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We have been enjoying the unseasonably warm fall weather, the leaves and the opportunity to enjoy our time outdoors since we know the cold, winter-like weather can't be far away. In this video, children joyfully discovered a pile of leaves that had been blown into a corner of the playground. What ensued was what they called a "wind tornado." Enjoy!
Our week ahead is filled with a few extra activities. Tomorrow, author Carole Boston Weatherford will be speaking to students at the Gordan Parks Assembly Hall. She wrote the lovely picture book called, Gordan Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America. Order forms for her books are due first thing Monday morning (by 9:00 in the Lim Family Library) with no exceptions. We will be walking over to the Historic Campus for Ms. Weatherford's talk please make sure your child is dressed appropriately. So far, the forecast looks promising with temperatures in the low-mid 50s. On Wednesday, our class along with Ms. Mazurek, will go to the National Museum of Fine Arts to tour the Day of the Dead exhibit and make a Day of the Dead craft. There is nothing special you need to do for this field trip but be aware that we will be eating lunch quite early that day (10:45 a.m.) and having our snack in the afternoon when we return. Please plan your child's lunch and snack accordingly. Finally, we will attend the Book Swap on Thursday afternoon so look for your child to bring home several "new" books! |
Don’t forget to send in your sturdy reusable container for our Change4Cranes fundraiser by tomorrow. We can also use a few more if you have any extras. This week will decorate our containers with decals and send them home next week along with this Operation Migration fact sheet. These containers and the money collected are due back at school by Friday, December 11th. If the container gets too full, please transfer the money to a ziplock bag (labeled with your child’s name) before sending it to school. See this page to learn more about what our students did in the past, including a hot chocolate stand and serenading Metra commuters! We will send these containers home early next week in hopes that children can speak to family members and neighbors over the Thanksgiving Holidays. If your child does any creative fundraising, please take a photo and email it (large resolution) to Ms. Harrison. We will collect, sort and add up all the money before we leave for the longer Winter Break. Thank you for supporting this wonderful cause! Please let us know if your child will be leaving early for the Thanksgiving Holiday so we can make sure to have his/her container ready.
MATH FAST FACTS
We are working to build fluency with math facts. To do so we have introduced a new activity called Fast Facts. Children complete a page of 36 addition problems and check their work using their iPad and a QR code. Our math curriculum doesn't provide much fact practice and the children are very excited and motivated by this activity. When students can demonstrate fluency with their addition math facts (up to 20) in both accuracy and speed, they will move onto subtraction and even multiplication/division if they are ready.
NAME-COLLECTION BOXES
In math, we introduced the idea of a "name-collection box." A name collection box is a diagram that is used for collecting equivalent names for a number. Children are learning that numbers can be represented in many ways (with tally marks, coins, number models, arrays, roman numerals, number words, etc). The name collection box provides a way for students to show what they know and continue developing their number sense. At times, we ask children to create their own name collection box. his provides a wonderful opportunity to differentiate the curriculum and allow children to challenge themselves with a number (large or small) that is just right for them.
The whooping cranes are now in Piatt County, Illinois with 294 miles of the migration complete. Last week, the children worked with partners to research a whooping crane body parts (eyes, feet/toes, legs, beak, red crown, wings, tail, etc.). The work focused on how whooping cranes have adaptations to help them survive. Survival is based on their habitat, how they migrate long distances, what kind of food they eat, etc. Children will write about these adaptations and do a fun iPad activity to share their knowledge. Using the app ChatterPix Kids, students will animate a photograph of a whooping crane. The crane will "talk" and tell about one or more adaptation. Look for these videos in SeeSaw this week and next.
QUIET TIME
Each day after lunch or recess, we take 10-15 minutes to calm and refocus our bodies to get us ready for Workshop or another academic activity. Quiet Time usually takes the form of resting or reading independently in the classroom. There are others ways we encourage children to slow down, to look closely and refocus their attention. Last Thursday as we played on the rooftop, the wind was strong and the clouds were moving fast. Most children didn't notice the beauty of the clouds because they were so busy playing on the equipment, running, or talking with friends. We took this opportunity to spend our Quiet Time outside and encouraged the children to look up, look closely and listen carefully. As they laid on the ground, being still and silent, children exclaimed wonder as they clouds rolled by. They noticed the sound of traffic and children's laughter from the playground below. We we went back inside, they children were calm and ready to begin Workshop.
Our class has a subscription to RAZ-Kids, which allows children to read ebooks at their just right level, practice fluency with self-recording and answer a few questions to gauge comprehension. Each child has an individual account and password. Your student can now access assignments on a computer, tablet, or phone, from home by going to www.kidsa-z.com/login/227esh, and using a password. Most children know their passwords by now. If they've forgotten, I have included a document in the FOR PARENTS section that contains all the passwords.
Have a great week!