WHERE WE ARE IN MATH & LITERACY...

It occurred to me that homework tasks are not always indicative of the depth of our lessons in class.  We use our spirals to record many of the skills and strategies we learn in class - and our spirals stay at school.  This post is an effort to help explain the particulars of what the children are learning in both math & reading.

MATH

In the course of our math block, children usually participate in three groups.  We rotate every 25 minutes.  Our rotations include the following groupings:

• Direct instruction (new skill or concept) with Mrs. Carey
• Reteach/review and games with a parent volunteer
• Independent work time (usually Math Journal pages or supplemental practice both written or on the computer)

CURRENT UNIT -  4: Addition & Subtraction

Here are some of the EVERYDAY MATH things we've been working on:

• Change-to-More number stories (addition)
• Parts-and-Total number stories (addition)
• Change-to-Less number stories (subtraction)
• Estimating costs
• Partial Sums algorithm

In addition, we have been learning:

• place value (ones/tens/hundreds place repeats itself after each comma (thousands, millions, billions)
• expanded notation (to the thousands)
• rounding to the nearest 10, 100 (as an aid for estimating)
• using expanded notation to solve 2 & 3-digit addition problems mentally

The PARTIAL SUMS algorithm sometimes causes undue stress amonsgt parents - as the children are learning to add multiple-digit numbers differently than we did. (I'm a perfect example that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!)  :) PLEASE KNOW that we'll learn the traditional algorithm during the year - but we're going to focus on Partial Sums for now.

Please review the following link for more details about the Partial Sums algorithm.  http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/faq (You need to scroll down quite a bit to get to the information!)

UPCOMING UNITS

• 5: 3-D & 4-D Shapes (Geometry)
• 6:  Whole Number Operations

MY ALL TIME FAVORITES! Unit 5 is essentially Geometry – We are exploring everything that is 2D &3D. Our superintendent has made a plea for teachers to be mindful of ACADEMIC VOCABULARY. This unit lends itself well to do many projects that will help the children REMEMBER all the vocabulary. We will be creating tetrahedron kites in class that will be a fun activity – as well as serve as an assessment of the children’s understandings.

In Unit 6, we will go back to addition & subtraction, but this time we’ll explore how multiplication is a means of REPEATED ADDITION, and division is the inverse operation of multiplication. I’d like to do the ‘Candy Box’ project with the children (It teaches them multiplication through arrays). If you have empty boxes of candy from the holidays that you can send in…please do!

Cause & Effect Chains

We read the story, 'The Paper Crane' by Molly Bang.  The children then created chains that showed the cause & effect relationships within the story.

LITERACY

We use different types of grouping within our Literacy Block.  The children usually move around 3 times per day - and they are with an adult for 2 of the 3 rotations. We rotate amongst the following groups:

• Guided Reading
• Open Court Reading
• Volunteers (skill-based and/or fluency practice)
• Literacy Lab
• Independent Work

Within each grouping, children are instructed in a variety of ways because children have different needs.  All children are taught the same objectives - just at varying levels and paces.  These are some skills & strategies that we've had direct instruction on:

• differences between summarizing and retelling
• using text features with non-fiction reading
• following WRITTEN directions
• using reading strategies (puzzle, running start, missl) to decode unfamiliar words
• self-assessment stategies when using a rubric
• writing a complete sentence (correct grammar, punctuation, & capitalization) with DETAILS
• how to write a friendly letter (We learned a catchy song to help us remember!)
• cause & effect relationships within a story/passage
• answering the question of "WHY?"

Is it really going to be in the mid-70's today?!?

Whew! I thought we had such wild weather in October - but November is proving to be just as crazy.  The children and I have had to have a number of conversations about how the temperature outside can have an effect on our behaviors.  (You would have thought Spring Fever hit our room the other day!)  I say enjoy it now.  We'll be complaining that it's too cold soon enough.

- MCGRAW ABSENCE LINE PHONE NUMBER HAS CHANGED...The new number is 970.488.8336.  Please make a note of this.  Please remember to call in your child's absences & tardies.

- ROTARY READ FORMS DUE NEXT WEDNESDAY, 11/11…This is an OPTIONAL activity. Forms were sent home last week. Children who return their forms are eligible for gift certificates to Barnes & Noble or Reader’s Cove. The Rotary Club sponsors many great programs for children – I’d love to show our support!

- CALENDAR & READING LOG…Please make sure your child’s calendar (which serves as our reading log, as well) remains in their Homework Folder for the entire month. Your child is encouraged to write the number of minutes they read in the corresponding box on the calendar. There are no restrictions on what type (i.e. oral, silent) of reading counts. We will collect these on the last day of each month.

- RETELLING VS. SUMMARIZING…This is a district-wide focus to help strengthen reading comprehension. You can help your child at home by asking them to retell OR summarize a story, passage, or article you read together. Additional information will be sent home soon.

        - RETELLING: A strong retelling basically tells the story from start to finish. These usually give LOTS of details. Retellings occur in sequential order.

        -SUMMARIZING: These are often shorter in length – a strong summary includes: the beginning/middle/end. Summarizing also occurs in sequential order.

- IB PLANNERS - F.O.R.T. & FORT COLLINS' HISTORY…We are in the final stages of our planner on FORT (Families, Organization, Rules, Togetherness) and moving into a favorite – Fort Collins’ History! These two planners are truly interactive, as we take LOTS of field trips as part of the learning experience. We will break from History in January to do ‘Happy Healthy Kids’ – then resume again for the month of February.

     F.O.R.T.  (Families Organization Rules Togetherness)
     Central Idea: People create organizing systems within a community.
     Key Concepts: function, causation, responsibility
     Lines of inquiry:
                  •the reasons people form communities
                  •the need for laws and rules
                  •areas for citizens to live and work

     HISTORY
    Central Idea: Communities develop over time.
    Key Concepts: causation, change, connection, perspective
    Lines of inquiry:
                 •a study of a local community
                 •similarities and differences of two communities
                 •changes in the natural environment of a community

If you have an interest in our planners - and have a lesson or activity you'd like to share, please let me know!  We'd love to have our own family 'experts' come in to share their knowledge with us.

I hope you all have a terrific weekend.  Enjoy the lovely temperatures! :)

HAPPY FALL HARVEST!

After a two-day hiatus from school - the children were bubbling with excitement about our Fall Harvest Day!  It was a fast and furious 6- hours - but in the end, the children had a ball.  They had the opportunity to write scary ghost stories, graph how well their ghosts could spin, and learn how to 'tell a story' without using words by creating a glyph. 

Our first luncheon was a success.  It was a simple meal, though what could be better than food and friends?  My heartfelt thanks to all the families who were able to contribute money or food items for the good of the cause.  We had happy children will full bellies.  It was a lovely time!

Lastly, a HUGE thank you for all the parents who were able to come in to help throughout the day.  I appreciate all of your support!  Your help enables us to have many fun adventures at school!

Who are these people?!?!

Teamwork...it's a beautiful thing. :)

Let's not talk about that cheese...

She's the reigning pretzel queen!

Happy, healthy kids play 'Musical Chairs'!

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

It was a beautiful day!  It is hard to believe two days later we were under a blanket of snow.

We had the Blues...

...which is far better than H1N1! :)

The Colorado Blues Society and Billy Branch came to our school.

Thank you to the Bohemian Foundation for sponsoring such an amazing opportunity!

Every child in our WHOLE school was provided with a nifty harmonica to play the blues with Mr. Branch.

It's warm now...

...but snow will come again soon. :)

This is a repeat of the email I sent before we got the heavy snow last week.

*****

If we do get the heavy snow predicted and we still have school, PLEASE make sure your child is dressed appropriately. We will let the children out for recess if the temperature outside is above 15 degrees and the snow is not too wet and heavy. The children's safety if our first priority.

Should we have outdoor recess, children will be allowed to play in the snow if they have on the following:

- snowpants
- snowboots
- gloves/mittens

If your child is going to play in the snow, please make sure they have an additional change of clothing in their backpacks in case they get wet. Sitting in cold, wet/damp clothing makes for uncomfortable children. (Translation: Lots of complaining! :) )

*****

Thanks for helping your child be prepared and comfortable for snow days at school!

I love to hear children sing...

Here we are on the top of Horsetooth Rock. Never known as a quiet bunch - we're singing about the Horsetooth Giant.

The class that wrote this song graduated from high school last spring. (Yes! That makes me feel old!) The song is based on a legend we had read. I went to a number of graduations - and surprisingly, one student remembered the words to it.