September 8-12, 2014

Writing Workshop:  
We will be focusing on writing about what we know.  The kiddos have been thinking about personal experiences so that they are able to write interesting, detailed stories.  We will also talk about how authors think about their story, then draw it, and then add words.  We will also learn about saying a word and listening for the sounds, then writing the letters they hear.

Reading Workshop:  
We will learn about stamina, and we will talk about how we can build our stamina in reading so that we reach 30 minutes of silent reading.  Throughout the year, your child will be picking their own books to read during Read to Self and Read to Someone.  Because of this, we will learn what Good Fit books are and how to recognize if a book is a Good Fit for you.  Every day, I will meet with either individual students or groups of students.  We will discuss why these reading conferences are important, and will learn silent signals the students can use so the conferences are not interrupted.  Lastly, we will talk about the importance of respecting everyone's reading time, and using kind reminders when we are being disturbed.

Word Study:
This week, we will continue talking about vowels.  We will focus on the letter Ee.  We will brainstorm words that have the short e sound and the long e sound.

Science:
We will begin by thinking about what a scientist is and does.  We will brainstorm different jobs that use science.  We will begin learning about how to use our science notebooks.  We will talk about what they are for and why they are important to scientists.  We will discuss science safety, and we will even do our first experiment.

Math:
We will continue to count using groups.  We will explore placement of digits in numbers and how the value of the number is affected by the placement of the digits.  We will use magnetic ten frames to help us build numbers.  We will learn to compare teen numbers.  We will apply all of this knowledge in problem solving activities.  We will also learn how to construct a tally chart.

Habit #2:  Begin with the End in Mind
I plan ahead and set goals.  I look for ways to be a good citizen.

Reminders:
*Specials- A Group:  PE on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
               B Group:  PE on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
**Wear tennis shoes for sure on these days!!!!
*Library- Tuesday 11-11:30
*Send orange folders back every day.
*Send a healthy snack with your child every day.  We will eat snack at 10:30

Dates to Remember:
September 8:  Open House 6:30-7:00
September 24:  Early Release Day dismissal @12:45