Friday, October 31, 2014

Week of October 27-31


Happy Fall Harvest Day!


Today, October 31, will be our annual Fall Harvest Day Parade.  It will begin at 2:00pm.  Please visit the Willow Glen Website for a parade route.  Looking forward to seeing many of you there! 



Classroom Highlights:  (Notice that celebrating writing seems to be a theme this week!)

K5 -
K5 has been learning all about pumpkins. In math, they have been counting and learning how to write numbers.  Students continue to read and write daily during our Daily 5 literacy time.

Grade 1 -
Children have been working on revising, editing and publishing their personal narrative (small moment) stories.  They are looking forward to our upcoming writers celebration.  First graders have also been working on words, words, words!  They are noticing spelling patterns and word chunks that are helping them become even better readers and writers.

Grade 2 -
Second graders just celebrated their small moment stories.  They are starting to create Non-fiction books. Some of the topics include baseball, weather, cacti and bats. The students are very excited about being the experts on their topics. They will even include an author's page and tell us all about themselves.

Grade 3 -
Third graders have been writing up a storm.  They just had our first Author Celebration for our personal narrative writing.  The students really enjoyed learning about a true event that happened in each other's lives. They are now learning how to state an opinion and support it with reasons and examples so that theycan write an organized opinion piece. In science they have been learning a lot about the parts of a plant and what those parts do to help the plant survive.

Thank you for partnering with us in your child's education...And as always, remember to read!






Thursday, October 9, 2014

Week of October 6

This week, I'd like to share with you some classroom highlights...

K4 - Students enjoyed sorting apples by color this week.  They were each able to sample 3 types of apples, and then graphed the kinds that they liked the best.  Additionally, children used apples to make patterns, and wrote a "spin off" class book after reading Dr. Seuss's "Ten Apples On Top." K4 students learned the word "apple" begins with the letter A
K5 - The children discussed fire safety, which included a visit from the St. Francis Fire Department.  Also, they have been talking and learning about the signs of Fall. In math they are learning about patterns and shapes. K5 students are enjoying writers workshop and jumping into the Daily 5, which they are doing a great job in!
Grade 1 - This week, first graders have been focusing on short /i/ word families, along with identifying cause and effect while reading.  They are also continuing to work on handwriting, small moment stories and learning about living and non-living things.
Grade 2 - Second graders have settled in nicely to the Daily 5 and into writer's workshop.  They are continuing to learn more about PBIS, and have earned many leaves to fill up our school tree!
Grade 3 In math, students are just starting a new chapter on addition and subtraction. They will also be working on number stories.  In writing, third graders are nearing the end of their personal narrative and working on revision, by adding in author's craft and elaboration.  In reading, children are working on connecting characters, reading with expression and adjusting rate, increasing our vocab by understanding idioms, and engaging in collaborative conversations about poems.

I hope that these classroom highlights provided you with an opportunity to learn more about what is happening in your child/s classroom, as well as what is happening across the school!

Friday, October 3, 2014

Week of September 29

Welcome to October!
 
 
First, a message from the City of St. Francis...
 
The railroad will be closing the crossing on St. Francis Avenue beginning October 6, 2014.  Signage is posted near the crossing to alert drivers of the closure.  If all goes as planned, St. Francis Avenue will be reopened October 10, 2014
 
At Willow Glen...
Nearly all fall assessments have been wrapped up.  Teachers are using this data to inform their instruction, and identify students in need of reading and math intervention.  If your son/daughter was identified for these services, you may have already received a letter.  We have 3 outstanding interventionists working at Willow Glen:  Char Skenedore, Laura Frombach and Sara Bailey.  These ladies are all certified teachers and are eager to begin supporting children!
MAP assessment results will be sent home during the week of October 13.  If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher.
Our Literacy Framework is fully functioning at every grade level.  Be sure to ask your child about their experiences with Word Work, Guided Reading Groups, Computer Time, Writing, and Independent Reading.  This is a research-based, balanced approach to literacy instruction.
 
Coming Soon...
"Grade Level Highlights"
Each week, I will share highlights from grade levels.  You will hear about things that children are learning in their classrooms.  It is nice to see what is happening at your own grade level, as well as learn about what might be ahead!