Newsletter: March 23

Next Week's Specials:

Monday - STEAM

Tuesday - Music

Wednesday - Art, Library

Thursday - PE

Friday - No School

Coming Up...

• Bring a Poem to Read to Class: Tuesday, March 27
• Read and Feed/PJ Day: Thursday, March 29
• Spring Break: March 30-April 6 (School Resumes April 9)
• Early Release: Friday, April 13, 12:15 pm dismissal (Wear your Bauer T-shirts) 
• Marco’s Pizza Night: Tuesday, April 17 (Don’t forget to mention you are from Bauer and your classroom teacher's name) 
• Mother/Son Bowling: Thursday, April 19

Reading: 

This week our focus was on researching all about turtles for our writing unit.   

Writing:

We finished our All About Foxes book on Monday and then began our All About Turtles book.  We began planning for the book about turtles by making a web of all the things we had learned.  Next, each student chose four facts to include in his/her book about turtles.  Then, each student used the web to create his/her table of contents and write the pages of his/her book.  We are close to being done with our books about turtles.  Next week, each student will choose his/her own topic to write about!   

They are finishing up our shared book about foxes by adding pictures and non-fiction text features such as headings and labels.  

Our non-fiction web about turtles

Word Study:

This week we learned four different spellings for /igh/ and four different sounds for the letter Y.

Math:

This week in math, we focused on partners of 10, making the number 13 using a ten and extra ones, and solving a subtraction story problem.  

Using a Rekenrek to show partners of 10

Using a Math Mountain to show partners of 10

Using counters to show partners of 10

Showing the number 13 as a ten and extra ones

Solving a subtraction story problem

Newsletter: March 16

Next Week's Specials:

Monday - PE

Tuesday - STEAM

Wednesday - Music, Library

Thursday - Art

Friday - PE

Coming Up...

• Dress Like a Movie Character/Book Fair Preview: Monday, March 19
• Parent/Teacher Conferences: March 20
• Book Fair Purchase: Wednesday, March 21
• Book Fair Ends/Wear Eagle Pride Day: Friday, March 23
• Read and Feed/PJ Day: Thursday, March 29
• Spring Break: March 30-April 6 (School Resumes April 9)

Reading: 

We are working on strategies for tricky words.  We also continue to focus on non-fiction text.   

Writing:

This week we began writing an informational book, All About Foxes, as a class.  First, we read a book about foxes.  Next, we shared all of the information that we learned and planned each page.  Then, we wrote the sentences.  Now, we are in the process of adding illustrations and text features.  Next week we will finish this book and then each student will begin to write his/her own informational book.  

Word Study:

This week we learned four different spellings for /j/.  

Math:

This week in math, we focused on flat (2D) shapes and solid (3D) shapes.  We learned that flat shapes have sides and vertices, and solid shapes have edges, faces, and vertices.  The solid shapes we are learning about are sphere, cube, cone, and cylinder.  

Newsletter: March 9

Next Week's Specials:

Monday - Art

Tuesday - PE

Wednesday - STEAM, Library

Thursday - Music

Friday - Art

Coming Up...

• Dress For a Job You'd Like to Have Day: Monday, March 12
• Jet's Pizza Night: Tuesday, March 13 (Don't forget to mention Bauer and my name when ordering.)
• Bauer Parent Club Meeting: Tuesday, March 13 @ 7:00pm
• Parent/Teacher Conferences: March 14 and 20
• Mismatch Day or Wear Green Day/Popcorn Day: Friday, March 16
• Dress Like a Movie Character/Book Fair Preview: Monday, March 19
• Book Fair Purchase: Wednesday, March 21
• Book Fair Ends/Wear Eagle Pride Day: Friday, March 23
• Read and Feed/PJ Day: Thursday, March 29
• Spring Break: March 30-April 6 (School Resumes April 9)

Reading: 

We continue to focus on non-fiction text in Reading Workshop.  This week we focused on comparing and contrasting two different non-fiction books on the same topic.  

One of our special March is Reading Month activities this week was Reading Buddies.  Mrs. Rich's third grade students were our buddies.  

Writing:

This week we focused on telling how-to do something using four steps (with the transition words first, next, then, and last.)  We wrapped up our unit by coloring some of our pictures and sharing our writing with each other.  

Word Study:

This week we learned four different spellings for /u/.  

Math:

This week in math, we focused on making a teen number using a ten and extra ones.  I gave them a ten-strip of pennies as a new tool to try if they would like.  You can see an example of the ten-strip of pennies in the photo below.  But, there are still many tools in their bins to choose from, such as the ten frames that one partnership chose to use (as seen in the photo).  We also use "talking stems" during math workshop.  "Talking stems" are really just sentence starters that help them explain to their partner how they solved the problem.   

Newsletter: March 2

Next Week's Specials:

Monday - Art

Tuesday - PE

Wednesday - STEAM, Library

Thursday - Music

Friday - Music

Coming Up...

• Read Your Shirt Day: Monday, March 5
• Early Release/Flashlight Friday: Friday, March 9, 12:15pm dismissal, wear Bauer T-shirt, bring a flashlight for reading
• Dress For a Job You'd Like to Have Day: Monday, March 12
• Jet's Pizza Night: Tuesday, March 13 (Don't forget to mention Bauer and my name when ordering.)
• Bauer Parent Club Meeting: Tuesday, March 13 @ 7:00pm
• Parent/Teacher Conferences: March 14 and 20
• Mismatch Day or Wear Green Day/Popcorn Day: Friday, March 16
• Dress Like a Movie Character/Book Fair Preview: Monday, March 19
• Book Fair Purchase: Wednesday, March 21
• Book Fair Ends/Wear Eagle Pride Day: Friday, March 23
• Read and Feed/PJ Day: Thursday, March 29
• Spring Break: March 30-April 6 (School Resumes April 9)

March is Reading Month:

Thanks to all who came to Reading Night this week!  It was great to see so many families from our Kindergarten class!  

All of the teachers at Bauer decorated their doors to help celebrate March is Reading Month.  The theme for the month is "Roll Out the Red Carpet for Reading."  Each teacher had to choose a book that was made into a movie.  The theme for our door comes from the book, Horton Hears a Who.  Below is a picture of it for those of you who weren't able to make it to Reading Night.  

A "Roll Out the Red Carpet for Reading" March calendar was sent home in your child's Friday Folder.  You will want to keep it handy or post it on your refrigerator.  We have lots of fun activities planned for school and home!

Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday!  To celebrate, we read The Cat in the Hat and made hats to wear.  Here is a photo of the kids with their hats!

Reading: 

We continue to focus on non-fiction text in Reading Workshop.  This week we focused on using details to help us understand more about the topic.  Here are some details that we learned about baby squirrels...   

Writing:

We continue to work on How-To writing.  This week, we brainstormed topics and each student used his/her own idea and wrote the steps.  So far, we have focused on telling how-to do something using just three steps (with the transition words first, next, and last.)  Next week we will learn more transition words and expand our writing into more steps.   

Word Study:

This week we had a special visitor!  Ms. Nora came to help us with a Word Study lesson.  Nora Chahbazi is the creator of the EBLI program which we use every day for our Word Study lessons.  EBLI stands for Evidenced-Based Literacy Instruction.  It was such a special treat to have her with us!  One photo below shows Ms. Nora teaching and the other shows our /s/ word sort from this week.  

Math:

This week in math, we focused on finding partners of 10.  We learned a new strategy, called "math mountains" to find the partners.  But, there are many strategies that the kids can use as you can see from the photos.  We also focused on finding the greater number and the lesser number in story problems.