Welcome back - January 9th news

Although it was fun having a break, it is nice to be back in a routine. It was wonderful seeing all of the smiling faces on Tuesday. The students came back looking refreshed and eager to begin learning.

Has your child told you that I want gift cards? Yes, I do...but it's not what you think - I'm not asking for gifts! I have been collecting USED gift cards. I finally have enough to use for sorting. Some stores have been very generous giving me old ones that they will no longer use. Thanks HOME DEPOT! We sort by shape, size, pictures, etc. So, thanks to those of you that have already sent in some of your used cards. I'll take any that you don't want.

Reading books will begin going home this week, so look for a new book in your child's backpack.

Hopefully, book orders will be sent out this week as well.

Running club will resume on Monday.

If your child wants to participate in the Science Fair, all projects are due on February 2nd. Packets are available at:  http://goo.gl/gpZno

Listed below are the units of study that we will be covering for the next several weeks.

READING:Poetry

·         Most poetry has a regular beat that can be clapped.

·       Some poetry contains words that sound alike (onset-rime: c-at/b-at).

·       Some poetry contains words that begin with the same sound.

·       Some poems are nonsense poems, playing with sounds and language.

·       Poetry should create pictures in the readers/listeners mind.

Fiction

·  When listening to or reading fiction, listeners and readers think about the main events in the story.

·  Characters in fiction stories can be make believe or can be based on actual people.

   Characters in fiction stories behave in certain ways and have reasons for their actions.
WRITING:
Literary Texts - Poetry

·  Authors think about the way words sound out loud as they write poems.

·  Authors of poems choose words carefully based on how they sound with other words.

·  Authors of rhyming poems choose words with the same middle and ending sounds.

·  Authors of poems that do not rhyme often use repeated phrases instead of rhyming words.

Literary Texts - Stories

·  Authors of stories choose main events to keep their readers interested in their stories.

·  Authors of stories create characters who behave in interesting ways.

·  Authors of stories create characters who remind readers of themselves or of people they know.

   Authors of stories have to make sure the characters have reasons for behaving in certain ways.

MATH:

   We will continue problem solving for the next few weeks and then begin our measurement unit.

Direct Measurement Comparisons – Length, Area, & Temperature

  Why do we measure?
  *What can we measure?
  *What data (information) do we get when we measure?
  *How do we use the information?
Core Components
Including Statements
   *Directly compares real objects without using units or measurement

SCIENCE:

Seasons

• In what sequence do seasons occur?
• How does what we see change from season to season?
• How does what we do change from season to season?

Earth and Space - Weather & Climate, Objects in the Sky

·  The weather is different from day to day.

·  The weather is different from season to season.

·  Observe and describe the changing weather conditions such as temperature and precipitation.

       ·  Day and night happen in repeated sequence.

·  What we see and do changes from day to night.

    Observe, describe and illustrate objects in the sky (clouds, Moon, stars, and the Sun-our closest star)