Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The Cardinal's Nest: Accelerated Reader 101
The Cardinal's Nest: Accelerated Reader 101: Sometimes you take for granted that everybody "knows" what a program is and how it works. Mrs. Branch, one of our outstanding Kindergart...
Short Week (1/30)
Since this is a short week, we will not be doing the story from the reading textbook. Rather, we will be practicing our reading strategies from tradebooks. Students will still have their sight word test, but this week it will be on Friday.
In Science, we will continue our study of natural resources (SOL 1.8). We'll be learning about how plants, animals, air, land, minerals, forests, and soil are all natural resources and how they need to be conserved.
Our math focus this week will be word problems (SOL 1.6). Students are doing a GREAT job with this so far and working to go through the steps: 1) Read and identify clue words that help us figure out which operation to do 2) Draw it out 3) Write the number sentence 4) Solve and check (and circle final answer).
Can you believe we are half way through the school year already?? Since it's the start of a new quarter, I have set new AR goals for each student. I will be placing these in the front cover of your child's agenda again. Remember, students are expected to be reading every night, then taking an AR test on the book the following morning (unless they're reading a chapter book). The children are able to exchange books every morning until 9:05.
Report cards come home next Tuesday. You can keep the report card at home; just sign and return the report card envelope.
In Science, we will continue our study of natural resources (SOL 1.8). We'll be learning about how plants, animals, air, land, minerals, forests, and soil are all natural resources and how they need to be conserved.
Our math focus this week will be word problems (SOL 1.6). Students are doing a GREAT job with this so far and working to go through the steps: 1) Read and identify clue words that help us figure out which operation to do 2) Draw it out 3) Write the number sentence 4) Solve and check (and circle final answer).
Can you believe we are half way through the school year already?? Since it's the start of a new quarter, I have set new AR goals for each student. I will be placing these in the front cover of your child's agenda again. Remember, students are expected to be reading every night, then taking an AR test on the book the following morning (unless they're reading a chapter book). The children are able to exchange books every morning until 9:05.
Report cards come home next Tuesday. You can keep the report card at home; just sign and return the report card envelope.
Important upcoming dates:
Friday Feb 1st- National Wear Red for Jump Rope for Heart Month/Jump Rope for Heart begins
Tuesday Feb 5th- Report Cards Distributed
Tuesday Feb 12th- Math Fest at CAES 6 PM
Monday Feb 18th- No School/President's Day
Wednesday Feb 20th- 1 PM Dismissal
Friday Feb 22nd- Jump Rope for Heart Night-Gym 5:30-7:30
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Dr. Contraction
Earlier this week, I posted a pic of one group doing surgery on words to make their "patients" have contractions. Below is "Dr. Contraction" (drawn by Mrs. Coffman) with all of his patients. 
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The Cardinal's Nest: Carrollton Public Library Upcoming Events
The Cardinal's Nest: Carrollton Public Library Upcoming Events: Our friends at the Carrollton Public Library have some exciting upcoming events. Please take a look at these programs and go see Shannon o...
"Mini-Post" About Our Week
Sorry folks - it's been a busy week in the Day house, so my post is a bit delayed. We've been doing some fun activities in class; a couple of them are pictured below.
We've wrapped up our force and motion unit, and will be learning about Martin Luther King Jr., and then starting our Natural Resources unit (S.O.L 1.8).
In Math, we will assess time (Math S.O.L. 1.8) Thursday, then start word problems (S.O.L. 1.6). We will continue to review time, though, so please continue to reinforce telling time on an analog clock at home - i.e. ask your child frequently for the time. We have covered time to the hour and half-hour.
Remember that next week is wacky - we are off on Monday (MLK), then 2:20 dismissal Thursday (1/24) and 1:00 dismissal on Friday (1/25). And then there are teacher work days the following Monday and Tuesday (1/28-29)!
We've wrapped up our force and motion unit, and will be learning about Martin Luther King Jr., and then starting our Natural Resources unit (S.O.L 1.8).
In Math, we will assess time (Math S.O.L. 1.8) Thursday, then start word problems (S.O.L. 1.6). We will continue to review time, though, so please continue to reinforce telling time on an analog clock at home - i.e. ask your child frequently for the time. We have covered time to the hour and half-hour.
Remember that next week is wacky - we are off on Monday (MLK), then 2:20 dismissal Thursday (1/24) and 1:00 dismissal on Friday (1/25). And then there are teacher work days the following Monday and Tuesday (1/28-29)!
Students listened to a story (no pictures), then had to complete a written response that described the character in the story. They all did a fantastic job with this! We have some super listeners and writers!
This is one group getting ready to perform "surgery" on these words
to form contractions with Mrs. Muhlbauer. More pictures coming soon!
Mrs. Ball was in today to do logic puzzles with the class. We were doing some serious thinking!!
We even had some great practice with team work!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Week in Review
Below are a few of the activities that kept the little Super Learners working hard!
We started the week by reading this book, then creating our own snow people with ideas like the author, Lois Ehlert, used in her book.
Naturally, a football snowman! =)
Hard at work!
It's serious business trying to get the glue out sometimes!
Very concentrated efffort...
We used clocks to tell time to the hour and half hour.
They loved moving the hands on the clock - I think we have it down, now!
Then we drew the hands on the clock...
In Science, we're learning about force and motion (SOL 1.2), so we took off our shoes to slide on the floor in our socks - and boy, was that FUN! Then we put our shoes back on and tried to slide again - it was harder because of the FRICTION from our shoes!
Really getting into it!
Shoes on was not as much fun - too much friction!
Towards the end of the week, we made snowflakes for a decoration for our hallway bulletin board.
Very pretty! You can't tell in the picture, but they are nice and sparkly!
Ms. Letchworth, a former SHS Teacher Cadet, came to visit and help in our class!
We started creating a multiple-meaning word books. Students had to draw a picture and write a sentence for each word, using context clues to show what their word means.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Week of 1/7
Language Arts:
This week's story: Fox and Bear Look at the Moon
Strategy: Summarizing
Skill: Context Clues
Phonics: Final blends (-nt, -nd, -lp, -lk, -st, -mp)
Writing: adding detail sentences, complete sentences, capitalization, punctuation, 4-square organization of writing (these skills are ongoing)
Math:
We will be starting our time unit this week! (S.O.L. 1.8) Students will learn to tell time to the hour and half-hour, using analog and digital clocks. I'm sure they will be excited to tell you the time... A LOT! =) Please encourage the use of analog clocks, since that's a difficult concept for many children. The more practice, the better it will 'stick'.
Science
The children will be learning about different kinds of motion (S.O.L. 1.2) - straight, circular, and back and forth. They'll also be exploring how pushes and pulls may change the movement of an object. This is a fun unit - I'm looking forward to it!!
Important reminders/notes:
*1/21 - No school - Martin Luther King Jr.
*1/25- Donuts with Dad (WatchDOGS event) 8-9 AM in Cafeteria and Early Dismissal at 1:00 PM; lunch 11:20 - 11:50
*1/28-29 - No school - Teacher Workday
*2/5- Report Cards go home
This week's story: Fox and Bear Look at the Moon
Strategy: Summarizing
Skill: Context Clues
Phonics: Final blends (-nt, -nd, -lp, -lk, -st, -mp)
Writing: adding detail sentences, complete sentences, capitalization, punctuation, 4-square organization of writing (these skills are ongoing)
Math:
We will be starting our time unit this week! (S.O.L. 1.8) Students will learn to tell time to the hour and half-hour, using analog and digital clocks. I'm sure they will be excited to tell you the time... A LOT! =) Please encourage the use of analog clocks, since that's a difficult concept for many children. The more practice, the better it will 'stick'.
Science
The children will be learning about different kinds of motion (S.O.L. 1.2) - straight, circular, and back and forth. They'll also be exploring how pushes and pulls may change the movement of an object. This is a fun unit - I'm looking forward to it!!
Important reminders/notes:
*1/21 - No school - Martin Luther King Jr.
*1/25- Donuts with Dad (WatchDOGS event) 8-9 AM in Cafeteria and Early Dismissal at 1:00 PM; lunch 11:20 - 11:50
*1/28-29 - No school - Teacher Workday
*2/5- Report Cards go home
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Week of 12/31
Happy New Year! It was great to be back with the children today after a wonderful break. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the time with family and friends. The kids did a great job today transitioning back into "school mode". Lots of tired kiddos, though! =)
Many thanks to Mrs. Fannon for organizing a GREAT holiday party, and to all the parents who helped with sending items in and assisting at the party with the different activities. The kids really loved everything!
Here is a look at our short week ahead:
Language Arts:
We'll be reading many winter/snowman-themed books to review strategies and skills that we've learned. Remember that on Friday, students will be creating a "snow person", so if your child would like to bring in special items for the eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, etc, they can certainly do that. Items might include cereal, dried pasta, buttons, small nature things, etc.
Many thanks to Mrs. Fannon for organizing a GREAT holiday party, and to all the parents who helped with sending items in and assisting at the party with the different activities. The kids really loved everything!
Here is a look at our short week ahead:
Language Arts:
We'll be reading many winter/snowman-themed books to review strategies and skills that we've learned. Remember that on Friday, students will be creating a "snow person", so if your child would like to bring in special items for the eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, etc, they can certainly do that. Items might include cereal, dried pasta, buttons, small nature things, etc.
Math:
Students will be reviewing numbers to 50 - we'll be comparing and ordering numbers. (SOL 1.1a-b)
Science:
We are learning about the seasonal changes that winter brings (temperature, light, precipitation), as well as changes that people and animals make. (SOL 1.7)
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