Monday, September 30, 2013

Fall Festival Scarecrow

CALLING ALL PARENTS!

We are in need of a few volunteers to help assemble our scarecrow on Wednesday, October 2nd. If you can come spend some time on that day, please let us know!

We are also in need of :

1 large pumpkin

1 bale of Pine Straw or Hay (can be purchased at Home Depot)

1 pair of boots

1 pair of gardening gloves

PVC pipe

1 floppy sunhat

Thanks so much!

Parent Teacher Conferences : October 16th-October 22nd

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held from Wednesday, Oct. 16th through Tuesday, Oct. 22nd. There is a sign-up sheet located outside of Classroom 3. Please note that school will be dismissed at 1:00 on October 17th and 18th for conferences. Thanks and have a great day!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Week in review: September 23rd-27

Lower Elementary has been busy at work!

In science, we continued studying the planets and the solar system. Students have learned facts about each planet, compared the sizes and atmospheric makeup of the planets, and explored how gravity and centripetal forces cause the planets to spin in orderly paths around the sun! Students were also introduced to Protists through their work with microscopes and pond water.

For math and language jobs, First grade students were introduced to homographs, counted coins and added numbers in the thousands place using golden beads. Second graders worked with past tense verbs, reviewed polygons, and used the commutative property when adding. Third graders were introduced to prepositions, reviewed polygons, and worked with missing addends. All students received a presentation on classifying objects.

This coming week, students will receive presentations on suffixes, using tally marks to record seasonal changes, finding lines of symmetry in polygons, and much more!


REMINDERS:

-Lower Elementary is in need of help to create a "Peace" themed scarecrow for the Fall Festival. Please contact us if you would like to help create the scarecrow or you have any items that we could use.

-Sunday, October 6th is the Fall Festival! Come out from 1:30 to 4:30 to join in the fun!

-Look for a blog post about Parent Teacher conferences to come soon!
 
-Please remember that students must be at school no later than 8:15. 

-Reading Logs are to be signed each night. Be sure to return them each day in your child's red folder.

Have a great week! 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Week in Review: September 16th-20th


We had another incredible week in Lower Elementary! 

Last week, First grade students wrote homophones in sentences, practiced telling time to the half hour, and continued to explore fractions. Second graders worked with equivalent fractions, created sentences with an article, adjective, noun, and verb, and had continued practice on addition. Third graders compared fractions, reviewed past tense verbs, and worked word problems. All students received presentations on volcanoes and the planets. The highlight of our week was the Peace Assembly on Thursday. The Lower Elementary students did a wonderful job hosting the assembly by presenting the elements (water, earth, wind, fire) and singing the song "Teaching Peace".  

This coming week, students will receive presentations on homographs, money, phonics, polygons, and grammar (adjective, prepositions, and past tense verbs). We we have a wonderful time! 


REMINDERS:
- All homework is typically sent home on Monday and is to be completed during the week. It is due on Friday. Students will be given Spelling tests and Math Timed tests in class every Friday. For this week, students should complete the review chapter in the spelling book. This week's spelling test, however, will come from a personalized specific list of words that will be sent home with the students on Monday. Please look for more information and the spelling list in your child's red folder! 

-Please remember that students must be at school no later than 8:15. 

-Reading Logs are to be signed each night. Be sure to return them each day in your child's red folder.

Have a great week! 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Lunch Menu Changes

Happy Monday!

An important note:

- Please note that there is an error on this week's lunch menu. The lunches for Thursday and Friday are reversed. The cafeteria will be serving beef nachos on Thursday and chicken noodle soup on Friday.

Have a great week!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Week in Review - September 9th-13th


We had another fantastic week in Lower Elementary! Students have settled into the routines of the classroom and are busy receiving presentations and working on jobs. 

Last week, First grade students were introduced to homophones, reviewed the names of coins and put words into ABC order. Second graders worked on common and proper nouns, counted groups of mixed coins, and sorted nouns and verbs. Third graders counted groups of coins, explored past tense verb rules, and continued honing their multiplication skills. All students received presentations on representing numbers as written words, telling time, and the Clock of Eras. Students enjoyed learning about the animals found on "Timeline of Life" as well! 

This coming week, students will have continued work with homophones, fractions (finding equivalences, comparing, and adding), and ABC order. Students will also receive presentations on microscopes, volcanoes, and planets. We look forward to our first Peace Assembly on Thursday as well! 


REMINDERS:
- All homework is typically sent home on Monday and is to be completed during the week. It is due on Friday. Students will be given Spelling tests and Math Timed tests in class every Friday. 

-Please remember that students must be at school no later than 8:15. 

-Reading Logs are to be signed each night. Be sure to return them each day in your child's red folder.

Have a great week! 


Sunday, September 8, 2013

Week in Review - September 3rd-6th

Wow! Even though it was a short week, students worked very hard and accomplished a lot during work jobs and presentations. It is wonderful to see the progress they have made in just a few short weeks!

We are excited for the week ahead!

Last week, First grade students explored writing fractions and drawing what fraction of their family they were (1/3. 1/4, etc.)! Second graders worked hard on thesaurus skills while Third graders worked on dictionary skills. All students received presentations and spent time working on grammar skills (antonyms, synonyms, and prefixes). On Friday, some Third grade students presented the "Drama of the Archeozoic Ocean." First and Second grade students will be invited to act out this exciting drama during work time this week!


This coming week, students will work with money (identifying, matching, and counting coins ), writing numbers into words, and grammar (homophones and verb tenses). Students will also explore the second "Great Lesson" created by Dr. Montessori - the Timeline of Life!  

REMINDERS:
- All homework is typically sent home on Monday and is to be completed during the week. It is due on Friday. Students will be given Spelling tests and Math Timed tests in class every Friday. There will be a vocabulary test this Friday, September 13th for all students. Students typically complete vocabulary lessons at school, but may need to bring home these books to study for the test or to complete the work assigned.

-Work Binders were sent home on Tuesday, September 3rd. Please return these binders if you have not done so already.

-Please remember that students must be at school no later than 8:15. 

-Reading Logs are to be signed each night. Be sure to return them each day in your child's red folder.


Have a great week! 



Monday, September 2, 2013

Week in Review : August 26th - 30th


We had another wonderful week in Lower Elementary! 

During language jobs, First graders were introduced to articles, Second graders worked with verbs, and Third graders worked with verb tenses. During math jobs, all students were introduced to (or reviewed) even and odd numbers. Students also explored various ways to combine triangles to make other shapes such as parallelograms, trapezoids, and rhombuses. We ended our week with a special celebration of Dr. Maria Montessori's birthday! She would have been 143 on August 31st! 

This coming week, students will work with fractions (fraction families, comparing fractions, and adding fractions), thesaurus and dictionary skills, and grammar (antonyms, synonyms, and prefixes). Students will also work with a "Year and Its Parts" as well as explore a lesson with the "Drama of the Archeozoic Ocean."  

REMINDERS:
- All homework is typically sent home on Monday and is to be completed during the week. It is due on Friday. Students will be given Spelling tests and Math Timed tests in class every Friday.

-Work Binders will be sent home on Tuesday, September 3rd. Please review your child's work, initial, and send back on Wednesday, September 4th. 

-Reading Logs are to be signed each night. Be sure to return them each day in your child's red folder.


Have a great week!