Highlights from a Wintery Week

Hello families,

This was a wintery week for sure. Lots of snow, ice, cloudy skies, cold days and bright white snow. Students who have all their winter gear have more fun at recess because they can play in the snow. Please be sure to send your child each day with a coat, boots, snowpants, hat, and gloves/mittens!

We filled our heart jar this week! We celebrated by doing some flashlight reading on Thursday!

We started our first PBL (Project Based Learning) of the year. A PBL is an integrated unit that requires planning, inquiry, collaboration and communication. Our PBL is a science, music, and engineering unit about sound! This week we looked and listened closely to hear different sounds, describe the sounds, and figure out how the sound was being made. We did a few experiments in the class to think about how different materials can be used to produce different kinds of sounds. The students are excited because the final project is making our own instruments from recycled materials! If you have any clean and nut-free recyclables at home please send them in on Thursday 1/23. We will begin making our instruments that day! Also, please mark your calendars for Monday February 3rd from 2:15-3:00. This will be the day our class will perform and demonstrate their learning from our sound PBL!

In math we focused on the make 10 facts (9+1, 8+2, 7+3, 6+4, 5+5, 4+6, 3+7, 2+8, 9+1) and used them while practicing a new addition strategy called Find 10. Here are samples of how to use this strategy. (Sorry--can't upload photos from home--will add them next week!)

In FUNdations we began a new unit that combines our short vowel and digraph work with the bonus letter rule. If a short vowel word ends with an ff, ll, ss right after the short vowel it gets a bonus letter!  We also learned the chunk all and how that has a bonus letter but is a little different because the a changes its sound. Here are some examples of words from this unit: shell, miss, fall, huff, chill, wall, cuff, moss.

In reading and writing we are focusing on non-fiction. We are learning specific reading strategies to help us learn about non-fiction text features and how best to learn by reading non-fiction books. We also started to write books about things we already know a lot about! Students are writing "All About" or "How to..." books on topics where they are experts! Some topics include: soccer, fish, dinosaurs, HEART, art, red pandas, trains.

Dates to Remember:

• January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
• February 3 - PBL Band Performances! 2:15-3:00
• February 12 - Half Day 12:15 dismissal; activities available with prior sign-up
• February 14 - Valentine's Day Celebration 11:30-12:00
• February 24 - March 3 - Winter Break + Inservice Days - No School
• March 4 - school resumes

Have a great weekend!

❤ Mrs. Fox

Highlights Before Winter Break

Hello families,

During our last week before Winter Break we did lots of reading and projects about winter. We read: Snowballs, Stranger in the Woods, The Mitten, Sledding, The First Day of Winter, and Winter Solstice. We made some snowpeople of our own, finishing writing and illustrating the 5 Little Snowmen poem, and made a gift to share with our families.

On Monday we participated in the Hour of Code using the Kodable app on some ipads. The kids had lots of fun learning how to give directions to get through the mazes and collect stars! 

On Tuesday we had a visit from author/illustrator Amy Huntington. She shared with us some of her work, read us 2 books she is working on, and created a funny illustration with us about Mia and Martha, a snake and a centipede going sock shopping!

On Friday, the Winter Solstice, we celebrated the shortest day and longest night by making bright wishes for the new winter season.

Dates to Remember:

• December 23 - January 1 - Winter Break
• January 2 - School resumes
• January 8 - Half Day 12:15 dismissal; activities available with prior sign-up
• January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
• February 12 - Half Day 12:15 dismissal; activities available with prior sign-up

Have a great vacation. See you in the new year!

❤ Mrs. Fox

Highlights of the Week - Halfway Through December Already!

Hello families,

It was so nice to be all back together again this week after I was out with a sick kiddo and then sick myself for most of last week. Thanks for your understanding. Here are a few highlights from the past 2 weeks.

We were excited to see the school HEART monitor was full. We celebrated with a comfy clothes and movie day last Wednesday. Last Thursday we also went to a special traveling science museum from St. Michael's College setup right in our cafeteria!

This week we worked hard to finish up our small moment stories, practice reading/storytelling, and write our about the author pages. We celebrated our learning with many of you and some teachers Friday afternoon. Thanks to all who came to support our learning and achievement. I love seeing the kids so excited about their amazing work. They've really grown as writers this year!

This week we also practiced for and performed our winter concert on Thursday! What a great job they did singing and listening to others perform in school and at night!

In math we continue working on solving addition, subtraction, and combination story problems. We show our thinking by making a representation, writing an equation, and writing the answer with a label. We are practicing counting by different number patterns: 10s, 5s, 2s. We played a game called pathways and did a new routine called Today's Number.

We are finishing up our digraph unit in FUNdations (wh, ch, sh, th, ck). Next week we'll assess what they have learned about writing CVC and CCVC words as well as trick words.

Dates to Remember:

• December 23 - January 1 - Winter Break
• January 2 - School resumes

Have a great weekend!

❤ Mrs. Fox

Reminders Before Thanksgiving Break

Hello families,

I'm writing early this week to remind you about a few things.

Tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday are early dismissal at 11:00. Students will receive a bag lunch to eat at home. There are no activities, 21C classes or Thrive on these days. All students must be picked up at 11:00.

I am excited to meet with you all for our parent/teacher conferences over the next two days. Please be timely since most conferences are back-to-back. Be ready to share anything you are excited to see in your child's learning or ready to share questions or concerns you may have. I'm happy to be able to share their work and progress with you!

We send everything home from lockers over break so even if your child usually leaves snowpants, extra clothes, or shoes in their locker everything will be sent home Thursday and Friday so they have what they need over the break.

Finally there is a clothing drive in the cafeteria tomorrow from 1pm to 6pm. If your family needs any clothing or warm winter gear check it out to see if they have what you need!

Dates to Remember:

• November 25 - 29 - No School for Thanksgiving Break
• December 2 - School resumes
• December 11 - Early Dismissal 12:15; student activities available with prior sign up
• December 12 - Winter Concert 6:30pm
• December 23 - January 1 - Winter Break
• January 2 - School resumes

❤ Mrs. Fox

Highlights from Our Short Week!

Hello families,

With the snow day on Tuesday this week absolutely flew by. We celebrated a full heart jar on Monday with a bonus recess. We wrapped up our first big math unit on Thursday and we had an All School Meeting on Friday.

This week in readers workshop we began to focus more on how reading partners work together. We brainstormed lots of ways to problem solve when your partner is not engaged. We learned how partners help encourage each other to try lots of strategies to figure out words. We reviewed how partners think and share about their books by doing something after they read (share a favorite part, retell the story, make a connection to the story).

In writers workshop we are flying through our small moment stories. This week we focused on adding details to help bring our stories to life. We unfreeze characters by making them move and talk. We tell the story in itty bitty steps. We bring the inside out by showing what the characters think and feel. 

Today you should see a blue paper come home with your conference time (it's also posted outside our classroom). If the time given does not work for you please let me know ASAP so I can try to find a time we can meet next Thursday or Friday. I'm excited to share all the progress your child has made this year!

Dates to Remember:

• November 16 - PTO Craft Fair
• November 21- Early Dismissal 11:00; No student activities; Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:45-8
• November 22- Early Dismissal 11:00; No student activities; Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:30-3
• November 25 - 29 - No School for Thanksgiving Break

Have a great weekend!

❤ Mrs. Fox

Highlights of the Week

Hello families,

The Fox Kits have been gaining and extending many skills this week. They are showing more independence and self-regulating behaviors during work time too! This is awesome!

In readers workshop we continue to build good reading habits. This week we focused on why we reread books: to see more and more, to smooth out our voice, to scoop words into phrases. We also reviewed more decoding strategies at the word level: tap to spell, use picture clues, think of a word that makes sense, look for a part you know, be flexible with your vowel sounds (try short and long sounds), take off an ending.

In writers workshop students have been excitedly adding to their small moment stories by adding details to their pictures and words. We talked about the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, proofreading, publishing. Once finished with a story we check that it has all the story elements for a narrative (since small moment stories are really personal narratives) and then do some editing to check for spelling, spacing, letter formation and punctuation. On Friday we had our first "author's chair" where I asked 2 students to read their published stories to the class to highlight skills they did well that the class has been working on in our daily mini-lessons: writing a good beginning to set the scene and writing the story with just one little part on each page to stretch the small moment into a whole story.

We wrapped up unit 2 CVC (consonant-short vowel-consonant) words in FUNdations. Now we're adding digraphs to the mix. Digraphs are multiple letters that stick together to make a different sound. Right now we're working on: wh, th, sh, ch, ck.

We introduced one last concept in our first math unit. Now we're working on combinations. Instead of solving a story problem with just 1 answer, we try to come up with all the possible combinations to solve the story. Here's an example: I have 7 things on my plate. Some are peas. Some are carrots. How many of each could I have? Students use manipulatives (two tone counters, cubes), colors, or pictures to help them find as many combinations as they can. Then they must make a representation and write an equation for each one.

We were excited about the snow this week! It's that time of year to make sure your child comes to school with appropriate outerwear. Please send you child to school each day with: a warm jacket, snow pants, mittens or gloves, a hat, winter boots for outside, sneakers or shoes for inside. Having all of these things makes it easier to have fun in the snow at recess! We do go outside for recess any day we can! If the "feels like" temperature is less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit we do stay indoors that day.

Do you have any old/outgrown coats, boots, snow pants, gloves or mittens? If so, you could donate them to our classroom. When children don't have adequate outerwear they need to borrow some in order to go outside. I keep lockers for extra winter gear for kids to borrow. If you have any old winter wear feel free to send them in as extras for our classroom--they might fit someone else!

On Friday we went to a special presentation: the 6th Grade Circus! It was fun to watch this kid circus and see all the cool circus skills they have learned.

Another special event coming up is Thanksgiving with the Abbey Group. The annual community thanksgiving lunch will be November 14 from 10:50-12:15. Lunch is free for all students and $3.85 (pay at the door) for any family member who wants to attend and eat with their kids. If you want to attend please send back the RSVP slip at the bottom of the notice so they can plan accordingly!

Last week I sent home notices about our upcoming parent/teacher conferences. On Thursday 11/21 conferences run from 11:45 am - 7:30 pm. On Friday 11/22 conferences run from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm.  Time/date preference forms were due today, 11/8. Next week the staff will meet to schedule multi-kid family conferences.If you have multiple children at JFK we do our best to schedule you back-to-back conferences so you only have to come for one block of time in your day. I'll send home your conference time slot on 11/15 once all the scheduling is complete.

Dates to Remember:

• November 13 - PTO Meeting
• November 15 - All School Morning Meeting 8:15
• November 16 - PTO Craft Fair
• November 21- Early Dismissal 11:00; No student activities; Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:45-8
• November 22- Early Dismissal 11:00; No student activities; Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:30-3
• November 25 - 29 - No School for Thanksgiving Break

Have a great weekend!

❤ Mrs. Fox

Highlights from the End of October

Hello families,

Wow, this week whizzed by! We were engaged in lots of new learning this week. 

In readers workshop we are building good reading habits: responding to our reading when we finish a book, making a reading goal for the day and keeping track of how much we read, and rereading to make our voice smooth like talking.

At Library Mr. Gile showed us how he mends books!

In writers workshop we began writing "one time..." or "the first time I..." small moment stories. These are personal narratives stretching out one small moment from our lives into a whole story. We began this unit on Monday zooming into a big feeling we had in our story. Then we told the story counting the parts on our fingers and then did quick sketches to plan our story out. Finally we began to write and illustrate, writing each part of our small moment story on a different page.

In math our focus this week was representing our thinking in addition or subtraction by using a number line. We did lots of "Froggy on the Number line" pages to help us show the parts and whole numbers when we add or subtract.

On Thursday we did a few fun Halloween themed activities. We read Bones by Steve Jenkins and then drew and labeled our own skeleton diagrams. We played a Monster Mash adding game and started a Halloween math packet of simple computation and number patterns. We built skeletons using Q-tips! We also had "boo cheese" sticks and special Halloween snack bags at snack time.

On Friday we finally had our celebration, watching "The Land Before Time: The Big Freeze." We were also excited to have a dinosaur coloring book!

I sent home notices about our upcoming parent/teacher conferences. On Thursday 11/21 conferences run from 11:45 am - 7:30 pm. On Friday 11/22 conferences run from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. If you have multiple children at JFK we do our best to schedule you back-to-back conferences so you only have to come for one block of time in your day. Please fill out the form to let me know if you have a time preference to meet with me. Please return the form by 11/8. I'll send home your conference time slot on 11/15 once all the scheduling is complete.

Dates to Remember:

• November 13 - PTO Meeting
• November 15 - All School Morning Meeting 8:15
• November 17 - PTO Craft Fair
• November 21- Early Dismissal 11:00; No student activities; Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:45-8
• November 22- Early Dismissal 11:00; No student activities; Parent/Teacher Conferences 11:30-3
• November 25 - 29 - No School for Thanksgiving Break

Have a great weekend!

❤ Mrs. Fox