Campus News 12-04-09

Campus News Lower Division Newsletter December 4, 2009

Junior Kindergarten Language Arts Children will continue with their new Alpha friends, F and A. In handwriting (HWT), we will practice the letters, Gg and Qq. Children will continue to focus on the correct formation of the letters in their names and proper pencil grip. Our High Frequency Words will be is and here in addition to all words previously learned. The children are learning to learn identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story. They are beginning to put together their high frequency words into simple sentences. Social Studies Children are looking at different ways the holidays are celebrated around the world. The classes will have their holiday party after the Sing-Along on Wednesday. Science Students will use their five senses to examine a variety of objects. Math Students will continue to sort, graph, and create patterns using animals. They will begin solving simple addition problems using their bear counters.

Senior Kindergarten Language Arts The children will review the story elements of characters, setting, events, and problems. Students will continue working on blending sounds together to make words, create rhyming words , identify and apply cvc patterns, and review vowels a, e, I, o , u. They will also work with the digraph (wh). Students will be introduced to ABC order. Handwriting practice will focus on the letters, Pp, Ll and Vv. Students will continue to write in their journals daily. They are brainstorming ideas, adding lots of exciting details, and working on spacing, capitals and periods. Science The students will explore the world around them using their five senses. Math Students will continue to work on complex patterns, numbers to 50, identifying odd and even numbers, counting backwards from 20, graphing, tally marks, counting by 5’s and 10’s, probability, problem solving, and addition to 12. The students will be introduced to money. They will review the coins and the amounts of each coin. They will review the term symmetry and be introduced to the fraction ½. In

Munchie Math they will use non-standard units of measure to measure candy canes. Having a set of flash cards is a great way to reinforce the addition facts at home. We will be starting subtraction in January. Virtues Students will read Faith in Action.

Grade 1 Language Arts In the next two weeks our reading strategies will focus on story elements, setting(s), main/supporting characters, problem, and solution. We will continue to discuss fiction and non- fiction reading selections. Our phonics and spelling will continue to focus on the bossy r, antonyms, synonyms, and double consonant words. Our writing will focus on paragraph structure with detail sentences as we reinforce the study of adjectives. Social Studies Students will begin the study of holidays around the world. Science We begin our mini unit on animals and will identify animal tracks. We will take a nature walk around school grounds to see if we can find animal tracks and record our findings in our science folders. Math In the next two weeks, students will work on problem solving and using shapes/figures to draw and explain their answers. We will begin to use position words such as flip, slide, and turn when sorting and classifying solid shapes. Students will also begin to identify shapes with and without symmetry.

Math vocabulary: face, edge, corner, side, circle, rectangle, triangle, square, cube, cone, rectangular prism, pyramid, and cylinder

Grade 2 Language Arts Our reading theme “Around Town: Neighborhood and Community” is off to a good start. We will focus on reviewing reading strategies while developing story elements and retelling skills. We will monitor/clarify, categorize and classify, draw conclusions, note details, compare and contrast, and discuss fact and opinion. Our phonics and spelling skills focus will be more practice. In writing, we will develop good paragraphs with details, compose letters, and write stories. Our grammar will be a review of nouns, verbs, writing complete sentences, and using exclamations, question marks, and periods. As a special Holiday treat, we will read The Polar Express. We will have fun working on reading strategies and comprehension skills with this story. If you have a copy of this delightful story, please bring it in so we have several copies in the room to share with friends. This story will come to life as we experience a Polar Express day wearing our pajamas to school and participating in Polar Express activities on Tuesday, December 15th. We are getting in the holiday spirit with our imaginations and reading!

Social Studies Thank you to all the parents who helped on our field trip to The Florida Pioneer Museum in Dade City. The children were able to really imagine what life was like in a Pioneer Community. The children have been developing their cooperative group skills by applying information about different communities of long ago to their Pioneer Wagon and Native American diorama. Stop by to admire the wagon train and dioramas on display in the classroom. Now we are beginning a new adventure with our favorite characters Jack and Annie in the story Revolutionary War on Wednesday. What a great way to learn about the early colonies of our country. We will talk about the thirteen colonies, the Revolutionary War, and independence. Science What fun we had planting in our butterfly garden! We were able to find many plants suitable for the new butterfly garden area. The children are so proud and excited to see what is happening in the gardens. We were able to learn a little about soil when visiting Home Depot, and that has helped our inquiry of soils, our next unit of study. We will investigate what happens when soils get wet and observe how soils settle in water. Math From learning about plane shapes in geometry, we go on to learn about solid shapes. We will have some opportunities to compare and contrast plane and solid shapes before beginning an introduction to fractions. Of course, the students will continue to practice problem solving skills and addition and subtraction facts. Keep up the great practice review at home.

Grade 3 Language Arts Our current focus is inference. Character study is an interesting way to utilize that skill. Often times character traits are hinted at in the text. We are deliberately noting the text that subtly leads the reader to understand what the characters are like. Students will continue to read their chapter books to further practice using the comprehension and inference skills they have been learning. Third grade has moved from writing fictional narratives to writing fiction stories. We are in the process of thinking about interesting characters, settings, problems, and solutions. It will be fun to read all the wonderful tales this imaginative group will create! Social Studies We have begun our fascinating study of the early peoples of Florida from the time of the crossing of the land bridge known as the Bering Strait to the time of the European contact. Students are learning about the cultures and artifacts of the various tribes.

Science We are wrapping up the study of honeybees. Students will have a study guide to help them prepare for the test. It is truly amazing to see their sincere appreciation of the honeybee in our garden. It is just wonderful! We will begin our next unit of study on rocks and minerals with a close-up look at the earth. Math Students will be working on the concepts and skills of multiplication. In order to increase quick recall of facts, we will introduce and practice facts in class by using drills, rhymes, and any and all tricks to accomplish our goal. Please have your child practice facts on a daily basis.

Grade 4 Language Arts Our next focus on parts of speech is adjectives. We will be writing with adjectives, learning about the articles a, an, and the, and understanding the usage of comparative adjectives. In writing, we will be working through the process of writing a persuasive essay. The students will use their persuasive techniques to convince you of either the perfect pet or the perfect gift. We continue to enjoy our time together in reading groups. The students love to share their ideas with one another. It feels more like a book club than an instructional reading group! Social Studies The students will learn about our country’s free market economy and the process of making an economic choice. We will review and assess before the break. Science The students will be voting on our third research specimen following their thorough evaluation of amphibian research. If you are interested in adopting a classroom pet, they will be available to go home before the winter break. Math We begin Chapter 7 with additional multiplication concepts. We will be multiplying even GREATER numbers and introducing the idea of lattice multiplication. Please reinforce the importance of working slowly to avoid minor computational errors, working neatly to avoid number confusion, and continue studying those facts. I recommend the use of graph paper when multiplying greater numbers for students who have a difficult time keeping their place values in line.

Library Spotlight Reminder: Please send in your book order form for Jane Wood's books. She will be visiting in January and will have the autographed books for your child. If you are in need of another order form, let your child's teacher know and we will send it home.

Upcoming Events….. December 7 – 10, 2009 Scholastic Book Fair December 9, 2009 JK hosts assembly – dress uniforms – 2:30 p.m. December 10, 2009 JK to Barnes and Noble – dress uniforms – 8:40 – 10:20 a.m. Chorus to Merrill Gardens – chorus attire - 1:00 p.m. December 11, 2009 SK and Grade 1 to Barnes and Noble – dress uniforms - 8:40 – 10:20 a.m. Lower Division performs at basketball half-time shows – McCormick Gym December 15, 2009 JK trip to Merrill Gardens – dress uniforms – 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Fourth and fifth grade picnic – 2:15 p.m. on McCormick Campus December 16, 2009 Holiday Sing-Along – on the Wendlek basketball court – 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. Giraffe Club sponsors the holiday t-shirt and mismatched socks day December 17, 2009 Marking period 2 ends Jingle Bells Fun Run – house shirts with school bottoms JK and SK – 9:00 a.m. Grade 1 and 2 – 10:00 a.m. Grade 3 and 4 – 10:45 a.m.

December 18, 2009 No classes – Teacher Professional Day December 21, 2009 – January 1, 2010 No school – winter break January 4, 2010 No classes – Teacher Professional Day January 5, 2010 Classes resume