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One more week to go....

9/30/2017

With just one more week to go of 1st quarter, students have been working very hard reflecting on their growth...and boy have they grown!!! With my help, students used various assessments and their iReady scores to set goals for themselves for next quarter.

Here is a summary of what happened in our classroom:

In Langauge Arts...

During RTI, students are learning how to participate in small-group instruction. Using leveled readers, 5 to 6 students work together in a group at a time. During this time students are engaged in pre-reading activities, this may involve activating prior knowledge, setting the learning objectives, going on a picture walk before reading, predicting, asking questions, etc... Then students are asked to read the text quietly to themselves. We stop from page to page to discuss comprehension and other specific skills a reading group is working on or focus on a specific learning need. I may tap a child "on and off" during their reading just for me to listen into. This is to check for fluency. Students may volunteer to read out loud for the group if the objective is to model fluency, otherwise, taking turns reading out loud is not a common practice during small-group instruction in D103. Research has shown that this type of reading has no student benefit. Students end up doing less of the reading themselves (since they're listening-in much of the time), student should be accountable for the entire text, and it can be a humiliating experience for many.
As an extension from last week's Wonders curriculum, students revisited the following essential question: How do families work together? Students then answered the following question: How does my family work together? Students created tree maps to organize their family members with post-its and including each member's contributions to the family. With the tree map helping them to organize their thinking, students then answered the questions about how their family works together using Q.A.D.E.
In writing, students are publishing their writing. This quarter students learned that writing is a process that takes a lot of time. Let's recap the writing process students went through this quarter. They started with a circle map and a one-day event idea and jotted down any relevant idea that came to mind. Using their circle map, students thought of three "big ideas" about their one-day event they wanted to elaborate more on. Then they created flow maps. There flow maps helped them to sequence their ideas in chronological order with an introduction and a conclusion. Then students learned about transition words and how it helps to organize thoughts, so they added those, where appropriate, on their flow maps. Students then create a draft. They conferenced with me, got feedback, drafted again or published with revisions. Students learned a very important thing this quarter: Writing is a process that only improves with each revision or draft they make.

In math...

We reviewed time to the hour and half hour. Students used mini geared clocks to see how the hour hand is affected as the minute hand moved around the clock to the half hour. It was emphasized how the hour hand is in the middle of 4 and 5 when the time is 4:30 and how we do not draw the hour hand at 4.
We also reviewed the double strategy and the near-double strategy to reinforce mental math addition.
Using their knowledge of place value, students compared three-digit numbers using greater than or less than language, then practiced with the symbols (< and >). As a next step, students then ordered a set of three or more three-digit numbers from least to greatest or greatest to least.
Students learned about another mental math strategy, adding or subtracting 10 or 100 to any given number. We first used base-ten blocks to show how a number like 756 changes when you subtract or add 10, then add or subtract 100. Students learned to apply some mental math strategies here to be more efficient.

In Social Studies...

Students were put into groups and began to develop and create their skits about Stranger Danger. In 2nd quarter they will be created a public service announcements for the younger 1st graders and kindergarteners to educate them on how to stay safe in risky situations.

REMINDERS AND ANNOUCEMENTS

I will be at another training on Monday and Tuesday 10/2-10/3. This training is about phonics and reading instruction and will allow me to implement many wonderful and new strategies in the classroom. Mrs. Uson will be the substitute again. Tuesday is resource day, so they will spend majority of the day rotating through different resources classes anyway. I have a full day of instruction planned on Monday and for the portion of the day they are in D103 on Tuesday.
A pink Parent/Teacher Conference Forms appointment form went home on Thursday. Please mark your calendars for your child's conference time.

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Another Week of 1st Quarter!

9/23/2017

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It's hard to believe that 1st quarter is almost coming to an end. Last week the children got to meet their buddies in Ms. Alejandro's fourth grade class. They were so excited to share a four-corners card they made to introduce themselves to their buddy. They decorated an index card's four corners with four of their favorite things (color, food, animal, and thing about Ho`okele). Their buddy did the same. It was wonderful to see the children interact with the fourth graders.

Here is a summary of what happened in our classroom:

In Langauge Arts...

Response to Intervention (RTI) started this week. Basically, this is class time devoted to small-group instruction and also for differentiated and targeted instruction for students' various needs.
Using our Wonders curriculum, this week students read expository text. Our essential question was How do Families Work Together? Using text from Wonders, we read about two families, the Yung Family and the Gelder Family. In the Yung Household, both parents have jobs and both the children and parents pitch in with chores around the house. The Gelders owns a family farm, so their routines are very different, however, both families work together to get things done. As two separate activities, students created tree maps for both stories to classify the jobs or chores each member of the family does. Later using these maps, students used Q.A.D.E. to answer the following constructed-response questions: How does the Yung family work together? How does the Gelder Family work together?
In writing, students finished their flow maps and have begun to draft their writing. They are finding out how their flow maps are really helping them with the organization process! In Writing Workshop, we worked on the trait of Organization. After hearing and discussing the value of different types of transition words, the children went back to included appropriate transitions in their flow maps, such as first of all, next, secondly, last of all, finally, etc...
Thus far in quarter 1, our read-aloud selection included the following chapter books: The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith (which the children really enjoyed because of the humor, the wit, and the suspense!!!), I am Harriet Tubman by Grace Norwich (which was not only very informative and gave students a lot of background knowledge of American history and the tireless work to create a better America, but was also very inspirational for us all). We are working on our next chapter book... The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. This is a very special story to me. I shared with the students a personal story this week of myself as an early reader. I was in 2nd grade and I use to tell my dad I hated to read and I wasn't good at it. One day my teacher gave me a book order and I begged my dad to buy me a fuzzy diary with matching animal pen and that was all I wanted. My dad insisted that he also buy a book since it's a book order. He chose for me The Boxcar Children #1. I was pretty much forced to read it. But I soon discovered I loved it! Later on in life, I also discovered something else very important, and this I shared with the children as well...children don't hate to read and it's not that they're not good at it...it's that they just haven't found the right books yet. For me it was The Boxcar Children. These books did it for me. I got hooked! Encourage your children to explore different genres until they find the right fit!

In math...

Students were introduced to three-digit numbers with internal 0 and teens. They first represented these numbers using the most concrete method with base-10 blocks. In this way students could physically touch and manipulate the number. Next, they represented these numbers using more abstract methods like base-ten pictures, then finally using symbols like numbers, digits, and representing the number in various ways such as expanded form, number name, and place value.
Students explored the relative position of three-digit numbers on a number line. Then they explored the concept of a thousand. We will be continuing this through the next week.

REMINDERS AND ANNOUCEMENTS

I will be at a training Monday and Tuesday 9/25-9/26. Mrs. Uson will be the substitute. I have a full day of learning planned for the children.
Parent/Teacher Conference Forms went home the other week. They were due on Thursday. If you have not turned them in to me or a sibling's teacher, you must do so on Monday. If you need a new form, let me know and I can get on Monday. Teachers will be meeting on Wednesday to schedule conferences for students who have siblings and afterwards children with no siblings will be scheduled. Thank you for you cooperation. Forms are needed to do so.

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Spirit Week!!!

9/16/2017

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As a busy 1st quarter is soon coming to an end, Spirit Week sure helped to boost our spirits and give us that little extra zest in our days this week. I loved seeing all the different festive attire this week!!!

Here is a summary of what happened in our classroom:

In Langauge Arts...

The genre this week was focused on narrative nonfiction. Students read a Time For Kids Text about taking care of animals. They learned that narrative nonfiction is about real people, things, or events; is told by a narrator; and has text features. They explored some text features such as captions and photos and discussed how they can be used to locate key information in text more efficiently.
Using a flow map, students identified key events in a text they read and learned how to sequence the events in order. They created their own flow maps with large printer paper and post-it for the text Taking Care of Pepper.
In writing, students are continuing to work on their chronological narratives. They are adding more details to their flow maps by adding elaborative sentences or "tell me more" sentences. Using a flow map will help students to keep their ideas organized so when it's time for publishing there should be a nice flow or sequence of events.
We continue to practice using Q.A.D.E. when responding to text. This week we used highlighting strategies to examine student samples. Students highlighted the different components of Q.A.D.E. We looked at some exemplar work and students gave specific feedback on things that were done well.

In math...

Students reviewed time on-the-hour and were introduced to time half-past the hour. They learned the various ways to say and write a given time. For example, 7:30, thirty minutes after 7, half-past seven, or seven thirty. And of course students practiced with drawing the hour hand and the minute hand properly on the analog clock.
Reviewing the doubling strategy, students were introduced to near-doubles like 4+5, 9+8, and 7+5. Applying their knowledge of double facts, students practiced to fluently add near-double facts when solving word problems. When problem solving, students also practiced using the C.U.B.E.S. strategy: Circle the numbers, Underline the question, Box the keywords, Evaluate and draw, Solve and check.

In Social Studies...

Students have been listening to various stories and watching various videos about "Stranger Danger" and becoming experts on the topic. They have been learning to take three-column notes. The first column for their question, the second column for their answer, and the last column for their source. As they take notes about the topic, they continue to learn and answer the following question: How can we keep ourselves and others safe from strangers in our community?

REMINDERS AND ANNOUCEMENTS

Picture taking is this coming Wednesday 9/20 at 10:35. Students do not need to wear their uniform on that day. Appropriate dress code still applies. Students will have indoor recess that morning.
Turkey Trot forms were sent home on Friday. Please check homework folders.
Mrs. Bogoyo (our librarian) will be coming to our classroom this coming Monday to do a lesson with the children, but there will be no borrowing of books this coming week.
Thank you Mr. Nett (Macy's Dad) for advocating for our 2nd grade students who now have physical activity every week on Tuesdays! Since 2nd grade is so large this year and our PE teacher is unable to accommodate all classes every week, hence we have an A and B rotation. I shared Mr. Nett's concern with administration and now every week our 2nd grade students who are off of PE rotation will participate in an indoor physical activity class called "Go Noodle." So all students can wear shoes every Tuesday now.

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Another busy week!

9/9/2017

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Here is a summary of what happened in our classroom:

In Langauge Arts...

We will be taking a break from our categorical narrative about summer activities. We will come back to that writing piece at a later time this quarter. Students have been working really hard this week on a new chronological-narrative writing piece. Students were asked to chose a one-day event that they recently experienced to focus on. They created circle maps to help them brainstorm and participated in collaborative conversations with peers about their circle maps to help generate more ideas. Then they began to write their first sentences of their narratives using a flow-map chart to help them sequence their ideas.
This week students spent a lot of time practicing how to respond to a question by answering it in a complete sentence, providing sufficient details, and text evidence. Students used Q.A.D.E. to help them follow all these steps. We practiced this with constructed-response-type questions to the various picture books we read this week.

In math...

In math, students used number lines to compare two-digit numbers. They learned the number with the farther distance away from zero is the larger number. Students then explored empty number lines. Students learned an empty number line can be a valuable and flexible tool when comparing numbers. Later in the week, time to the hour was introduced using analog and digital clocks. Students learned how to properly write the time on an analog clock with the hour hand being shorter than the minute hand. They also learned how to correctly write the time as shown: 8 o`clock.

In Social Studies...

We had a very informative presentation with Officer Lloyd and his Officer Friends. Students learned many important "Stranger Danger" do's and don'ts. Here are some Rules to Live By...
- Only play in SAFE places
- NEVER play in an unfamiliar place
- Have a friend go with you when you play
- Don't stay our after dark
- NEVER go ANYWHERE without your parent or guardian's permission
- ALWAYS check in with mom and/or dad before changing locations, or if late

REMINDERS AND ANNOUCEMENTS

Please return all library books on Monday (Tomorrow), as we will be borrowing again on 9/11. Our regular Library Schedule will be every Monday. The last two weeks were adjusted due to our field trip and the Labor Day Holiday.
PE for group B-please wear shoes and comfortable clothing on Tuesday

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A month already!

9/2/2017

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The children enjoyed our field trip to see the Ballad of Mulan. It was exciting for them to be an audience member in a live production with music, song, and dance. Some students had prior knowledge of the Disney version of Mulan and with this version we compared both stories. It was great to see students so engaged and showing an appreciation for the arts.

Here is a summary of what happened in our classroom:

In Langauge Arts...

We began our first writing piece this week with brainstorming on a circle map all our ideas of things we enjoy doing during the summer. The genre of writing this quarter will be a categorical narrative. As students shared their ideas, they created their own circle maps. Some of the ideas included going to the beach, library, camping, playing school, hiking, watching movies, making smores, pool, water balloons fights, sleepovers, etc.. The next day students created a tree map with the following two categories: indoor activities & outdoor activities and classified all their ideas into two categories. Next week students will be working on picking two activities they enjoy most from each category to elaborate on.
Using a tree map, students identified and classified story elements such as characters, setting, and events in the stories we read this week. They learned how to determine a main character from a supporting character. They also learned that the setting includes both time and place and is likely to change throughout the story.
During grammar lessons, students are practicing to capitalize and end their sentences with the proper punctuation. They are also identifying whether a sentence is a statement, a question, or a command. They learned how to find root words and can identify inflectional endings such as ed, ing, s, & es.

In math...

Using our Stepping Stones curriculum, students learned about number lines and number tracks and can distinguish between the two. They used number lines to help them determine nearby multiples of 10. Using a number line, students could see whether a number like 37 was closer to 30 or 40.

In Social Studies...

We kicked off our "Stranger Danger" Project-Based-Learning Unit. A letter was sent home that details the unit more specifically. So far students have watched some age-appropriate short news clips of children in their community who almost became victims of "stranger danger" but acted in a safe way and prevented themselves from getting harmed. Not intended to scare the children, but rather these lessons and videos will be used to bring to light the realities of the situation. Ultimately we all want our children to make smart choices and behave safely in risky situation.

REMINDERS AND ANNOUCEMENTS

No School Monday Labor Day Holiday
No oral reading fluency and skills pack this coming week
We will NOT be doing U1, W4 spelling list this coming week. Instead it will be an adjusted list Ul, W3 Review Words. The list will come home with the children on Monday
Please return all library books on Tuesday 9/5, as we will be borrowing again
PE for group A-please wear shoes and comfortable clothing on Tuesday

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One more week to go....

Another Week of 1st Quarter!

Spirit Week!!!

Another busy week!

A month already!

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