Newsletter 16

2005-2006                          Room 302—Newsletter 16                        http://room302.blogspot.com

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Dear Families,

One thing I find myself noticing again and again is how kind and polite your children are.  They take turns, they listen to each other, they help each other.  That’s not to say there are never problems, but even the way they work out problems is nice.  It’s a great place to be every day.
In reading….
This was the week they announced the new awards from the American Library Association.  We have been reading past and current winners.  It’s a great way to help readers find some great books, and to start to learn the names of quality authors and illustrators that might also have other books worth reading.  We mainly focus on the Caldecott books, which are honored for their illustrations.  You can find the link on our blog.
In writing….
It’s been very interesting to see what the kids have been doing on the second round of book reviews.  Mrs. Brown noticed how now that they all are familiar with the structure, they can pay more attention to the content.  It’s been a nice reminder that just because they’ve heard or done something once doesn’t mean they’ve gone as far as they can with it.
In math….
I’ve started working with small groups while the rest of the class works independently.  We’re lucky enough to have parents that are willing to help out on many math days, which makes that so much easier.  We also started messing around with clocks.  We talked about how long a minute is and we used the small clocks to make times on the hour.  Again, this can be tricky, so mention it at home from time to time, if you can.
Valentine’s Day…
We’ll use our writing time in the first part of February to write Valentine cards for each other.  Then we’ll exchange them on the 14th.  If each family will use the time and money they usually spend on pre-printed cards to get some sort of decoration and send it in, we should have plenty to go around.  Ideas for things you can contribute include lace, stickers, tissue paper, heart doilies, stamps, pre-cut paper hearts of different sizes and colors, or anything else you think would make a nice addition to a card.  We’d also love some treats to enjoy while reading the cards we wrote for each other, if anyone would like to contribute.  That will be about the extent of our Valentine’s Day party.  Supplies have already started arriving, and we will start officially making the cards in about a week, right after we finish Jesse’s birthday cards.
Current Chapter Book Read Aloud…
Charlotte’s Web  by E. B. White
Calendar…
Friday, February 3—Jesse’s Birthday     February 20-24 –Mid-Winter Break
Tuesday, February 7—Levy Vote     Wednesday, February 22—Aubree’s Birthday
Tuesday, February 14—Valentine’s Day     Friday, February 24—Kayla’s Birthday
     Sunday, February 26—Lukas’s Birthday
     
     


Sincerely,


Jeff