday-Wednesday are early release days- 1 pm dismissal.  

The Original Art submission is due to the office on Oct. 12th.  If some student’s need more time or the form isn’t submitted by the 12th, there will be another submission time before October is over.  Please submit those yellow folders with the art and order form in them to our office by Oct. 12th.

Pizza order forms are due by Tuesday this year.  This will allow MAPA to have all the money in to order on Wednesdays.  Our class will submit their money to the office at 10:30am on Tuesdays. After Tuesdays, any order forms will have to wait until the next week.  Order forms are on the Montessori Mondays email that Rene sends out.  I also had order forms go home this past Friday.

Past Week:

Picture order forms went home Friday.  If your child happened to not get one, you can order online once your child’s picture is taken or you can ask the office for another order form.  Please note that picture day is October 22nd.  Please have your child in school dress code and have their picture order form turned into Ms. Kaley.

1st graders are working knowing pennies, nickels, and dimes coin names and their worth.  I have them adding up pennies with one of our shelf works, but any student needing more will then be moved onto adding up nickels.  I have the first graders also learning to identify the coin’s faces on both sides.  2nd graders are working on measuring length and learning to compare and contrast, but also learn to explain their reasoning on why they believe one object is longer or shorter than the other.  They are learning word problems as well where they are putting lengths together, but also finding the differences too.  3rd graders will get their lesson on bar graphs this Monday.

All three levels focused on triangles this week in geometry.  2nd graders got to learn the Detective Adjective game in a language lesson this week, but it tied in their geometry too.  Some 1st and 3rd graders sat in on the lesson or watched.

In cultural this week: History and Zoology

We had our monthly Botany lesson on Monday with Ms. Rachel.

Level 1s: Timeline of their life

Level 2s: BC/AD timeline

Level 3s: Stratification of rocks

Level 1s: 5 classes of vertebrate sorting

Level 2s: Internal parts of a fish

Level 3s: Porifera (sea sponges) external parts and their role

Friday– last Art session with with Ms. Trudy.  I had a funeral to attend Friday afternoon, so our students worked on scientific method this week with their mentor class from Junior High.  1st and 2nd graders teamed up to observe, predict, and experiment on the pumpkins bought on the field trip.  3rd graders had the challenge of building candy corn towers that were free standing with just the materials they were given.  I heard they had a great time and enjoyed the activities.

Welcome INDEPENDENCE!  Change projects were due Friday and we started presenting them.  Our new focus will be getting to know the 13 colonies of the early USA and knowing the eastern states of the USA in our group geography lessons we do on Thursdays.  I had the students get to know what states were the 13 colonies and I read them a book on the 1st colony, Virginia.  We will be taking a look at each colony more in-depth and working on learning what the Revolutionary War was and why it took place.  As your child reaches Upper Elementary the cycle of the USA will come back and then your student will learn more detail about that time period.

This coming week we will get to part of our schedule.  It will also be a great catching up week.  

Please visit the book fair after school this week and I’ll see you during our PTC this week!

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!

Back to School Night is this coming Thursday night! I will be out of town for it, but please come to pick up your parent flip book and project overviews for the whole year! I will also have more physical copies of our weekly schedule if you would also like to have that too (it’s in the flip book you will get!)

I believe the time is from 6:00-8:00. Come visit Ms. Misha! She can answer questions about works, schedule, and our classroom.