Students took home a journal for over the break to work on. We have been discussion the essential elements of a community a lot, so inside they are to answer the following questions after observing in our community: -What is my Molalla community like? -What are essential parts of a community? -As you explore your community, use words and pictures to record your observations. It is due Feb 7, the Tuesday that we get back. For those traveling, I told them they could write about the community they travel to so that we can compare it to ours. Old pictures that haven't yet been posted:It's a short week, no school Wednesday-Friday for students this week, so here are some photos that have been gathered from previous weeks that I have not yet posted. Author's ChairMany of the kids finally got a chance to read their space stories that they were working on publishing before winter break. Launching Rockets with the CedarsThis is from when we first came back from winter break and got a chance to design and launch rockets with the Cedars.
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MappingThis week we have been looking at the essential elements of a map and creating our own. First we looked at some maps of Molalla and our surrounding area. We then talked about the similarities between the maps and created a list of what is necessary on a map. We went outside and tried to map a portion of our campus. On Thursday and Friday we mapped our routes from home to school. They made sure to include a title, compass, terrain, label what they could, and include a key. Their maps look great! MathWe are continuing to practice adding and subtracting within ten using different story problems and representations. Actually writing down equations is still tough for some, so we are also trying to better understand the different ways you can write an equation and what all the symbols mean (vertical and horizontally written equations). Next Tuesday we will be having an overview test to get a comprehensive gauge of where everyone is at. HomeworkDon't forget to read every night with your kids! It is the only homework they have and it is so important! It makes a huge difference when they practice at home with you. I am currently doing mid year assessments on their reading levels, it is exciting to see how they have grown as readers.
As we begin our new unit, we will be exploring our local community as we interact with it, and what it was like in the past. Through this exploration we will also be creating a class atlas. In our class atlas each student will have a two page spread about themselves and how they fit into our community. WritingThese week we introduced the idea of opinion writing and talked about the differences between opinion writing and narratives. We also had the chance to come up with opinions about a few topics. Friday we tried to decide what the best way to get involved in our community is. There were a variety of answers, one of my favorites was: "Collecting food for the hungry because it is nice and they need food. And also it makes me sad that they are homeless." Returning BooksUnfortunately we have missed a lot of our library days to snow days so there are a lot of books that have not made it back to school. Please check around at home to see if you have any library books from school so that we can return them, and check out new ones! I know a lot of the kids have had the same books for probably a month now. MathWe are continuing to practice different ways of adding numbers within 20, working conceptually as well as trying to build fluency. Specials UpdatesDon't forget to check out some of the other teacher's websites like PE, Library, and Music. They are posting weekly about what's going on in their classes. All the links can be found by clicking home at the top of this page. Working on our "Me Maps"Earlier in the week we created abstract mosaic self portraits. We talked about the color wheel and how the different colors bring different moods and feelings to a piece. Pictured below is when we went on to make our "Me Maps" - a diagram of our homes and thinking about how we use each space. VolunteeringThe volunteering google doc has been updated for th end of January and part of February. Here is the link :
docs.google.com/document/d/1d2vMuPAQQIBMKjUEfHM4IYSTQIR2ml5PSMy32IiG_TE/edit This week we began our local community unit. We are zooming in from outer space to little Molalla! We will be starting with focusing first on each of us an individual and expanding out to the role we play in our community, what other factors contribute to a community, and what the essential elements of a community are. This first week we started with just talking about what it means to be a part of a community-something they are very familiar with, but now trying to expand their view of there simply being a classroom or school community. We wrote letters to be sent out to members of Molalla's community asking them what role they play and how they have helped our community. Hopefully we will hear back from them soon! It has been a little tough getting back into full swing with our snow days scattered throughout. Please make sure that students are coming to school with proper clothes for the cold! Students go outside to play for recess and lunch regardless of the weather. Too many kids have been coming without a jacket or without boots. Luckily we we have had a few very sweet community members who have lent out an extra jacket to friends. If getting a jacket and boots are a hardship. please let me know and we can get your son/daughter fitted for winter. Writing Letters to Community MembersWe came up with a letter together as a class, and then practiced being able to copy words down on their own paper. It seems like a simple task, but in 1st and 2nd grade, it is tougher than you might think! MathIn math we are continuing to work on addition fluency within ten, as well as being able to add and subtract up to 20.. We have used different strategies to be able to solve addition and subtraction including manipulatives (like counting rocks), using doubles plus or minus 1 (ex. 5+6 is the same as 5+5+1).
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Important DatesMay 22 Independent Project
Presentations Begin June 2 Donuts for Dudes Archives
June 2017
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