Weekly Newsletter

Mrs. Wieferich's and Mrs. Freeland's Weekly Note

January 4-7

 

Student of the Week:

Our Student of the Week was Karlene Brainerd. Congratulations!

 

Rocket Math:

The children are really getting into our daily routine of Rocket Math. Some of them are starting to fly through the levels! Have your child discuss with you what level they are currently working on. All of the students are in the "Addition Rocket" and the levels begin at A and progress through Z.

 

Library:

We have Library on January 20^th this month. Please make sure your child returns their books on or before this date. Thanks!

 

 

Spelling Change:

Next week we will be starting a new spelling/phonics program called Words Their Way. The reason for this change is that it will provide a more individualized and differentiated spelling list for your child, along with phonics instruction that more closely matches the need of your student. Through this word study program, students will examine, manipulate, and categorize words. We have practical, hands-on ways to study words that allow students to focus on the critical features of words- sound, pattern, and meaning. Your student will still bring home a new spelling list each Monday and will be tested each Friday. The list will consist of 20 words, 15 of which they will be tested on. Mrs. Freeland and I are excited to implement this new individualized program to help improve your child's literacy skills!

 

Tardies:

Please make sure your child arrives by 8:05 each morning. Several of the students have been coming in late and are being marked tardy. When your child is late they miss daily work instructions, announcements for the day, and the beginning of Reader's Workshop. Thank you!

 

 

Sport-Stacking Club:

This week your child brought home a note about the Sport Stacking Club that begins on Tuesday, January 24^th. Payment and forms are due back to school by January 18^th. Please contact Mrs. Kelley if you have any other questions.

 

Writing Workshop:

This week we began a new Writing Workshop format! Each morning the children will have the opportunity to participate in a writing mini-lesson, write in their journals, conference with the teacher, publish books, and complete a special project. When your child brings home a published book, please take some time to read and look at the illustrations together. Ask your child if it is their best work. We are learning what good illustrations look like. Good illustrations should:

• Be full of detail
  
• Not be scribbled
  
• Show what the story is about
  
• Be outlined
  

We will be learning about the "6 Traits of Writing." They include ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, and conventions. This week we studied the "Ideas" trait. We learned that finding ideas is our number one job as a writer. Ideas are the main messages we want tell about. We even learned a song about ideas. It goes like this:

(sing to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat)

Write, write, write your thoughts.

Make your ideas clear.

Tell the reader what you know

And what you hold most dear.

Next week we will be learning about the trait of "Organization."

Looking Ahead:

 

Monday, January 9^th-

Delayed 10:00 Start

 

Thursday, January 19th-

Half-Day for Students (End of Semester)

 

Friday, January 20^th-

Half-Day for Students (End of Semester)

 

Friday, January 27^th-

Report Cards sent home

 

 

Science:

Did your child tell you about the two fun experiments we did this week? We created a new substance and learned how matter takes up space. We spent the rest of science time reviewing the states of matter for our quiz next week.

 

Math:

Vocabulary for this week:

• Estimate- a close answer
  
• Inch
  
• Centimeter
  
• Tiling- children use multiplies of square pattern blocks to cover a playing card as completely as possible.
  
• Attribute blocks- a set of blocks in which each black has one of each four attributes including color, size, thickness, and shape.