Ms. Hahn’s Newsletter
September 25, 2016
Reading
This week reading groups finished their informational books. In small groups the students learned that a lot of the comprehension questions can be found in the book. I had the students prove their answers by a passage in the text. Next week we will only have time for a few reading groups. The groups will be reading “King Midas and the Golden Touch”. Starting October 3rd all students will be reading Chocolate Touch. The students will be learning vocabulary words and answering comprehension questions.
During whole class lessons we reviewed asking questions while reading. The students had to write down 10 questions while doing independent reading. We also learned to recount a story by thinking the following: someone, wanted, but, so, then. We will continue to work on this skill on Monday and Tuesday.
Math
Students have finished our review on addition and subtraction. However, not all students did well on the assessment. If your child needs more practice, I will be assigning extra pages to do at home. You can also play some of the math games I have sent home to improve math skills.
At the end of the week we started our short graphing unit. The students learned about picture graphs and how to answer one and two step questions about graphs. We will have time on Monday and Tuesday to learn more about graphs.
Please remember to have your child play math games at home at least two times a week. Please indicate your child played the math games above the spelling list under reminders.
Science
This week the students learned about wetlands. We went out to a small wetland area by the basketball court. I read them Marshes & Swamps by Gail Gibbons. Mrs. Steinbeck collected soil for us to study in the classroom. You can see pictures of this on our class webpage. Next week we will have time to learn about cattails.
Environment and Gardening
The students have harvested all the squash and corn from the garden. The squash will be used for January farm to table. Look next week for information about purchasing Indian Corn. All money we make will be used for future gardening projects.
Next week we hope to plant spinach and lettuce. We have cold frames to use when the weather turns colder.
We went to quiet spots on Thursday morning. It was interesting to see how the prairie and trees are changing. Some students and I even saw a weasel on the trail. You can find pictures of quiet spots on our class webpage.
Writing
The students are creating a Google Slide show about the animal they researched. It is amazing to see how much the students can learn about the computer in such a short time. They are learning how to add pictures, transitions, bullet points, fix spelling, change font, change colors, and other things. You can ask your child to show you the slide show on their Google Classroom account.
Other
Please remember to send your child with a water bottle to school. They might have PE outside and will need to drink water.
Dress code for PCCS says that students cannot wear leggings to school. All shorts must be mid-thigh.
Computers
All students now have a gmail account. This account is only used for searching the web and using Google docs. They do NOT have email. The students also have an account for typing.com and Raz kids. You will find all the login information in the cover of the assignment notebooks. If you have a computer at home, I would encourage you to show your child how to log in to these accounts at home. Your child could explore how to type a document in Google docs.
Earthkeepers
Our class will be going to Earthkeepers on September 28 and September 29. Students need to bring a water bottle, a snack, and a lunch. There is not a microwave at the field trip. Please send a trash free lunch and snack that does not need to be heated up.
All students need to be prepared for being outside all day. Students should wear long pants. There are a lot of burrs where we are going, so please do not wear sweatpants or fleece.
Upcoming Dates
Wednesday, September 28- All Day Earthkeepers field trip
Thursday, September 29- All Day Earthkeepers field trip
Monday, October 3- Picture Retakes
Tuesday, October 4- Green Challenge Assembly