January 8-12, 2018

It was so good to see all of the kiddos again today!  We took a lot of time this morning talking about what we all did over the break. 

We will be discussing the rules and expectations again throughout this week.  Please remind your child about the importance of being respectful in our classroom community and an attentive listener.

This week...

Monday (1/8):

Tuesday (1/9):  Tuesday folder comes home.

                         Daily folder comes home.  Return daily!

                          No Homework Bag- RAZ-kids & IXL

Wednesday (1/10):  Library- Checkout & Lesson!                       

Thursday (1/11): 

Friday (1/12):  

Monday (1/15):  No School- MLK Day

                                              

This week in Reading Workshop...

We will be learning about literary nonfiction.  Literary nonfiction gives the reader facts about a topic through a story.  Biographies and Autobiographies are in this genre.

This week in Writing Workshop...

This week, we will begin learning how to write a letter.  We will discuss why we might want to write a letter, and we will learn about the different parts of a friendly letter.

This week in Math workshop...

We will wrap up our learning about equal parts and fractions.  We will observe different objects and determine if they are divided equally.  This will lead into our fractions unit where we will learn about halves and fourths.

We will then begin learning to tell time to the half hour using analog and digital clocks.

This week in Science...

We will continue learning about weather and the air around us.  We will observe and record the weather in our science notebooks.  We will also discuss different tools scientists use to measure the weather.

This week in Social Studies...

We will begin learning about the world around us.  We will learn about maps and globes, directions, and different landforms and bodies of water.

Our Life Skill of the week is Pride! Pride is having satisfaction from doing one’s personal best.  We will talk as a class about times that we have been proud at school and at home. 

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Dates to Remember:

Jan. 15: No School- MLK Day

Feb. 3:  Science Fair

Feb. 7:  Spirit Night

Feb. 9:  Skate Night

Feb. 19-20:  Student Holiday

Mar. 7:  Kinder Round-Up

Mar. 12-16:  Spring Break

Mar. 22:  Field Trip to ZACH Scott Theater

Mar. 28:  Spirit Night

Apr. 27:  Skate Night

May 8:  Spirit Night

May 25:  Last Day of School

December 18-22, 2017

We had so much fun at the Thinkery!  The kiddos absolutely loved being able to imagine and create in innovative ways.  I took a ton of pictures and will work on getting them to you soon!

Reading assessments are going well.  I will get info out to you when we get back from winter break. 

This week...

Monday (12/18): Daily folder comes home.  Return daily!

                       No Homework Bag- RAZ-kids & IXL

Tuesday (12/19):  Tuesday folder comes home.

Wednesday (12/20):  Library- Checkout Only!                     

Thursday (12/21):  Winter Party @ 11:45-12:45

Friday (12/22):  No School

Winter Break:  Dec. 22-Jan. 8

Students return to School on Jan. 9!

                                              

This week in Reading and Writing Workshop...

We will continue exploring different genres.  This week, we will be reading different Holiday books.  We will make connections and predictions.  We will also think about the plot and characters in the story.

This week in Math workshop...

We will begin discussing equal parts.  We will observe different objects and determine if they are divided equally.  This will lead into our fractions unit where we will learn about halves and fourths.

This week in Science...

We will continue learning about weather and the air around us.  We will observe and record the weather in our science notebooks.

This week in Social Studies...

We will finish up our unit on holidays, traditions and celebrations.  We have enjoyed learning about the different cultures in our classroom so much!

Our Life Skill of the week is Patience! Patience is the ability to wait calmly for someone or something.  We will talk as a class about times that we have been patient at school and at home. 

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Dates to Remember:

Dec 21^st- Winter Party @ 11:45-12:45

              Last day of classes

Dec 22-Jan 8^th- Winter break

Jan 9^th- Students return to School

December 11-15, 2017

Thank you to everyone that has signed and returned the field trip permission slip.  It is so helpful when I get them back quickly!  I still need 2 parent chaperones to join us on the field trip.  The price for the chaperones is $7. 

Please remember to send a lunch from home with your child on Friday, December 15.  We will eat an early lunch in the classroom before we leave, and will have a snack in the afternoon when we return.

Reading assessments are going well.  I will get info out to you as soon as I am finished.

The Book Fair is here!  Mrs. Letendre and Mrs. Jones have working very hard to get the library decorated and all set up for an amazing week!  We appreciate all of their hard work! 

Reminder: If you have a late or lost book, you must either turn the book in or pay for it before you are allowed to enter the Book Fair.

This week...

Monday (12/11): Daily folder comes home.  Return daily!

                       Homework bags come home.

                    Book Fair Preview!  

Tuesday (12/12):  Tuesday folder comes home.

Wednesday (12/13):  Library- Book Fair!

                         Book Fair open until 6:30

                            Family Art Night- 5:30-6:30

Thursday (12/14): 

Friday (12/15):  Thinkery Field Trip!

                       

                          

This week in Reading and Writing Workshop...

We will continue exploring different genres.  This week, we will be reading different Fables.  We will read The Lion and the Mouse, The Ugly Duckling, The Fox and the Crow, and The Tortoise and the Hare!  We will discuss the characters, setting, plot (beginning, middle and end) and the moral of the story.

This week in Math workshop...

We will continue learning about 3-D shapes.  We will identify and sort the different 3-D shapes.  We will analyze and compare them as well.  We will discuss which 2-D shapes have been put together to make the 3-D shapes, and we will think about where we can find 3-D shapes in our real world.

This week in Science...

We will learning about weather and the air around us.  We will observe and record the weather in our science notebooks.

This week in Social Studies...

We will continue learning about calendars and timelines.  We will also be learning about different cultures and holiday traditions.

Our Life Skill of the week is Curiosity! Curiosity is the desire to investigate and seek understanding of one’s world.  We will talk as a class about times that we have been curious at school and at home. 

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Dates to Remember:

Dec. 11-13^th- Book Fair

Dec. 13^th- Family Art Night @ 5:30-6:30

Dec. 13^th- Book Fair open late (until 6:30)

Dec. 15^th- Field Trip to the Thinkery (Permission slip due Dec. 8!)

Dec 21^st- Winter Party @ 11:45-12:45

              Last day of classes

Dec 22-Jan 8^th- Winter break

Jan 9^th- Students return to School

December 4-8, 2017

Thank you to everyone that has signed and returned the field trip permission slip.  It is so helpful when I get them back quickly!  I need 3 parent chaperones to join us on the field trip.  The price for the chaperones is $7.  We can have more than 3 parents join us, but the 1^st 3 to email me will need to send in $7 before Dec. 15. 

Reading assessments are going well.  I will get info out to you as soon as I am finished.

The Book Fair is coming back!  Mrs. Letendre and Mrs. Jones will have the Library decorated and set up for the Book Fair from December 11-15.  Reminder:  If you have a late or lost book, you must either turn the book in or pay for it before you are allowed to enter the Book Fair.

This week...

Monday (12/04): Daily folder comes home.  Return daily!

                       

Tuesday (12/05):  Tuesday folder comes home.

                          Homework bags come home.  (Sorry!)

Wednesday (12/06):  Library Lesson only

Thursday (12/07): 

Friday (12/08):  Field Trip permission slips due!

Next Week:  Book Fair!

                       

                          

This week in Reading and Writing Workshop...

We will continue exploring different genres.  This week, we will be reading different Folktales.  We will read Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Little Red Hen, Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, and more!  We will discuss the characters, setting, plot (beginning, middle and end) and the problem and solution in the story.

This week in Math workshop...

This week we will be finishing our learning on 2-D shapes.  We will begin learning about 3-D shapes.  We will identify and sort the different 3-D shapes.  We will analyze and compare them as well.  We will discuss which 2-D shapes have been put together to make the 3-D shapes, and we will think about where we can find 3-D shapes in our real world.

This week in Science...

We will continue learning about rocks, soil, and bodies of water.  We will discuss how the natural world includes rocks, soil and water that can be observed in cycles, patterns and systems.  We will observe, compare, describe and sort different types of soil. We will identify and describe a variety of natural bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. We will also gather evidence of how rocks, soil and water help to make useful products.

This week in Social Studies...

We will continue learning about calendars and timelines.  We will also be learning about different cultures and holiday traditions.

Our Life Skill of the week is Creativity! We use creativity to generate ideas, to create something original, and to redesign through imaginative skill.  We will talk as a class about times that we have been creative at school and at home. 

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Dates to Remember:

Dec. 11-13^th- Book Fair

Dec. 15^th- Field Trip to the Thinkery (Permission slip due Dec. 8!)

Dec 21^st- Winter Party @ 11:45-12:45

              Last day of classes

Dec 22-Jan 8^th- Winter break

Jan 9^th- Students return to School

November 27-December 1, 2017

I hope everyone had a wonderful & restful Thanksgiving.  I was so glad to be able to go home to visit my family.  We went to Granbury to watch Beauty and the Beast at their gorgeous Opera House.  It was so good!

I will be doing middle of the year reading assessments again until we get out for Winter break. 

This week...

Monday (11/27): Daily folder comes home.  Return daily!

                        Homework bags come home. 

Tuesday (11/28):  Guidance Lesson w/ Ms. Amiri                    

Wednesday (11/29):  Library Checkout only

Thursday (11/30): 

 Friday (11/31):

                       

                          

This week in Reading and Writing Workshop...

We will begin an exciting new unit!  We will travel to far off lands.  We will meet kings, queens, princes and princesses.  We will come across some wicked witches and cunning little men, and we might even slay a giant!  We will be reading Fairy Tales!  We will talk about how Fairy Tales are fiction, but they have very important elements that make them different.  We will read many different Fairy Tales, and we will check to see which elements each story has.

This week in Math workshop...

This week we will be learning about 2-D shapes.  We will identify and sort the different 2-D shapes.  We will analyze and compare them as well.  We will discuss how we can put different shapes together to make new shapes, and we will think about where we can find 2-D shapes in our real world.

This week in Science...

We will be learning about rocks, soil, and bodies of water.  We will discuss how the natural world includes rocks, soil and water that can be observed in cycles, patterns and systems.  We will observe, compare, describe and sort different types of soil. We will identify and describe a variety of natural bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. We will also gather evidence of how rocks, soil and water help to make useful products.

This week in Social Studies...

We will be learning about timelines and calendars.  We will discuss how we use timelines and calendars in our everyday lives and how we can learn about someone else’s life as well.

Our Life Skill of the week is Flexibility! Flexibility is when you are willing to alter plans when necessary.  We will talk as a class about times that we have been flexible at school and at home. 

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Dates to Remember:

Dec. 15^th- Field Trip to the Thinkery (Permission slip home tomorrow!)

Dec 21^st- Winter Party @ 11:45-12:45

              Last day of classes

Dec 22-Jan 8^th- Winter break

Jan 9^th- Students return to School

November 17, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.  I hope everyone has a wonderful & restful break.

Keep reading on RAZ-kids and sharpen your math skills on IXL.  Remember that the login info is on the back of the red folder!

Be safe and make good choices!  I will see you all again on Monday, November 27!

Love,

Ms. Smith

November 13-17, 2017

I can’t believe that we have only 1 week left until Thanksgiving break!  Wow, time has really flown by!  Please remember that we will not have school on November 20-24. 

The Pilgrim dolls are so amazing!  We will be presenting this week, and I can’t wait to hear all about them!

Homework this week will be Raz-Kids and IXL!

This week...

Monday (11/13): Daily folder comes home.  Return daily!

                        Don’t forget about RAZ-kids and IXL! 

Tuesday (11/14):                      

Wednesday (11/15): No Library this week!

Thursday (11/16): 

 Friday (11/17): Last day of Caraway Academy 7:55am-8:55am

                       

                          

This week in Reading and Writing Workshop...

We will continue our learning about nonfiction text.  We know Readers read to learn! Writers can also write to teach readers something they know a lot about!  We will examine the features of nonfiction and create a list of ways readers use these features.  We will read nonfiction books about Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims this week, and we will write facts we have learn as we read.  We will also think about what we are thankful for!

This week in Math workshop...

This week we will be learning about doubles.  We will discuss what a double is.  We will think about where we have seen doubles in real life situations as well.  When we feel confident about the doubles facts, we will be applying that knowledge when we try to solve other addition equations.  We will learn that we can use the doubles plus 1 and doubles plus 2 strategy to solve an equation.  (For example, 4+5=?  If you know that 4+4=8, and 5 is 1 more than 4, and 8+1 more is 9, then 4+5=9.) 

This week in Science...

We will be learning about rocks, soil, and bodies of water.  We will discuss how the natural world includes rocks, soil and water that can be observed in cycles, patterns and systems.  We will observe, compare, describe and sort different types of soil. We will identify and describe a variety of natural bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. We will also gather evidence of how rocks, soil and water help to make useful products.

This week in Social Studies...

We will learn about culture.  We will discuss the many diverse cultures that are represented in our classroom.  We will also discuss family traditions and customs from these different cultures.  We will work on the life skill of patience and respect as we present our Pilgrim dolls.

Our Life Skill of the week is Initiative! Initiative is when you do something because it needs to be done.  We will talk as a class about times that we can take initiative at school and at home. 

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Dates to Remember:

Nov 20-24^th- Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec. 15^th- Field Trip to the Thinkery (more info to come later!)

Dec 21^st- Last day of classes

Dec 22-Jan 8^th- Winter break

Jan 9^th- Students return to School