Week 7 has come and gone. We wrapped-up our addition and subtraction units and had way too much fun learning different ways to + and - . We even used our adding and subtracting skills in make-believe restaurant and shopping situations! Next week we'll move into measurement. The first benchmark test is creeping up a week from Tuesday so get ready to really hit the math hard this week.
In writing we're in the process of finishing our first opinion paper. It took us a while to get the hang of it but I think the papers are going to turn out really great. Next week we'll be learning about trickster tales and if we have time we'll write trickster tales of our own.
Just a reminder... parent teacher conferences are in a week and a half! If none of the scheduled times work for you please let me know and we'll set up a time to meet before or after school another day. Thanks for being willing to come meet with me, I really look forward to getting to know you parents better and brag a bit about how great your kids are doing!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
This week was a fun week! We read and discussed tall tales then the students brainstormed ideas for their own tall tales. We read "The Mysterious Giant of Barletta" and had some great cultural discussions. In math we transitioned from addition to subtraction. There was a lot of work to do but the students did well with keeping-up.
Book orders are due next week. A HUGE thank you to those parents who are buying books, it really helps out our classroom!
There aren't really any significant upcoming events I can think of. We will be starting current events next week, I'll teach the kids how to do them step-by-step. Fall is in the air, the kids are already getting excited for Halloween :) Thanks for all your support!
Book orders are due next week. A HUGE thank you to those parents who are buying books, it really helps out our classroom!
There aren't really any significant upcoming events I can think of. We will be starting current events next week, I'll teach the kids how to do them step-by-step. Fall is in the air, the kids are already getting excited for Halloween :) Thanks for all your support!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Good news... we all survived the Fun Run! Congrats to Emily and Zack who won medals. I'm proud of all the students for having such great attitudes and hanging in there.
This week we read about Johnny Appleseed and studied legends. We'll continue our studies next week with Paul Bunyan, John Henry and other tall tales. The students finished their first day of school papers and did a fantastic job! I'll send those home next week, get excited for a good read!
In math we rounded, estimated and added. Estimation was pretty hard for the kids so I re-taught that yesterday, I think they are starting to get the hang of it. Next week we'll move into addition of 4 digit numbers and word problems.
Every Thursday I send home yellow slips of paper with your child's missing assignments listed on them. These assignments were given throughout the week. On Friday I reward the students who got all their work done with Fun Friday where we play games, type, read, do crafts, etc. The students who did NOT finish their work must do it out in the hall or in another teacher's classroom. PLEASE back me up by encouraging your child to use their time wisely in school so they aren't loaded with homework on Thursday night. Thank you!
Have a great weekend! GO BYU!!!
This week we read about Johnny Appleseed and studied legends. We'll continue our studies next week with Paul Bunyan, John Henry and other tall tales. The students finished their first day of school papers and did a fantastic job! I'll send those home next week, get excited for a good read!
In math we rounded, estimated and added. Estimation was pretty hard for the kids so I re-taught that yesterday, I think they are starting to get the hang of it. Next week we'll move into addition of 4 digit numbers and word problems.
Every Thursday I send home yellow slips of paper with your child's missing assignments listed on them. These assignments were given throughout the week. On Friday I reward the students who got all their work done with Fun Friday where we play games, type, read, do crafts, etc. The students who did NOT finish their work must do it out in the hall or in another teacher's classroom. PLEASE back me up by encouraging your child to use their time wisely in school so they aren't loaded with homework on Thursday night. Thank you!
Have a great weekend! GO BYU!!!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Welcome back from break! I hope everyone enjoyed their last bit of summer vacation. The students had lots of fun stories to share us about the adventures they went on -- some of the best learning happens outside the classroom!
I was very impressed with how well the students remembered our classroom rules, routines, etc. especially since they hadn't been in school for 3 weeks. The transition back into school was a smooth one, at least as far as I could tell. Thank you for getting your students to class on time and supporting them in their homework.
Last week we focused on rounding and estimating numbers. Test your child to see if they can remember the "round animal" examples with the houses and the "car driving up a hill" example. We also read a book called "The Patchwork Quilt" as a class and are in the process of writing a mini book report about it. In writing we worked on our Worst First Day of School Ever papers and some students have already finished typing theirs. I was so impressed with all the great ideas the students generated, we've got quite a group of talented writers!
My favorite part of the week was talking about 9/11. We had some great discussions and watched some clips about it so the students could better visualize just how devastating the attacks were. I think they developed a greater understanding of freedom and unity as well as a greater appreciation for this country we live in.
Upcoming events:
C and D track Fun Run - Septmeber 16
Election Day - September 13
Jordan Ridge is going along with the Road to Success program again but things have changed a bit this year. Instead of rewarding the students for how many minutes they read we will be rewarding them for how many days they read. To earn a ticket for the bike and savings bond drawings (as well as other prizes) the students must read 5 days during the week. In addition, if they read on Saturday and Sunday they get an extra ticket. So, if your child reads every day they will earn 2 tickets each week. The minimum number of minutes that need to be read to qualify as a day of reading is 15. I will be awarding class prizes and incentives to those students who continue to read at least 20 minutes a day. Sorry this is all kind of confusing, we teachers are still trying to get the hang of the new program. If you have any questions you can call or email me or send a note in your child's planner. I guess the bottom line is: keep encouraging your child to read every day!
I was sick yesterday so I wasn't at school, I hope everything ran smoothly with the substitute. This is such an outstanding class, I'm sure the kids were great for her! Please remind your child to read their guided reading book (that is their only homework for the weekend).
I was very impressed with how well the students remembered our classroom rules, routines, etc. especially since they hadn't been in school for 3 weeks. The transition back into school was a smooth one, at least as far as I could tell. Thank you for getting your students to class on time and supporting them in their homework.
Last week we focused on rounding and estimating numbers. Test your child to see if they can remember the "round animal" examples with the houses and the "car driving up a hill" example. We also read a book called "The Patchwork Quilt" as a class and are in the process of writing a mini book report about it. In writing we worked on our Worst First Day of School Ever papers and some students have already finished typing theirs. I was so impressed with all the great ideas the students generated, we've got quite a group of talented writers!
My favorite part of the week was talking about 9/11. We had some great discussions and watched some clips about it so the students could better visualize just how devastating the attacks were. I think they developed a greater understanding of freedom and unity as well as a greater appreciation for this country we live in.
Upcoming events:
C and D track Fun Run - Septmeber 16
Election Day - September 13
Jordan Ridge is going along with the Road to Success program again but things have changed a bit this year. Instead of rewarding the students for how many minutes they read we will be rewarding them for how many days they read. To earn a ticket for the bike and savings bond drawings (as well as other prizes) the students must read 5 days during the week. In addition, if they read on Saturday and Sunday they get an extra ticket. So, if your child reads every day they will earn 2 tickets each week. The minimum number of minutes that need to be read to qualify as a day of reading is 15. I will be awarding class prizes and incentives to those students who continue to read at least 20 minutes a day. Sorry this is all kind of confusing, we teachers are still trying to get the hang of the new program. If you have any questions you can call or email me or send a note in your child's planner. I guess the bottom line is: keep encouraging your child to read every day!
I was sick yesterday so I wasn't at school, I hope everything ran smoothly with the substitute. This is such an outstanding class, I'm sure the kids were great for her! Please remind your child to read their guided reading book (that is their only homework for the weekend).
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Week 3
Can you believe our first break is already here?! I hope the students have enjoyed the first couple weeks of school, the fun is only beginning!
This week in math we studied pictographs, bar graphs and line graphs. We read two neat stories called "The Song and Dance Man" and "Through Grandpa's Eyes" that really opened our eyes to what life was like when our grandparents were young. The kids couldn't believe that once upon a time TV, the internet and video games didn't even exist. We had some great discussions about stories that are worth telling over and over again. Another story we read talked about floats so we made rootbeer floats in class -- the kids loved it! We also had school pictures and a neat Israeli dance assembly where the kids were able to get up and perform with the dancers. It was a fun week.
If your child is doing the REDO chart for Soaring Eagle please remind them that the first due date for reading 5 books is September 3. I hope everyone gets a chance to relax and read over our break!
FYI -- I got an email from PTA saying the Fun Run for C track is Friday September 16 from 8:30-10:30 am. Mark your calendars!
Just a heads up, we'll be starting current events when we come back on track and will be presenting them every Friday for the rest of the year. I'll send home a paper with more information.
I hope everyone enjoys their last bit of summer! Thanks for a great first 3 weeks!
This week in math we studied pictographs, bar graphs and line graphs. We read two neat stories called "The Song and Dance Man" and "Through Grandpa's Eyes" that really opened our eyes to what life was like when our grandparents were young. The kids couldn't believe that once upon a time TV, the internet and video games didn't even exist. We had some great discussions about stories that are worth telling over and over again. Another story we read talked about floats so we made rootbeer floats in class -- the kids loved it! We also had school pictures and a neat Israeli dance assembly where the kids were able to get up and perform with the dancers. It was a fun week.
If your child is doing the REDO chart for Soaring Eagle please remind them that the first due date for reading 5 books is September 3. I hope everyone gets a chance to relax and read over our break!
FYI -- I got an email from PTA saying the Fun Run for C track is Friday September 16 from 8:30-10:30 am. Mark your calendars!
Just a heads up, we'll be starting current events when we come back on track and will be presenting them every Friday for the rest of the year. I'll send home a paper with more information.
I hope everyone enjoys their last bit of summer! Thanks for a great first 3 weeks!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Week 2
This week was our first week of our "regular" schedule. The kids did great! Each day we did different grammar, spelling and vocabulary activities then we had a test on Friday. In math we learned about place value, greater than - less than - equal to, and number patterns. We played a fun game with where I had two numbers up on a powerpoint on the board and the class was split into two teams. The teams raced to see which team had their shark eat the larger number first. I think this really helped them understand place value and, for example, the difference between 3456 and 3465 or 0090 and 0900. We also played a jeopardy with number patterns. I'm trying to teach the kids that learning can be fun!
We also started guided reading this week. Because of library on Thursday I wasn't able to meet with two of my groups -- I'll make up for that next week. Please encourage your child to read their reading assignment, so far everyone has done great!
We'll be typing our grandparent narratives this week. Thank you for helping your child with the interview. We plan on revising and "publishing" (aka typing and illustrating) these narratives this week. After I grade them the students will be able to take them home and give them to their grandparents!
We've got an Israeli dance group coming to perform this Thursday. Other than that it should be a pretty normal week. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks the kids will get used to the daily schedule and will know what to expect for each subject. I hope they are having fun!
We also started guided reading this week. Because of library on Thursday I wasn't able to meet with two of my groups -- I'll make up for that next week. Please encourage your child to read their reading assignment, so far everyone has done great!
We'll be typing our grandparent narratives this week. Thank you for helping your child with the interview. We plan on revising and "publishing" (aka typing and illustrating) these narratives this week. After I grade them the students will be able to take them home and give them to their grandparents!
We've got an Israeli dance group coming to perform this Thursday. Other than that it should be a pretty normal week. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks the kids will get used to the daily schedule and will know what to expect for each subject. I hope they are having fun!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Week 1
This past week we did a lot of getting-to-know you activities, brainstorming games, read alouds, and mini personal narratives. We jumped into math the second day of school and have just about conquered place value! The majority of students got their math homework done in class... thank you to those parents who helped their child complete the assignments at home. Every single student turned in their math homework this week -- UNBELIEVABLE!!! We're off to a great start, encourage your child to keep up the good work!
On Monday we'll begin our daily spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and math. It will take a few weeks to get used to these routines but once the kids get the hang of it I think things should run pretty smoothly.
We will also begin our grandparent interview project on Monday. I will send home a questionnaire for your child to fill-out as they ask their grandparents questions. This will lead up to a narrative writing piece about a story the grandparent shares with your child. The questionnaire will have more info and I will explain it in class. As always, if you have questions feel free to call or email me. It should be a really fun writing piece!
Thank you to those parents who came to the "back-to-school" morning, it was great to meet you. If you haven't filled-out the back-to-school packets (one for me, one for the office) please do so this weekend and send them to school with your child on Monday. If you have any questions feel free to email me: malorie.lifferth@jordan.k12.ut.us
Happy Friday!
Mrs. Lifferth
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
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