Elementary II January Blogpost

It’s hard to believe that this is the last week of January – this month has flown by!  The children have re-adjusted to the routine well and have enjoyed reuniting with each other.  We are so excited about the new additions to our classroom – a new fourth grade student and Ms. Dola.  It is wonderful to have an extra pair of hands to help everyone learn.

We are currently preparing for our exploration of Europe (for the Multicultural Festival) by studying maps and the globe.  So far, our studies have included a review of the continents and major oceans, and the lines of latitude and longitude.  We’ve also used our outdoor classroom to learn about coniferous and deciduous trees.  Everyone is working at their own pace in language arts and math, but some of the topics being covered are: types of graphs, word problem clue words, estimation, possessive nouns, and pronouns.We have a few parent work hours available right now.  There are 3 of our classroom chairs that are in need of simple repairs.  (The chairs could most likely be repaired with wood glue.)  Please let me know if you are willing to help out.

Important Reminders:

• Keep reading with your child for at least 20 minutes each night and help him/her record it in the reading log in his/her yellow folder.  This is very important to help build a sense of responsibility, plus it’s the only regular “homework” that they have.
• It is also important for the children to build responsibility by bringing their yellow folders to school each day.  I check their reading logs regularly, and use their yellow folders as a key source of communication.
• Scholastic Book Orders are due Friday, January 31st.  The children are already looking forward to getting their books!  Plus, every book you order gives our class bonus points that help build our classroom library.

Thank you for everything you do.  It is a joy to work with your children and watch them grow every day!