 |
| A good reminder for all! |
We had another busy week at the Elmore School.
We began the week examining the writing style Jane Yolan, as we looked at her book Owl Moon, to see how she uses comparisons to create powerful writing. Students were encouraged to try some of these techniques in their own writing. Later in the week students worked on Publishing one of their stories they have been perfecting. At this point the students should have several stories in their folders which they have written, and edited, finished. On Friday, students began sharing their published stories with the class.
We also spent time this week reviewing what Writer's and Readers Workshop time should look like and sound like.
In Readers Workshop this week our focus was on applying various strategies to reading tricky words. Our goal is for students to have strategies to figure out unknown words on their own so they can keep reading even when they get stuck on a word they don't know. Additionally we talked about choosing 'just right" books. A "just right" book may have a few tricky words on each page, but you should be able to read most of the words on the page and understand the content you are reading. Students may use books that are easy for them to read as a "warm up" and then move on to more challenging books. You can relate this to exercising your body: Start with a "warm up" before you begin your "work out".
Students have been enjoying our read aloud, Charlott's Web By E.B. White
In Math we are settling into our Math menu routines. We begin with a whole class warm up, such as Which one doesn't belong, a number talk, or a math journal problem, then we move into grade level content groups and independent work time.
1st grade: We began solving addition word problems to find the unknown.
2nd grade: We concluded our first unit and took an end of module assessment and then began Module 2: Addition and Subtraction using length units (centimeters).
3rd grade: We began using the distributive property (breaking a larger array into smaller arrays and putting them together to find the unknown) to solve multiplication problems.
In Science we began our first unit on Heredity and Traits. Students explored how scientists explore fossils to learn about how habitats have changed over time and to learn about prehistoric animals such as dinosaurs. By examining fossils, scientist look at traits such as teeth and bone structure to learn what an animal from the past looked like and what it ate.
On Friday students explored patterns and colors as they created beautiful Watercolor fall leaves using a crayon resist technique.
***********************************************************************************
I know you aware that Covid-19 cases are on the rise all over the country including Vermont. As many have said, "it's getting closer and closer". We need to stay vigilant about health and safety. The governor has put new mandates for social gatherings in place, so I ask that you do you best to adhere to these new guidelines, which means students should not be having social gatherings outside of school. Additionally, please remind students that we need to by careful about our close contact with others, washing hands and continuing to wear masks. I've noticed over the past couple weeks that the children are needing more and more reminders to stay physically distanced which is not surprising now that they are feeling comfortable back at school.
Please see updates in the LSUU Family Health Handbook for updates about Health and safety guidelines.(updates are highlighted in Yellow)
Wish List: Some parents have asked if the school needs anything. There are a few small items we could we are running short on. If you would like to donate one of the following items your donation would be greatly appreciated.
- paper lunch bags (we use these to put masks in when we are eating)
- paper plates (for various projects)
- plastic spoons
- Ziplock bags of various sizes (with slide closure preferred)
- Library is Monday. Don't forget your books!
- Students need sneakers for PE on Tuesday and Thursday (and extra socks)
- As cold weather and snow approaches, students should have indoor shoes to put on when they come inside.
- Students should have at least 3 CLEAN masks per day so they can change them when they get wet.
- Students should bring a water bottle each day!
- The marking period ends on Wednesday, November 18th
- Please assure iPads are charged and students have their head phones each day.
- There is an early release next Friday (Nov. 20th). Pick up at 12:00
- There is no school on Nov. 27-27th for Thanksgiving.
- Email me with lunch orders for the week!(salads and sandwiches only)
No comments:
Post a Comment