Newsletter 13

2005-2006                          Room 302—Newsletter 13              http://room302.blogspot.com

Friday, January 06, 2006


Dear Families,

I hope everyone enjoyed the time off of school.  It seems to go by so fast, but it’s good to be back.  Here’s what’s going on…..
In reading….
I watched my boys at home during the past two weeks.  I’d call them readers, but I rarely saw them pick up reading material on their own.  I’m not sure why, since our house is filled with things for them to read.  It reemphasized for me the importance of reading to them each day.  I wish they would initiate more, but I’m not waiting around for it to happen.  And when they do choose to read, I notice they usually choose things they’ve heard before, which is just one more reason to make sure they get lots of exposure from us.
In writing….
Our special project this week is writing thank-you notes to people.  It seems like a good time of year to do this.  It’s also a perfect way to practice lots of important writing skills, including thinking about purpose and audience.  
In math….
We made new calendars again for January.  The art technique we used was collage.  This is favored by the illustrators of many popular picture books, including Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, and Lois Ehlert.  This also was a good way to review some of our previous concepts, like contrast, horizontal, vertical, and shapes.  You may want to point out different types of collages as they occur in your read alouds at home.
Party …
Our holiday party was excellent.  Thanks to everyone able to contribute in some way.  It just feels like a very nice vibe to have the room filled with people involved in purposeful and enjoyable activity.
Current Chapter Book Read Aloud…
Winnie the Pooh  by A. A. Milne (we’re very close to the end)
Calendar…
Tuesday, January 10—PTA Meeting, 6:30
Friday, January 13—Early Release for School Planning
Monday, January 16—No school
Friday, February 3—Jesse’s Birthday
Tuesday, February 7—Levy Vote
February 20-24 –Mid-Winter Break
Wednesday, February 22—Aubree’s Birthday
Friday, February 24—Kayla’s Birthday
Sunday, February 26—Lukas’s Birthday

Sincerely,

Jeff