9/27-10/1

This week we took a safari as we read Animal Park. The students LOVED reading about the safari animals. They learned new facts about lions, zebras, hippos, and elephants! We made a koala at our Following Directions Center. Those koalas are too cute! Our boys and girls are really improving with their tracing and cutting skills!

We finished our short vowel review, so your child should be able to instantly read words that contain short vowel sounds. As a review we read “Doughnut Words.” Each student had five plates, each with a short vowel written on it. They were then given several doughnuts, with letters written before and after the doughnut hole. They laid the doughnut on each plate and read the word when the vowel filled in the hole. We then talked about which words were real and which words were nonsense.

We also finished Unit 1 of Reading Street, but don’t throw away the spelling and story words lists. Keep them in a safe place and pull them out from time to time for review. Unit 2 will be in this week Wednesday Folder, e-mailed this week, and updated on my website this week, so go ahead and be studying! This coming week is a review week, so we will not have a new Reading Street story or any language arts tests. We will visit the computer lab, however, to take our Unit 1 test.

In math this week we sang the Doubles Rap and learned about fact families. The numbers 3, 8, and 5 are a fact family because you can use those three numbers to make four number sentences: 3+5=8; 5+3=8; 8-3=5; and 8-5=3. We have a really fun way to write fact families, in which we begin with skeleton number sentences!!! Our minds and hands are always so busy during math!!!

We wrapped our Amazing Apples unit of study. Next week we will learn about Fire Safety. We will walk to the fire station on Tuesday to see real live firefighters and their equipment!!!

Our greatest adventure of the week was our field trip to Burritt Barnyard and Treasure Trail. The bus ride was very bumpy (It always makes me sick.)! When we arrived, we visited the barnyard animals: mules, goats, pigs, chickens, ponies, sheep, a cat, and a cow. The students got to pet a sweet goat. Then we went on a treasure hunt to find out what living things need: food, water, shelter, and care. The class learned about food chains, and even got to make their own food chain. They had such wonderful answers to difficult questions! These kids always amaze me!! We enjoyed a picnic lunch and some run around time. Then we made it back to school for PE! What an adventure!!!

I hope you all had a fun, restful fall break! It was just what I needed to get rejuvenated! I will see your sweet children Monday. Please remember to arrive on time for your conference. J I need plenty of time to brag on your children!