Week of January 19-13, 2009

Hello everybody!
This week's blog will cover:
1. Academics and Standards
2. Roots and Wings
3. Special and Upcoming Events

Academics
In Language Arts, we have been reading up a storm! Each child has chosen a library book that they have been reading this week. Ask your child about the book. We have been moving fast through our lessons and learning new aspects of language arts. Such as titles of stories, quotation marks, the two different sounds of e, and comprehension.
During Math, we have introduced hundreds, tens, and leftovers. The children are writing three digit numerals and identifying the placements of the digits. They also started adding two digit numerals. We have been working more and more on number families and getting subraction and addition facts out of one number family. Next week, we are going to start more specific groupings so that each child will get to go at an appropriate pace for them. During Social Studies, we talked about and attempted to watch the presidential inaguration. We've also done some Obama art that you can see over our door where our mandalas used to be. We've been learning "My country tis' o thee" so if you hear them singing it at home, feel free to join. Hopefully, some children will have the guts to perform at the next all school pow-wow. On Monday, we will start our energy efficiency project. Stay tuned. For P.E., we've been having a dance party. They have learned the cha cha and the electric slide, sort of. I've also been noticing that they've become even more liberated in their free form dancing. Broadway, watch out!

Roots and Wings
We've been holding classroom meetings every day. At first it took them about five minutes just to form a circle. Now, they are doing it in under three. We have been giving amazing compliments and appreciations to one another, with the help of our froggy friend, the Compliment King. Some students volunteered to make a crown for him and others volunteered to make an agenda box. In the agenda box, students get to write about problems they are having or a project they want to propose. We discuss it during our class meetings. Which brings me to my next subject...special events....

Special and Upcoming Event
Next Tuesday, we are going to have a pizza party. Instead of buying pizza, we are going to make pizza. Jaime Nilles (Eli's mom) has been kind enough to go to the store and buy all of the ingredients. If any other parents would like to help with the cost of this event, that would be greatly appreciated. We will also need rollers for the dough and Jules mentioned that she has aprons for everyone, not sure if that's true or not. This would be a great time to come in and volunteer. Classics for Kids is tomorrow, ask your child how they enjoyed it, and if you still haven't sent in the $6 it's not too late. If you're experiencing financial difficulty, please let me know, so I can notify the administrators. They would like to know how they can best support these families.

On Monday, Miss Alannah is going to show me how to put pictures on the blog, so next week should be a lot juicier!

With Much Love,
Meital