Week in Review : November 30th - December 4th

We had a wonderful week in Lower Elementary! Students enjoyed our visit to the Children's Theater to see "Seussical"!

For language jobs this week, first grade students were introduced to common and proper nouns, created plurals words by adding -ies, and reviewed homonyms. Second grade students reviewed homophones, were introduced to adverbs, and practiced creating some irregular plural nouns. Third grade students reviewed homophones, were introduced to interjections, and reviewed plural nouns.

For math jobs this week, first grade students practiced math operations (addition and multiplication), worked with rounding numbers to the tens and hundreds place, analyzed pictographs, and practiced counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's. Second grade students practiced math operations, reviewed rounding, analyzed pictographs, and completed column addition problems. Third grade students practiced math operations, reviewed rounding, subtracted fractions, and analyzed pictographs, line graphs, and circle graphs.

For cultural jobs, students heard the Great Lesson : The History of Communication in History. For Geography, students used a compass rose to determine the location of various states on the US map. In Science, students used thermometers to measure the temperature of ice water and room temperature water.

Next week, student will complete quarterly reviews in language and math. Students will also continue practicing for the holiday program on December 15th. It should be a great week!

REMINDERS 

December 8th- Lower Elementary Classroom 2 and 3 to Middle School Holiday Store

December 15th- Elementary and Middle School Holiday Program - 7:00

December 16th and 17th- Lower Elementary to Shelby Ridge for Amaryllis Project (please send in $5.00 for the Amaryllis bulbs as soon as possible) 

December 18th - LE Bowling Party - Dismissal at 1:00 - NO AFTERCARE

Lower Elementary News - December Dates and Reminders

Hello everyone! We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break with your families! We are looking forward to returning to our busy schedule of learning and growing together! This week, students will be introduced to new parts of speech ( adverbs and interjections), have continued work with plural nouns, practice rounding numbers, interpret graphs (pictographs, line, circle), and work with all math operations. In cultural subjects, students will hear the Story of Numbers in History, continue the study of states and capitals in Geography, and explore how to read a thermometer in Science.

Here are some reminders as we head into the busy month of December -

December 2nd - Lower Elementary Classroom 3 to Middle School Holiday Store

December 2nd-  Classroom 2 to Children's Theater

December 3rd- Classroom 3 to Children's Theater

December 4th- Parent's Night Out 7-10

December 8th- Lower Elementary Classroom 2 and 3 to Middle School Holiday Store

December 15th- Elementary and Middle School Holiday Program - 7:00

December 16th and 17th- Lower Elementary to Shelby Ridge for Amaryllis Project

December 18th - LE Bowling Party - Dismissal at 1:00 - NO AFTERCARE

Please be sure to return all permission slips and money for these activities as you are able. We look forward to a wonderful month together!

Important Reminders

Hello everyone! As we near the holiday season, we wanted to remind you of a few important things happening in the life of our classroom and school.

Thursday, November 19th - Peace Ceremony /Founder's Day Program - 9:00
We are asking for Lower Elementary students to bring in peanut butter and jelly to donate to those in need. We will also take donations of fresh fruits and veggies on that day as well. We hope you join on for this special program.

Friday, November 20th- School dismisses at 1:00 with NO AFTERCARE. Enjoy your Thanksgiving Break!

Homework- Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, students will not have homework the week of November 20th - 27th. Homework packets and writing prompt notebooks will be given out on Monday, November 30th. 

Week in Review: November 2nd - 6th

Students in Lower Elementary were busy at work this week! Students also enjoyed browsing and buying books from the Scholastic book fair!

For language jobs, first grade students explored the noun family (article, adjective, noun), were introduced to homographs, and added -s to nouns in order to make them plural. Second graders worked with suffixes, completed work with prepositions, added -s and -es to nouns in order to make them plural, and edited a paragraph. Third graders worked with suffixes, completed work with conjunctions, added -s, -es, and -ies to nouns in order to make them plural, and were introduced to analogies.

For math jobs, first grade students worked with addition and multiplication, explore the various types of lines, added fractions, were introduced to rounding, and wrote number words. Second graders worked with multiplication, reviewed rounding, added fractions, and explored types of angles (acute, obtuse, right). Third grade students reviewed rounding, added fractions, worked with all math operations, and measured angles using a protractor.

For cultural jobs, students explored the Needs of Humans in History. In geography, students identified the various regions of the United States. Students explored different elements on the periodic table for a science job.

REMINDERS

Wednesday, November 11th - No School due to Veterans Day holiday

Monday, November 9th - Thursday, November 19th - Lower elementary students are asked to bring in peanut butter and jelly in observance of our "Giving Thanks" Peace Ceremony and Founder's Day Celebration. These food supplies will be used to aide the pantry at The Catholic Center of Concern. On Thursday, November 19th,  we are also asking people to bring in FRESH apples, oranges, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, or celery to the Peace Ceremony/Founder's Day Celebration.

Friday, November 20th - Dismissal at 1:00 due to Thanksgiving Holidays - NO AFTERCARE

Monday, November 23rd - Friday, November 27th - No school due to Thanksgiving Holidays

Week in Review : Picture Edition

Students had a wonderful week in Lower Elementary! Students completed jobs, had a field trip to Old Baker Farm, and ended the week with a Halloween parade and party!

Here are some highlights from the week: 

Happy Halloween! 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Word Search 

Bean Race 

Halloween noodle art! 

Halloween Treats! 

Happy Halloween! 

Happy Halloween !

Halloween Parade 

Petting a rabbit at Old Baker Farm 

Hay Maze at Old Baker Farm 

Old Baker Farm hayride 

Old Baker Farm

Testing the ph balance of household liquids 

Counting money

Week in Review: October 19th -23rd

We had another wonderful week in Lower Elementary! Students enjoyed many activities - both indoors and out!

For language jobs this week, first grade students were introduced to syllables, had further review of articles, and matched pairs of homophones. Second grade students reviewed syllables, explored "helping verbs", and had further work with prefixes. Third grade students were introduced to possessive pronouns and reviewed the meaning of various prefixes.

For math jobs this week, first grade students completed large addition/multiplication problems, counted sets of quarters and pennies, explored fundamental concepts of geometry (point, line, surface, solid), compared fractions, and interpreted bar graphs. Second grade students worked with large multiplication problems, solved addition word problems involving money, found various types of lines (diverging, converging, intersecting) in our classroom environment, converted improper fractions to mixed numbers, and review multiplication facts. Third grade students worked with all math operations, completed money word problems which involved making change, converted improper fractions to mixed numbers, found factors of a number, and identified the missing numerator or denominator in a fraction.

For cultural jobs this week, students heard a story describing the earliest humans during a history lesson. In geography, students further explored map skills. In science, students continued their study of chemistry with an introduction to acids and bases. Students used a red cabbage indicator to determine if common household items were acids or bases.

REMINDERS  

Old Baker's Farm- Lower Elementary students will take a trip to Old Baker's Farm on October 27th and October 28th . Please be sure to send in the permission slip and money for the trip!  Students will need a sack lunch from home on this day!

Halloween Parade- Students will participate in the JBMA Halloween parade at 9:00 on October 30th, 2015. Students will complete a short writing prompt in order to tell about their costume. Students are invited to dress as a book character,  cultural representatives, or a historical figure.

Make- Up Pictures will be made on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015.

No School on Wednesday, November 11th due to the Veterans Day holiday.

Week in Review : October 13th-16fh

Lower Elementary students had a wonderful week learning and working together! We will be glad to return to a more normal schedule this week!

For language jobs this week, first grade students reviewed articles and were introduced to homophones. Second grade students explored verbs of being (is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been) and looked up the meanings of various prefixes in the dictionary. Third grade students explore objective pronouns and looked up the meanings of various prefixes in the dictionary. 

For math jobs this week, first grade students used triangles to create various quadrilaterals, solved large addition and multiplication problems, compared fractions, counted mixed coins, and reviewed tally charts. Second grade students solved large multiplication problems, solved for unknown variables, began a study of lines, and changed improper fractions to mixed numbers. Third grade students identified the different types of triangles need to make quadrilaterals, solved for unknown variables, changed improper fractions to mixed number fractions, and explored the concept of squaring numbers. 

For cultural jobs, students researched another animal from the Timeline of Life for their history job this week. In science, students began a unit on chemistry. Students discussed matter, atoms, chemical vs. physical reactions, and the periodic table of elements through videos and a powerpoint presentation. Students then completed a science experiment where they combined vinegar and baking soda in order to produce carbon dioxide. 

Next week, students will explore syllables, articles, pronouns, and verbs of being. Students will also have further practice with math operations, counting coins, working with fractions, and prefixes. We look forward to another great week! 

REMINDERS 

Picture Day for Lower Elementary students is October 21st, 2015. 

Old Baker's Farm- Lower Elementary students will take a trip to Old Baker's Farm on October 27th and October 28th . Please be sure to send in the permission slip and money for the trip!  Students will need a sack lunch from home on this day!

Halloween Parade- Students will participate in the JBMA Halloween parade at 9:00 on October 30th, 2015. Students will complete a short writing prompt in order to tell about their costume. Students are invited to dress as a book character,  cultural representatives, or a historical figure. 

Week in Review: September 28th - October 2nd

We had another fantastic week in Lower Elementary! Students were busy at work on quarterly reviews in the areas of Language Arts and Math. Students also self-selected jobs in the areas of word study, grammar, numeration, geometry, and math operations. For cultural jobs this week, students explored the Clock of Eras in History. For geography, students identified the parts of a river. Students explored various facts about some prehistoric animals such as what they ate, what period they lived in, their physical characteristics, and their length in feet during a science lesson.

We look forward a wonderful week next week which will include our first field trip of the year to the Children's Theater. Students will also be working on writing a friendly letter, comparing fractions, identifying parts of speech (articles and pronouns), counting coins, geometry (polygons and quadrilaterals), prefixes, and editing.

REMINDERS

No school for students on Monday, October 12th due to the Columbus Day holiday.

Progress Reports- Progress Reports will be sent home Wednesday, October 13th. 

Conferences: First quarter conferences will be held Thursday, October 15th and Friday, October 16th.  Students will be dismissed at 1:00 on these days.

Children's Theater- Lower Elementary students will be visiting the Children's Theater on Wednesday, October 7th for one group and Thursday, October 8th for another group. Please be sure you have signed the permission slip and have returned it to school. 

Halloween Parade - JBMA Halloween Parade is one of our annual traditions where students have an opportunity to dress up as a character and learn from each other. This year the Lower Elementary students are looking forward to the Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30th .   

Students are invited to dress up only as a character from a book, a historical figure, or cultural representatives.  We aim to keep Halloween light-hearted and fun for everyone, and therefore will not allow weapons, blood, or anything scary.  Our costume parade brings all ages together and we need to respect the needs of the younger children. 

Week in Review: September 21st - 25th

We had another wonderful week in Lower Elementary! It is hard to believe that the end of the first quarter is upon us. We have so enjoyed working with your students and watching them grow as learners.

For language jobs this week, first grade students worked with synonyms, matched animals to their homes, and classified words by putting them into the correct group. Second graders edited a text for capitalization of common and proper nouns, worked with past tense irregular verbs, reviewed the different types of sentences, and practiced matching prefixes to the correct root word.  Third grade students edited a text for capitalization of common and proper nouns, reviewed pronouns, reviewed the different types of sentences, and practiced matching prefixes to the correct root word.

For math jobs this week, first grade students practiced large addition or multiplication problems, counted sets of dimes, wrote number words for 41-50, build quadrilaterals with the stick box, found the missing variable in addition equations, identified fractions, and were introduced to tally charts. Second graders worked on large addition or multiplication facts, used the stick box to built plane shapes, wrote numbers in expanded notation, and used tally charts. Third grade students worked with all math operations, were introduced to coordinate grids, used tally charts, and found lines of symmetry in plane figures.

For cultural lessons, students completed research on an animal found on the Timeline of Life. Students were introduced to the parts of a mountain in a history lesson. In science, students discussed and viewed different types of fossils.

Reminders 

Personal Timelines- In conjunction with our study of the Timeline of Life, we invite all students to create a personal timeline. Students should select one photo from each year of his or her life and include a brief description (one to two sentences). Any size paper may be used to create these timelines. They will be displayed in the hallway for all to enjoy! Please turn in the timelines by Monday, September 28th.  

Homework- Homework is given out each Friday and should be returned the following Friday. We will return the grey student composition notebooks on Mondays to allow time for us to read the student's writing prompts.

Open House - Thursday, October 1st from 6:00-7:30 

Children's Theater- Lower Elementary students will be visiting the Children's Theater on Wednesday, October 7th for one group and Thursday, October 8th for another group. Please look for a permission form coming home soon!

Halloween Parade - JBMA Halloween Parade is one of our annual traditions where students have an opportunity to dress up as a character and learn from each other. This year the Lower Elementary students are looking forward to the Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30th .   

Students are invited to dress up only as a character from a book, a historical figure, or cultural representatives.  We aim to keep Halloween light-hearted and fun for everyone, and therefore will not allow weapons, blood, or anything scary.  Our costume parade brings all ages together and we need to respect the needs of the younger children. 

As it gets closer to the event, a writing prompt about their character will be assigned to the students which they will share with the class after the parade.    

Week in Review: September 7th - 11th

We had another fantastic week in Lower Elementary! Students were very busy this week, despite the fact it was only four days! It is a true privilege to work and learn alongside them!

For language jobs, first grade students had continued work with antonyms, nouns, and sight words. Second graders reviewed synonyms and antonyms, worked with past tense verbs, and reviewed grade level sight words. Third graders worked with adverbs and reviewed synonyms and antonyms.

For math jobs, first grade students continued work with adding large addition problems, practiced addition facts, counted pennies, and wrote number words for 21-30. Second graders solved large addition or multiplication problems, wrote number words, and practiced addition or multiplication facts. Third graders worked with all math operations, solved addition word problems, and wrote numbers in expanded notation.

For cultural jobs, students began a unit on rocks and minerals in science. In history, students continued their study of time by looking at a calendar year and it's parts. In geography, students worked in land and water forms such as island, lake, isthmus, strait, cape, and bay.

Reminders 

Personal Timelines- In conjunction with our study of the Timeline of Life, we invite all students to create a personal timeline. Students should select one photo from each year of his or her life and include a brief description (one to two sentences). Any size paper may be used to create these timelines. They will be displayed in the hallway for all to enjoy! Please turn in the timelines by Monday, September 28th.  

Homework- Homework is given out each Friday and should be returned the following Friday. We will return the grey student composition notebooks on Mondays to allow time for us to read the student's writing prompts. 

Week in Review: August 31- September 4th

We had a wonderful week in Lower Elementary! It is hard to believe that it is already September!

For language jobs, first graders spelled color words, were introduced to antonyms, and practiced spelling sight words with the moveable alphabet. Second graders wrote sentences with sight words, worked with verb tenses ( past, present, future), and had further work with antonyms and synonyms. Third graders located synonyms and antonyms in a thesaurus and had further work with adverbs.

For math jobs, first graders solved large addition problems, spelled number words, worked with fractions, and compared numbers up to the thousands place. Second graders practiced solving large addition and multiplication problems, read number words, found equivalent fractions, compared numbers, and practiced counting coins. Third graders found equivalent fractions,  practiced all math operations, read number words, compared numbers, and solved addition word problems involving sums of money.

For cultural lessons, students explored clocks, calendars, and the concept of time in History. In Geography, students discussed and then labeled the layers of the Earth. In science, students took a trip to the Middle School science lab for a lesson on microscopes.

Next week, students will practice will all math operations, synonyms/antonyms, grammar symbols, and counting coins. We look forward to our first Peace Ceremony on Friday, September 11th.

Reminders

- Reading Logs are to be recorded each night after your child has read for 20 to 30 minutes. Please write down the title of the book and initial the log.

-Speech and Hearing Screenings will take place on Wednesday, September 9th for those children who have signed up to be screened.

- Our first Peace Ceremony is Friday, September 11th. Lower Elementary is hosting this first ceremony of the year!

Week in Review: August 24th -28th

We had another wonderful week in our room! The students are busy at work growing and learning as a community!

For language arts jobs, first grade students worked with compound words, sorted nouns,  and placed words in ABC order. Second grade students identified consonant blends, reviewed verbs and edited sentences for capitalization and punctuation. Third grade students reviewed how to compose a paragraph, practiced dictionary skills, and identified the different types of adverbs.

For math jobs, first grade students practiced solving addition problems, wrote numbers words 1-10, reviewed basic shapes, and were introduced to fractions. Second grade students practiced solving addition/multiplication problems, practiced telling time, and reviewed fractions and quadrilateral shapes. Third grade students reviewed fractions, solved multiplication problems using the checkerboard, completed a study of triangles, and reviewed elapsed time.

For cultural jobs, students continued to experiment with the three states of matter in science. In History, students acted out the next Great Lesson - The Drama of the Archeozoic Ocean. Students created a world map in Geography.

Next week, students will work with math operations, explore grammar symbols, identify antonyms and synonyms, work with microscopes, explore the layers of the Earth, and much more! We look forward to another wonderful week!

Week in Review: August 17-21

Wow! What a busy week we had in our room! Our normal schedule was in full effect! 

During language jobs, first graders explored nouns, compound words, and completed several phonics jobs. Second graders worked with noun families and put words into alphabetical order by looking at the second or third letter. Third graders reviewed grammar symbols and alphabetical order. 

During math jobs, first graders used the golden beads or stamp game to complete addition problems, practiced telling time, and used the bead chains to practice skip counting. Second Graders completed addition and multiplication problems, practiced telling time, and reviewed skip counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's. Third graders completed multiplication problems using the checkerboard, practiced telling time, and reviewed skip counting by 2's, 5's, 10's. 

These were just some of the many jobs students completed this week! Students were also extremely excited and engaged as they did science experiments which explored the states of matter, heard creation stories from different cultures, and explored globes and our Earth! 

This coming week, we will continue to work and grow as a learning community. Students will work with grammar symbols, telling time, phonics, fractions, and geometry (study of triangles, basic shapes, and quadrilaterals).  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 Fridays and is to be completed during the week. It is due on the following Friday. The first homework packet should be returned on Friday, August 28th. 

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

Week in Review: August 10th-14th

We had a terrific week in Lower Elementary! We spent time learning the practices and procedures of our classroom, playing community building games, and getting right to work with work jobs and presentations.

This coming week, our normal schedule will be in full swing! We will continue to familiarize ourselves with the materials in the classroom during work time, receive presentations in all subject areas, and participate in the steps of the scientific process while completing hands-on science experiments. What a wonderful week of learning it will be!


Reminders
- Students are welcomed into the classroom beginning at 8:00 a.m. If your child needs care before 7:55,  they will be signed into Early Care. Early Care begins at 7:00 a.m.

-Students may bring a small snack of either fruit or raw vegetables.

-Homework will be sent home in red folders beginning on Friday, August 21st. Homework is due August 28th, 2015.

Classroom Scavenger Hunt 

Third Grade Interviews 

Work time! 

Listening to the First Great Lesson - The Coming of the Universe 

Recess! 

Morning Drop Off

Students are welcomed into the classroom beginning at 8:00 a.m. each morning. If your child needs care before 7:55 a.m., we will sign them in for Early Care. Early Care begins at 7:00 a.m. Thanks!

First Day of School!

We are so excited to say we had an awesome 1st day back at school. We established procedures and got to know each other better.

There are a few housekeeping things to keep in mind :

1. Please remember that snack is one item of fruit or vegetable.

2. School dismisses at 2pm every Monday.

3. All children will need a pair of non-marking PE shoes to wear in the gym.

4. Located inside your child's red folder,  you will find their name printed on a yellow card. Please place this inside the front dashboard window to allow for an easier dismissal process.

5. Red folders were sent home today in backpacks. Please complete your child's reading log each night. 

Thank you all so much for allowing us to participate in your child's life! We look forward to a wonderful year learning and growing together!

Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year!

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 2015-2016 school year.

We know that students can reach their highest potential when teachers and parents partner together. A strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child's education. As partners, we share the responsibility for our children's success and want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities.

We want to welcome Mr. Brad and Mrs. Naomi to our Lower Elementary team! They will be assisting the Lower Elementary classrooms throughout the day!

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Lower Elementary orientation on Thursday, August 6th at 10 am! We will discuss important information about the coming school year and will have an opportunity to answer any questions you may have. We are looking forward to a great year!

End of Year Reminders!

Hello everyone! It is hard to believe that our year together is almost done! Just wanted to remind you of a few things that will be happening as we wind down the year.

WEDNESDAY -  Progress Reports are sent home. PLEASE sign and return the progress report by Friday. 

THURSDAY- Lower Elementary goes bowling! Be sure to wear or bring socks!   We will leave around 9:30 and return in time for lunch.

FRIDAY - Comfortable clothes/game day! Students may bring a non-electronic game to play and may wear comfortable clothing. The cafeteria will be closed, so we will be ordering pizza. Dismissal is at 1:00. NO AFTERCARE!

Week in Review: May 4th-8th

What a great week! Students were busy at work completing quarterly reviews in Language Arts and Math, taking STAR reading and math tests, and completing choice jobs. For cultural jobs, students began a unit on the human body. Students focused on the central nervous system and the different parts of the brain.

The highlight of the week was Field Day! Despite the heat, all the students had a great time!

Next week, students will review fractions, practice counting sets of coins, edit sentences, and measure using rulers. It will be a great week! 

Important Dates

May 15h- Peace Ceremony 

May 15th-  End of 4th Quarter 

May 18th - Spanish Dance Recital 6:30

May 20th - Progress Reports go home 

May 21st - Lower Elementary goes bowling at Oak Mountain Lanes 

May 22nd - Last Day of School - Dismiss at 1:00 - NO AFTERCARE 

Week in Review: April 27th - May 1st

We had another wonderful week in Lower Elementary! It is hard to believe that May is here! The time has flown!

For language arts jobs, first grade students completed an adverb grammar box, reviewed synonyms, matched pairs of rhyming words, and sorted phrases from sentences. Second grade students reviewed synonyms/antonyms, placed sentences in a logical order, and reviewed rhyming words. Third grade students placed sentences in a logical order, were introduced to interjections, and analyzed sentences.

For math jobs, first grade students measured objects in grams/ounces, completed addition word problems, reviewed telling time to the quarter hour, solved subtraction problems, and reviewed the commutative property. Second graders reviewed types of angles, practiced front end estimation, worked with expanded notation, and reviewed the commutative property for addition and multiplication. Third graders worked with expanded notation, reviewed place value, identified numbers as even or odd, and reviewed the properties of addition and multiplication.

For cultural jobs this week, students explored reading thermometers. We look forward to beginning our study of the human body next week.

Here is a glimpse into our fantastic week:

Maddie is hard at work on the bead chain. 

Juan completes a synonyms job from the word study cabinet.

Tessa, Eva, and Sophie record their phrase and sentences work.