Newsletter for the Week of January 2 - 6, 2012

Newsletter for January 2 - 6_ 2012 -

January 2012 Calendar

January 2012 Calendar -

Christmas Pics 2011 - Slideshow

This slideshow design created with Smilebox

Newsletter for the Week of December 12 - 16, 2011

Newsletter for December 12 - 16_ 2011 -

Unit 3, Week 1 - Little Panda

     This week our Focus Story will be Little Panda by Joanne Ryder.  We will learn all about baby pandas and discuss the parallels between panda and human babies through this heart-warming story of the birth and growth of Hua Mei, the first giant panda cub to survive in captivity, in the San Diego Zoo.
     Our Target Skill will be comparing and contrasting.  We will also continue to practice retelling a story and identifying the main idea of a story.  We will work on identifying, forming, and matching the letters Bb and Nn to their sounds--/b/ and /n/, respectively.

Amazing Words: weigh, measure, healthy, bamboo, curious, and explore

High-Frequency Words:  me, with, she  (Please continue to practice the following words at home as well: I, am, to, a, the, little, we, my, like, have, is, he, for.)

Letters: Bb and Nn

Thank you to http://www.digitalpencil.org for the cover image!

Newsletter for the Week of December 5 - 9, 2011

Newsletter for December 5 - 9_ 2011 -

Unit 2, Week 6 - Whose Garden Is It?

     This week our Focus Story will be Whose Garden Is It?, written by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Jane Dyer.  The "secrets" of a garden are revealed as Mrs. McGee and her child wander through one in this story, trying to uncover the answer to the question posed by the title.  We will meet characters along the way--a gardener, woodchuck, rabbit, butterfly, squash bug, bumblebee, and even some seeds blowing in the wind--who each claim ownership of the garden based on the job they perform within it.  To whom does the garden belong?  It is up to you to decide!
     Our Target Skill this week will be determining the differences between realism and fantasy.  We will also continue to practice making predictions, retelling a story, and identifying the setting of a story.  We will continue to work on identifying, forming, and matching the letter "Ii" to it's phoneme--/i/--this week. 


Amazing Words:  garden, gardener, plant, seed, soil, and blossoms


High-Frequency Words:  he, for   (Please continue to practice the following "Popcorn" Words as well--I, am, to, a, the, little, have, is, we, my, like.)


Letter: Ii


Thank you to www.vegbooks.com for the cover image!

December 2011 Calendar

December Calendar 2011 -

Newsletter for the Week of November 28 - December 2, 2011

Newsletter for November 28 - December 2_ 2011 -

Unit 2, Week 5 - A Bed for the Winter

     This week our Focus Story will be A Bed for the Winter by Karen Wallace.  In this story, we will follow a dormouse as she attempts to find a home for the winter.  Along the way she observes other creatures readying their homes for the winter, and narrowly escapes both an owl and a snake before finding a winter home of her own.
     Our Target Skill this week is determining the sequence of events, or the order in which things happen within a story.  We will also continue to practice making predictions and retelling a story, as well as classifying and categorizing information.  We will be working to identify, form, and match the letter "Ii" to its phoneme--/i/.

Amazing Words: meadow, nest, stump, tree trunk, hive, den

High-Frequency Words: he, for  (Please continue to practice the following words as well: I, am, the, little, to, a, have, is, we, my, like.

Letter: Ii


Thank you to http://scottsforesmankdg.wikispaces.com/A+Bed+for+Winter for the cover image!

Fun Turkeys!

We made some fun turkey treats today in celebration of Thanksgiving this week--the kiddos loved them!  

Newsletter for the Week of November 21 - 25, 2011

Newsletter for November 21 - 25_ 2011 -

Newsletter for the Week of November 14 - 18, 2011

Newsletter for November 14- 18_ 2011 -

Thank You to Our Veterans!

Unit 2, Week 4 - Bear Snores On

     This week our Focus Story will be Bear Snores On, written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman. A variety of animals seek shelter in Bear's cave, one by one,  to escape the cold. The animals make themselves at home, but, even after the corn is popped and tea is brewed, Bear just keeps snoring, asleep through it all.
     Our Target Skill for this week is recognition of the differences between realism and fantasy.  We will also continue to work on identifying the setting of a story (where it happens).  We will be working to identify, form, and match the letter "Cc" to its sound--/k/.

Amazing Words:  sleep, winter, cave, woods, storm, blustery

High-Frequency Words:  We will continue to practice the words "we", "my", and "like".  (Also, please continue to review the following "Popcorn Words" at home: "I", "am", "to", "a", "the", "little", "have", and "is".)

Letter: Cc


Thank you to http://karmawilson.com for the cover image!  This is actually the author's website and there are some great ideas and activities found here, as well as a list of other stories that she has written, if you are interested.

Thanksgiving Lunch Pics - November 10, 2011

Pancakes in Pajamas for Pp Week

Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. Brown, and Ms. Batte

Pajama Day!

Silly Faces!

Sleepy Faces!  (It is Pajama Day!)  

Pancake time!

Newsletter for the Week of November 7 - 11, 2011

Newsletter for November 7 - 11_ 2011 -

Unit 2, Week 3 - Animal Babies in Grasslands

    This week our focus story will be Animal Babies in Grasslands by Jennifer Schofield.  The students will be introduced to six different young animals (and their families!) from the African savanna to the Australian outback.  We will learn about what life is like for the elephants, prairie dogs, zebras, kangaroos, giraffes, and lions that live in the hot, dry climates of the grasslands.
     Our Target Skill this week is identifying the Main Idea of a story, or, in other words, why it is written.  Also, we will continue to practice the skill of comparing and contrasting similar objects.  We will be working to identify, form, and match the letter "Pp" to its sound--/p/.

Amazing Words: calf, grassland, cub, pup, joey, foal

High-Frequency Words:  we, my, like  (Also, please continue to practice the following words at home: I, am, the, little, to, a, have, is.)

Letter:  Pp


Thank you to us.macmillan.com for the cover image!

November 2011 Calendar

November 2011 Calendar -