Month: January 2019

Sunny moments this week! ☀️

Classroom Notes and 1/21-1/25 2019

Welcome back to a full, but short, week here in Room 6! I hope you were able to celebrate the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with your child being inservice in some way this past Monday. Last week as we learned about the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was struck by all of the insightful comments and realizations the children shared and felt energized and hopeful about the world they will help create as they grow older!
Last week we were also able to do a lot of writing and it was wonderful to see how the students have progressed in recording thoughts on paper. Spacing between words, capitals, periods and using word wall words are the norm now and most importantly, each child writes in their own voice which makes each written entry so meaningful.
As the weather has been unseasonably warm and February approaches the students have been commenting on the tiny green sprouts they are starting to see in our gardens. This week in science, our beautiful indoor bulbs continue to grow and we are observing bulbs both edible and not edible. In the next few weeks, we begin a soil, sand and silt unit. In math, we continue to practice skills doing stations and working on addition and subtraction facts together. While doing math assessments last week, I realize you can never review enough counting by 10’s, 5’s and 2’s, counting forward and backward from random numbers, counting/recognizing coins and telling time to the hour and half hour. Numbers are all around us and creating story problems with meaning for your child is also very powerful. All of the Lewis Teachers are currently finishing assessments to better understand and build on student’s strengths and to inform instruction. Report cards will be coming home a week from this Wednesday. I’m mostly pleased with the growth made academically and socially and happy to know more about how to strengthen my teaching to continue this growth and connection to learning for each child. Please be sure to help your child keep to eating and sleeping schedules as healthy routines make a considerable difference in your child’s academic and social experiences. Regarding this photo: One of the best parts of being a teacher is having the parents and siblings of students you have had previously! So great!
Please volunteer to assist if you are available:)
Thanks and have a great rest of the week!
abuckley@pps.net

Room 6, Classroom Notes 1/3 2019

Welcome 2019! I hope this new year brings good health and happiness to you and your loved ones. I had a nice Winter Break with my family and friends and have been told that you did too! I hope you enjoyed your child’s holiday gift and thank you for the awesome gifts and sweet cards you gave to me! You are too generous! They mean so much to me and to my family, thank you again:-)

January 2019 has started off chilly but wonderfully! We created our own Chicken Soup With Rice paper calendars, are revisiting math centers and are discovering a growing pattern with three dimensional shapes as the days go by on the classroom calendar. Towards the middle of this month, ask your child what a growing pattern is. In Writers Workshop we are working on writing non fiction texts. What do your children know a lot about? You would be surprised! Sharks, bikes, cooking, holidays, camping, playing, libraries and so much more! Non fiction texts are also being explored in reading. As we finish up our 2nd quarter this month, more emphasis is being put on using the skills we work so hard to learn. Number one is to treat others the way you would like to be treated and secondly to be an active listener. Expectations for starting and completing work in the classroom is higher now as are expectations for appropriate, safe and kind interactions. Most students are capable of these and of using legible handwriting, accessing word wall words when needed to support current spelling abilities, using capital letters, ending sentences with correct punctuation and adding details during writing times. Using resources to help yourself independently is an important part of becoming responsible for your own learning. We are also working on reviewing completed work. Reread it, does it make sense? Was correct punctuation used and did you do your best to work neatly to show your thoughts/ideas? You can help at home by encouraging writing through journals/letters and expecting these same responsibilities and don’t forget, you have home work daily: reading to/ with your child!:)

Thank you families for all the love and support you give your child,

Keep in touch at : abuckley
Photos and more: mrslogue.wordpress.com