The final stretch

A look at our learning...

Fundations: using the knowledge we have gained this year, we are really focusing on building and reading sentences independently.  We have learned that we don't need a grown-up to tell us how to spell or read something and that's pretty cool!  It is still their natural urge to ask an adult "how do you spell..." or "what does this say?" but I challenge YOU, the grown-up, to stop doing this.  When they ask you this, remind them that they know all of their letters and sounds and are readers and writers now!  Encourage them to tap it out and try!  There will always be new words that they don't know, but many they do!  Phonetic spelling is age appropriate unless it's a word wall word they have previously learned. 

Please refer to the parent packet in the Friday Folder to practice this.  I encourage you to use these activities over the next week. You will be impressed by what your child can do!  They have learned so much this school year and I'm so proud of them!

Shared Reading: we read the Big Book What Has These Feet? and had to make predictions about what animals have the feet shown.  We also read the silly poem Have you ever seen a sheep in a jeep? I think this might be one of their favorite poems this year!  I'm sure many of you have heard them singing it at home, as they do it often at school!  If not, ask them to sing it to you!  It features many of our word wall words and helps us identify rhyme.  

Next week's spelling words:

from

not

Writing Workshop: we continued our opinion writing unit this week.  There are so many fun books that tie in with this unit of study.  This week we read the book I wanna iguana, about a little boy and his mother writing letters back and forth about why the boy should or should not get a pet iguana.  In the end, he was able to convince his mother to let him have a pet iguana.  We shared our own opinions about a pet we would like to have and wrote our own letters about why we think our parents should let us get that pet!  

We also read the book Too Many Toys! about a child who has WAY too many toys and his mom thinks it's time to go through them to donate.  The little boy is having a tough time with this, as I'm sure many of you can relate! They are sharing their opinions about why certain toys should stay or go. We shared our opinions in regards to if the little boy did indeed have too many toys! 

Math: our main focus again this week continues to be addition and subtraction within 10 using a variety of games and story problems.  It is important that students can not only know the correct answer, but show and explain their thinking as well.  

Science: our caterpillars have formed their chrysalis and we are anxiously awaiting their change into butterflies!

Countdown to summer: next week we are on letters J, K, L, M, N.  On Monday, students will need to come prepared to tell a joke.  Please practice their joke with them over the weekend so they are confident to stand up and share it with the class in a "loud and proud" voice.  Wednesday is Lunch outside day.  They may bring a lunch from home or purchase a school lunch.  Please send a towel or blanket for them to sit on, as it will be picnic style.  They will probably want to bring sunglasses or a hat as well for when we are outside.  M is movie day.  They may bring a pillow and blanket.  
Here are a few photos from this past week.  Even more are on the class Facebook page!

Principal's Day: Monday is National Principal's Day.  We are making a special class book for Dr. Woods and Mrs. Nickens.  If your child would like to make a card for them at home this weekend, they can bring it to school on Monday.  If you would like to purchase a gift for either, totally optional, their favorite items are listed here. 

They do SO MUCH for our school and I hope we can show them just how appreciated they are on Monday! 

Kindergarten Celebration:  Due to a scheduling conflict created by the calendar changes enacted by the Board of Education, we need to move our Kindergarten End of Year celebration to Monday, May 22. The time and format will remain the same (beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the gym). Sorry for the confusion with the timing of this event. We appreciate your flexibility and we are looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday, May 22^nd!

Thank you,

Seth Woods

Principal

Fun at school