Week 22

 

Winter Night Sky Mosaics created by Elmore students

We had another full week at the Elmore School.  

This week in Literacy students began the week by becoming "spelling detectives".  In this activity, students looked closely at their spelling words, to discover the spelling patterns.  My hope was that in having students do this exercise they would become more aware of the phonics relationship the words in their list had.  On Friday we had our spelling quizzes, and students across the grades showed great improvement!  

In Writers Workshop students focused on writing powerful endings, drawing or including detailed illustrations/pictures, and they used checklists to reflect on and improve their writing.  

Individual and small group reading and phonics instruction also took place each day.

In Friday we finished our read aloud chapter book titled The Night the Bells Rang by Natalie  Kinsey-Warnock.  Ms. Warnock is a local Vermont author of several children's books.  In this story "The last year of World War I is an eventful one for Vermont farm boy Mason as he helps with the chores, tries to get along with his little brother, and sees an older bully go off to the war." (Scholastic.com).  While some of the topics in the charming story are mature, the students were able to relate to the main character and the local setting of the book.  

In math first graders focused on related facts up to 10 using addition charts to notice patterns and related facts.  A related fact is a fact that has something in common with another fact ( 1 + 3 = 4 is related to 5 + 1 = 6 because they both  +1 facts.  And 1 + 3 = 4 is related to 2 + 2 = 4 because they both have a sum of 4)

Second graders continues to work on place value.  This week they used $1, $10, $100 dollar bills and place value charts to practice counting and trading in ten $1 bills for one $10 bill, and ten $10 bills for one$100 bill etc,  represent a value ($342 = three $100 bills, four $10 bills, two $1 bills),  and count on from a given amount using their money (count from $68 to $230).  On friday they used an open number line to show incremental jumps.

Third Grade continues to work on multiplication.  This week our focus was on using familiar facts to help solve bigger or unknown facts by using the commutative property (If I know 7 X 5 then I know 5 X 7) or the distributive property (6 X 7 = 5x7 + 1x7).

All students should be able to access Prodigy Math Game through their Clever App now.  I sent home a parent letter about Prodigy.  It also contains the students username and password if you find they are no longer logged in.  Prodigy is being offered as a student math choice.  I will still be requiring students to use DREAMBOX, as this is a program that our school district is recommending district wide.  The district has researched this program for our students because of the various features, support, and the strong connection to the math standards.  So in short...while Prodigy is available, we still want students to be primarily using Dreambox for an online math program.

In Science this week, we continue our unit on Plant Heredity and Traits with a focus on seeds and why some flowers make fruit.  Students learned that the fruit is a seed container and the fruit is a way for the plant to spread its seeds. Students investigated various "vegetables" to determine if they were actually a vegetable or a "scientific fruit".  They learned that fruits contain seeds, so foods such as tomatoes, squash, peppers and cucumbers are actually fruit even though the grocery stores classify them as vegetables.  One student concluded that the "grocery store workers needed a science lesson!"  

Announcements:

• Library is Monday!  Remember to bring your Library books and activity bags!
• Tuesday and Thursday are PE at 8:00.  Students need their sneakers!
• We will Celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, February 12th.  I will send home a Class List on Monday.  As is tradition, we will also be making valentines (at school) for the Post Office Patrons at the Elmore Store. 
• The 100th Day of school is approaching and should be on Monday, February 15th.  In the next couple of weeks we will be deciding how we would like to commemorate the day.   
• There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, Feb. 5th as this is reserved as in Inservice day for Faculty. 
• We are on track to earn our next reading reward next week or the week after that.  The students have voted for a (socially distanced) School Dance.  I'd like to plan on having the dance on Friday, February 19.  We will decorate the space (possibly the Town Hall) and some students have expressed an interest in "Dressing Up", but this is not required.  I may look for a few of volunteers to help decorate afterschool on the Thursday, Feb. 18th.
• February Break is Feb. 22 - March 2 this year.  School resumes on Wednesday March 3rd (remote).
• Please email me your lunch orders!