2 in 1- HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Although winter is probably my least favorite season, I still love this time of year. There is just something about the feeling and all the eye appealing, colorful visuals that makes me feel all warm and giddy inside. Ask me again at the end of January and I may have a different opinion. 

Math- The students have been completing a lot of calculations and skill building in math. I am going to give you kind of a daily run down and some examples of what we have been doing. 

Monday 12/9- I reviewed and discussed different strategies students can use to solve a multiplication problem. 

Tuesday 12/10- We solved problems by placing things in equal groups. We also related multiplication to addition problems. This gave us the opportunity to discuss, in order for a problem to be a multiplication problem it has to be made of a certain number (first factor) of equal groups (second factor) for example I have 3 packages of 4 batteries in each package. How many batteries do I have in all? 3x4= 4+4+4=12

Wednesday 12/11- We discussed how to solve a problem when you multiply by 0 and 1. Anything times zero= zero. Anything times 1=the other number you are multiplying by. It is like making a photocopy, you get the same thing. 34x1=34. 

Thursday 12/12- We used skip counting by 2's and 5's to show how to multiply by those numbers. This lent us into the discussion anything multiplied by 2 equals an even number. Also, when you multiply a 5 by an even number it will end in zero, anytime you multiply a 5 by an odd number it will end in a 5. We discussed how to solve a problem when you multiply by 3. We used the strategy of making arrays to practice these facts. 

Friday 12/13- Since I needed to leave for my ultrasound, and I did not want to confuse the class. They took a little break and had a chance to watch the Multiplication School House Rock.  

Monday 12/16-Students used number lines to multiply by 4's.

Tuesday 12/17- We used a multiplication table to solve various multiplication problems.

Wednesday 12/18- We used a number line, then created some riddles to learn about multiplying by 6's and 7's.

Thursday 12/19- We will use a bunch of different tricks to teach how to multiply by 8's and 9's. 

Friday 12/20- We will take a multiplication assessment.

Reading- Last week our story was Yonder Mountain: A Cherokee Legend by Kay Thorpe Bannon. 

Yonder Mountain is the truly impressive picture book retelling of a Native American folktale. A wise old Cherokee chief must choose a successor to lead him; so he sends three young men out on a journey to a mountaintop. One returns with precious stones that represent wealth; one returns with healing herbs to guard against disease. But the third, who climbs all the way to the top of the mountain, returns with something even more crucial to being a leader. 

This week we have been completing a series of activities about snowmen. 

Monday- Students read The Biggest, Best Snowman. Afterwards they completed a graphic organizer retelling the story.

Tuesday- We watched a video of the story The Snowman. This is a wordless book. In the video, the book is set to music. We had a long discussion about how a story can still be told through illustrations and music. It was exciting to hear everything the students picked up on and the comprehension of the story.

Wednesday-We read The Greatest Snowman in the World. After reading this silly story we made some connections to science and how the life cycle of a snowman can also show the states of matter in a solid, liquid, and a gas.

Thursday- We are going to read Sneezy the Snowman. Afterwards, we will journal about what happened to Sneezy. 

Friday 12/13- We are going to read Merry Un-Christmas. We will discuss what it would be like if Christmas was celebrated 364 days a year. What if there was only 1 day to eat leftovers, 1 day of no presents, 1 day to go to school, 1 day when mail was delivered, 1 day trash was collected.

 

Writing- Last week we read the book Snowmen at Night. We created our own paper tear snowman and wrote a descriptive sentence about what we thought they would do at night. 

This week we have been working on an opinion paragraph about whether we would want to live in a snow globe or in a gingerbread house. 

Monday- Students made their choice, wrote a topic sentence, and wrote facts about why they made that choice. 

Tuesday- We added more detail and wrote sentences about our facts. 

Wednesday- We revised our writing to make it create an picture in your mind while reading. 

Thursday- We will create the rough draft. 

Friday- We will create the final draft.
 

Science- Since our science unit is completed, we have been filling the time catching up on National Geographic stories and vocabulary. This has also been an excellent time to catch up on work and work on presents for someone special.


NEWS UPDATE:
The students had an exciting week with all kinds of news updates! 
 Last week, the students needed to pick another person in the class and be their "secret elf." We have completed a series of tasks. The kids all love coming in during the morning routine and seeing what their task will be for that day. 

On Tuesday, I showed pictures of my baby from the ultrasound. We discussed how they use sound waves (like echolocation) to create a picture of the baby. We also had a discussion about umbilical cords and how they turn into our belly buttons. :) There were a lot of questions about how the baby eats. It was hard to get good ultrasound pictures as the baby wouldn't stop "dancing" around. The class was quite upset with me when I wouldn't tell them if it was a boy or a girl yet. They eased up when the found out my husband, my children, nor the rest of my family will know until Christmas. The class will find out the Monday after winter break.

On Wednesday, I shared the exciting news of Mason's grandparents making a monetary donation to our classroom. I am planning on using the money to create a new science unit called "Kitchen Science." The class was VERY EXCITED about my ideas for this unit. We will complete this unit after we complete our social studies unit at the beginning of the new year.

 Happy Holidays from my family to yours! 

Upcoming dates:
Friday, December 20th- PAJAMA DAY! - winter party 2:40-3:00

Monday, December 23rd- Thursday, January 2nd- Winter Break, NO SCHOOL
Friday, January 3rd- No School unless we have a snow day.

Have a safe and relaxing winter break!
Mrs. Jodie Yuska

I AM SO EXCITED!

I am so excited, I get to be back in front of our classroom next week. I will gradually start taking over subjects and lessons. I can't wait! I have enjoyed sitting in the back of the room and watching all the wonderful ideas your children have come up with. However, I am ready to be back to being hands on and a lot more interactive with everyone! :)

On a more serious note, our friend Mason was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes last week. On Monday we explained to the class what Diabetes is and how it effects his body. Mason also showed the class how he tests his blood sugar and answered any questions they had. He did a wonderful job and I was very impressed with how comfortable he is with his new self. Way to go Mason!

With this diagnosis, I am asking a big favor. If possible, I would like to do away with birthday treats. I know this is something which is very important to my own children and they would have a hard time understanding this concept. I take a lot of time building a community or a "family" in my classroom. This means we all stick together and do what is in the best interest of the entire group. Some students have individual needs, and we address these as they come. However, my intention here is, no student is left behind or feels left out, especially because of something they can not control. I am proposing instead we turn birthdays into a celebration day. I will have students choose if they would like to watch a short movie, have indoor recess, or maybe even a chance to switch desks or complete a fun craft. I will try to discuss this with the birthday boy or girl and come up with a plan that way. If you child is insistent on bringing a treat, that is fine. I do not want to ruin anyone's birthday. I am trying to help students learn a sometimes hard skill of compassion. As of right now, I am planning on keeping the winter party and Valentine's party the same. I will send home another note at a later date if something is to change. Thank you in advance for understanding. 

Math- In math Ms. Wild taught the patterns of multiples on a 100's chart (I have included pictures of a few to demonstrate). On Friday, Ms. Wild introduced to students to arrays. 

Reading- This week our story was Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. 

When I first picked up the story I was initially certain that this was a kind of Brer Rabbit tale. It had animals in clothing tricking one another out of food of one sort or another. The hero was a hare and the villain a bear. However, a staple of the Brer Rabbit tales is the idea that sometimes luck and laziness go hand in hand. Brer Rabbit is forever tricking the other animals into doing his work for him rather than the other way around. But in "Tops and Bottoms" we have a very familiar message to contend with. Hard work pays off.
 

 In this story, a lazy bear owns most of the land. One day, Hare decides its time to buy some of his own land back. He strikes up a deal with the prematurely hibernating neighbor and the two become business partners. If Hare does all the work, Bear can chose the part of the crop he prefers. Either the tops or the bottoms. It soon becomes clear that Bear is no match for the sly hare. After all, when Bear chooses the tops, Hare plants carrots. When Bear understands his mistake he chooses bottoms and Hare plants lettuce and celery. And when Bear demands both the tops AND the bottoms, Hare plants corn and gets the middle. In the end, Bear learns the benefits of hard work (and staying on top of things) and Hare has enough money from the crops to own his own land again.

Writing- At the beginning of the students enjoyed reading The Library Gingerbread Man. Afterwards, the students planned out a gingerbread story and made their story come to life. They enjoyed sharing their stories on Tuesday.  Later in the week, students planned their writing with a graphic organizer and wrote a paragraph about their favorite holiday. 

Science- This week students were introduced to using mirrors to look at symmetry and mirror reflections. I think the class enjoyed the lesson called "seeing around corners," where they experimented with homemade periscopes the best.

Upcoming dates:

Monday, December 9th- I will add areas of teaching each day. 
Wednesday, December 11th- 1:15 Early Dismissal
Friday, December 13th- I will be leaving early for my 20 week ultrasound (Hopefully, we can find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I will share with the kids after winter break, as I am making my family wait to find out till Christmas.)
Saturday, December 15th- Happy Birthday Ian! :) 

Friday, December 20th- Ms. Wild's last day, winter party

Monday, December 23rd- Thursday, January 2nd- Winter Break, NO SCHOOL
Friday, January 3rd- No School unless we have a snow day.

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Jodie Yuska and Ms. Wild
 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week with there only being two days of school, there was not a poem or a spelling list. Next week, we will add to the amount of homework your child will receive.

Starting next week, the first week of December. Your child will be bring home their poem (still needs to read it to someone 5 times and have them sign the back), their spelling practice page (still needs to write each word 3 times), and now they will have a series of math problems to complete each night. All three homework assignments will be due on Friday.

Math- In math Ms. Wild read the book Each Orange Has 8 Slices and completed a worksheet to follow the book. On the worksheet, students created their own multiplication story problems.

Reading- This week Ms. Wild worked on comprehension packet with the students. They worked really hard to locate and highlight information in the text to use to answer their questions about traditions.

Writing- This week Ms. Wild completed a series of activity sheets, students continued to work on their "Roll a Dice" story and wrote a how-to piece of writing titled "How to Cook a Turkey."

Science- This week the students continued to work on chromatography. The students were able to create their own inventions. Many wanted to take these home. Some opted to leave them here and create snowflakes to decorate our classroom. 

Upcoming dates:

Wednesday, November 27th- Friday, November 29th- No School, Thanksgiving Break


Monday, December 2nd- I will be gone 12:30-3:30 for a PBIS coaches meeting at Grant Wood AEA, Ms. Wild will be teaching and Mrs. Randall will sit in the back of the room. :) 
Tuesday, December 3rd- Happy Birthday Hope and Ms. Wild!
Thursday, December 5th- Happy Birthday Ian! Ideas and Inventions test for Science.

Monday, December 9th- I will add areas of teaching each day. 
Wednesday, December 11th- 1:15 Early Dismissal
Friday, December 13th- I will be leaving early for my 20 week ultrasound (Hopefully, we can find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I will share with the kids after winter break, as I am making my family wait to find out on Christmas.)

Friday, December 20th- Ms. Wild's last day, winter party

Monday, December 23rd- Thursday, January 2nd- Winter Break, NO SCHOOL
Friday, January 3rd- No School unless we have a snow day.

Have a great Thanksgiving break!
Mrs. Jodie Yuska and Ms. Wild