Newsletter 9

October 29, 2005

Dear Families,

Here’s what’s going on…..
In reading….
     We continue to work on book choice.  I want them to choose carefully, but I also want them to realize that sometimes it’s not easy to tell if a book is good or not until they try it.  Something that may help you as you choose books to read at home is the list of contenders vying for the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award.  We’ll be reading these at school, and voting on our favorite, and I think you’d enjoy them at home, too.  Many are worth rereading.  The web site is http://www.wlma.org/Association/wccpba.htm
Title
Author

Actual Size
Steve Jenkins
Forest Explorer
Nic Bishop
Agent A to Agent Z
Andy Rash
Gator Gumbo
Candace Fleming
Alice the Fairy
David Shannon
Goldie and the Three Bears
Diane Stanley
Arrowhawk
Lola M. Schaefer
I Wanna Iguana
Karen Kaufman Orloff
Baby Brains
Simon James
Karate Hour
Carol Nevius
Beatrice Doesn't Want To
Laura Numeroff
King of the Cats
Aaron Shepard
Blizzard
Betty Ren Wright
Manana Iguana
Ann Whitford Paul
Catalina Magdalena
Tedd Arnold
Mighty Jackie
Marissa Moss
Crazy Hair Day
Barney Saltzberg
Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth
Alison McGhee
Elves and the Shoemaker
Jim LaMarche
Superdog
Caralyn Buehner

In writing….
One consequence of writing every day is that students start paying more attention to spelling, because all of a sudden it’s important.  We’re working on teaching them strategies: like looking around the room for the word, thinking of a word they know that sounds the same, and stretching out the sounds and trying to match the sounds with letters that could make those sounds.  When you’re helping them write at home, I encourage you to just tell them the correct spelling.  This will help them maintain their focus on the most important thing:  meaning.  This will help them develop a personal “bank” of correctly spelled words they can use when they’re trying to spell a new word.  If you find yourself spelling certain things over and over, like grandma or thank you, I’d suggest writing those down somewhere so the writer has them when needed.
In math….
Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota.  Or is it South Dakota?  But really, who cares?  For most of us, this is just trivia.  It has no personal relevance, so we don’t pay much attention.  The fact is, all knowledge is trivia, unless there is some personal relevance.  There are just too many things to know and learn, and it is actually one important job of the brain to filter out that which is irrelevant.  We want our kids to learn math facts, so we ask: How do we turn them from trivial to important and personally relevant?  I think one great way is with games, which is why we’ve been practicing Cross Out, and which is why it came home this week.  Many students seem to enjoy this game, and my hope is that they’ll teach it to you, and it can be something you play now and then.  If so, great.  If not, there are other ways in—you probably have games right now that incorporate math at some level.  Your child will choose those that have personal relevance and importance.  Play when you get the chance—whether it’s at home, at a restaurant, or driving on a family trip through Bismarck, North Dakota.
Fall Party…
This will begin around 1:45 on October 31.  Students (and anyone else—feel free to bring those siblings) may bring costumes.  We’ll have them change after lunch recess, before the party.  Some may need reminders to wear proper shoes for P.E. that day, too.  Savannah’s mom has graciously volunteered to coordinate this, so I am forwarding offers of help to her.  If you can contribute, please call her.  
Current Chapter Book Read Aloud…
Winnie the Pooh  by A. A. Milne
Wish List…
Wallpaper—We’d like to have wallpaper samples to use for an art project, so if you have access to one of those books we can use, please let me know.
Dice—someone told me that casinos give their dice away free after they’ve used them, so if you or someone you know is in Las Vegas (or another place where they do that) we would really appreciate any they could get for us.  We find many uses for them.
Conferences…
You’ll see on the calendar that these are coming up in November.  I plan to share what I’ve learned about your child, and I’d love to hear anything you’ve noticed, or questions you have.  I’d also love to have the students here during the conferences, so they may take part.  I find it much more powerful to talk with them and to them, rather than about them.  They deserve to celebrate with us, and they deserve to hear what the next steps might be.  I don’t plan on saying anything they can’t hear, so please plan to bring them.  The sign-up sheets for conference times came home in the Thursday folders.
Calendar…

Friday, October 28—Early Release Day
Monday, October 31—Fall party (afternoon)
Friday, November 4—Science Fair, Western Dance
Thursday, November 10—No school
Friday, November 11—No school
November 17-November 22—Early release days; conferences
Wednesday, November 23—Early release day
November 24 & 25—No school
November 29—Noah’s birthday




Sincerely,


Jeff

Conference Request Form

October, 2005

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we near the end of the first report card period, plans are being made for parent-teacher
conferences.  In order to accommodate conferences, children will have early dismissal on each
of the following days:  

     Thursday, November 17          Friday, November 18
     Monday, November 21          Tuesday, November 22

On each of these days, students in will be dismissed at 12:15.  Parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled on these afternoons.  Before establishing our conference schedules, it would be extremely helpful to have an indication of your availability during these dates/times.  Every effort will be
made to schedule your conference at a time you indicate as being available.  Please note that we
will be able to offer a limited number of conferences on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 17.   Please indicate your availability by circling "yes" or "no" for each date below and return this to school
by Tuesday, November 1.   As soon as conferences are scheduled, you will receive notification of
your conference date and time.  

•     Thursday, November 17               YES               NO
•     Friday, November 18               YES               NO
•     Monday, November 21               YES               NO
•     Tuesday, November 22               YES               NO     

Student Name:______________________________     Teacher  :______________________________

Sibling(s) : ______________________________________________________________________________

Other information that would help us in scheduling your conference(s):
                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                           


*** Our Annual Bookfair will also happen during conference week…more information to follow…***

Week of Monday, October 24

Monday, October 24, 2005
Jesse is Back in Time for P. E. and Music Fun!

  It’s a good thing Jesse came back today for P.E. and music because if he wasn’t here, then he would have missed all the Halloween fun.  We did a new Halloween song in music called Five Little Jack-O-Lanterns.  

In P.E. Mrs. Smith taught us a game.  All four walls in the gym had Halloween labels, like Bat Cave, Pumpkin Patch, Spider Web, and Trick or Treat.  We had to run to the one she said, when she said it.  And she sometimes tricked us by saying something we didn’t expect.  

We did another Halloween game in P.E.  We pretended that the huge green rectangle was a house, and there were bean bags in there that we pretended were candy.  Four people were it.  The rest of us had to try to get the bean bags, but if the people tagged us when we were running, we had to drop the candy and go on the other side of the green line and try again.  The game was done when the bean bags were all gone.  Tomorrow will be the Spider Obstacle Course.


Tuesday, October 25, 2005
ESCAPE FROM THE SPIDERS!

We went to the spider obstacle course today in the gym.  Mrs. Smith set it up.  Some fifth graders were there to help us.  So was Taylor’s mom.  There were lots of challenges.  Some were easy, and some were harder.  We had to work our way through without touching the spiders, or the webs, or bells, or balloons, or bowling pins, or pumpkins, or ghosts.  There was a table you had to crawl under without touching the bell.  There was a maze to go through.  Then you had to go through the hula hoops, under the jump ropes on our tummies on little square scooters, tiptoe through the pumpkin patch, climb under the net, and walk across the balance beam without touching the spider.  At the end we all got certificates from Mrs. Smith that said “I escaped from the spiders at physical education.”  We felt tired, excited, and happy.


Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Partners
Mrs. Willard-Reid’s class came over to play Cross Out today.  We let them sit in our chairs and we sat on the floor to watch Mr. Kurtz and Mrs. Willard-Reid play the game in front of us.  Then each class lined up, and Mrs. Willard-Reid paired us off so that we could play with someone from across the hall.  Some people were in groups of three.  We started playing and everyone had fun.  Then we cleaned up, and they went back, and we all did math happily ever after.


Friday, October 28, 2005
Half Day

We had a lot of fun on our half day.  A half day is where you spend only half of the day at school.  We’re at school until just a little while after lunch.  Then we leave school and do other things, like play with our friends, visit each other, read, go fishing, and go to daycare.  

At school this morning we made a wall story about our Halloween costumes.  We had to write our names, draw our Halloween costumes, and print what they were.   The most popular costume was a witch.  Seven people picked that costume.  And three people will be zombies.   The other costumes were cheerleader, Indian, Scream, Darth Vader, goblin, knight, gatekeeper, The Thing, dragon ninja, fairy, Belle, and Batman.  Those are great costumes, and it will be FUN on Halloween!

Fall Party Supply Sheet

Fall Party Monday, October 31st at 1:45 Sign Up For….. ____ Chips (any kind) ____ fruit ____ Juice Boxes ____ sweets ____ 1 bag M&M’s ____ plates or napkins (circle which one) ____ 1 roll orange or black streamers ____ I would also like to help at the party. Student Name: _______________________________ Parent Name ________________ E-Mail Address: _________________________________ Phone: _________________ To help, just print this out, fill it in, & send it back to school. Please send or bring items to school the day of the party.

Newsletter 8

2005-2006                            Room 302—Newsletter 8              http://room302.blogspot.com

October 20, 2005

Dear Families,

Here’s what’s going on…..
In reading….
Every time I read a book out loud, I always start with the title and author (and often the illustrator).  This means that I end up mentioning the chapter book author a lot.  Inevitably someone asks “Why do you say that every time?”  Here is my answer:  I want them to be aware of what we’re reading each day, and who wrote it.  I want them to be aware of authors, and to have favorites, and to perhaps look for more books by the same author when they are choosing books for themselves.  And when someone asks them the title and author of the current chapter book, I don’t want their answer to be “I don’t know.”  I encourage you to mention title, author, and illustrators when you’re reading aloud each night.
In writing….
We continue to use our shared writing each day (usually) as a way to take ideas from the entire class and work them into one coherent (I hope) story.  This means choosing from a range of topics, and then thinking about the piece from beginning to end.  Here is a great place for us to work on exciting beginnings, appropriate endings, details that will create pictures in the minds of our readers, and a host of other things that writers worry about.  Some have asked again for the address of the site where I publish those each time, so I’ve added it to the top of the newsletter.  As always, we appreciate your feedback: it’s encouraging to know that there is an audience out there reading our work.
In math….
We’re finishing up the first unit, and getting ready for the next one.  We’re also learning a new game that helps teach number combinations, called Cross Out.  After we’ve played awhile, I’ll send a copy home, for those that would like to play there.
Field Trip…
We’re set to visit the post office tomorrow.  If you have filled out your paperwork, please feel free to join us (even if you haven’t heard back yet).  We’ll probably leave as soon as we can, but by 9:15 at the latest.
Volunteers…
Speaking of volunteering, the process is longer than one might think.  If you’ve gotten a letter of clearance from the district, that’s the first step.  The next step is for staff here to check references, and that is proceeding as rapidly as possible.  A letter will come home when you’ve been confirmed, and I’ll give you a call so we can get you in here with us as soon as possible.  We appreciate your patience in this.
Fall Party…
This will begin around 1:45 on October 31.  Savannah’s mom, Kim has graciously volunteered to coordinate this, so I am forwarding offers of help to her.  If you can contribute, please call her.
Current Chapter Book Read Aloud…
Winnie the Pooh
by A. A. Milne
Calendar…
Friday, October 21—Cameron’s birthday
Friday, October 28—Early Release Day
Monday, October 31—Fall party (afternoon)
Friday, November 4—Science Fair, Western Dance


Sincerely,


Jeff

Week of Monday, October 17

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Mckayla is back from visiting her Aunt Lisa in California, and Jasen is back from being sick.  We’re glad to have both of them here.

We got to visit Mrs. Roessler’s room and the library today.  In Mrs. Roessler’s room, we heard a nonfiction book that told what puppies can teach us.  Then we played with puppets and we talked about feelings using our puppets.  Everyone got a puppet to use, but we didn’t get to keep them.  

Next was library.  We got to hear a book there, too.  Mrs. Sullivan read us a nonfiction book about trees and leaves called Leaves on Trees.  Then we got to check out books:  Four people got nonfiction books.  Fifteen people got fiction books.  Ten people got chapter books.  Eight of the chapter books were Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park.  Five people got drawing books.  Seven people got books they can read by themselves.  Fourteen people got books they want someone to read to them.  And six people picked out books, but they have to get them tomorrow when they bring back their other books.  This seems like a lot of books, but some people checked out two.


Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Cheese Puff Party
We came in to the music portable and sat at our seats.  Mrs. Couch put some music on and gave us the Cheese Puffs.  It was for a special party because we got all our letters.  

We earn the letters each day, and when we’re all done earning them, we get to have the party.  We have to spell the words “Awesome Music.”  We can get one letter each day.  We earn the letters by doing a great job in music.  That means raising our hands, singing the songs, doing the motions, not messing around, and doing what Mrs. Couch says.  

Today we also did the songs called Clapping Land and Going to the Zoo.   It was a fun time in music.  We left happy.


Friday, October 21, 2005

A Busy, Busy Day
Cameron turned 7 years old today.  It’s her birthday.  It was fun.  We sang Happy Birthday to her (cha, cha, cha).  We ate the cupcakes and drank the CapriSun she brought to celebrate.  (But Lukas brought his own.  It’s not a cupcake; it’s a blueberry muffin that his mom made.  She made it a long time ago, but she said he could have it.)  Cameron got a radio and a doll for her birthday in the morning before school.

We walked across the street today, also.  We used the crosswalk, and we went to the Black Diamond Post Office.  It was for a field trip.  Donna opened the door for us and we went inside.  We waited in line until Kim opened the door that let us into the back where they sort all the mail.  And we got to see all the mail they sort.  The mail is usually on a big, metal, silver cart that they use for sorting, but today it only had one box full of mail on it.  Kim showed us where the people who don’t have mailboxes come to get their mail.  

Next we got to go up front, and one of the workers showed us different kinds of stamps, like old cars, flowers, presidents, birds, movie stars, American flags, and Disneyland.

Finally, we went outside to see the mail trucks.  We got to see how big the inside is back.  We got to see what the front looks like, too.   We found out that they get to  drive with the doors open.   And one of the trucks had dog bones in it because the mail carrier likes to feed dogs.  There were also chains inside the truck so if it snows, she can hook them on the tires so she doesn’t get stuck.  

Then we left.  We loved it so much.  We wish we could go back some day.

Newsletter 7

2005-2006                            Room 302—Newsletter 7

October 13, 2005

Dear Families,

I appreciate the feedback on these newsletters.  Sometimes I turn them out rather quickly, and stuff slips by, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.  (My dad would claim he was making mistakes on purpose, just to see if anyone was paying attention, so maybe that will be my excuse.)
Here’s what’s going on…..
In reading….
The topic of ants has come up now and then in our reading and writing, and that’s what our new wall story is about.  We’ve read a few nonfiction books about ants, and we’ve talked about things we’ve learned.  This is an expectation I want them to have when it comes to nonfiction:  they should expect to learn something.  The wall story is a chance for them to tell and illustrate something they have learned about ants, and when it’s done it will be something they can read.
In writing….
As I grow into this routine of writing these every week, I find myself anticipating them and thinking of what to write about.  That’s one reason I have the students write four days a week.  I want it to become routine, and I want them to start anticipating topics, so that when they sit down to write, they can get started right away.  I’ve shown the students the book I use to keep track of my ideas so I don’t forget them, and your child may be interested in doing something similar.  It could be as simple as a spiral notebook where they jot notes or pictures—anything so that great idea is not forgotten or lost.
In math….
We are almost finished with our first workbook, and we’re working on story problems that ask students to find and show different combinations that equal a set amount.  For example, if there are ten dinosaurs and tigers, how many of each could there be?  Part of this problem is doing the math, and another part is learning how to use paper and pencil to show the math they did and to express their answer clearly.  This will continue to show up throughout the year.
Field Trip…
We’d like to get out and see some sites around the community this year, and this will be our first.  We’re going across the street to visit our post office on Friday, October 21.  Look for the permission slip sent home today.
Fall Party…
We’ll have our fall party on Monday, October 31, starting after lunch recess, around 1:45.  We’ll need 5-7 pumpkins, along with treats, juice, napkins, silverware, and plates.  Let me know if you can contribute.  We’ll be doing some activities that go much better when we have more adults around, so please come and join us if you can.  If you plan to be here, just send me a note or an email.  
Current Chapter Book Read Aloud…
Winnie the Pooh  by A. A. Milne
Calendar…
Friday, October 14—No School
Friday, October 21—Cameron’s birthday (forgot last time—sorry Cameron ()
Friday, October 21—Post Office Field Trip
Friday, October 28—Early Release Day
Monday, October 31—Fall party (afternoon)
Friday, November 4—Science Fair, Western Dance

Sincerely,


Jeff

Week of Monday, October 10

Monday, October 10, 2005

The Game Room is a fun place.  Today was the first day it was open.  Some of us went  there during lunch recess.  Ashley, Aubree, Cameron, Travis, Jordan, Lukas, and Kevin colored pictures.  Noah, Justyn, and Rien played Battleship.  Kaelyn played HI HO! CHERRY-O, then she went to watch the boys play Battleship.  

The library was open at lunch recess, too.  Shelby worked on the computer, and Abby read books, while  Mckayla, Savannah, and Taylor wrote in their notebooks.

The rest of us went outside to play.


Wednesday, October 12, 2005

We have started writing a new wall story.  We each make one page, and then we put them all together into a book.  It tells some things we’ve learned about ants.  

We have learned a lot of things.  We learned that there are honey ants, green ants, queen ants, red ants, and a whole bunch more.  We learned that they have three body parts.  We learned that they live in a high dirt hill with tunnels.  We learned that they come out in the spring, but not in the winter.  We like ants, but not the pincher ants that bite you.  


Thursday, October 13, 2005

In math today we tried to solve a problem.  We had to solve how many oranges and cherries we could have to get to 13. Some people got different answers than other people.  For example, Shelby got 3 oranges and 10 cherries.  Donna got 11 cherries and 2 oranges.  Justyn got 12 cherries and 1 orange.  Travis got 5 oranges and 8 cherries.  When we knew the answer, we wrote it on our papers and some people made pictures.  Some people even did it more than one way.  We’ll do more of these next week.


Friday, October 14, 2005

No school for students; teachers work on writing and math.

Newsletter 6

2005-2006                            Room 302—Newsletter 6

October 7, 2005

Dear Families,

I love the Thursday folders.  If this newsletter is ready, I send it then.  If not, I send it Friday, which I’m doing this time.  Here’s what’s going on…..
In reading….
We’re still working on reading in our heads.  A great way to practice this is by using the poems in our poetry binders.  I pass out three or four poems per week.  We practice rereading these a lot, so they are also excellent read aloud material for the students.  If you’d like your child to read some to you, suggest they bring the binder home to share.  But please help them remember to bring it back the next day.
In writing….
I was thinking again about how much we’re asking of students when we have them write every day.  To get a sense of just what is involved, try doing it.  Get a journal or notebook or diary and try writing for 20-30 minutes every day.  It’s something that I find challenging—finding the time, thinking of topics, deciding exactly what I want to say.  If you then want to take it to another level, share your writing with others.  You may find it to be a bit intimidating to share something so personal and intimate.  I find myself getting a bit defensive about my work, even when I know the person giving questions or comments has only my best interests in mind.  But again, we ask students to do it every day.  If you do decide to try this, I think it will give you a new perspective on your child as a writer, and I know it will provide a powerful model for your child as a writer.
In math….
We made new calendar, which you should have seen come home.  The art on the top was inspired by an artist named Winslow Homer.  The story goes that he was so poor, his family could not afford paper and pencils.  But he was driven to do art, so he improvised, using the insides of cereal boxes for paper and charcoal from the fire for his medium.  Hence, our use of cereal boxes and charcoal pencils.  We thank the PTA board and members for their generous contributions and allocations to our classrooms, which made possible the purchase of those pencils.  (If you still need to join, let me know and I’ll get you hooked up.)
Invitations…
I’ve recently been informed of a school policy concerning birthday invitations:  We ask that you not send invitations to school unless everyone in the class is invited.  Sorry for any inconvenience this causes.
Current Chapter Book Read Aloud….
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
by Barbara Park
Calendar…
Sunday, October 2—Donna’s birthday
Thursday, October 6—Taylor’s birthday
Friday, October 7—Kaelyn’s birthday
Saturday, October 8—Kaelyn’s birthday party (everyone invited)
Friday, October 14—No School
Friday, October 28—Early Release Day
Monday, October 31—Fall party (afternoon)
Friday, November 4—Science Fair, Western Dance


Sincerely,


Jeff

Week of Monday, October 3

Monday, October 03, 2005

Yesterday was Donna’s birthday.  She turned seven years old.  We’re making cards for her.  

In math we finished our charcoal drawing of a pumpkin patch.  We stapled them to black paper.  Then we sprayed them with hairspray so they wouldn’t smear when we touched them.  Then we took them home.


Tuesday, October 04, 2005

We got a new poem.  It’s called “Hickory Dickory Dock.”  It’s about a mouse who climbs up a clock, but then gets scared when the clock strikes one o’clock, so he runs down.  We don’t know what the mouse does after that.

Another poem we’re learning is “October” by Maurice Sendak.  It’s a scary poem that has a witch, and a goblin, and a ghost in it.  When we read it out loud, we practiced using our scary voices.


Wednesday, October 05, 2005

The kid in the orange shirt, Kyle, came and let us know they were ready for us.  We lined up and left our room.  We went to the stage, but we had to wait for the second graders to get done.  The adults kept telling us to be quiet because it was really noisy in there.  But it wasn’t just us making the noise, it was the second graders, too, and the kids at P.E.

Finally, it was our turn.  One by one, we sat on the stool in front of the camera.  The lady behind the camera put a square piece of film into the camera.  It had our names on it so she’d know who was who.  Then she told us to say different words, like “pretty,” or “recess,” or “daisy,” or “pickle,” or “pumpkin,” or “princess.”  When we said the word we smiled and she pressed the button and snuck our picture.  Everyone had fun.
After that, we came back to our classroom for writing.


Thursday, October 06, 2005

Mckayla came back today.  She was gone for three days.  She was visiting her grandma and grandpa.  We missed her and we’re glad to have her back.  She got back just in time for Taylor’s birthday.

Taylor turned 7 years old today.  She got a hamster for her birthday, and her dad came and brought McDonald’s for her lunch.  He even brought French fries for Mr. Kurtz!  Later, her mom came and brought tiny chocolate spider cupcakes with webs on them.  They brought juice, too.  They were great.


Friday, October 07, 2005
Hooray!
Hooray!
It’s Kaelyn’s birthday today!

She turned 7.  Mr. Kurtz made her a crown.  Kaelyn brought cupcakes and we ate them outside while we looked at the pictures we made for Kayla.  We made pictures for Kayla because we learned her name in spelling today.

Tomorrow is Kaelyn’s party from 2-4 at Godfather’s.  “Godfather’s pizza is good!” said Justyn and Jesse.  

Kaelyn said, “There will be cake at my party, and we get to play outside on the sidewalk, so we don’t get run over in the parking lot.”

Everyone in the class is invited.