100th day fun!

Weekly Update for the week of Feb 1-5

·      Just a reminder tomorrow is a half-day; dismissal is at 11:45.

·      We are still collecting items for our hundred day trail mix (making tomorrow), send in 100 bite size items with your child.  (Chex Mix, marshmallows, raisins, dried fruit, crackers, or goldfish are all great!)

·      Box Tops are due tomorrow; if you have any at home send them in.  The winning class will get a popcorn party!

·      Thank you Lake family for our tissue supply! ::]

·      Please be on time class each and every day, drop off is from 7:20-7:50. I enjoy starting our day and on time together!

·      It is that time of year when the flu bug and winter cold tend to take their toll.  If your child is not feeling well please take the day with them at home to rest.  If your child is not going to be at school you need to call the front office to excuse their absence. 

·      Please relay all homework associated questions and requests to Mrs. Smith at csmith@archwayarete.org

·      Scholars need to turn in their reading books every Monday so they can receive a new book for the week, they will only be traded out on Mondays.

·      We have been using the COOLEST App, Sky View to check out constellations in the sky.  If you have a chance, download and check it out with your scholar at home!

·      Students will recite their “Sing a Song of People” next week, take some extra time at home over the weekend to review.  A new poem will be sent home shortly.

·      Class picture day on Tuesday, February 2^nd.  Students are expected to be dressed in clean uniforms with no tears or holes. 

·      IMPORTANT!!! We will be reading our next story “A Bargain for Frances” on MONDAY. Send in with your child so they can read along with their own copy.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bargain-for-frances-russell-hoban/1100557737

Great Hearts Day

Friday, February 11^th is Great Hearts Day! We have reserved this special day to focus on the virtue of friendship and having a heart of service. In the classroom, your children will participate in activities and lessons around these topics, and time will be set aside for making Great Hearts Day cards for classmates. These cards are part of the Great Hearts Day tradition of highlighting classmates’ virtuous qualities and invaluable friendship. Further, hand-making cards at school also alleviates the burden on parents to purchase cards. Parent volunteers with a valid fingerprint clearance card on file are welcome to assist in arranging a short afternoon celebration with snacks and activities. Stand by for more information about the afternoon celebration from our lead classroom parent volunteer, Toni. 

Archway Classical Academy does its best to introduce students to an academic culture that leaves popular culture at the door.  The time we have with our students is so valuable, and there are many great ideas, people, music, and art from the ages that we want to introduce them to. Therefore, we will strive to keep the focus of Valentine’s Day on friendship and having a heart of service for others. Students will not be permitted to bring store-bought valentines, candy, or gifts to school on Great Hearts Day. We want students to remember that a good friend is not something one can purchase. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion! 

Math

Next week we will work on adding 3 numbers and start with skip counting as it leads into repeated addition! WOW! The scholars are working hard learning and implementing new concepts.

Literature

IMPORTANT!!! We will be reading our next story “A Bargain for Frances” on MONDAY. Send in with your child so they can read along with their own copy. As we read “A Bargain for Frances” throughout the month of February we will work on sequencing, using our text to support our thoughts, and main idea and details.  We will continue to work on the 4 types of sentences. We have been practicing our fluency at school when reading a loud to Mrs. Smith and myself. It is such a joy to listen to all of them read; I am impressed with the growth shown!  Next week, there will be a fluency passage, each night I would like you to time your child for 1 minute as they read a loud to you.  Circle the last word they read, each night we hope to see growth and more words read.

Science

Continuing through our solar system! Leaning about the moon and its phases.  We will also do a short Neil Armstrong reading.

History

We have had so much fun learning about the ancient tribes that settled into Central America. Students will be locating Mexico and the Rio Grande on a map. We will also be discussing how previous tribes such as the Aztec contributed to the life of modern day Mexico.

A marvelous Monday!

We have been busy today with making 10 to add and subtract, introducing paragraph structure, and reading with friends!

Happy Friday! Weekly Update for week of 01-25-16

·      This is a GREAT link that covers historical content in a “kid friendly” format.  Feel free to check it out!

·      http://www.hulu.com/kids-animated-history-with-pipo

·      We absolutely LOVED reading about Anansi the tricky spider this week!  I would love a class library of them to continue to read from and to use for next year! If you would like to donate to our content library it would be greatly appreciated!

·      http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anansi-and-the-talking-melon-eric-a-kimmel/1103558198?ean=9780823411672

·      http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anansi-and-the-moss-covered-rock-eric-a-kimmel/1100587458?ean=9780823407989

·      http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/anansi-and-the-magic-stick-eric-a-kimmel/1100051448?ean=9780823417636

·      We are in need of large Elmer’s glue sticks; they are like gold around here!

·      Math packet: I have sent home directions and a few pages of practice using the making 10 strategy. The packet can be completed optionally within the next week! 
-100th day of school!!!! We will reach 100 days on January 29th, I would like to make a 100th day trail mix.  If you could send to school 100 pieces of a snack we can combine and make a sweet treat for the day.  Please no nuts. 

·  Get lots of rest, vitamins, and stay healthy families!

History

Onto our next tribe, the Incas! A unit assessment will take place towards the end of next week.  A study guide will be reviewed and sent home on Wednesday prior to the test. 

Science

We love space! The students have leaned about the center of our solar system, the sun, we will continue with stars and constellations next week.  The students will have a chance to make their own constellation! 

Math

We are well into adding and onto subtracting within 40.  Using 2 digit numbers and making 10 to help us solve.  We will continue to work on these skills next week, with an assessment to check for understanding at the end of the week.  Here is a video from Khan Academy (AMAZING RESOURCE), please use to help with understanding at home! https://www.khanacademy.org/math/early-math/cc-early-math-add-sub-20/cc-early-math-add-20/v/adding-within-20

Literature

Again, Anansi was so fun! Next week we will focus on main idea and details using short texts. We will also be writing our first 5-sentence paragraph.  Students will be introduced to paragraph structure, sentence starters, and as a class composing our first 5 sentence paragraph!  I look forward to starting the writing process with our almost 2^nd graders!

1A rocks! 

Making Ten Strategy

Enrichment Project

Thank you scientists, your projects rocked! 

We had a chance to share about our findings this morning!

Friday Fun!

Chargers Spirit! 

Art Class today: Degas Dancers

Thursday Update

·      No School Monday.

·      If your child chose to complete the optional volcano experiment the final project display is due on Tuesday, they will then share all about their findings!

·      DENIM DAY tomorrow! Students can wear their jeans and a Chargers shirt or uniform.

·      Homework reading books are due on Tuesday, this way Mrs. Smith can swap them out! Don’t forget to place the laminated sheet inside, this way we can keep track of their previous reads.

Next Week:

Math- Students continue to work with numbers to 40.  We will be adding and subtracting double digit numbers by using the “making ten” strategy.  This concept will take time to initially develop, please take the time to talk and review math homework nightly.  I will also send home a resource page to better explain the strategy that we will be using to solve.

Science- We will wrap up our geology unit with shared optional projects and study guides.  Students will bring home study guides on Tuesday to review the 3 types of rocks, layers of the earth, and volcanoes.  To end the week we start our exciting solar system unit with introducing the sun! I look forward to exploring our solar system together!

History- Continuing onto our next ancient civilization tribe, the Aztec.  We will learn about their gradual development in southern and central Mexico.  Scholars will also learn about their vast empire, it’s capital of Tenochtitlan, and their emperor, Moctezuma.

Literature- We will be reading Anansi! Anansi is a trickster tale from Africa.  Featuring Anansi, a sneaky and sly spider.  Now that we have some non-fiction knowledge about spiders we will be reading a fictional text.  Students will continue to work on sequencing, character analysis, and text to self-connections.   

Mayan Salt Map!