Friday, November 21, 2014

Week of November 17-21

Thank you  to all the parents who completed the Willow Glen Parent Survey!  Your feedback is important to us as we continuously seek ways to improve our school and district.

Arrival Clarifications:
We begin to welcome children into the building at 8:10 (bell), and instruction begins shortly thereafter.  The supervisors working the drive-through will be on duty until 8:10 or so. They are assigned to work with students immediately after the bell rings, so they need to transition into the school very quickly.  After 8:10, all students will need to enter the building through the front doors. 

Dismissal Clarifications:
Our school day officially ends at 3:10.  Please plan on seeing your child close to that time, whether you utilize the drive-through or pick up your child.  We will not be dismissing drive through children early, as we value instructional time with our students!

Have a great weekend!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Week of November 10

Thank you to all the parents who have already come to parent-teacher conferences..The teachers have enjoyed sharing important information with you regarding your son/daughter's growth.  Thank you also, for supporting our Book Fair.  We are looking forward to seeing more parents next week!

If you have not already completed the school survey, please consider doing so.  Your feedback is important to us!  You can access the survey from Willow Glen's website, in the upper left hand corner.

There have been great things happening in the classroom this past week, and many more meaningful learning experiences on the way.  Here are some highlights of "Classroom Happenings":


K4

This week the K4 worked very hard at recognizing the letter Bb and the sound it makes.  They came up with 25 words that start with Bb.  Next week, they will be working with the letter Tt for turkey!  They will make the cutest turkeys and learn about the First Thanksgiving.  Students will discuss what is the same, and what is different from our traditions, today.

K5
The kindergarten children are working hard in their reading groups as well as reading their bedtime books at home. They have learned two reading strategies to help them read;  Eagle Eyes and Lips the Fish. They have also been busy learning about their bodies and making healthy choices.
Grade 1
First graders are busy in their Daily Five literacy rotations.  Students are engaged in guided reading groups, writing, read to self, read to partner, computers, and word work.

Grade 2
In second grade the students are learning about animals. Some have backbones like mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. Some do not,  like insects, spiders and octopuses. They are also learning how animals adapt to their environments. During writing and reading the students are enjoying the world of non-fiction stories about many different things.

Grade 3
In reading, the third graders are working on book series book clubs.  They are reading three books from the same book series and meeting in small groups to discuss thick questions, connections, main ideas and details, and make predictions from their texts.  In science, they are studying animal traits and learning the different characteristics of various vertebrates and invertebrates.



Friday, November 7, 2014

Week of November 3

Thank you to all the parents who came out for the WG Annual Fall Harvest Parade.  While there was a chill in the air, together with strong winds, the weather could not stop us from having a great time.  Our indoor parade, led by the SFHS drum line, was a huge success!
Be sure to follow me on Twitter, as I shared pictures of the afternoon!

Please consider joining us on November 13 at 9:00am for the next Parent Advisory Council Meeting.  We will be discussing how to build success with reading at home, and we will also be talking about PBIS.  This is a wonderful opportunity to further connect the home and school!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at Parent-Teacher conferences this coming week (and the following week)!