I still can't believe that this school year is already over. It seems like the year began only a short while ago. That is a great feeling to have. A true testament to your wonderful kiddos.
Thank you all for the amazing end-of-year gifts! I can 't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity. While I will send a note to each child, I just wanted to say a quick thank you. And not just for the gifts. Thank you for your consistent support throughout the year. Having that from the parents makes all the difference in the world. Being with your kids each and every day was a privilege and a joy. They taught me as much as I hope I taught them. In all of my years of teaching, this class really epitomized a family and community of learners and friends. The Sun Bear class is a beautifully eclectic and balanced quilt, each child adding so much to the class. Whether your child is returning to CDS or moving into a new chapter of his/her life, the connections they have with each other will no doubt remain.
Report cards will be sent home next week. Included with the report card will be a few other things including a copy of our Sun Bear Thankful List poem, class picture, and the field guides from Science.
Please have a peaceful and rejuvenating summer with your families. I can't wait for next year. It is just around the corner.
All the best,
Annelise
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Home Stretch
Well, it is hard to believe but we are in the final stretch of our school year. How time has just flown by.
First and foremost, thank you, thank you for all the special treats this week! I can't tell you how much those little surprises mean to me. I know it is Teacher Appreciation week but I want you all to know how much I appreciate each and every one of our Sun Bears (and parents, of course). Thank you again.
Highlights
In Language Arts we are doing so many neat things. We are reading and writing lots of different styles of poems -- from acrostic and cinquain to free verse, and rhyming. We will continue writing poetry intermittently throughout the remainder of the year. Ask your child about Shel Silverstein. I am confident each has a favorite poem by now.
We are also in the midst of a historical fiction unit. We will be finishing up The Orphan of Ellis Island this week. It has been a great novel for the kids to read independently, especially with the tie in to their road trip up to New York in Social Studies where they have been focusing on immigration. On Friday, we will begin an end-of-novel project which, for the most part, will be completed in class. Our current read aloud is Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, a historical fiction novel which takes place in the midwest in the 1930's during the Dust Bowl. This is a great but heavy book that is teaching the kids quite a bit about that time period in the South Central region. It is also written in free verse poems as opposed to chapters which connects with our poetry unit. They are really enjoying the book. Next week, we will read some non-fiction stories and books. Following that, we will end the year with a great mystery unit and novel, which I am in the process of choosing. I will keep you posted.
For writing, the class is working on historical fiction stories from the perspective of an immigrant. They are working on these pieces in Social Studies and Language Arts. We also continue to work on being poets.
In Math, we are still working on Geometry while tying in decimals and measurement. We have been practicing with perimeter and area of rectangles and circles. We have also visited line symmetry and rotational symmetry. From here, we will move into volume and fractions and continue wiht decimals and number operations.
In Social Studies, their road trip has stopped in New York and the Northeast. Not only are they learning about the region's geography and topography but about the culture and history as well. Specifically, they are focusing on immigration and Ellis Island. From there, they will move on to the Middle Western and South Central regions.
In Science, the periodic table is being dusted off and brought to life for the kids. As an intro to a mini unit on Chemistry, they are exploring the different elements and looking at simple compounds. They also built molecules out of marshmallows and toothpicks! We will share these things and more with other CDS kids during our upcoming Science Day. We will also be working on constructing a VA Field Guide of some of the animals we find here in our beautiful state before we head to Cape Charles for our field trip!
End-of-Year Trip to Cape Charles
So, the kids are so excited about our end-of-year trip to the Chesapeake Bay. We talked about the details of the trip and about earning money towards the cost of the trip. Here are some important updates:
1) THE DATES OF THE TRIP HAVE CHANGED -- We will now be going on the 29th and returning on the 30th. Please accept my apologies for this change. My son is graduating from 8th grade and his ceremony is on Thursday, May 31st as opposed to Friday, June 1st as I originally thought. All of the details of the trip will remain the same.
2) We are planning to have our carwash on Sunday, May 20th, in the afternoon. Exact time and loctation TBD. Please save the date on your calendar.
3) We are planning to host a Kids Night Out on Saturday, May 26th (yes, I know it is Memorial Day weekend). Exact time TBD. Please save the date on your calendar.
4) As of right now, we have plenty of parent drivers/chaperones for this trip. I know that many more of you would like to go, and it is great that we have so many back-ups. This is going to be a amazing educational and bonding experience for this class. Thank you all for making it possible.
5) We are encouraging each child to EARN part of the cost of the trip. While we have the two above-mentioned fundraising opportunities, I hope they take on the challenge of working for part of the cost at home or in their neighborhoods. I have told them that I do not want them emptying their piggy banks but only want them to bring in money they have earned specifically for this trip. It would be great if we can raise enough per child to offset the cost of the kayaking trip.
I will continue to send out updates about the trip and our fundraising events.
SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reminders
- Please send your child to school with water every day. It is getting warmer and they definitely drink more throughout the day.
- We will be going to the library tomorrow afternoon. Please make sure your child has his/her library card and any library books that need to be renewed or returned.
- On Mondays, I help with our theatre production of Annie which begins right at 3:30. Any child not picked up at 3:30 will be sent to Extended Day. Thank you for your understanding.
-Please read all of the Weekly Updates sent out by Senora B for upcoming dates and events.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week.
All the best,
Annelise
First and foremost, thank you, thank you for all the special treats this week! I can't tell you how much those little surprises mean to me. I know it is Teacher Appreciation week but I want you all to know how much I appreciate each and every one of our Sun Bears (and parents, of course). Thank you again.
Highlights
In Language Arts we are doing so many neat things. We are reading and writing lots of different styles of poems -- from acrostic and cinquain to free verse, and rhyming. We will continue writing poetry intermittently throughout the remainder of the year. Ask your child about Shel Silverstein. I am confident each has a favorite poem by now.
We are also in the midst of a historical fiction unit. We will be finishing up The Orphan of Ellis Island this week. It has been a great novel for the kids to read independently, especially with the tie in to their road trip up to New York in Social Studies where they have been focusing on immigration. On Friday, we will begin an end-of-novel project which, for the most part, will be completed in class. Our current read aloud is Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, a historical fiction novel which takes place in the midwest in the 1930's during the Dust Bowl. This is a great but heavy book that is teaching the kids quite a bit about that time period in the South Central region. It is also written in free verse poems as opposed to chapters which connects with our poetry unit. They are really enjoying the book. Next week, we will read some non-fiction stories and books. Following that, we will end the year with a great mystery unit and novel, which I am in the process of choosing. I will keep you posted.
For writing, the class is working on historical fiction stories from the perspective of an immigrant. They are working on these pieces in Social Studies and Language Arts. We also continue to work on being poets.
In Math, we are still working on Geometry while tying in decimals and measurement. We have been practicing with perimeter and area of rectangles and circles. We have also visited line symmetry and rotational symmetry. From here, we will move into volume and fractions and continue wiht decimals and number operations.
In Social Studies, their road trip has stopped in New York and the Northeast. Not only are they learning about the region's geography and topography but about the culture and history as well. Specifically, they are focusing on immigration and Ellis Island. From there, they will move on to the Middle Western and South Central regions.
In Science, the periodic table is being dusted off and brought to life for the kids. As an intro to a mini unit on Chemistry, they are exploring the different elements and looking at simple compounds. They also built molecules out of marshmallows and toothpicks! We will share these things and more with other CDS kids during our upcoming Science Day. We will also be working on constructing a VA Field Guide of some of the animals we find here in our beautiful state before we head to Cape Charles for our field trip!
End-of-Year Trip to Cape Charles
So, the kids are so excited about our end-of-year trip to the Chesapeake Bay. We talked about the details of the trip and about earning money towards the cost of the trip. Here are some important updates:
1) THE DATES OF THE TRIP HAVE CHANGED -- We will now be going on the 29th and returning on the 30th. Please accept my apologies for this change. My son is graduating from 8th grade and his ceremony is on Thursday, May 31st as opposed to Friday, June 1st as I originally thought. All of the details of the trip will remain the same.
2) We are planning to have our carwash on Sunday, May 20th, in the afternoon. Exact time and loctation TBD. Please save the date on your calendar.
3) We are planning to host a Kids Night Out on Saturday, May 26th (yes, I know it is Memorial Day weekend). Exact time TBD. Please save the date on your calendar.
4) As of right now, we have plenty of parent drivers/chaperones for this trip. I know that many more of you would like to go, and it is great that we have so many back-ups. This is going to be a amazing educational and bonding experience for this class. Thank you all for making it possible.
5) We are encouraging each child to EARN part of the cost of the trip. While we have the two above-mentioned fundraising opportunities, I hope they take on the challenge of working for part of the cost at home or in their neighborhoods. I have told them that I do not want them emptying their piggy banks but only want them to bring in money they have earned specifically for this trip. It would be great if we can raise enough per child to offset the cost of the kayaking trip.
I will continue to send out updates about the trip and our fundraising events.
SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reminders
- Please send your child to school with water every day. It is getting warmer and they definitely drink more throughout the day.
- We will be going to the library tomorrow afternoon. Please make sure your child has his/her library card and any library books that need to be renewed or returned.
- On Mondays, I help with our theatre production of Annie which begins right at 3:30. Any child not picked up at 3:30 will be sent to Extended Day. Thank you for your understanding.
-Please read all of the Weekly Updates sent out by Senora B for upcoming dates and events.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week.
All the best,
Annelise
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Almost Spring Break
What beautiful weather we have been having. Spring is here, as is spring fever. Break always comes just when needed most.
We are finishing up our fantasy unit in Language Arts. It was a huge hit for the kids and, I have to say, for me as well. It has been fun watching their excitement for reading continue to grow. This week, they are working on end of unit projects which are due on Friday. Each child chose one of four options and should work on completing it at home for DLA this week. I will provide some class time as well on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to ensure they have enough time to complete their projects. On Friday, we will have presentations. When we return from Spring Break, we will dive into historical fiction. I will email you by Thursday with the title of the next book. It will be a book we read as a class.
We have also been doing a lot with non-fiction reading and writing. We are practicing extracting information and meaning from non-fiction text and have been writing non-fiction essays. When we return from break, we will continue with non-fiction reading/comprehension and will move into a poetry unit in writing.
In Math, we have talked about polygons, points, lines, rays, segments, parallel and perpendicular lines, and much more. We will finish out this week with angles and classifying shapes. After break, we will work on symmetry, tesselations, and shape construction and deconstruction. Following Geometry, we will move into decimals and fractions, and will continue with measurement and computation.
In Social Studies, the kids are finishing up with Philadelphia. They have been writing poems about the Liberty Bell, the American Flag, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Please ask your child to share what s/he has been learning. Once they wrap up, they will be heading to New York and the Northeast Region where they will focus on immigration to the United States.
In Science, we are finishing up our unit on the solar system. The kids are putting final touches on their models of the planets and are preparing for Thursday presentations. Next, we will be moving into a unit Chemistry which is sure to be a ton of fun.
The kids have earned a WOW Day Celebration and we will have our special day on Friday. While ice skating was the first choice, we have agreed on the alternative Free Choice/Read-In/Wear Pajamas Day. So, please encourage your child to wear PJ's on Friday. It will be a fun, celebratory day. Some kiddos are dressing up as a character from their fantasy books for their project presentation on Friday. The pajama version of the character is just fine, or they can bring pj's to change into. We will have popcorn for a snack as well.
This is a week of wrapping up. I am certainly going to miss all of the kids over break. When we return, we will be diving into a lot of new material.
Reminders and Announcements
- Please send your child to school with water every day. As it is warming up, they are quite thirsty throughout the day. Having plenty of water is important, especially on Meade days.
- The kids have been having a blast exploring the creek at Meade Park. Please send your child to school with boots, water shoes, or any other shoe they can wear in the creek without ruining them.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
All the best,
Annelise
We are finishing up our fantasy unit in Language Arts. It was a huge hit for the kids and, I have to say, for me as well. It has been fun watching their excitement for reading continue to grow. This week, they are working on end of unit projects which are due on Friday. Each child chose one of four options and should work on completing it at home for DLA this week. I will provide some class time as well on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to ensure they have enough time to complete their projects. On Friday, we will have presentations. When we return from Spring Break, we will dive into historical fiction. I will email you by Thursday with the title of the next book. It will be a book we read as a class.
We have also been doing a lot with non-fiction reading and writing. We are practicing extracting information and meaning from non-fiction text and have been writing non-fiction essays. When we return from break, we will continue with non-fiction reading/comprehension and will move into a poetry unit in writing.
In Math, we have talked about polygons, points, lines, rays, segments, parallel and perpendicular lines, and much more. We will finish out this week with angles and classifying shapes. After break, we will work on symmetry, tesselations, and shape construction and deconstruction. Following Geometry, we will move into decimals and fractions, and will continue with measurement and computation.
In Social Studies, the kids are finishing up with Philadelphia. They have been writing poems about the Liberty Bell, the American Flag, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Please ask your child to share what s/he has been learning. Once they wrap up, they will be heading to New York and the Northeast Region where they will focus on immigration to the United States.
In Science, we are finishing up our unit on the solar system. The kids are putting final touches on their models of the planets and are preparing for Thursday presentations. Next, we will be moving into a unit Chemistry which is sure to be a ton of fun.
The kids have earned a WOW Day Celebration and we will have our special day on Friday. While ice skating was the first choice, we have agreed on the alternative Free Choice/Read-In/Wear Pajamas Day. So, please encourage your child to wear PJ's on Friday. It will be a fun, celebratory day. Some kiddos are dressing up as a character from their fantasy books for their project presentation on Friday. The pajama version of the character is just fine, or they can bring pj's to change into. We will have popcorn for a snack as well.
This is a week of wrapping up. I am certainly going to miss all of the kids over break. When we return, we will be diving into a lot of new material.
Reminders and Announcements
- Please send your child to school with water every day. As it is warming up, they are quite thirsty throughout the day. Having plenty of water is important, especially on Meade days.
- The kids have been having a blast exploring the creek at Meade Park. Please send your child to school with boots, water shoes, or any other shoe they can wear in the creek without ruining them.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
All the best,
Annelise
Monday, March 5, 2012
Is it already March?????
I hope everybody is enjoying the winter wonderland outside. It's hard to believe it is snowing in March, especially with the gorgeous temps as of late. My kiddos are certainly loving it however. I hope yours are as well.
Highlights
We are well into our fantasy genre in Language Arts. Despite the fact that we just started our novels on Monday, there are many who have finished and have moved into another fantasy book. I have seen reluctant readers become avid readers, avid readers going up and above, and all seem to be loving what they are reading. It seems to be an ideal genre for this class. We will be continuing with fantasy through March and will then transition to historical fiction or mysteries. During this unit, all of the kids are reading fantasy books of choice. I sat down with each child, looked at his/her book, and developed a plan for completing the book by the end of March. Because we have such enthusiastic readers, I told the class that they can read ahead as long as they go straight into another fantasy book when they complete their current books. They are expected to read M - Th, completing the reading and vocabulary log each night. Over the weekend, they can certainly read more and do not need to complete the log.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be incorporating more free writing and independent reading time into the day. This will give the kids a break from the more formal, non-fiction writing they have been doing. In addition, it will give me the opportunity to listen to the kids read and check in with them individually.
In math, we have spent a good amount of time on measurement. Most recently, we have been practicing telling time on analog clocks as well as looking at elapsed time and solving related story problems. Next week, we begin our Geometry Unit. During this unit we will look at polygons, 2 and 3-dimensional shapes, lines, rays, segments, symmetry, tessellations, circles, angles, and more. It is a rich and fun unit as it is very hands-on.
In Social Studies, the kids are in Philadelphia researching and learning about all of the landmarks, people, and events that made Philadelphia such a historical place in our country. From there, they will continue north to the Northeast region. On Tuesday, the Sun Bears and Spirit Bears dressed up like their famous Virginian and taught the K - 2nd graders about our history through the eyes of their person. Their costumes were great and they did such a wonderful job! They were so excited to share what they had learned while in character.
In Science, our studies of the solar system are still in full swing. The kids are learning so much about their individual planets, and are practicing putting all of that information into paragraphs. On Wednesday, we will be working on the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. Once those are complete, each crew will begin the task of creating a 3-D model of their planet. It will be a fun project, and a great way to end this unit. Ask your child to tell you something they have learned. I am sure they will surprise and teach you.
Announcements and Reminders
- Tomorrow is our field trip to the Richmond Science Museum. We will be leaving right at 8:30 AM. Please try to be at school by 8:15. During our trip, we will have a Live Science presentation related to the solar system and will see an IMAX movie about the Hubble Telescope. In between those events, the kids will be able to explore the museum. It is going to be great! Please remember to send your child with a disposable snack, lunch, and drink. We will leave the museum at 3:00 and should return to CDS between 4:15 - 4:30. If you are driving, I will provide you with directions and the itinerary first thing in the morning.
- Conferences are this Thursday and Friday. Please sign up for a time if you have not already done so. The sign up sheet is hanging next to our white bulletin board. These conferences are for parents only. If you need to sign your child up for Kids Camp, please contact Kim.
- March 17th is right around the corner! Have you bought your tickets to the auction? It is going to be a great event. In my opinion, it is going to be particularly special this year given that it is here in our new school. AND, our Art from the Heart is gorgeous as are the pieces from the other classes. It will be a night to remember.
- Don't forget to sign up your child(ren) for the Kid's Dash this Saturday. If you need more information, please contact Kim or Amy.
- I am helping with our next theater production, Annie, on Mondays from 3:30 - 4:45. Therefore, I am going to need to leave the classroom right at 3:30. Hopefully, somebody will be there to help with dismissal but if you could please disregard my previous request to pick up later than earlier on Mondays, that would be great! Thank you!
- Don't forget to order your SCRIPS cards for your everyday shopping needs or for those special gifts.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
All the best,
Annelise
Highlights
We are well into our fantasy genre in Language Arts. Despite the fact that we just started our novels on Monday, there are many who have finished and have moved into another fantasy book. I have seen reluctant readers become avid readers, avid readers going up and above, and all seem to be loving what they are reading. It seems to be an ideal genre for this class. We will be continuing with fantasy through March and will then transition to historical fiction or mysteries. During this unit, all of the kids are reading fantasy books of choice. I sat down with each child, looked at his/her book, and developed a plan for completing the book by the end of March. Because we have such enthusiastic readers, I told the class that they can read ahead as long as they go straight into another fantasy book when they complete their current books. They are expected to read M - Th, completing the reading and vocabulary log each night. Over the weekend, they can certainly read more and do not need to complete the log.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be incorporating more free writing and independent reading time into the day. This will give the kids a break from the more formal, non-fiction writing they have been doing. In addition, it will give me the opportunity to listen to the kids read and check in with them individually.
In math, we have spent a good amount of time on measurement. Most recently, we have been practicing telling time on analog clocks as well as looking at elapsed time and solving related story problems. Next week, we begin our Geometry Unit. During this unit we will look at polygons, 2 and 3-dimensional shapes, lines, rays, segments, symmetry, tessellations, circles, angles, and more. It is a rich and fun unit as it is very hands-on.
In Social Studies, the kids are in Philadelphia researching and learning about all of the landmarks, people, and events that made Philadelphia such a historical place in our country. From there, they will continue north to the Northeast region. On Tuesday, the Sun Bears and Spirit Bears dressed up like their famous Virginian and taught the K - 2nd graders about our history through the eyes of their person. Their costumes were great and they did such a wonderful job! They were so excited to share what they had learned while in character.
In Science, our studies of the solar system are still in full swing. The kids are learning so much about their individual planets, and are practicing putting all of that information into paragraphs. On Wednesday, we will be working on the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. Once those are complete, each crew will begin the task of creating a 3-D model of their planet. It will be a fun project, and a great way to end this unit. Ask your child to tell you something they have learned. I am sure they will surprise and teach you.
Announcements and Reminders
- Tomorrow is our field trip to the Richmond Science Museum. We will be leaving right at 8:30 AM. Please try to be at school by 8:15. During our trip, we will have a Live Science presentation related to the solar system and will see an IMAX movie about the Hubble Telescope. In between those events, the kids will be able to explore the museum. It is going to be great! Please remember to send your child with a disposable snack, lunch, and drink. We will leave the museum at 3:00 and should return to CDS between 4:15 - 4:30. If you are driving, I will provide you with directions and the itinerary first thing in the morning.
- Conferences are this Thursday and Friday. Please sign up for a time if you have not already done so. The sign up sheet is hanging next to our white bulletin board. These conferences are for parents only. If you need to sign your child up for Kids Camp, please contact Kim.
- March 17th is right around the corner! Have you bought your tickets to the auction? It is going to be a great event. In my opinion, it is going to be particularly special this year given that it is here in our new school. AND, our Art from the Heart is gorgeous as are the pieces from the other classes. It will be a night to remember.
- Don't forget to sign up your child(ren) for the Kid's Dash this Saturday. If you need more information, please contact Kim or Amy.
- I am helping with our next theater production, Annie, on Mondays from 3:30 - 4:45. Therefore, I am going to need to leave the classroom right at 3:30. Hopefully, somebody will be there to help with dismissal but if you could please disregard my previous request to pick up later than earlier on Mondays, that would be great! Thank you!
- Don't forget to order your SCRIPS cards for your everyday shopping needs or for those special gifts.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
All the best,
Annelise
Monday, February 20, 2012
Through Feb. 20, 2012
Finally there is snow! I hope you are enjoying the winter wonderland (or enjoyed it if your snow has already melted).
Highlights
Our survival fiction unit was a ton of fun. The dioramas the kids created are amazing! They truly exceeded all expectations and they just glowed with pride as they presented their projects. Please check out our bulletin board in the front of our classroom for pictures of the presentations. They also shared their projects with the Spirit Bears and Black Bears. Their dioarams are on display outside the MAC and we invite you to take a peek. We just finished up our last survival fiction book, The Cay which we read aloud in class. The kids liked the book so much that by the end of that same day, they had discovered a sequel to the book. Right now, we are working on creating illustrated timelines of the book to end our survival fiction unit.
Next we will move into the fantasy genre. Rather than having all the students read the same book, I am asking that each student bring in a quality fantasy book selected with a parent. Please keep in mind, this should be a book your child can read independently. Please have your child bring this book to school this week. We will begin reading our novels on Monday. Here are some titles/authors of good fantasy books.
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
- The BFG (and other titles) by Roald Dahl
- Half Magic by Edward Eager
- The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo
- The Indian in the Cupboard series by Lynne Reid Banks
- Imogene the Brave or Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
- Books by Eva Ibbotson
- Books by Lloyed Alexander
These are just a few quality titles and authors. If you have a question about a book, please don't hesitate to contact me. I ask that this not be a book your child is currently in the middle of reading. There will be activities and reading response that will take every child through the entire book and would, therefore, require re-reading. We will be reading A Wrinkle in Time or Dragon Rider in class.
In Writing, the class is continuing to work on planet essays. These essays will consist of 5 paragraphs which are being constructed one at a time. They are using what they have learned about paragraph structure, putting information in their own words, and writing without opinion. Once these essays are complete, we will stick with non-fiction, researching and writing about topics of choice and then presenting the the information as a speech.
In Math, we are finishing up a unit on Measurement with time. The Measurement Olympics last week were a blast. The classes participated in a range of activities from long jump in the sandbox and a cotton ball throw to a sponge squeeze and guessing their weights. They worked in teams, measuring and recording information. It was a great end of unit event. Once we are finished with time, we will be moving into Geometry. We will revisit measurement when we get to fractions and decimals.
In Social Studies, the class has finished their Virginian Yearbook and will be sharing their work with the elementary classes next Tuesday. For this Social Studies Day, we ask that your child dress up like the person s/he studied. If you have questions about this, please contact Mrs. Reed.
They are now headed north and are investigating the mid-Atlantic states. Specifically, they will be focusing on Philadelphia and the people who were pivotal in the formation of our country.
This Thursday, we will be getting together with the Spirit Bear class for Newspaper Buddies. On Tuesday, each child will be asked to find a current event to summarize and share. I ask that you assist your child in choosing the current event. We certainly want the kids to develop community and global awareness and expose them to this type of print, but without prematurely tackling issues that are not appropriate for their age.
In Science, we are continuing to learn about the solar system. We have two field trips coming up related to what we are learning. The first is to the Observatory at UVA on Friday, March 2 from 7 - 9 PM. During this time, the observatory is open to the public. Ms. Lockwood and I will be up there and hope the class will join us. As it is a Friday night, this is not a required field trip. But, if you are available, you can either drop your child off with us and have a couple hours of adult time or join us with your family. Either way, it is a great opportunity for the kids to experience the observatory and see a bit of what they are learning about. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Lockwood. The second field trip we have planned is to the Richmond Science Museum on Tuesday, March 6. We will leave CDS at 8:30 AM and will return by 4:15 PM. During our time there, we will participate in a hands-on activity and presentation about our solar systm, and see an IMAX movie about the Hubble telescope. We will also have time to visit the other exhibits in the museum. It will be a great day. I will send home detailed information, including the number of drivers needed, this week.
In addition to all of this, we will begin our Art from the Heart project this week. Thank you to Lindsay Diamond for helping us with this masterpiece!
And, on Friday we will be going to Meade Park for some team building activities and games. Please make sure your child comes to school in athletic shoes and clothing.
Announcements and Reminders
- Please have your child select and bring in a fantasy novel this week.
- Please send your child to school with a water bottle every day.
- Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes or has tennis shoes at school for P.E.
- Don't forget to purchase your auction tickets!!! It is going to be a great event.
- March 2 -- Mc Cormick Observatory Trip for Sun Bear Kids/Families -- If you are available, please bring your child and/or family to the Mc Cormick Observatory from 7 - 9 PM.
- March 2-- Pajama Day for Read Across America Day-- Bring your favoritebook and wear one of your favorite jammies to school to celebrate Dr.Seuss' birthday!
-March 5 - 6:30 - 7:30 pm Preschool Panel Discussion about the EarlyChildhood Years. Free, parent-only event in the MAC. This event isopen to the public.
- March 6 -- Sun Bear field trip to the Richmond Science Museum. We will leave at 8:30 and return by 4:15. Details to come.
- March 7 -- Last Day of Enrichment #2
- March 8 & 9 -- No School -- Parent/Teacher Conferences -- A sign-up sheet will be posted in our classroom this week. If you need to sign your child up for Kids Camp, please contact Kim.
- March 14 -- First Day of Enrichment #3
- March 17 -- CDS AUCTION!!!
-March 22 -- 9 AM Festival of the Book Author, Matthew Cody is speakingto our Elementary and Middle School students in the MAC.
As you can see, we are as busy as ever. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.
All the best,
Annelise
* Photos to come
Highlights
Our survival fiction unit was a ton of fun. The dioramas the kids created are amazing! They truly exceeded all expectations and they just glowed with pride as they presented their projects. Please check out our bulletin board in the front of our classroom for pictures of the presentations. They also shared their projects with the Spirit Bears and Black Bears. Their dioarams are on display outside the MAC and we invite you to take a peek. We just finished up our last survival fiction book, The Cay which we read aloud in class. The kids liked the book so much that by the end of that same day, they had discovered a sequel to the book. Right now, we are working on creating illustrated timelines of the book to end our survival fiction unit.
Next we will move into the fantasy genre. Rather than having all the students read the same book, I am asking that each student bring in a quality fantasy book selected with a parent. Please keep in mind, this should be a book your child can read independently. Please have your child bring this book to school this week. We will begin reading our novels on Monday. Here are some titles/authors of good fantasy books.
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
- The BFG (and other titles) by Roald Dahl
- Half Magic by Edward Eager
- The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo
- The Indian in the Cupboard series by Lynne Reid Banks
- Imogene the Brave or Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
- Books by Eva Ibbotson
- Books by Lloyed Alexander
These are just a few quality titles and authors. If you have a question about a book, please don't hesitate to contact me. I ask that this not be a book your child is currently in the middle of reading. There will be activities and reading response that will take every child through the entire book and would, therefore, require re-reading. We will be reading A Wrinkle in Time or Dragon Rider in class.
In Writing, the class is continuing to work on planet essays. These essays will consist of 5 paragraphs which are being constructed one at a time. They are using what they have learned about paragraph structure, putting information in their own words, and writing without opinion. Once these essays are complete, we will stick with non-fiction, researching and writing about topics of choice and then presenting the the information as a speech.
In Math, we are finishing up a unit on Measurement with time. The Measurement Olympics last week were a blast. The classes participated in a range of activities from long jump in the sandbox and a cotton ball throw to a sponge squeeze and guessing their weights. They worked in teams, measuring and recording information. It was a great end of unit event. Once we are finished with time, we will be moving into Geometry. We will revisit measurement when we get to fractions and decimals.
In Social Studies, the class has finished their Virginian Yearbook and will be sharing their work with the elementary classes next Tuesday. For this Social Studies Day, we ask that your child dress up like the person s/he studied. If you have questions about this, please contact Mrs. Reed.
They are now headed north and are investigating the mid-Atlantic states. Specifically, they will be focusing on Philadelphia and the people who were pivotal in the formation of our country.
This Thursday, we will be getting together with the Spirit Bear class for Newspaper Buddies. On Tuesday, each child will be asked to find a current event to summarize and share. I ask that you assist your child in choosing the current event. We certainly want the kids to develop community and global awareness and expose them to this type of print, but without prematurely tackling issues that are not appropriate for their age.
In Science, we are continuing to learn about the solar system. We have two field trips coming up related to what we are learning. The first is to the Observatory at UVA on Friday, March 2 from 7 - 9 PM. During this time, the observatory is open to the public. Ms. Lockwood and I will be up there and hope the class will join us. As it is a Friday night, this is not a required field trip. But, if you are available, you can either drop your child off with us and have a couple hours of adult time or join us with your family. Either way, it is a great opportunity for the kids to experience the observatory and see a bit of what they are learning about. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Lockwood. The second field trip we have planned is to the Richmond Science Museum on Tuesday, March 6. We will leave CDS at 8:30 AM and will return by 4:15 PM. During our time there, we will participate in a hands-on activity and presentation about our solar systm, and see an IMAX movie about the Hubble telescope. We will also have time to visit the other exhibits in the museum. It will be a great day. I will send home detailed information, including the number of drivers needed, this week.
In addition to all of this, we will begin our Art from the Heart project this week. Thank you to Lindsay Diamond for helping us with this masterpiece!
And, on Friday we will be going to Meade Park for some team building activities and games. Please make sure your child comes to school in athletic shoes and clothing.
Announcements and Reminders
- Please have your child select and bring in a fantasy novel this week.
- Please send your child to school with a water bottle every day.
- Please make sure your child wears tennis shoes or has tennis shoes at school for P.E.
- Don't forget to purchase your auction tickets!!! It is going to be a great event.
- March 2 -- Mc Cormick Observatory Trip for Sun Bear Kids/Families -- If you are available, please bring your child and/or family to the Mc Cormick Observatory from 7 - 9 PM.
- March 2-- Pajama Day for Read Across America Day-- Bring your favoritebook and wear one of your favorite jammies to school to celebrate Dr.Seuss' birthday!
-March 5 - 6:30 - 7:30 pm Preschool Panel Discussion about the EarlyChildhood Years. Free, parent-only event in the MAC. This event isopen to the public.
- March 6 -- Sun Bear field trip to the Richmond Science Museum. We will leave at 8:30 and return by 4:15. Details to come.
- March 7 -- Last Day of Enrichment #2
- March 8 & 9 -- No School -- Parent/Teacher Conferences -- A sign-up sheet will be posted in our classroom this week. If you need to sign your child up for Kids Camp, please contact Kim.
- March 14 -- First Day of Enrichment #3
- March 17 -- CDS AUCTION!!!
-March 22 -- 9 AM Festival of the Book Author, Matthew Cody is speakingto our Elementary and Middle School students in the MAC.
As you can see, we are as busy as ever. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.
All the best,
Annelise
* Photos to come
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Last Week of January
I have no idea where January went. With the beautiful temps this week, it is hard to believe it is winter. Nonetheless, another month has passed and it has been as busy as ever in the Sun Bear class.
Highlights
We are currently finishing up our survival fiction novels and getting ready to dive into our project for this unit. The kids really enjoyed the books they read. All have been exciting, and at times challenging. Discussion in book groups has been rich and meaningful. We just finished our read aloud, The Sign of the Beaver as well. Another wonderful adventure that was enjoyed by all. This particular book also led to deep conversation about the relationship between the indians and the white settlers, friendship, respect, and survival. Today the class worked on Venn-Diagrams, comparing the two main characters (an indian boy, Attean, and a white boy, Matt) or comparing Matt from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. The comparisons they made were insightful and showed how much they learned from the novel.
Tomorrow we wil begin dioramas or 3-D creations as an end-of-unit project. Each child will choose a scene from his/her survival fiction book and will create and write about that scene. They will have one week to complete the project. Some class time will be provided but they will need to work on it at home as well. I will send home more information with your child tomorrow. This should be a fun and creative activity. The kids are excited and most already know exactly what scene they want to do.
In writing, we began our planet essays. For this non-fiction unit, we will work through the process one paragraph at a time. The kids have been researching their planets and recording their findings over the past week. We are developing strategies for putting this information in our own words and practicing extracting meaning from expository text. Tomorrow they will begin to write.
In word study, we just finished homophones and are moving into a concept sort related to our survival fiction books. The kids have shown so much growth in their spelling and vocabulary.
In math, we are well into our unit on measurement. We have been learning about customary and metric units of measure and have been using a varitey of measurement tools. Currently, we are exploring perimeter and area and applying what we learn to multi-step story problems. From here we will move into temperature and measurement related mass and capacity. On Monday, February 13th we will end our measurement unit with Measurement Olympics, an all afternoon event comprised of hands-on activities and stations.
In Social Studies, the class is learning about the early colonists and working to create a yearbook of famous Virginians (and some who are not). They are not only researching and writing about their people but creating portraits of them as well.
In Science, the class is continuing to learn about the solar system. They have been assigned flight crews, have created crew patches, and have researched their assigned planets. In addition, they performed an experiment measuring the impact of meteors on the earth's surface.
In addition to all of this, they continue to learn and do so much in Spanish, Music, Art, and P.E..
Reminders and Announcements
- We will be walking to the library on Friday. We will leave after lunch and will return by the end of the day.
- Please send your child to school every day with a water bottle.
- You can now order Arch's by the week. Please contact Kim for further information.
- Try-outs for Annie, the next theater production, are on Monday, February 6th. If your child is interested in auditioning for a specific part, sign-up sheets are in the main building outside of Kim's office. If your child wants to be in the play but is not interested in a specific part, s/he just needs to be signed up for theater. Practice is on Mondays from 3:30 - 4:30 in the MAC.
- There is a PTO meeting tomorrow, February 1, at 7:00 P.M in the MAC. Please come if you are able to do so.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Highlights
We are currently finishing up our survival fiction novels and getting ready to dive into our project for this unit. The kids really enjoyed the books they read. All have been exciting, and at times challenging. Discussion in book groups has been rich and meaningful. We just finished our read aloud, The Sign of the Beaver as well. Another wonderful adventure that was enjoyed by all. This particular book also led to deep conversation about the relationship between the indians and the white settlers, friendship, respect, and survival. Today the class worked on Venn-Diagrams, comparing the two main characters (an indian boy, Attean, and a white boy, Matt) or comparing Matt from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. The comparisons they made were insightful and showed how much they learned from the novel.
Tomorrow we wil begin dioramas or 3-D creations as an end-of-unit project. Each child will choose a scene from his/her survival fiction book and will create and write about that scene. They will have one week to complete the project. Some class time will be provided but they will need to work on it at home as well. I will send home more information with your child tomorrow. This should be a fun and creative activity. The kids are excited and most already know exactly what scene they want to do.
In writing, we began our planet essays. For this non-fiction unit, we will work through the process one paragraph at a time. The kids have been researching their planets and recording their findings over the past week. We are developing strategies for putting this information in our own words and practicing extracting meaning from expository text. Tomorrow they will begin to write.
In word study, we just finished homophones and are moving into a concept sort related to our survival fiction books. The kids have shown so much growth in their spelling and vocabulary.
In math, we are well into our unit on measurement. We have been learning about customary and metric units of measure and have been using a varitey of measurement tools. Currently, we are exploring perimeter and area and applying what we learn to multi-step story problems. From here we will move into temperature and measurement related mass and capacity. On Monday, February 13th we will end our measurement unit with Measurement Olympics, an all afternoon event comprised of hands-on activities and stations.
In Social Studies, the class is learning about the early colonists and working to create a yearbook of famous Virginians (and some who are not). They are not only researching and writing about their people but creating portraits of them as well.
In Science, the class is continuing to learn about the solar system. They have been assigned flight crews, have created crew patches, and have researched their assigned planets. In addition, they performed an experiment measuring the impact of meteors on the earth's surface.
In addition to all of this, they continue to learn and do so much in Spanish, Music, Art, and P.E..
Reminders and Announcements
- We will be walking to the library on Friday. We will leave after lunch and will return by the end of the day.
- Please send your child to school every day with a water bottle.
- You can now order Arch's by the week. Please contact Kim for further information.
- Try-outs for Annie, the next theater production, are on Monday, February 6th. If your child is interested in auditioning for a specific part, sign-up sheets are in the main building outside of Kim's office. If your child wants to be in the play but is not interested in a specific part, s/he just needs to be signed up for theater. Practice is on Mondays from 3:30 - 4:30 in the MAC.
- There is a PTO meeting tomorrow, February 1, at 7:00 P.M in the MAC. Please come if you are able to do so.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Happy February!
Best,
Annelise
Best,
Annelise
Friday, January 13, 2012
January 13, 2012
Dear Parents,
We have a great start to the New Year! The kids are busy and learning a ton.
Highlights
In Language Arts, we have begun our survival fiction unit and are well into our novels. There are four book groups reading either Julie of the Wolves, My Side of the Mountain, Island of the Blue Dolphins, or Hatchet. All of these books are great examples of survival fiction but have very different settings. This lends itself to discussion (heated debate) about what is most important to have in a survival kit and how that changes depending on where you are. For this unit, a modest number of pages will be assigned nightly along with reading response. They are all very excited to read, read, read but I ask them not to read ahead so they have time to reflect and respond. We are also reading The Sign of the Beaver as a read aloud. It is a great book with so many opportunites for the kids to make connections with their book group books and what they are talking about in Social Studies. We will end the unit with a fun project.
In writing, we are continuing to work on writing paragraphs with topic, supporting, and closing sentences. We are just finishing a three-paragraph writing piece reflecting on 2011 and anticipating 2012. They are working hard. Next week, they will begin non-fiction writing as they write about their assigned planets. We will construct several paragraphs, one at a time, and then put them together in essay form. They will research their planets using books, the internet, and magazines.
In Word Study, we are moving on to new word groups and the kids are enjoying it! Our next sort will be a concept sort related to words we are finding in our novels.
In Math, we have moved into Measurement and began with customary units of measure, namely inches, feet, and yards. We have been practicing with rulers and measuring to the nearest inch. This coming week, we will measure to the nearest half inch and practice using yard sticks. From there we will move into the metric system. Measurement is a fun, hands-on unit. We will be continuing with number operations throughout this unit as well.
In Social Studies the class is learning about Jamestown and the early settlers in Virginia. They are creating a yearbook of important people during this time. It is a fun project that they are very excited about. They are learning a ton.
In Science, we are learning about the solar system. The kids have been broken up into pairs, or flight crews, who will explore a specific planet together. They created badges for their crew and are now doing research. As mentioned above, we will use this research in Writer's Workshop as we write essays about the planets. In addition, the students will be creating virtual postcards and will make some sort of model of each planet. This unit also ties into our measurement unit in math. They are loving it!
Reminders and Announcements
- In honor of MLK, there is no school tomorrow. See you all on Tuesday!
- Please, please, please send your child to school with jackets, and on really cold days gloves and hats. We do go outside, even when it is cold.
- Don't forget to pack water bottles!
- Next Saturday is Smurf Night at CDS and it is sure to be a fun night for the kids. To sign up, please contact Kim.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
I hope you all are staying warm! Hopefully there will be some snow this winter.
Best,
Annelise
-
We have a great start to the New Year! The kids are busy and learning a ton.
Highlights
In Language Arts, we have begun our survival fiction unit and are well into our novels. There are four book groups reading either Julie of the Wolves, My Side of the Mountain, Island of the Blue Dolphins, or Hatchet. All of these books are great examples of survival fiction but have very different settings. This lends itself to discussion (heated debate) about what is most important to have in a survival kit and how that changes depending on where you are. For this unit, a modest number of pages will be assigned nightly along with reading response. They are all very excited to read, read, read but I ask them not to read ahead so they have time to reflect and respond. We are also reading The Sign of the Beaver as a read aloud. It is a great book with so many opportunites for the kids to make connections with their book group books and what they are talking about in Social Studies. We will end the unit with a fun project.
In writing, we are continuing to work on writing paragraphs with topic, supporting, and closing sentences. We are just finishing a three-paragraph writing piece reflecting on 2011 and anticipating 2012. They are working hard. Next week, they will begin non-fiction writing as they write about their assigned planets. We will construct several paragraphs, one at a time, and then put them together in essay form. They will research their planets using books, the internet, and magazines.
In Word Study, we are moving on to new word groups and the kids are enjoying it! Our next sort will be a concept sort related to words we are finding in our novels.
In Math, we have moved into Measurement and began with customary units of measure, namely inches, feet, and yards. We have been practicing with rulers and measuring to the nearest inch. This coming week, we will measure to the nearest half inch and practice using yard sticks. From there we will move into the metric system. Measurement is a fun, hands-on unit. We will be continuing with number operations throughout this unit as well.
In Social Studies the class is learning about Jamestown and the early settlers in Virginia. They are creating a yearbook of important people during this time. It is a fun project that they are very excited about. They are learning a ton.
In Science, we are learning about the solar system. The kids have been broken up into pairs, or flight crews, who will explore a specific planet together. They created badges for their crew and are now doing research. As mentioned above, we will use this research in Writer's Workshop as we write essays about the planets. In addition, the students will be creating virtual postcards and will make some sort of model of each planet. This unit also ties into our measurement unit in math. They are loving it!
Reminders and Announcements
- In honor of MLK, there is no school tomorrow. See you all on Tuesday!
- Please, please, please send your child to school with jackets, and on really cold days gloves and hats. We do go outside, even when it is cold.
- Don't forget to pack water bottles!
- Next Saturday is Smurf Night at CDS and it is sure to be a fun night for the kids. To sign up, please contact Kim.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
I hope you all are staying warm! Hopefully there will be some snow this winter.
Best,
Annelise
-
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