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Second quater is coming to a close!! WHAT?!? When did this time pass?! Assessments are in full swing in all subject areas, including math and working with teen numbers, describing shapes and counting to at least 40. In writing he/she will be expected to write 1-2 sentences on his or her own, with sight words and phonetic spelling, matching the picture that he/she drew. In reading, sounding out short words, counting syllables in words, producing rhyming words and finally, all children must read and pass the first level of guided reading books in just 3 short weeks from now!
Level "B",  or 1-2 books, are FULL of sight words and repetative sentences. Your child should catch on to the pattern quite easily by this point in the school year.  
If your child is already doing these things, please refer to the resouces I'm sending home throughout these weeks so to always keep them interested, engaged and challenged! It's what we feel is of the utmost importance in the classroom, too! If you volunteer, you won't see many children working on the same task for this very reason :)

FYI, we have Guidance this week.

Here are some important dates to jot down:
Wednesday, November 27th: Our Classroom "Friendly Feast" in celebratoin of
                                  Thanksgiving. Families are invited!! 12:30-1:30

November 28-29: Thanksgiving Holiday, no school

Wednesday, December 4th: Report Cards are sent home. Merry Christmas!!! 
                                 Happy Track Out!!!!


Here's what we are up to in our busy classroom this week!

Thematic Unit: Veterans & Community Helpers

Readers Study Patterns in Books (big and small)

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content. Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning the verb to duck).

Use the most frequently occurring inflections and aaffixes (e.g., -ed, -s, un, pre, -ful, -less) as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word. (in speaking and shared language activites)

With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings. Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites (antonyms).

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single syllable spoken words.

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.


Writing for Readers: Writing TRUE stories

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.


With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and strrengthen writing as needed.

I hope the resources I've been sending home are shedding more light on the development of writing!

Shapes, shapes, shapes

Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size

Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, "flat") or three-dimensional ("solid").

Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/"corners") and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length).

Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.


I hope you have a fantastic week!!!!

 
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Oh, well, pregnancy brain slipped into my life last week! I didn't write a  blog for you!! Please accept my apologies!

I sent home interims on Friday for those children who are currently receiving a 1 or 2 in reading, writing or math, or in work habits and conduct. If you didn't receive one, your child is currently on benchmark in all areas!
Just a reminder that you should be practicing the GREEN sight word list nightly! We are working very hard on our sight words because all children must read and pass the first level of guided reading books by the first of December! This is a level B, or 1-2. These 1-2 books are FULL of sight words!!
Even if your child has surpassd the first couple of lists in his/her sight word book, these are vital sight words to practice and practice....and practice some more!

FYI, we have PE this week :) Wear sneakers every day!


Here are some important dates to jot down:
Thursday, November 7th: Dave the Bird Man visits WSES
                              Annual Math and Science Night at WSES

Friday, Novmeber 8th: Early Release

Wednesday, November 27th: Our Classroom "Friendly Feast" in celebratoin of
                                  Thanksgiving.
Families are invited!! 12:30-1:30

November 28-29: Thanksgiving Holiday, no school

Wednesday, December 4th: Report Cards are sent home. Merry Christmas!!! 
                                 Happy Track Out!!!!


Here's what we are up to in our busy classroom this week!

Thematic Unit: Community Helpers

Readers study patterns in books and talk about them in our community

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single syllable spoken words.

Iso)late and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words * (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. Read common high frequency words by sight (e.g., the, to, you, she, my, is, are, do)

With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or plieces of information in a text.

Writing with opinions
Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book.

With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

Compose and Decompose numbers 11-19

Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, countout that many objects.

Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.

Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals

Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 18 is 10 and 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.

I hope you have a wonderful week!






 
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Our town meeting was so much fun this morning! The Fuquay-Varina Fire Department visited WSES! For a minute, we thought they had to leave to answer a call, but thankfully, it was cancelled.
We snapped a quick shot of these cuties before we came back to the room and shared our favorite parts of their visit, as well as something cool we learned, with our reading buddies! "Wow!" "That's Cool!" Did you know that these are the same practices and phrases we are using in literacy after reading together!

 
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How much fun was the field trip to Marbles?!?! SO MUCH FUN! I was truly impressed with the kiddos knowledge when we went to the classroom for their Global class! All they have learned in Global literacy here at WSES show cased beautifully and I think the Marbles instructor was very surprised! They recognized many flags and countries names from all over our world! Thank you to our volunteers for their attendance and help! It made the trip much more enjoyable for your students' teachers :)

I'm sending home a GREEN sight word list! We are working very hard on our sight words because all children must read and pass the first level of guided reading books by the first of December! This is a level B, or 1-2. This book is FULL of sight words!!
I have singled out several words and typed a list on GREEN paper that are important to know this quarter! These are the most important words to read to be able to pass the level B or 1-2 book by December! 
Even if your child has surpassd the first couple of lists in his/her sight word book, these are vital sight words to practice and practice....and practice some more! Each child is getting this GREEN list no matter how far he/she has gotten in his/her sight word book.  I will be assessing these words often here at school, so remember to PRACTICE at home!!!

FYI, we have ART this week :)



Here are some important dates to jot down:
Friday, October 25th: 9:20 am Awards Rally!! (If your student is receiving an award, I sent a letter home to your family!)

Friday, October 25th: Spooky Spider Centers! 1:30-3:00pm Make sure to sign up or donate as you can!!

October 28-November 1: Spirit Week! (Check your flyer that was sent home last week for day-to-day specifics!)

Thursday, November 7th: Annual Math and Science Night at WSES

Friday, Novmeber 8th: Early Release


Here's what we are up to in our busy classroom this week!

Thematic Unit: Apples & Scarecrows

Readers use everything they have learned in their community to Really Read!
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words: Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words: Read common high frequency words by sight (e.g., the, to, you, she, me, is, are, do).

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables and sounds (phonemes). Count, produce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Readers use many tricks/tools at once. Readers read sight words with ease!

Composing and Decomposing Teen Numbers 11-19

Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, countout that many objects.

Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.

Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals

Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 18 is 10 and 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.

We will play several dice and spinner games to practice writing 11-20 as well as building these numbers with classroom objects, recognizing tens in these teen numbers.


Students write their opinions!

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book.

With guidance and support from adults, respond to quetions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

We will recognize the patterned sentences in our sight word books and write with our own patterned sentences such as "I see a..." or "I see the..." "I like the..." or "I like to..." while stating our opinions on several topics...like spiders!

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!!!!


 
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It's mid October already! Yes, unfortunately our county wasn't ready with the new report card roll out until last week, but these First Quarter report cards should have reflected exactly what was discussed during our frist quarter conferences in September. Second Quarter report cards are scheduled to go home December 4th. We will not be having another conference, unless needed or requested, until February.
Our first field trip is upon us, and we are SO excited!! We have everyones money and permission slips, so away we go to
Marbles Kids Museum. We are still in need of multiple volunteers, so check the slip coming home in OTIS today if you are able to help us beginning at 10:15 am at Marbles (you have to drive seperately and your child must ride the bus with the class).

FYI, we have Library this week :)

Here are some important dates to jot down:
Wednesday, October 16th: Field Trip to Marbles! It'll be fun!! Pack a lunch for yourself and join us! Jot a note in your child's OTIS if you are planning to meet us there.
Friday, October 25th: 9:20 am Awards Rally!! (If your student is receiving an award, I sent a letter home to your family last Friday)
Friday, October 25th: Spooky Spider Centers! We will be hosting 2 centers in our classroom! I need volunteers again :) Send me a note in your child's OTIS if you can help out (Time is TBA but I think it will be after lunch!) 

Here's what we are up to in our busy classroom this week!

Thematic Unit: Fall Leaves and Apples

Readers use everything they have learned in their community to Really Read!
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words: Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words: Read common high frequency words by sight (e.g., the, to, you, she, me, is, are, do).

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables and sounds (phonemes). Count, produce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Readers use many tricks/tools at once. Readers can "slow speak" and "rollarcoaster" 3 letter words and words with "s" on the end (hat, hats) (These are the tricks we use for sounding out 3 letter words.)


Looking Closely: Observing, Listing and Lableing like Scientists
Understand and use questin words (interrogatives) e.g., who, what, where, when why, how).

Demonstrate conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use a combination of drawings, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

With guidenace and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peeers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

During this two-week unit, students will develop the foundational skills that will help them move from emergent toward conventional writers (as well as readers).
"I see a...". and "I see the..." will be sentence starters!


Understand Relationships Between Numbers & Quantities
Count to 100 by ones and tens.

Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).

Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object and number with only one object and numeral.

Understand the successive number without recounting, and understand that the quantity is one larger. 

Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.

ID whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies

Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.

We are going to be identifying, writing and sorting teen numbers! "1 set of 10 and "some" extra ones!" as our Teen Number song goes :) 









 

 
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Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a stellar weekend :) We had the best time during our 50th Day of School Learning Experience Friday! THANK YOU to my volunteers! We heard over and over "this is the best day ever!!" Success!
I hear that real Fall weather is coming in this week for a couple of days! That will surely be a nice treat as I try to teach our kiddos the difference between the seasons in NC!! So far it's been summer weather since Fall began ;)
FYI, we have PE this week so children should be wearing sneakers to school each day.

See the Blog before this one for some classroom paper needs.

Here are some important dates to jot down:

Wednesday, October 16th: Field Trip to Marbles! Permission slips and money are due ASAP!! Your child may not attend if we don't have these! Would you like to meet us there and help us corral the excitement ?! It'll be fun!! Pack a lunch for yourself and join us! Jot a note in your child's OTIS if you are planning to meet us there.
Friday, October 25th: 9:20 am Awards Rally!! (If your student is receiving an award, I will be sending a letter home to your family.)
Friday, October 25th: Spooky Spider Centers! We will be hosting 2 centers in our classroom! I need volunteers again :) Send me a note in your child's OTIS if you can help out (Time is TBA but I think it will be after lunch!) 

Here's what we are up to in our busy classroom this week!

Thematic Unit: Fire Safety

Readers use everything they have learned in their community to Really Read!

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words: Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words: Read common high frequency words by sight (e.g., the, to, you, she, my, is, are, do).

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables and sounds (phonemes). Count, produce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Readers use many tricks/tools at once.


Students will begin to understand and discover small moments in their own lives and writings of others through partnerships and mentor text. The focus of this week is to teach strategies that will allow the writer to get more writing on the pages of their stories.

Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.

Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

Use a combination of drawings, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.


"I am...." sentences have been a great place to start!


Understand Relationships Between Numbers & Quantities

Count to 100 by ones and tens.

Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).

Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object and number with only one object and numeral.

Understand the successive number without recounting, and understand that the quantity is one larger. 

Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.

ID whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies

Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.


We will find and discover -1 and -1 patterns through stories and poems! We have an assessment Wednesday this week.


If you made it to the end and stuck with my blog, THANK YOU!!!!!! Your child will benefit from your understanding of what we are learning :)





 

We are in need of colorful card stock or copy paper! If you comment below with the color you are picking up for us, other families will know which colors are still needed! Thank you for helping to make learning exciting and fun!!

Colors of card stock or copy paper needed: (at least 25 sheets)


Bright Blue/Aqua
Royal blue
Hot pink
Hunter Green
Royal Purple
Florescent Yellow


 

I hope every one had a restful, wonderful track out! Welcome back to school! 9 weeks to go until Christmas vacation/track out!
On Monday, we read a very special Treasure Book! Mrs, Williams has been keeping an exciting secret!!!!!

*Don't forget our WSES Fall Festival this Friday, October 4th!! Bring your families!

*Fill out the pink sign up sheet (& wait for confirmation before purchasing and sending items in!!) regarding the Wish List for Friday's 50th day centers!
*Dress up in 1950s inspired clothing for our 50th day of school this Friday, October 4th!! Thank you registered & cleared volunteers! We will see you that afternoon, sibling free, to run centers! 
*Field Trip information will come home Tuesday. Please fill out and return ASAP!
 
Here's what we are up to in our busy classroom this week...

Thematic Unit: 1950 vs. 2013, Then and Now! 



Readers use everything they have learned in their community to Really Read!


Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables and sounds (phonemes). Count, produce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.


Readers learn tricks and tools and begin to use them!





Telling your story in pictures and words!


When writing or speaking., use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.

Use a combination of drawings, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experience or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Students will begin to understand and discover small moments in their lives & writing! 




Understand Relationships Between Numbers & Quantities

Count to 100 by ones and tens.

Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).

Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object and number with only one object and numeral.

Understand the successive number without recounting, and understand that the quantity is one larger. 

Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.

ID whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies

Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.


We will find and discover +1 and -1 patterns!