Fate/Waller's Class News:

We have been continuing on our journey learning all about the U.S.A.!! On Monday during centers Mrs. Waller read a U.S.A. symbols book with the children.  The children they had to go back and reread to find the answers to the comprehension questions.  With Miss Fate the children worked in their theme notebooks learning all about George Washington & working on locations and map skills.  The children wrote in the their journals about the Lincoln Memorial and then they illustrated a picture to go along with it.   Then, independently they filled out an All About America Poster activity sheet.

Learning about George Washington

Lincoln Memorial Journal Writing

On Tuesday, this week during centers the children worked on Guided Reading with Mrs. Waller.  Each group read different stories.  Some of the stories included: California or Bust, Fox & his Friends, & Julius & Moving Day.  Then, they each did different follow up activities.  Some of the activities were listening to their voice through PVC piping, reading to a partner, reading with the teacher using different decoding strategies and sequencing the story.
With Miss Fate the children did a guided lesson on putting the states in alphabetical order. Each child was given about 10 states and they had to put them in ABC order... on their own first.  Then, we worked together to put them in a pocket chart altogether in the correct order. All 50 of them!  We used our Fifty Nifty United States Song to help us ;)  Independently, the kids worked with the iPads and played with the app Rocket Math.  They worked with the money lesson and then they were responsible for recording down the information after they played.  The children also practiced Spelling independently by placing magnetic letters on the board and then writing them down three times each on a piece of paper.

Rocket Math App if you don't have this app you should download it for your iPad.  The kids love it!!  They are learning so much from it!

Celebrating Luke's half birthday with a yummy treat!

On Wednesday this week the children worked on reading with Mrs. Waller.  With Miss Fate they played American Jingo.  The kids also practiced their speeches.  Independently, the children worked in their phonics books on long vowels.  They also listened to the story Sacajawea in a listening center.  We even had a tornado drill and the kids new exactly what to do.....(probably from their traumatic experience last year)  They did a great job!

On Thursday, we had our first rehearsal practice with the other class and with our piano accompanist... Lamar Sims.  He is playing the piano for us and helping us sing the USA songs for our program.  They are doing a wonderful job!  So, because we had practice in the morning we only had time for a  couple of centers.  Mrs. Waller continued guided reading and activities with the children.  Miss Fate finished up their symbol books with the kids and then they heard the listening center "Groundhog Gets A Say!"

one group did this follow up activity...

other groups they summarized the story using a film strip...

Groundhog story!

TNT- (TRY NEW THINGS)

The kids watched a video clip on Groundhog Day from www.discoveryeducation.com.  We predicted if we think the Groundhog will see his shadow.  15 children said yes!  3 said no!  We will soon find out.  We all made Groundhog Day Puppets that turned out really cute. (see below)  We read the story "Groundhog Day" by Margaret McNamara.

Last years example :)

Our Groundhog Day Puppets....Will he see his shadow?  Will there be 6 more weeks of Winter?

Social Studies

-Thank you again for the wonderful paper dolls!!!!!

WE LOVED SHARING OUR CITIZENSHIP PAPERS THEY ARE HANGING IN THE PRIMARY COMMONS OUTSIDE OUR DOOR....COME CHECK THEM OUT!

THE KIDS LIKED SHOWING OFF OUR PAPER DOLLS...WE FOUND OUT THAT MANY OF THE SUPPLIES CAME FROM HOBBY LOBBY, MICHAELS, OR A FABRIC STORE. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE TALENT OUR PARENTS HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO CRAFTS!!! THEY ARE HANGING IN THE COMMONS BY THE SPANISH ROOM ALONG WITH THE QR CODES.  COME CHECK OUT THE QR CODES THEY ARE UP & READY FOR YOU TO TRY!!!  

We also watched the Hooray for the U.S.A. video from last year so the children can see what their program will look like in the next couple of weeks.  The kids enjoyed watching the Puppet Pals that their friends had recorded.

Miss Fate testing out the QR codes with her phone & she is even dressed like one :)

WE LOVED LEARNING ALL ABOUT ALL THE FAMOUS AMERICANS IT WAS SO COOL!! WE WILL PUT THEIR REPORTS OUT THE DAY OF THE PROGRAM FOR YOU TO READ.  THEN, WE WILL PUT THEIR GRADES & REPORTS IN THEIR MEMORY BOOKS FOR THE END OF THE YEAR. 

Math

--Miss Fate has been continuing with working with tens and ones. For instance: 70=____tens ex: 95=____tens _____ones, we did some patterns and word problems in the theme pages as well.

Miss Fate also taught the children how to add 2,3,4, digit numbers together with 2,3,4 digits.


They also learned how to subtract 2,3,4, digits from 2,3,4 digits without carrying.


Another fun thing we learned was how to add 10 single digits at once by grouping two numbers together and then adding them onto the next two numbers.


We are also adding with missing addends. For instance: 40 +____=48, 62+____=65


We did problems such as 4+(9+0), 5+(2+2) Can you believe all this math?? Try some of this with your child at home.


iPad to reinforce coin recognition.

Stamping the money amount for example 62 cents.

2 digit addition with dominoes

Touch the pennies as fast as you can....what is your score?

They have to record the answers to prove to us they are not just playing around on the iPads ;)

 Hands on Science:
In Science today we learned all about the Wright Brothers and airplanes.  Then, we made our own Roto-Copters with Mrs. Wiedeman & Mrs. Waller.  It was so much fun we got to drop this simple paper toy and watch it spin through the air like a mini-helicopter.  We even took them to the top of the stairwell to drop them since we couldn't go outside to see them fly high!

Target hit!  Good job Janey!

Mrs. Waller demonstrating the drop...

Ready, Set, Go!!!

iPads for Computer Lab time:
With Miss Fate & Ms. Lorfing today we went on a QR Scan Scavenger Hunt.  We had planned to use the iPads to scan our friends codes.  However, we had to practice our life skills: patience, flexibility and perseverance.  The iPads were not allowing us to play the QR codes after we scanned them so we used cell phones in groups.   This worked and their task was they had to scan the QR code and then they had to listen to the recording and write the who the Famous American was and why they were famous.  They didn't get very far so they could finish this if they want at home for fun.

 

We celebrated William's 8th Birthday today!  The cupcakes were so big with tons of icing!  Yummy!

Spelling
New Spelling Words: write, top, room, under, fast, hill, know, use, let, place
Challenge: February, valentine, groundhog, Missouri
Surprise the teacher word!!!!!!!  ???

Reminders:
***PRACTICE YOUR SPEECH WITH EXPRESSION & VOLUME!  Please practice your child's part and if they have an extra part for our program with your child!!  We had about five children in our class that did not know their speech and we have been working on them at school too.  We really need your help at home.

*Please bring in a shoebox for your child for Valentine's Day.  It can be plain, decorated or wrapped; it is your choice.  It must have a slot on the top, the box should be able to open, the bigger size shoebox the better (it needs to hold 50 valentines). It also needs your child's first & last name on the top of it. (please don't bring into school until the week of February 6th) 

February 14th-*On Valentine's Day you can bring in valentines for both classes (total of 43 kids & 4 teachers) please do not write people's names on them just have your child sign their names (this will make it easier to pass them out to both classes)
*Valentine's Day Party on February 14th from 2:00-3:00pm

*Hooray for the U.S.A. performance Thursday, February 16th @9:20am in the stage MPR (children dress as their Famous American on this day) Parents are welcome to come back to our room and check out the QR codes on their Famous American Paper Dolls, Puppet Pals, their Citizenship Scrolls, and their Famous American Reports.  Children will enjoy a special USA treat provided by the room mothers.

Please stay healthy and have a very good weekend! 
Mrs. Waller and Miss Fate!