Today we acted out “Duck on a Bike.”      We acted it out twice so that everybody got a role.  Ask your child which role they played in our story.  Here is one cast…

Duck….Harper

Cow…. Mohamed

Kids…..Theo, Jacqueline, Adam Salem, Aseel, Nour, Ali Boomrod, Nader, Nicholas, Miles, and Sean

Sheep…Maha

Other animals….Aliyana, Adam Moustafa, Aya, Addison, Sam, Mike, Avery, and Zeinab

I hope you all had a relaxing, and delightful thanksgiving with your family and loved ones.  I spent the day with my family, took on the mall on Friday, spent Saturday doing household things, and spent Sunday with my husband for our Anniversary.

This week brings us…

READING-TRANSPORTATION  “What are some different ways (modes) of Transportation?”

We’ll also review story elements  (characters, setting, plot, solution)

PHONICS- short a sound    at    am   ag   an    ap

LETTERS-Q  q    V  v

WORDS-  play     ride   Have your student practice reading, spelling, and writing these words.  Make up sentences with them.  By Friday, they should be able to add them to their word mastery list.

WRITING-TRANSPORTATION   We will be using

First…..

Next….

Last…

Again, practice these writing steps when conversing with your child.

MATH-We begin Module 3 in our Math Program, comparing different  lengths, using math vocabulary taller than, shorter than, with aligned and non-aligned endpoints.

SOCIAL STUDIES-We will be discussing “NEEDS AND WANTS.”  Rather timely, huh?

“Scientists have recently determined

that it takes approximately 400 repetitions

to create a new synapse in the brain-

unless it is done with play, in which case,

it takes between 10-20 repetitions.”

-Dr. Karen Purvis

My Tribe!  Love them and so thankful for each one

Today we learned about the Pilgrims. We learned that there was a “bad King in England.”  He did not let the people worship where they wanted to worship.  So, the Pilgrims decided to leave England and move to a new world.  They sailed on a ship called The Mayflower.  The journey was very difficult.  Finally they made it to the new world.  First, they needed to build a house.  They built a big one called A Common House, where everyone lived.  Next they met an Indian named Samoset.  He came to the Pilgrims in peace.  Then the Pilgrims met another helpful Indian named Squanto.  Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to find the best places for fruits and berries, how to stamp out the eels during low tide, how to put a small fish in their dirt mound before adding a kernel of corn so that the corn would grow to be healthy, and how to walk quietly through the forests at night. Finally, the Pilgrims were so “thankful for all of the harvest and homes that the Indians had helped them make that they wanted to “thank” their new friends.  So, they had a huge feast that lasted for 3 days and nights with lots of food, games, and dancing.  We call the feast “Thanksgiving.  We learned a lot about the Pilgrims and Indians today.

Here are MY Pilgrims!

Happy Thanksgiving from our room to your house!

What a great 2 weeks of conferences with my parents!  Thank you for making the time to attend.  Getting involved in your child’s education is so important.

Next week is a short week.  Here we go…

Please take these next few days to practice reading and writing ALL of the words that we have had so far.  Not sure what those words are?  Go back through my blogs.  Letters and their sounds should be mastered too.  Have your child create sentences and then have them write the sentences.  Practice, Practice, Practice!

Today we finished writing another book!  That makes about 15 books your child has made in here…very impressive for Kindergarten.  The book is an “Informational Book about Turkeys.”  Enjoy listening to your child read the book.

READING AND WRITING-We’ll be making a Thankful Book.  It will go home on Tuesday.

MATH-I will be assessing the students on 2D and 3D shapes.  Geometry

SCIENCE-We’ll add more to our WEATHER information.

Next week we’ll play some Word Bingo and have fun with learning and being together.  We’ll talk about the Pilgrims and maybe make something appropriate.  Next week I’ll send home the “Thankful Turkeys” that we made yesterday.  The feathers were to be glued behind the turkey.  Some had trouble with this MATH concept.  Remember last week when we were working with “POSITIONAL WORDS?”  Here’s where I inserted them into a project. “Glue the feathers behind the turkey.”

I’m having such fun days with my class.  I am very Thankful for each one of them.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving with your family.

Mrs. Smith

Book orders due next Monday.  If you’d like anything saved for Christmas, I am a good secret-keeper.  Just let me know on your order form and I will keep the delivered books for you to pick up at a later time.

The kids are in Music and I (remarkably!!) have a moment to jot a quick message.

I am really enjoying my evening conferences with you, getting to know my families, sharing hints/tips for bedtime routines,  directions of where I am going in here and how you can support at home, different reading strategies,home math games, etc.  I can always tell those students whose parents are involved in the learning process and make school an important priority.  You are encouraging success and mastery of important academic parts of life.  Thank you.

Last night the students had Math Homework that was due today.  20 out of 24 returned it this morning.  Each one got to sit in my chair and, using my ELMO camera, explained to the class what their rule was for putting certain shapes together and for grouping other shapes a different way.  “These have points.  These do not have points.”  “These have circles.  These do not have circles.”  Very good thinking and explanations.  They knew why the shapes were grouped as they were.  Thanks for your help with that and making sure it got into their backpack so they would “see the task through to completion.”  Important!

If your child’s reading group is tomorrow or Friday, please make sure they have their Reading Book Bag  with them this week, as next week is a short week and I will miss having them for Reading Group time.

Again, thank you for the delightful conference times with you.  I will visit with my remaining families tomorrow evening.

Remember to always have your child wear boots to school and pack shoes.  Today a few said, ” My Mom said I don’t need boots today.”  Well, they go outside for lunch recess and head right for the field of snow!  They then track in wet snow onto the carpet.  I told them to wear boots every day until I let them know differently!!

Stay warm.

Mrs. Smith

Please remember to have your child WEAR THEIR BOOTS TO SCHOOL and pack shoes in the backpack.  Most remembered today…we need all to “follow our rules.”

Thank you!