Safety First!

Week in Review - August 25-29

We had a fantastic week in Lower Elementary! From science experiments to playing soccer in the gorgeous sunshine, students did a great job of working together to accomplish their goals!

For Language jobs this week, first graders sorted nouns by identifying them as a person, place or thing. They also completed phonics work and were introduced to antonyms. Second graders wrote noun families, identified blends (cr, tr, br, scr) found in words, and worked with synonyms. Third graders reviewed verb tenses, prefixes, and created words using various blends. 

For Math jobs this week, first graders used triangles to create shapes such as a trapezoid, rectangle, square, and parallelogram. They also practiced telling time to hour and built numbers with the golden beads and stamp game. Second graders created shapes using various triangles, reviewed time to the hour and half hour, and used the golden beads to practice multiplication. Third graders reviewed the different types of triangles (right angle, scalene, obtuse, etc.), practiced telling time to the five minute mark, and worked with the checkerboard to do multiplication problems. All students worked to identify even and odd numbers. 

In cultural studies, students continued with the science experiments which stem from the first Great Lesson. This week, students watched as some paraffin wax changed from a solid to a liquid to a gas when placed over a flame. Students explored how iron filings were separated from a mixture of sand when a magnet was held above the bowl. Students also created a viscous solution by placing sugar into water and comparing it to regular water. 

Reminders 

- There will be no school on Monday, September 1st due to the Labor Day holiday.  Have a great long weekend! 

- Homework will be sent home each Monday and is to be returned the following Friday. We also encourage students to read for 30 minutes each night and record it on the reading log found in your child's red folder. 

-Personal Timelines are due Sept. 2nd! 

Week In Review : August 18th - 22nd

Wow! What a busy week we had in our room! 

During language jobs, first graders explored nouns, compound words, and completed several phonics jobs. Second graders worked with noun families, completed work with a grammar box, and explored antonyms. Third graders worked with verbs and reviewed synonyms/antonyms.

During math jobs, first graders were introduced to fractions, used the bead chain cabinet to practice skip counting, and practiced spelling number words. Second Graders reviewed addition facts and skip counting. Third graders reviewed 1 digit multiplication and practiced math facts. 

These were just some of the many jobs students completed this week! Students were also extremely excited and engaged as they did science experiments with solids, liquids and gases.
This coming week, we will continue to work and grow as a learning community. Students will work with nouns and verbs, practice telling time to the hour and half hour, explore even and odd numbers, and work  with triangles to construct other shapes.  We will also continue science experiments which stemmed from the First Great Lesson - The Coming of the Universe. 

REMINDERS:

- All homework is typically sent home on Monday and is to be completed during the week. It is due on Friday. The first homework packet should be returned on Friday, August 29th. 

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

- Student Personal Timelines are due Tuesday, September 2nd.   

Have a great week! 

Homework

Your child will receive a homework packet beginning on Monday, August 25th. These packets will go home each Monday and are to be returned on Friday. The first packet should be returned on Friday, August 29th. These packets will look different each week, but will contain practice materials based on the types of work we are doing in the classroom. . If you have ANY questions or concerns, please contact us by phone or email. 

Catherine - catherine@jbma.org

Genie- genie@jbma.org

Rachel- rachel@jbma.org

Week In Review: August 11-15

We had a wonderful first week in Lower Elementary! We explored the classroom, participated in community building activities, began our work cycle, took a nature hike, and much more! We ended the week with the First Great Lesson - The Coming of the Universe. We look forward to next week where students will have presentations on grammar symbols, the checkerboard, vocabulary, addition, and multiplication.

Classmate Bingo 

Classmate Bingo 

Classmate Bingo 

Nature Walk - Looking for items that start with each letter of the alphabet 

First Day of School!

The 2014-2015 school year is off to a wonderful start! The excitement was evident as students were all smiles as they entered the classroom! They were excited to see old friends and to meet new ones. We spent the day getting acquainted with the classroom (and each other), hearing wonderful stories, and working together to establish a peaceful community for the year ahead. Everyone had a great day and we look forward to many more! 

Some Reminders: 

- Please sign and send in any paperwork send home today or during orientation. 

- Red folders were sent home with students today. Please check these folders daily for important information. We encourage students and parents to read together for at least 30 minutes every night and to record the book title on the reading log. 

-Students will need a separate pair of "no skid" shoes for P.E. These shoes will remain at school and will be used when students have P.E. class in the gym. 

- Students are allowed to bring in one small food item for snack each today. We observed several students becoming confused about snack time and eating a part of their lunch instead. If possible, please take a moment to discuss with your child what you are packing for snack and gently remind them to eat only their snack during snack time. 

As always, please feel free to contact us via phone or email! Thank you for sharing your children with us! 

Back to School Orientation

It's beginning to look A LOT  like "Back to School" time! Teachers have been busy preparing our beautiful environment in eager preparation for the 2014-2015 school year.We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Lower Elementary orientation on Thursday, August 7th at 10 am! We will discuss important information about the coming school year and have an opportunity to answer any questions you may have. We are looking forward to a great year!