As I write this, it feels surprising it is only our second week of school. Your children are so cooperative and friendly to each other. They listen to one another. They are thinkers and problem solvers. They are caring and interested in learning. What a wonderful group to spend the day with.

At the end of this week we will have a sense of how each part of our goes. We will have met with each UA teacher at least once so we know them and the expectations they have for us. We have learned more about blogging and everyone is able to have his or her own blog. In the next two weeks we hope to be able to get posts up for you to read, comment on and share. (I’ll send a note home in the front of the communication folder to let you know when your child’s first post is up for viewing, sharing and commenting upon.) We also learned a bit about Artist-Writers’ workshop, a quiet, mindful time for thoughtful learning and creation. We are looking forward to beginning that Tuesday morning. Along with daily reading, writing, and math work our days are full and, (I hope) fun.

Choosing Classroom Jobs

One of our S.E.L. goals is becoming more self-aware and understanding how each individual has a responsibility to the group as a whole. This year we brainstormed a list of jobs that we thought we should do in the classroom. We decided that we were each individually responsible to picking up our own areas, supplies and messes – but we could also help each other. Beginning on Monday, we will have daily class jobs. The discussions about how to solve problems like racing for the cushy seats or ignoring when trash gets bumped on the floor were impressive. One thing I found particularly thoughtful was the decision to revisit our choices if we see they are not working. It feels as though we are on our way to a smooth year.

Developing the Rules Our Class Will Live By

Developing social responsibility is another area we work with each year. We began with the questions: What will help you learn? How will we behave so that everyone can do his or her best? Our discussions followed a few rounds of the Name Game. The game helps us learn each other’s names, while also highlighting behaviors that lead to success. From our chats and experiences we think that we should: be calm, try to solve our own little problems, stay quiet when you should, be friendly and helpful, stay focused, be cooperative and safe, use supplies wisely and carefully, be kind and have fun. Also stay in the classroom for directions and lessons.

Again you would have been proud of your children and the thoughtfulness put into the discussion. They worked to share reasons they felt those behaviors were important and really listened to one another. We worked to turn “shouldn’ts” and “don’ts” in to positives so we would know what to strive for. We seem to be a group who understands the need for mistakes to learn, and a group who wants to act responsibly and enjoy spending our time together.

 

Reading and Writing for a Variety of Purposes

We’ve been thinking about the qualities of “great” writing and exploring a variety of writing purposes. With insects as a focus and window into the work of scientists, we’ve been learning insect facts while exploring how authors choose to inform and entertain us through their writing. We’ve used Venn diagrams to examine how books on one topic share both some of the same and different information. We’ve also compared how books in different nonfiction series are organized to notice how the features of nonfiction texts are used differently.

The children have been writing personal narratives and information pieces. Some are in their writers’ notebooks and some will be shared on their blogs. They’ve been recording facts and collecting their ideas and images about what we’ve been reading. They are interested in poetry and singing together. They have lots of share.   They seem interested by rich language and excited by choice. Ask your child what he or she has been writing about and reading. There’s lots to explore in our room and they are still finding their way through their many choices.

 

 

 

 

 Bits and Pieces –

• We’ll be celebrating International Dot Day, September 15. Ask your child about The Dot and why they think it’s a reason to celebrate.
• We began our second chapter read-aloud, James and the Giant Peach. It goes along with our exploration of insects and entomology, and it is an example of next week’s homework assignment. We are reading from my childhood copy of the book. It is one of my favorites. Next week the children will be asked to bring in a collection of 3 to 5 titles (books if you have them) that are important in their life as readers. Be on the look out for details Monday.
• Beginning to explore the concept of multiplication as repeated addition and repeated groupings of the same amount. We are learning which pictures and which addition sentences can also be rewritten as multiplication equations.
• We have continued to think about science and scientist. We’ve drew a picture of what we imagine when we think the word “scientist.” We also wrote about what we imagine them doing, the tools they use and the goals they have for their work. We know there are a wide variety of scientists.
• Our first challenge with Mr. Caron will be September 29 in the middle of the day. We will likely be outside and active so children should be ready for that.
• Thank you for attending last night’s curriculum night. We know it is a busy time of year (I guess they all are) and totally understand if you were unable to fit everything in.   The handouts we shared are in your child Friday envelope. If you find you have any questions or concerns, please ask. My school email has an extra initial. It is bweaves@sau.org if you are trying to reach me and it comes back to you.