Week 28th- February 28th to March 4th

Dear Parents,

The children are excited about our Pet Gallery this coming Friday March 4th.You are all invited to join us from 8:00-8:45 am.  Please remember that dogs must be on a leash and smaller pets must be in their cages. If your pet is planning on spending the day with us, please make sure that they have enough food and water. Please remember,no dogs will not be allowed to spend the day at school with us.
Please send in the fact sheet as soon as possible. We are asking all the parents to help their child find as many fun and interesting facts as about his/her animal.You are encouraged to use the with web sites provided, encyclopedias, and any other resources that you might have.
This week your child will be learning the following:

Language Arts

• Phonics- This week's words are called, who, its, now and little. Please review these words with your child nightly. Your child will be reviewing these words and older words daily with various chants and activities.

• Reading-Your child will be reading informational texts and gathering facts about his/her pet. You can help your child with this skill by spending time with him/her reading facts from the information provided under the 'Links' heading about the pet or animal.
• Writing-Your child will be editing and revising their facts and opinions about their pets. He/She will also be typing up some of their facts and adding them onto his/her posters.
• Speaking- Your child will be practicing his/her presentation here at school using tone and intonation.  Not only will the students be presenting to parents, they will also be presenting to other students.

Math-This week your child will be counting, writing, and modelling different ways to express 2 digit numbers up to 99. Some children are still not able to count to 100 by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Please review this skill with your child nightly.

Theme-Social Studies-My Community- Your child will be further developing his/her map skills by examing key elements found on maps. The students will be learning about cardinal directions and using the cardinal directions in a scavenger hunt  to find the hidden treasure. Also, we will be exploring the key elements that make up our community, eg. police station, hospitals, schools, churches, corner stores (pulperias), supermarkets, etc.

Homework:Monday
-Reading-Read 10 minut
-Draw and/or print pictures of your pet.

Tuesday
-Reading-Read 10 minutes
-Math-Math worksheet place value through 90

Wednesday
-Reading-Read 10 minutes
-MathWorsheet modelling numbers in expanded form.
-Social Studies-walk/drive around your neighborhood and discuss what key elements are found in your neighborhood. Draw and name at least 1 key element.

Thursday
-Reading- Read10 minutes
-Phonics- study for spelling challenge


Links

• Animal facts for kids
• Kids National Greographic- animal videos, photos, and more
• Yahoo Kids- Animal Facts
• Kids National Geographics- Animal facts
• IXL Math- scroll to Place Value for math challenges your child can do at home
• ICT Games- scroll to place value or other fun math games

Reminders

1. Send back Progress Reports
2. DPTO-check the DPTO website for up coming events and information. DPTO
3. Please label ALL of your child's belongings with a permanent marker; lunch boxes, containers, sweaters, water bottles, bags, etc.
4. Water Bottles- Your child must come to school with a water bottle every day.
5. Library- Please make sure that your child brings his/her library book to school on his/her assigned library day.
6. The Chronicles of Discovery, a literary and art magazine for Discovery School high school students will be coming soon.
   Submissions for both art and literature are being accepted now until March 11. Students of all ages are encouraged to submit their work.
   The official award ceremony will take place in April.
   For more information contact Mr. Fenn or Ms. Campbell.

Magic Word: animals

Week 27- February 21st-25th

Dear Parents,

We hope you enjoyed your long weekend.
This week your child will start preparing for Pet Day. Pet Day will take place on Friday, March 4th. In order to help us prepare for this day, we are asking that by Tuesday, February 22nd, you send information about the pet that your child will brining to school that day. More information about Pet Day will be sent home later this week with your child.
Please send back the signed progress reports as soon as possible. We are still collecting small boxes, maps, and any recycable materials that can be used for art projects.
This week your child will be learning the following:

Language Arts

• Phonics- This week's words are me, just , over, very, and am. Please review these words with your child nightly. Your child will be reviewing these words and older words daily with various chants and activities.

• Reading-Your child will be reading informational texts and gathering facts about his/her pet. You can help your child with this skill by spending time with him/her reading facts from the information provided under the 'Links' heading about the pet or animal.
• Writing-Your child will be writing facts about his/her pet.

Math-This week your child will be starting Chapter 8, Place Value, Data, and Graphs. In this chapter your child will inquire into tens, ones, and how to use data to make different kinds of graphs. This week, your child will learn about numbers made with tens and ones.

Theme-Social Studies-My Community- Your child will be further developing his/her map skills by examing pictorial maps and creating map keys. We will have a special visitor on Thursday. Francesca's Grandmother will be leading our theme class that day.

Homework:

Monday
NO SCHOOL

Tuesday
-Reading 10 minutes
-Math-Ordering Events worksheet
-Theme- Draw a pictorial map of your bedroom
Send Back Pet Day Information sheet

Wednesday
-Reading 10 minutes
-Theme-Which Direction worksheet
-Language Arts-Puzzle Fun

Thursday
-Reading 10 minutes
-Phonics- study for spelling challenge
-Math-Timed Test

Links

• Animal facts for kids
• Kids National Greographic- animal videos, photos, and more
• Yahoo Kids- Animal Facts
• Kids National Geographics- Animal facts
• IXL Math- scroll to Place Value for math challenges your child can do at home
• ICT Games- scroll to place value or other fun math games

Reminders

1. Send back Progress Reports
2. Send back Pet Day information on Tuesday
3. DPTO-check the DPTO website for up coming events and information. DPTO
4. Please label ALL of your child's belongings with a permanent marker; lunch boxes, containers, sweaters, water bottles, bags, etc.
5. Water Bottles- Your child must come to school with a water bottle every day.
6. Library- Please make sure that your child brings his/her library book to school on his/her assigned library day.
7. The Chronicles of Discovery, a literary and art magazine for Discovery School high school students will be coming soon.
   Submissions for both art and literature are being accepted now until March 11.
   The official award ceremony will take place in April.
   For more information contact Mr. Fenn or Ms. Campbell.

Magic Word: Fact
Trivia Question: Ask your child the difference between fact and opinion.

Week 26 February 14th-18th

Dear Parents,

Happy Valentine's day! Hope you're all ready for a great week.
We are still collecting small boxes for a project the first graders will be doing in the next couple of weeks. We are also asking for maps(country maps, mall maps, subway maps). This is to go with the next Social Studies unit. If you would like the map to be returned, please tell your child's teacher and she will make sure that you get the map back at the end of the unit. Furthermore, we would like to remind all parents that there will be no school this Friday, February 18th and next Monday, February 21st.
Last, your child will be starting his/her research about his/her pet or a pet that he/she would like to have. We will be sending more information at the end of this week.
This week, your child will inquire into the following:

Language Arts

• Phonics-This week's words are people, way, than, water, and first. The Spelling Challenge this week will be on Thursday, February 17th. Your child will be learning the spelling patterns of these words and older words through chants and various activities.
• Reading- This week your child will be starting to learn how to gather research. He/she will be learing the difference about facts and opinons.
• Wrtiting- Your child will be writing a friendly letter to a classmate.

Math-This week is the last week of Chapter 7. Your child will investigate patterns in tables, numbers that come before, after and between two given numbers, odd and even numbers, and ordinal numbers. We are finding that many students are not confident in counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Please review this skill with your child nightly. There are some online math games under the 'Links' heading that will help your child with various number skills.

Theme-Social Studies-Our Community-Your child will be starting a new unit this week. He/she will begin this unit by learning how to read pictorial maps, the meaning of map keys, and how to read them. You can help your child better understand this skill by discussing about the various types of maps, what they are, why we have, and use them.

Homework

Monday
-Reading-Read 10 minutes
-Language Arts-All Mixed Up worksheet

Tuesday
-Reading-Read 10 minutes
-Math-Before, Between, and After worksheet
-Language Arts-That Belongs Worksheet

Wednesday
-Reading-Read 10 minutes
-Math-Coloring Odds/Evens worksheet
-Phonics-study for spelling challenge

Links

• Ordering Numbers game
• Orderning Numbers #2 game
• Funbrain-Various subject area games
• IXL- various math quizes accoring to grade
• Cool Math 4 Kids- various math games
• BBC- Great game to teach typing skills

Reminders

1. No School- February 18th and 21st
2. Boxes and Maps- please bring any small boxes and spare maps to class.
3. DPTO-check the DPTO website for up coming events and information. DPTO
4. Please label ALL of your child's belongings with a permanent marker; lunch boxes, containers, sweaters, water bottles, bags, etc.
5. Water Bottles- Your child must come to school with a water bottle every day.
6. Library- Please make sure that your child brings his/her library book to school on his/her assigned library day.
7. The Chronicles of Discovery, a literary and art magazine for Discovery School high school students will be coming soon.
   Submissions for both art and literature are being accepted now until March 11.
   The official award ceremony will take place in April.
   For more information contact Mr. Fenn or Ms. Campbell.
   
   

Secret Word: Love

Week 25- February 7th-11th

Dear Parents,

We hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend.

Once again, we are asking for your help. Can you please bring in any shoe boxes you may have. We will be making Valentine's card holders and require boxes. Also, the students will be making a 3D map of their communities in the next few weeks. We would like to start collecting various sized boxes for the maps. We would very much appreciate if you could have your child bring in empty boxes such as toothpaste, make-up, perfume, cereal, and pasta boxes whenever possible.
This week, you child will be exploring the following:

Langaue Arts

• Phonics- This week's words are two, more, write, see, and could. Your child will be learning these words and reviewing older words through various activities and chants.
• Reading-Your child will be exploring how intonation and tone affects the retelling of stories. You can help your child with this skill by showing them how to using different voices while reading out-loud afftects a story. Have your child practice this skill at home when reading with you.
• Writing- This week your child will be learning about common and proper nouns. They will also be writing a short composition using these nouns and presenting it to the class. You can help your child with this skill by pointing out nouns when reading and asking them if it's a common or proper noun and why.

Math-This week your child will be looking for patterns on the 100 chart (counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s) and learning about estimation. Please practice counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s at home with your child.

Theme- Social Studies- Fairytales and Folktales- Your child will be presenting a short play entitled " Little Red Riding Hood" to the younger students. Please have your child practice reading his/her lines using tone and intonation daily. The class will also start examing Folktales. If your child has any folktales at home that he/she would like to share, please bring them to school.

Homework

Monday
-Reading-Read and practice lines for "Little Red Riding Hood"
-Math- 100 Chart Pattern worksheet

Tuesday
-Reading-Read and practice lines for "Little Red Riding Hood"
-Math-Practice skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s orally up to 100
-Language Arts- Editing worksheet

Wednesday
-Reading-Find the Main Idea worksheet and read 10 minutes
-Math- 2s, 5s, and 10s worksheet

Thursday
-Reading- Read 10 minutes
-Phonics-Study words for Word Challenge
-Math- Time Test

Reminders

• Monday, February 14th-Valentine's Celebration-If your child is planning on handing out Valentine's cards in the class, he/she must have enough for every student (27 first grade students).
• DPTO-check the DPTO website for up coming events and information. DPTO
• Please label ALL of your child's belongings with a permanent marker; lunch boxes, containers, sweaters, water bottles, bags, etc.
• Water Bottles- Your child must come to school with a water bottle every day.
• Library- Please make sure that your child brings his/her library book to school on his/her assigned library day.

Links

• Readingrockets-Comprehension- Article for parents on how to build up your child's comprehension level.
• Readingrockets-Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension- Article about the importance of reading aloud to your child.
• PBS- Reading information for parents and games for kids
• Funbrain-Various subject area games
• IXL- various math quizes accoring to grade
• Cool Math 4 Kids- various math games

Secret Word-Heart