Upcoming Dates
Next Week’s Sharing: Something that starts with the letter S.
Thursday, October 1st: September Homework Due
Please return the September homework page (from Back-to-School night) showing which activities you and your child completed at home. The October Homework page will go home on this day as well.
Monday, October 5th: October Book Orders Due
Today you are receiving the October Scholastic Book Orders for Firefly and Seesaw. Please look over the books and if you would like to purchase one, please return the form to me with ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs, or purchase them online at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs (User Name: Beebear, Password: MrsYu – no spaces or period).
Monday, October 5th – Tuesday, October 13th: Parent Conferences
On Monday this week, you should have received your 20 minute conference day and time. If you have not returned the confirmation sheet, please do so on Monday, September 28th. Please make sure you arrive on time because we have back-to-back conferences and we cannot go over the time allotted to you. All the kindergarten teachers will have a substitute for three full days during conferences. I will be meeting with each of you in the UPPER GRADE WING – CONFERENCE ROOM (Next to Room 17).
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Dear Families,
Time is flying by quickly. I can’t believe it is already the end of September and that October is around the corner! Starting next week, your child will start bringing home a homework folder on Monday. Inside will be some optional math and language arts pages. In a few weeks, we will also add the library book and library journals. Please return these folders every Friday (if there is no school on Friday, please return it on Thursday!).
Great job with our first sharing this week! Today you will see a half sheet of yellow paper that shows how your child did on sharing this week. Our goal is to try and get a “4” in all areas. Some of the students were very comfortable in front of the class, and some of the students were extremely shy. Either way, I was proud of everyone for trying their best and bringing something special to share with the class. Great job!
Here are some highlights for the week:
• Language Arts: We have finished working on all of the uppercase and lowercase alphabet letters, and learning their sounds. Everyday, we will continue to practice our handwriting and phonics, but at least now everyone has been introduced to all the letters and the vowels. We have been learning a song that teaches us all of the vowels, and we have been reviewing a song about how many syllables we have in our name. On Thursday, we tried to write all of the letters independently. Keep practicing at home everyday!
• Social Studies: Congratulations to Tanisha, who was chosen as our fourth Star of the Week! You can read about her in the “Classwork” section of our website, and click under “Star of the Week.”
• Science: We are studying about apples this week. We made a minibook about what colors apples should be. We also tasted four different types of apples to see which was our favorite. In addition, we worked on the life cycle of apples during Friday Centers by learning about seeds, trees, leaves, blossoms, and apples!
• Math: We finished our fourth chapter on plane shapes and our fifth chapter on patterns. We practiced patterns by colors, shapes, sizes, objects, and by letters. We also made a math art picture of a beehive using rulers. We learned how to make straight lines and how to make curved lines. We used fingerstamps for the bees and placed a bee inside, outside, and on the beehive to reinforce math vocabulary.
• Computer Lab: This week we learned how to open up files from our folders on the servers. This was very difficult for some students because they are not used to clicking and double-clicking on icons. We are practicing this skill. Then, we began illustrating a poem about an apple tree. We used the shape tools, painting tools, stamps, and also learned to type our names by finding our letters on the keyboard. Thank you to Caroline and Keona’s mother for helping out in computer lab! It really helps to get all the students to successfully complete the projects. We will be continuing this lesson next week and hopefully will be able to print and save all the pictures!
• Assembly: This week, we had a special puppet show assembly on Trickster stories. We are remembering how to be a polite audience and to clap for others. During sharing, we also are trying to learn to be good listeners.
• Art: This was our first art class with Mrs. Abada! She taught us how to make a cityscape using different materials such as paper, wallpaper, and fabric. We glued on our cityscape buildings, then decorated with markers and stickers. Thank you to Michael, Sean, and Shaunak’s mother for helping out during art class!
September book orders went home on Wednesday with your children. I told them to put it inside their backpacks, so hopefully the books made it home safely! Today you will see the October book order forms if you are interested!
In school, we are learning to follow rules such as keeping our hands and feet to ourselves, and treating others nicely. We are also learning to take turns and to share. Also, we are learning to line up instead of cutting or pushing our way to the front. Please help to teach this skill every morning when you arrive with your child. Make sure they go to the back of the line when they come to school and not stand wherever they want to. Thank you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
September 17, 2009
Upcoming Dates
Friday, September 18th: No School – Staff Learning Day
The Cupertino School District will have a day to introduce teachers to the new math program this year.
Monday, October 5th – Tuesday, October 13th: Parent Conferences
You will be assigned a 20 minute time slot during the school day to talk about your child’s progress. Please make sure you arrive on time because we have back-to-back conferences and we cannot go over the time allotted to you. All the kindergarten teachers will have a substitute for three full days during conferences. I will be meeting with each of you in the UPPER GRADE WING – CONFERENCE ROOM (Next to Room 17).
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Dear Families,
This was another short week! On Monday, you children brought home their “warm-colored” Kindergarten Keepbook Box. Please remember to put them somewhere where your child can access them whenever they want to read. I told the students a good place may be in their room, such as in their closet, on a shelf, or under the bed. We will be taking home mini-books about once a week, so please keep them altogether!
Here are some highlights for the week:
• Language Arts: We worked on many of the letters this week including O, P, Q, R, S, and T. Our handwriting is starting to look better and I am seeing good control on holding the pencil correctly! Many of the students can copy the letters if they have an example, but cannot write it properly on their own. This will be our next step. Keep practicing at home! We have been reading many stories such as Hooway For Wodney Wat, Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, and Freckleface Strawberry, which are about accepting differences and being special just the way you are. We want to make sure we only saw kind things to each other and never name-call or make fun of others.
• Social Studies: Congratulations to David, who was chosen as our second Star of the Week! You can read about him in the “Classwork” section of our website, and click under “Star of the Week.” Please remember to take care of Beebear if you take him home for the weekend. He is pretty old, so he needs to be treated gently! Thanks! Also this week, we made a minibook for the words to the Pledge of Allegiance. We recite the Pledge everyday, so your child should have the words memorized! Please add this minibook to our Kindergarten Keepbook Shoeboxes!
• Math: We completed the first unit of our math books. I assessed students individually this week to see if they understood the concepts of the first unit. We also started the second unit, or chapter 4 this week on shapes. We are practicing to sort and identify squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles. We also continued working with patterns.
• Computer Lab: This week we explored the Stamp function in Kidpix. We found stamps that we liked and made them different sizes. Next week we will begin our first project.
• Buddies: We saw our fourth grade buddies for the second time today. Ms. Allen read us all a story called, Me on the Map. This was a social studies activity for students to learn about where they are in relation to the world. Little buddies had to draw themselves, their bedroom, their house, and their street. Big buddies had to draw their town, town state, their country, and the world.
• Library: This was our second visit to the library. Mrs. Glass read us a story, and then reviewed the library rules: walking feet, whisper voices, using a shelf marker to find books, putting books away, and reading quietly at the tables. We are really working on following these rules, and not just playing during library time. Please begin getting in the habit of reading with or to your child every night, even just a few minutes. We want students to learn to love reading, or at this stage, love to hear stories, look at pictures, and think about what’s happening in the story.
• Music: We saw Ms. Disney again today! She always has fun movement songs for us to learn. We reviewed some of the activities from last class. In music, we are trying to remember when it is ok to be silly and when it is time to be quiet.
Remember that next week, sharing begins! Hopefully, you have kept the sharing schedule in a safe place! Next week, the topic is anything your child wants to share! Please remember to prepare at least 4 sentences, and bring a visual to show the class (whether it is the actual object, or a large, colorful picture). All the sharing information is on the website under “Classwork” and then “Sharing.” Just a reminder:
Mondays –
AM: Aditi, Caroline, Chris, Connor
PM: Aditya, Colleen
Tuesdays –
AM: David, Jennifer, Kavya
PM: Daniel, Edison, Grace
Wednesdays –
AM: Keona, Kristina, Kumiko
PM: Jewel, Lauren, Matthew N.
Thursdays –
AM: Leah, Michael, Raphael, Sahithi
PM: Sara, Shaunak
Fridays –
AM: Sean, Matthew C., Yuma
PM: Tanisha, Woojin, Yash
I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s sharing next week!!! Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, September 18th: No School – Staff Learning Day
The Cupertino School District will have a day to introduce teachers to the new math program this year.
Monday, October 5th – Tuesday, October 13th: Parent Conferences
You will be assigned a 20 minute time slot during the school day to talk about your child’s progress. Please make sure you arrive on time because we have back-to-back conferences and we cannot go over the time allotted to you. All the kindergarten teachers will have a substitute for three full days during conferences. I will be meeting with each of you in the UPPER GRADE WING – CONFERENCE ROOM (Next to Room 17).
-----
Dear Families,
This was another short week! On Monday, you children brought home their “warm-colored” Kindergarten Keepbook Box. Please remember to put them somewhere where your child can access them whenever they want to read. I told the students a good place may be in their room, such as in their closet, on a shelf, or under the bed. We will be taking home mini-books about once a week, so please keep them altogether!
Here are some highlights for the week:
• Language Arts: We worked on many of the letters this week including O, P, Q, R, S, and T. Our handwriting is starting to look better and I am seeing good control on holding the pencil correctly! Many of the students can copy the letters if they have an example, but cannot write it properly on their own. This will be our next step. Keep practicing at home! We have been reading many stories such as Hooway For Wodney Wat, Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, and Freckleface Strawberry, which are about accepting differences and being special just the way you are. We want to make sure we only saw kind things to each other and never name-call or make fun of others.
• Social Studies: Congratulations to David, who was chosen as our second Star of the Week! You can read about him in the “Classwork” section of our website, and click under “Star of the Week.” Please remember to take care of Beebear if you take him home for the weekend. He is pretty old, so he needs to be treated gently! Thanks! Also this week, we made a minibook for the words to the Pledge of Allegiance. We recite the Pledge everyday, so your child should have the words memorized! Please add this minibook to our Kindergarten Keepbook Shoeboxes!
• Math: We completed the first unit of our math books. I assessed students individually this week to see if they understood the concepts of the first unit. We also started the second unit, or chapter 4 this week on shapes. We are practicing to sort and identify squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles. We also continued working with patterns.
• Computer Lab: This week we explored the Stamp function in Kidpix. We found stamps that we liked and made them different sizes. Next week we will begin our first project.
• Buddies: We saw our fourth grade buddies for the second time today. Ms. Allen read us all a story called, Me on the Map. This was a social studies activity for students to learn about where they are in relation to the world. Little buddies had to draw themselves, their bedroom, their house, and their street. Big buddies had to draw their town, town state, their country, and the world.
• Library: This was our second visit to the library. Mrs. Glass read us a story, and then reviewed the library rules: walking feet, whisper voices, using a shelf marker to find books, putting books away, and reading quietly at the tables. We are really working on following these rules, and not just playing during library time. Please begin getting in the habit of reading with or to your child every night, even just a few minutes. We want students to learn to love reading, or at this stage, love to hear stories, look at pictures, and think about what’s happening in the story.
• Music: We saw Ms. Disney again today! She always has fun movement songs for us to learn. We reviewed some of the activities from last class. In music, we are trying to remember when it is ok to be silly and when it is time to be quiet.
Remember that next week, sharing begins! Hopefully, you have kept the sharing schedule in a safe place! Next week, the topic is anything your child wants to share! Please remember to prepare at least 4 sentences, and bring a visual to show the class (whether it is the actual object, or a large, colorful picture). All the sharing information is on the website under “Classwork” and then “Sharing.” Just a reminder:
Mondays –
AM: Aditi, Caroline, Chris, Connor
PM: Aditya, Colleen
Tuesdays –
AM: David, Jennifer, Kavya
PM: Daniel, Edison, Grace
Wednesdays –
AM: Keona, Kristina, Kumiko
PM: Jewel, Lauren, Matthew N.
Thursdays –
AM: Leah, Michael, Raphael, Sahithi
PM: Sara, Shaunak
Fridays –
AM: Sean, Matthew C., Yuma
PM: Tanisha, Woojin, Yash
I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s sharing next week!!! Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, September 11, 2009
September 11, 2009
Upcoming Dates
Sunday, September 13th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
I’ve extended the September book order deadline to Sunday so you have time to order books over the weekend.
Friday, September 18th: No School – Staff Learning Day
The Cupertino School District will have a day to introduce teachers to the new math program this year.
------
Dear Families,
This was a short week. Everyday we are working on following our carpet rules, working rules, and lining up rules. We are also talking about how to treat others in the classroom and on the playground with respect. We are learning to share and we are learning to use our words to communicate with each other. I hope that this year the children will learn how to be kind to one another. Here are some highlights for the week:
• Language Arts: We worked on the letters J, K, L, M, and N this week. Please review all of our alphabet letters at home, and have your child practice writing their own name properly. We also read the story, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which is about alphabet letters trying to climb up a coconut tree. We made a project that showed the letters of our name climbing up a coconut tree and counted how many made it up!
• Social Studies: Congratulations to Sahithi, who was chosen as our first Star of the Week! You can read about her in the “Classwork” section of our website, and clicking under “Star of the Week.” I will update information about our new Star each week. Also, in Friday Centers, we completed a mini-book that illustrates Eaton School’s Peacebuilder Pledge that we recite everyday. This book will be added to our shoebox collection.
• Math: We completed the third chapter in the first unit of our math book. This week was all about graphing. We learned how to read graphs and figure out which is more or less popular. We also had a chance to make our own graphs and interview classmates to fill in the data. Now we are reviewing all of our vocabulary words and concepts from the past three chapters. In Friday Centers, we also used red and blue squares, as well as stamps, to make patterns.
• Computer Lab: This was our second time in the computer lab. We continued to explore the drawing and painting tools in KidPix. Our task this week was to create a picture and add details in the background.
• Art: On Thursday, we painted our shoeboxes! We used warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) to paint all the sides of our boxes any way we liked! It was a bit of a mess, but we had a great time! Shoeboxes will be coming home soon!
Thank you for returning all the paperwork from Back-to-School night so promptly. If you haven’t yet, please return at least the website permission form, the library permission form, and the behavior agreement. Thank you to all of our volunteers so far:
- Room Parent’s: Shaunak and Colleen’s mom
- Art Helpers: Sean, Caroline, Shaunak, and Michael’s mom
- Computer Helper: Caroline’s mom
- Friday Helpers: AM – Kumiko’s mom, PM – Daniel’s mom, and Prep – Yuma’s mom
If you are available, we still need extra help in Computer Lab every Wednesday from 11:40am-12:20pm and we need a library helper every Monday from 11:00am-12:00pm. Please let me know if you will be able to volunteer during these times.
Thank you also to everyone who signed up to help with traffic duty in October. I will send a reminder as we get closer to our traffic duty week. Again, if you haven’t signed up for a slot, please consider doing so and return the pink sign up sheet from Back to School night. Thank you for your help!
Have a wonderful weekend! Next week will also be a short week!
Sunday, September 13th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
I’ve extended the September book order deadline to Sunday so you have time to order books over the weekend.
Friday, September 18th: No School – Staff Learning Day
The Cupertino School District will have a day to introduce teachers to the new math program this year.
------
Dear Families,
This was a short week. Everyday we are working on following our carpet rules, working rules, and lining up rules. We are also talking about how to treat others in the classroom and on the playground with respect. We are learning to share and we are learning to use our words to communicate with each other. I hope that this year the children will learn how to be kind to one another. Here are some highlights for the week:
• Language Arts: We worked on the letters J, K, L, M, and N this week. Please review all of our alphabet letters at home, and have your child practice writing their own name properly. We also read the story, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which is about alphabet letters trying to climb up a coconut tree. We made a project that showed the letters of our name climbing up a coconut tree and counted how many made it up!
• Social Studies: Congratulations to Sahithi, who was chosen as our first Star of the Week! You can read about her in the “Classwork” section of our website, and clicking under “Star of the Week.” I will update information about our new Star each week. Also, in Friday Centers, we completed a mini-book that illustrates Eaton School’s Peacebuilder Pledge that we recite everyday. This book will be added to our shoebox collection.
• Math: We completed the third chapter in the first unit of our math book. This week was all about graphing. We learned how to read graphs and figure out which is more or less popular. We also had a chance to make our own graphs and interview classmates to fill in the data. Now we are reviewing all of our vocabulary words and concepts from the past three chapters. In Friday Centers, we also used red and blue squares, as well as stamps, to make patterns.
• Computer Lab: This was our second time in the computer lab. We continued to explore the drawing and painting tools in KidPix. Our task this week was to create a picture and add details in the background.
• Art: On Thursday, we painted our shoeboxes! We used warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) to paint all the sides of our boxes any way we liked! It was a bit of a mess, but we had a great time! Shoeboxes will be coming home soon!
Thank you for returning all the paperwork from Back-to-School night so promptly. If you haven’t yet, please return at least the website permission form, the library permission form, and the behavior agreement. Thank you to all of our volunteers so far:
- Room Parent’s: Shaunak and Colleen’s mom
- Art Helpers: Sean, Caroline, Shaunak, and Michael’s mom
- Computer Helper: Caroline’s mom
- Friday Helpers: AM – Kumiko’s mom, PM – Daniel’s mom, and Prep – Yuma’s mom
If you are available, we still need extra help in Computer Lab every Wednesday from 11:40am-12:20pm and we need a library helper every Monday from 11:00am-12:00pm. Please let me know if you will be able to volunteer during these times.
Thank you also to everyone who signed up to help with traffic duty in October. I will send a reminder as we get closer to our traffic duty week. Again, if you haven’t signed up for a slot, please consider doing so and return the pink sign up sheet from Back to School night. Thank you for your help!
Have a wonderful weekend! Next week will also be a short week!
Friday, September 04, 2009
September 4, 2009
Upcoming Dates
Monday, September 7th: No School – Labor Day
Enjoy your three-day weekend!
Friday, September 11th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Yesterday at Back to School Night, you received our first September Book Order catalogs. Please look over them and submit your orders online by Friday. If you want to pay by check, you can send ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs with the order form, and submit that to me by Friday.
Friday, September 18th: No School – Staff Learning Day
The Cupertino School District will have a day to introduce teachers to the new math program this year.
-----
Dear Families,
I’m glad so many of you were able to make it yesterday to Back to School Night! I apologize for speaking so quickly and rushing through many things, but there is so much to cover! Remember to take time to look over the website if you ever have questions about our classroom procedures. If you were unable to attend, I have sent home our Back to School Night packet in your child’s orange or green daily folder. Please look through all the materials and return the forms included.
I mentioned homework last night which includes library take home books, sharing, monthly packets, and weekly packets. Only the September Homework packet has started, and that will be due October 1st. Sharing begins the week of September 21st and library take home books will begin in October. I will try to send the weekly homework packets in the next few weeks.
Here are some highlights for the week:
• Language Arts: We worked on the letters E, F, G, H, and I this week. We learned their sounds and proper handwriting. We are even learning sign language! Ask your child to show you the alphabet up to letter I in sign language!
• Social Studies: We are beginning our Star of the Week program today. We will select a child each week to learn about. We will interview them by asking them questions, and then afterwards we complete a book about things that they like. The Star of the Week completes their posters at home and get to bring Beebear home for the weekend!
• Math: We completed the second chapter in our math books. This week was all about same and different things. We compared similarities between objects and sorted them by their shape or color. We also sorted the class into groups such as boys and girls, people wearing pants and not pants, or names with certain letters. In Friday Fun Centers, we also worked with Ms. Shyama on a sorting activity.
• Library: We had our first library visit this week. We met Mrs. Glass and learned about the library rules. We need to use walking feet, whisper voices, and we have special shelf markers to help us remember where we found our books. Students have time to read different books in the library and learn how to put them back in the correct spot.
• Buddies: We saw our fourth grade buddies in Ms. Allen’s class for the first time. We took a picture with our buddies and then worked on a “Me and My Buddy” interview. We learned about each other’s birthdays, favorite food, colors, animals, and favorite things to do. Then we illustrated our pictures on the paper.
• Computer Lab: This was our first time in the computer lab. Each of us are assigned to one computer for the whole year. We started by learning how to use the mouse and we explored the software program, Kidpix, today. We learned how to use the different drawing and painting tools, as well as how to quit the program when it is time to leave.
• Music: We met Ms. Disney for the first time this week. She is a wonderful music teacher who has great discipline and control of the classroom. During music, she focuses a lot on movement, rhythm, and beats, instead of just singing songs like we do in the classroom. When we first started, we walked in a circle to different drum beats such as fast, slow, or syncopated. Then we did some rhythm patterns using our hands and hopped, skipped, galloped, jumped, and wiggled to a song about a car on Highway 1.
Thank you for filling out the forms and paperwork from last night. Please return them as soon as possible. I will be contacting volunteers through email as soon as I can to get you in the classroom. Thank you for your help!
Monday, September 7th: No School – Labor Day
Enjoy your three-day weekend!
Friday, September 11th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Yesterday at Back to School Night, you received our first September Book Order catalogs. Please look over them and submit your orders online by Friday. If you want to pay by check, you can send ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs with the order form, and submit that to me by Friday.
Friday, September 18th: No School – Staff Learning Day
The Cupertino School District will have a day to introduce teachers to the new math program this year.
-----
Dear Families,
I’m glad so many of you were able to make it yesterday to Back to School Night! I apologize for speaking so quickly and rushing through many things, but there is so much to cover! Remember to take time to look over the website if you ever have questions about our classroom procedures. If you were unable to attend, I have sent home our Back to School Night packet in your child’s orange or green daily folder. Please look through all the materials and return the forms included.
I mentioned homework last night which includes library take home books, sharing, monthly packets, and weekly packets. Only the September Homework packet has started, and that will be due October 1st. Sharing begins the week of September 21st and library take home books will begin in October. I will try to send the weekly homework packets in the next few weeks.
Here are some highlights for the week:
• Language Arts: We worked on the letters E, F, G, H, and I this week. We learned their sounds and proper handwriting. We are even learning sign language! Ask your child to show you the alphabet up to letter I in sign language!
• Social Studies: We are beginning our Star of the Week program today. We will select a child each week to learn about. We will interview them by asking them questions, and then afterwards we complete a book about things that they like. The Star of the Week completes their posters at home and get to bring Beebear home for the weekend!
• Math: We completed the second chapter in our math books. This week was all about same and different things. We compared similarities between objects and sorted them by their shape or color. We also sorted the class into groups such as boys and girls, people wearing pants and not pants, or names with certain letters. In Friday Fun Centers, we also worked with Ms. Shyama on a sorting activity.
• Library: We had our first library visit this week. We met Mrs. Glass and learned about the library rules. We need to use walking feet, whisper voices, and we have special shelf markers to help us remember where we found our books. Students have time to read different books in the library and learn how to put them back in the correct spot.
• Buddies: We saw our fourth grade buddies in Ms. Allen’s class for the first time. We took a picture with our buddies and then worked on a “Me and My Buddy” interview. We learned about each other’s birthdays, favorite food, colors, animals, and favorite things to do. Then we illustrated our pictures on the paper.
• Computer Lab: This was our first time in the computer lab. Each of us are assigned to one computer for the whole year. We started by learning how to use the mouse and we explored the software program, Kidpix, today. We learned how to use the different drawing and painting tools, as well as how to quit the program when it is time to leave.
• Music: We met Ms. Disney for the first time this week. She is a wonderful music teacher who has great discipline and control of the classroom. During music, she focuses a lot on movement, rhythm, and beats, instead of just singing songs like we do in the classroom. When we first started, we walked in a circle to different drum beats such as fast, slow, or syncopated. Then we did some rhythm patterns using our hands and hopped, skipped, galloped, jumped, and wiggled to a song about a car on Highway 1.
Thank you for filling out the forms and paperwork from last night. Please return them as soon as possible. I will be contacting volunteers through email as soon as I can to get you in the classroom. Thank you for your help!
Friday, August 28, 2009
First week of school
Upcoming Dates
Monday, August 31st: Supplies, Eaton First Day Paperwork, and Shoeboxes Due!
Most of you have already turned in everything so thank you very much! If you haven’t, please do so by Monday.
Thursday, September 3rd: Back-to-School Night 7:15pm-8:00pm in Room 8
This is a mandatory informational meeting about our classroom procedures and curriculum plan for the year. There will be a PTO meeting in the MP room from 7:00pm-7:15pm beforehand.
Monday, September 7th: No School – Labor Day
Enjoy your three-day weekend!
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Dear Families,
Thank you to those of you who have given generous donations for our classroom! In addition to the kindergarten supply list, we ask each family to donate $150 (payable to Eaton Elementary School) in order to cover the costs for all the fun assemblies, field trips, projects, and activities we complete all year long. These programs are not possible without your donations. We appreciate your contribution and support! The Eaton PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) also is asking for a $175 donation (payable to Eaton PTO) to help plan school wide events and fundraisers. Please consider these donation opportunities, as they greatly help our school!
The first few days of school have been focused on class rules and procedures. Thank you for emptying and returning the daily orange and green folders each day. Students are learning to become more independent by unpacking and packing up each day, cleaning up after themselves, and finishing work on their own. I encourage you to let your child do the same at home. Also, we are working on following classroom rules when sitting on the carpet, working at the tables, lining up, and during recess or lunch. Last week, we took a tour of the Eaton campus to learn where the office, bathroom, library, computer lab, MP room, etc. is. Please make sure that your child is comfortable going to the bathroom by him/herself (closing the door, flushing, washing hands after, etc) and also is able to open and close their lunches or snacks. Thank you!
Here are some highlights from the week:
• Reading: We continued to read the Kissing Hand and its sequels. We made a handprint using paint to show what our Kissing Hands look like. Also, we have been learning the words to a book called, “We All Sing With the Same Voice,” which describes children around the world who are alike and different. Everyday, we read an alphabet story so that the students are learning their letters and different vocabulary words that begin with each letter.
• Language Arts: We have begun our phonics and handwriting lessons. We learned how to hold a pencil and how to use two-finger spaces. We worked on A, B, C, and D this week. We practiced big and small letters as well as saying their sounds. Please work on your child’s handwriting if you see handwriting mistakes in their daily folders.
• Math: We completed the first chapter in our math book. The vocabulary words we learned included: top/middle/bottom, before/between/after, inside/outside, and left/right. Please look over the work that goes home and also review these concepts and vocabulary words with your child. We also did an art project about ice cream and practiced applying the concept of top/middle/bottom.
• Social Studies: We are learning about ourselves and our community. We drew a self portrait using as much detail as we could. We also completed two mini-books about school and kindergarten. These books will be going in the shoeboxes that your child brought to school.
• Art: We had a scissors lesson last week and learned how to properly hold scissors. We practiced cutting different types of lines and then made the Blue Sky, Yellow Sun project. This week, we also made a school bus for our classroom display.
• Fire Drill: On Thursday, we practiced our first fire drill. We talked about why we have to practice fire drills and other emergencies. We lined up quietly when the fire bell rang and walked onto the field until we were excused. We did a great job!
• Assembly: We had our first assembly today! It was called “Peace Proof” and Gary Lapow came to sing several of his songs that talked about peace and treating others nicely. During this assembly, Mrs. Rowe reminded us about the school rules at Eaton and what good behavior looks like.
• Free Choice Centers: On Fridays, we will be having free choice centers where children work in small groups to complete activities. This is a time for children to interact and learn how to socialize with others by sharing, including, and treating others nicely. During this time, I get to work with students individually on reading and comprehension.
• Library: We will have our first Eaton library visit on Monday. Mrs. Glass, our librarian, reads us a story and then we get to read books during this time. For the first month, we will not be having the kids check out books on their own because it takes some time to learn the library procedures and how to choose an appropriate book. Therefore, if you would like to find books for your child at home, please visit the Cupertino Public Library. As a general rule, we have children browse for books, and if they cannot read more than 5 words on a page, then that book is too difficult. For now, alphabet books and picture books are great, unless you are reading to them (then it can be harder).
We are fortunate to have a kindergarten aide to help out in our classroom once a week during small group time. Her name is Shyama Nair and she helps in our class for an hour and a half on Friday morning and afternoon. Shyama is a wonderful help to us! She usually does small group or individual projects with the children.
I am looking forward to meeting all of you next Thursday at Back to School Night! Please plan on attending. Have a wonderful weekend!
Monday, August 31st: Supplies, Eaton First Day Paperwork, and Shoeboxes Due!
Most of you have already turned in everything so thank you very much! If you haven’t, please do so by Monday.
Thursday, September 3rd: Back-to-School Night 7:15pm-8:00pm in Room 8
This is a mandatory informational meeting about our classroom procedures and curriculum plan for the year. There will be a PTO meeting in the MP room from 7:00pm-7:15pm beforehand.
Monday, September 7th: No School – Labor Day
Enjoy your three-day weekend!
-----
Dear Families,
Thank you to those of you who have given generous donations for our classroom! In addition to the kindergarten supply list, we ask each family to donate $150 (payable to Eaton Elementary School) in order to cover the costs for all the fun assemblies, field trips, projects, and activities we complete all year long. These programs are not possible without your donations. We appreciate your contribution and support! The Eaton PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) also is asking for a $175 donation (payable to Eaton PTO) to help plan school wide events and fundraisers. Please consider these donation opportunities, as they greatly help our school!
The first few days of school have been focused on class rules and procedures. Thank you for emptying and returning the daily orange and green folders each day. Students are learning to become more independent by unpacking and packing up each day, cleaning up after themselves, and finishing work on their own. I encourage you to let your child do the same at home. Also, we are working on following classroom rules when sitting on the carpet, working at the tables, lining up, and during recess or lunch. Last week, we took a tour of the Eaton campus to learn where the office, bathroom, library, computer lab, MP room, etc. is. Please make sure that your child is comfortable going to the bathroom by him/herself (closing the door, flushing, washing hands after, etc) and also is able to open and close their lunches or snacks. Thank you!
Here are some highlights from the week:
• Reading: We continued to read the Kissing Hand and its sequels. We made a handprint using paint to show what our Kissing Hands look like. Also, we have been learning the words to a book called, “We All Sing With the Same Voice,” which describes children around the world who are alike and different. Everyday, we read an alphabet story so that the students are learning their letters and different vocabulary words that begin with each letter.
• Language Arts: We have begun our phonics and handwriting lessons. We learned how to hold a pencil and how to use two-finger spaces. We worked on A, B, C, and D this week. We practiced big and small letters as well as saying their sounds. Please work on your child’s handwriting if you see handwriting mistakes in their daily folders.
• Math: We completed the first chapter in our math book. The vocabulary words we learned included: top/middle/bottom, before/between/after, inside/outside, and left/right. Please look over the work that goes home and also review these concepts and vocabulary words with your child. We also did an art project about ice cream and practiced applying the concept of top/middle/bottom.
• Social Studies: We are learning about ourselves and our community. We drew a self portrait using as much detail as we could. We also completed two mini-books about school and kindergarten. These books will be going in the shoeboxes that your child brought to school.
• Art: We had a scissors lesson last week and learned how to properly hold scissors. We practiced cutting different types of lines and then made the Blue Sky, Yellow Sun project. This week, we also made a school bus for our classroom display.
• Fire Drill: On Thursday, we practiced our first fire drill. We talked about why we have to practice fire drills and other emergencies. We lined up quietly when the fire bell rang and walked onto the field until we were excused. We did a great job!
• Assembly: We had our first assembly today! It was called “Peace Proof” and Gary Lapow came to sing several of his songs that talked about peace and treating others nicely. During this assembly, Mrs. Rowe reminded us about the school rules at Eaton and what good behavior looks like.
• Free Choice Centers: On Fridays, we will be having free choice centers where children work in small groups to complete activities. This is a time for children to interact and learn how to socialize with others by sharing, including, and treating others nicely. During this time, I get to work with students individually on reading and comprehension.
• Library: We will have our first Eaton library visit on Monday. Mrs. Glass, our librarian, reads us a story and then we get to read books during this time. For the first month, we will not be having the kids check out books on their own because it takes some time to learn the library procedures and how to choose an appropriate book. Therefore, if you would like to find books for your child at home, please visit the Cupertino Public Library. As a general rule, we have children browse for books, and if they cannot read more than 5 words on a page, then that book is too difficult. For now, alphabet books and picture books are great, unless you are reading to them (then it can be harder).
We are fortunate to have a kindergarten aide to help out in our classroom once a week during small group time. Her name is Shyama Nair and she helps in our class for an hour and a half on Friday morning and afternoon. Shyama is a wonderful help to us! She usually does small group or individual projects with the children.
I am looking forward to meeting all of you next Thursday at Back to School Night! Please plan on attending. Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
First Day of School
Dear Kindergarten families,
Welcome to Kindergarten! Thank you to those of you who attended Kindergarten Kick-Start yesterday morning. It was nice meeting many of you! If you were not able to attend, I included the information sheet in your manila folder today.
Important Dates to Remember:
• August 24th – PTO Ice Cream Social (6:30-8:00pm)
• August 28th – Bring an adult-sized shoe box to school
- School Supplies Due (in a bag labeled with your child’s name)
• September 3rd – Back to School Night (7:15-8:00pm)
• September 7th – Labor Day (no school)
Back to School Night
Please save the date: Thursday, September 3rd. There will be a PTO Meeting in the Multipurpose (MP) room from 7:00-7:15pm. Then I will hold a meeting in Room 8 from 7:15-8:00pm. This is a very important meeting where I will be discussing our classroom procedures, standards, homework, volunteer schedules, etc. This event is for parents only.
Folders
Your child will be bringing home a folder everyday in his or her backpack (orange for AM, green for PM) starting on Friday. This folder will have your child’s daily work along with other important information. Please review and remove all the papers in the folder every night. If you have any information or papers for me, please place them inside the folder. Make sure your child brings their folder to school everyday! Some days the folder will come home empty. Do not be alarmed, we do a lot of hands-on activities in class, so some days there will not be much paperwork. Also, I save a lot of their work for an end-of-the-year project.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
In early October, I will be able to meet with each individual family to discuss your child’s strengths and needs. If you have any information you would like me to know prior to this meeting (health concerns, family living situations, etc.), please let me know on the “Let’s Get Acquainted Sheet.”
First Day Packet & Extra Info
There will be a lot of information coming home today that needs to be signed and returned to school. Please return the items in the manila folder by Monday, August 24th.
• Enrollment / Health Card (don’t forget your signature at the bottom!)
• CUSD Opening Day Packet / signature on page 9
• Eaton Classroom & PTO Direct Donation Drive
• Telecommunication Agreement
• Electronic Newsletter Signup: http://eatoneagles.ca.campusgrid.net/home
• Lunch order – if desired
• Room 8 Directory
• Let’s Get Acquainted information sheet
School Playgrounds
During school hours, students may not play on the playground structures unless a teacher is supervising. This is between the hours of 8:30am to 3:45pm. Remember to park your cars (not in the bus circle!) if you are picking up or dropping off.
AM Parents: Please remember to wait in the bus circle (outside of Room 1) until 12:20pm. Then you may come to pick up your child and return home. Please do not let your child run around or play at Eaton after 12:20pm.
PM Parents: Please pick up your child at 3:05pm (Tuesdays 2:30pm) and then return home. Please do not let your child run around or play after 3:05pm.
Thank you for your help to follow Eaton school rules. I am looking forward to a wonderful year and am super excited to get to know you and your child better!
Welcome to Kindergarten! Thank you to those of you who attended Kindergarten Kick-Start yesterday morning. It was nice meeting many of you! If you were not able to attend, I included the information sheet in your manila folder today.
Important Dates to Remember:
• August 24th – PTO Ice Cream Social (6:30-8:00pm)
• August 28th – Bring an adult-sized shoe box to school
- School Supplies Due (in a bag labeled with your child’s name)
• September 3rd – Back to School Night (7:15-8:00pm)
• September 7th – Labor Day (no school)
Back to School Night
Please save the date: Thursday, September 3rd. There will be a PTO Meeting in the Multipurpose (MP) room from 7:00-7:15pm. Then I will hold a meeting in Room 8 from 7:15-8:00pm. This is a very important meeting where I will be discussing our classroom procedures, standards, homework, volunteer schedules, etc. This event is for parents only.
Folders
Your child will be bringing home a folder everyday in his or her backpack (orange for AM, green for PM) starting on Friday. This folder will have your child’s daily work along with other important information. Please review and remove all the papers in the folder every night. If you have any information or papers for me, please place them inside the folder. Make sure your child brings their folder to school everyday! Some days the folder will come home empty. Do not be alarmed, we do a lot of hands-on activities in class, so some days there will not be much paperwork. Also, I save a lot of their work for an end-of-the-year project.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
In early October, I will be able to meet with each individual family to discuss your child’s strengths and needs. If you have any information you would like me to know prior to this meeting (health concerns, family living situations, etc.), please let me know on the “Let’s Get Acquainted Sheet.”
First Day Packet & Extra Info
There will be a lot of information coming home today that needs to be signed and returned to school. Please return the items in the manila folder by Monday, August 24th.
• Enrollment / Health Card (don’t forget your signature at the bottom!)
• CUSD Opening Day Packet / signature on page 9
• Eaton Classroom & PTO Direct Donation Drive
• Telecommunication Agreement
• Electronic Newsletter Signup: http://eatoneagles.ca.campusgrid.net/home
• Lunch order – if desired
• Room 8 Directory
• Let’s Get Acquainted information sheet
School Playgrounds
During school hours, students may not play on the playground structures unless a teacher is supervising. This is between the hours of 8:30am to 3:45pm. Remember to park your cars (not in the bus circle!) if you are picking up or dropping off.
AM Parents: Please remember to wait in the bus circle (outside of Room 1) until 12:20pm. Then you may come to pick up your child and return home. Please do not let your child run around or play at Eaton after 12:20pm.
PM Parents: Please pick up your child at 3:05pm (Tuesdays 2:30pm) and then return home. Please do not let your child run around or play after 3:05pm.
Thank you for your help to follow Eaton school rules. I am looking forward to a wonderful year and am super excited to get to know you and your child better!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Kindergarten Kick Start
Welcome to Kindergarten with Mrs. Yu
I am excited to meet all of you today! It will be a wonderful year!
AM Kids
Arrival – 9:00am
Dismissal – 12:20pm
Snacks – Students need to bring a healthy snack to eat at recess.
Please send one item and a drink.
PM Kids
Arrival – 10:55am (Tuesdays – 10:35am)
Dismissal – 3:05pm (Tuesdays – 2:30pm)
Lunch – Students will need to bring a lunch. Kindergarten hot lunch begins on Monday
if your child chooses to participate. Hot lunch students will be walked to the cafeteria and back to our lunch tables. Lunch envelopes are available in the office and need to be turned in no later than the day you would like your child to have hot lunch. Your child will need to memorize his/her PIN number.
Personal Belongings
• All bags, backpacks, lunch bags, jackets, etc. must be labeled with your child’s name and room number.
• Please send your child to school with an appropriate sized bag or backpack (can hold lunch/snack and a folder with papers).
• Do not send a rolling backpack to school. We do not have room to store them.
• Keep all toys at home.
First Day of School
For a smooth transition on the first day, please give your hugs and good-byes to your children BEFORE the bell rings. The principal would like to meet with all the parents in the Multi-purpose room for coffee and discussion at the start of the school day.
Communication
A first day packet will be coming home with your child tomorrow with more information from the school and from our classroom. Please make sure to check your child’s backpack everyday for important notes that may be sent home, and please try to return paperwork promptly. Thank you.
I am excited to meet all of you today! It will be a wonderful year!
AM Kids
Arrival – 9:00am
Dismissal – 12:20pm
Snacks – Students need to bring a healthy snack to eat at recess.
Please send one item and a drink.
PM Kids
Arrival – 10:55am (Tuesdays – 10:35am)
Dismissal – 3:05pm (Tuesdays – 2:30pm)
Lunch – Students will need to bring a lunch. Kindergarten hot lunch begins on Monday
if your child chooses to participate. Hot lunch students will be walked to the cafeteria and back to our lunch tables. Lunch envelopes are available in the office and need to be turned in no later than the day you would like your child to have hot lunch. Your child will need to memorize his/her PIN number.
Personal Belongings
• All bags, backpacks, lunch bags, jackets, etc. must be labeled with your child’s name and room number.
• Please send your child to school with an appropriate sized bag or backpack (can hold lunch/snack and a folder with papers).
• Do not send a rolling backpack to school. We do not have room to store them.
• Keep all toys at home.
First Day of School
For a smooth transition on the first day, please give your hugs and good-byes to your children BEFORE the bell rings. The principal would like to meet with all the parents in the Multi-purpose room for coffee and discussion at the start of the school day.
Communication
A first day packet will be coming home with your child tomorrow with more information from the school and from our classroom. Please make sure to check your child’s backpack everyday for important notes that may be sent home, and please try to return paperwork promptly. Thank you.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Please come to Kindergarten Kick Start
To Parents of Incoming Kindergarten Students:
Mark your calendars!
August 19th: Kindergarten Kick Start (10:00am)
Please plan on attending this important meeting with your child! Class lists will be posted and I will be introducing both you and your child to his/her classroom so that they will feel comfortable on their first day of school
August 20th: First Day of School
Hooray!
Supply Lists:
In the fall of each year, teachers generally ask parents to donate supplies. Parents have requested that these lists be sent out now so that supplies can be purchased during August when many of the stores have special Back to School sales. These items may be brought to the child’s teacher during the first week of school. Have a wonderful summer!
If your last name begins with A-L please bring:
1 box of gallon size Ziploc freezer bags.
1 box of Kleenex
2 dozen glue sticks (Elmer brand only)
1 box of #2 pencils- Ticonderoga Brand (orange only)
2 wide-tip highlighters of each color-
orange, yellow, green, & pink
1 bottle of liquid soap (SoftSoap brand preferred)
If your last name begins with M-Z bring:
1 box of sandwich size Ziploc freezer bags.
1 box of snack size Ziploc bags
1 box of Kleenex
2 dozen glue sticks (Elmer brand only)
1 box of wide-tip Crayola markers
1 container of baby wipes
1 bottle of hand sanitizer
** Hint: Please DO NOT buy your child a backpack with wheels. We do not have ample space for them in the classroom. Thank you! **
Mark your calendars!
August 19th: Kindergarten Kick Start (10:00am)
Please plan on attending this important meeting with your child! Class lists will be posted and I will be introducing both you and your child to his/her classroom so that they will feel comfortable on their first day of school
August 20th: First Day of School
Hooray!
Supply Lists:
In the fall of each year, teachers generally ask parents to donate supplies. Parents have requested that these lists be sent out now so that supplies can be purchased during August when many of the stores have special Back to School sales. These items may be brought to the child’s teacher during the first week of school. Have a wonderful summer!
If your last name begins with A-L please bring:
1 box of gallon size Ziploc freezer bags.
1 box of Kleenex
2 dozen glue sticks (Elmer brand only)
1 box of #2 pencils- Ticonderoga Brand (orange only)
2 wide-tip highlighters of each color-
orange, yellow, green, & pink
1 bottle of liquid soap (SoftSoap brand preferred)
If your last name begins with M-Z bring:
1 box of sandwich size Ziploc freezer bags.
1 box of snack size Ziploc bags
1 box of Kleenex
2 dozen glue sticks (Elmer brand only)
1 box of wide-tip Crayola markers
1 container of baby wipes
1 bottle of hand sanitizer
** Hint: Please DO NOT buy your child a backpack with wheels. We do not have ample space for them in the classroom. Thank you! **
Friday, June 05, 2009
June 5, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Monday, June 8th: End of the Year First Grade Trip
We will be taking the light rail and bus to Almaden Lake Park. Each child needs to wear play clothes and bring a lunch labeled with your child’s name. Do not send anything that cannot be thrown away. We will be leaving around 9:15-9:30. Julia, Mai, and Emi’s mother will be coming with us. If you are meeting us at the park, pick up a map from me on Monday morning. We still need a parent to transport our lunches and drinks. Please see me on Monday if you can help! We return from the park by 2:30.
There is a water play area at Almaden Lake Park, so please wear shoes and clothing that can get a little wet. If it is warm enough to go in, we will dry everyone off in the sun before we get on the bus to come home.
* Friday, June 12th: Last Day of School! Dismissal is at 12:20pm.
Please make sure you pick your child up on time!
-----
Dear Families,
This was our last academic week. We finished our last chapter in math on double digit addition and subtraction. We interviewed our new student, Jin, and wrote about her favorite things. You can read about Jin on our website under “Classwork” and “Prince and Princess.” Also, we learned about nutrition and healthy eating this week. We learned about the 5 different food groups in the food pyramid, and reviewed some food vocabulary words. Furthermore, we have been reading stories and completing activities from the English to a Beat program. These stories are great because not only can you listen to the story on a CD, but there are 3 songs in the middle to enhance the stories. Afterwards, we worked on grammar questions such as using is vs. are in sentences, question words: who, what, when, where, why, and commands vs. statements. Finally, we had our last computer lab and Cupertino library visits. Please remember to return all your Eaton and Cupertino books!
For the last 2 weeks, we are ending the year by reading Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel. His stories are chapter books but are great because it shows good examples of friendship. I hope that in addition to everything your child has learned academically this year, most important is remembering how to treat others with kindness and respect. Frog and Toad show different ways of being good friends to one another.
Next week will go by quickly. We will have the first grade field trip, the talent show, our last first grade end-of-the-year circuit, and breakfast and a book on the last day. Everything will be going home next week, and please remember to pick up your child promptly at 12:20pm on Friday, June 12th.
Have a wonderful weekend!
* Monday, June 8th: End of the Year First Grade Trip
We will be taking the light rail and bus to Almaden Lake Park. Each child needs to wear play clothes and bring a lunch labeled with your child’s name. Do not send anything that cannot be thrown away. We will be leaving around 9:15-9:30. Julia, Mai, and Emi’s mother will be coming with us. If you are meeting us at the park, pick up a map from me on Monday morning. We still need a parent to transport our lunches and drinks. Please see me on Monday if you can help! We return from the park by 2:30.
There is a water play area at Almaden Lake Park, so please wear shoes and clothing that can get a little wet. If it is warm enough to go in, we will dry everyone off in the sun before we get on the bus to come home.
* Friday, June 12th: Last Day of School! Dismissal is at 12:20pm.
Please make sure you pick your child up on time!
-----
Dear Families,
This was our last academic week. We finished our last chapter in math on double digit addition and subtraction. We interviewed our new student, Jin, and wrote about her favorite things. You can read about Jin on our website under “Classwork” and “Prince and Princess.” Also, we learned about nutrition and healthy eating this week. We learned about the 5 different food groups in the food pyramid, and reviewed some food vocabulary words. Furthermore, we have been reading stories and completing activities from the English to a Beat program. These stories are great because not only can you listen to the story on a CD, but there are 3 songs in the middle to enhance the stories. Afterwards, we worked on grammar questions such as using is vs. are in sentences, question words: who, what, when, where, why, and commands vs. statements. Finally, we had our last computer lab and Cupertino library visits. Please remember to return all your Eaton and Cupertino books!
For the last 2 weeks, we are ending the year by reading Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel. His stories are chapter books but are great because it shows good examples of friendship. I hope that in addition to everything your child has learned academically this year, most important is remembering how to treat others with kindness and respect. Frog and Toad show different ways of being good friends to one another.
Next week will go by quickly. We will have the first grade field trip, the talent show, our last first grade end-of-the-year circuit, and breakfast and a book on the last day. Everything will be going home next week, and please remember to pick up your child promptly at 12:20pm on Friday, June 12th.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Friday, May 29, 2009
May 28, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Friday, June 5th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
This will be our last visit to the Cupertino Library. Please remember to send your child’s blue library card to school!
* Monday, June 8th: Almaden Lake Park Field Trip
This is our end-of-the-year field trip with all first graders. Please return the permission slip from last week if you haven’t yet! We have enough parent chaperones with us on the light rail and bus! Julia, Mai and Emi’s mother will be coming with us on the bus. Other parents with siblings are welcome to drive themselves and meet us at the park.
* Friday, June 12th: Last Day of School – Dismissal is at 12:20pm
Remember to pick up your child on time at 12:20pm! Have a great summer!
-----
Dear Families,
It was great to see so many of you at Open House last night! Thank you for coming to see all of the wonderful projects they have completed this year in first grade. The students were all so excited to be your tour guides for the evening. I know it was a lot to see and there was a lot of moving around, but I am proud of all of them! I hope you enjoyed the surprise gift as well. This was my first time publishing a book, and decided that I wanted the class to have a copy of their own. You can purchase extras at www.bookemon.com if you would like to share it with relatives or friends.
This was another short week. We finished up many projects and cleaned up the classroom to prepare for Open House. On Tuesday, we went to Mrs. Barelli’s classroom to explore tangrams. We made different animals out of the tangram pieces. On Wednesday, we had an assembly from the Fratello Marionettes on “The Frog Prince.” We watched a puppeteer who made his own puppets perform several short skits using music in the background. It was really entertaining! Today we had a special presentation from the San Jose Museum of Art. They came and introduced us to many different pieces of art styles using different art mediums.
Today was also the last day for the Eaton library. Students cannot check out books anymore since it is the end of the year. Please make sure you have returned your book to the Eaton library to avoid any fines!
We are near the end of the year, but I just found out we are getting a new student on Monday! Unfortunately, we do not have much time to get to know her, but please welcome her and her family anyways during these last 2 weeks. Her name is Jin Kim and she speaks Korean. Thank you!
* Friday, June 5th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
This will be our last visit to the Cupertino Library. Please remember to send your child’s blue library card to school!
* Monday, June 8th: Almaden Lake Park Field Trip
This is our end-of-the-year field trip with all first graders. Please return the permission slip from last week if you haven’t yet! We have enough parent chaperones with us on the light rail and bus! Julia, Mai and Emi’s mother will be coming with us on the bus. Other parents with siblings are welcome to drive themselves and meet us at the park.
* Friday, June 12th: Last Day of School – Dismissal is at 12:20pm
Remember to pick up your child on time at 12:20pm! Have a great summer!
-----
Dear Families,
It was great to see so many of you at Open House last night! Thank you for coming to see all of the wonderful projects they have completed this year in first grade. The students were all so excited to be your tour guides for the evening. I know it was a lot to see and there was a lot of moving around, but I am proud of all of them! I hope you enjoyed the surprise gift as well. This was my first time publishing a book, and decided that I wanted the class to have a copy of their own. You can purchase extras at www.bookemon.com if you would like to share it with relatives or friends.
This was another short week. We finished up many projects and cleaned up the classroom to prepare for Open House. On Tuesday, we went to Mrs. Barelli’s classroom to explore tangrams. We made different animals out of the tangram pieces. On Wednesday, we had an assembly from the Fratello Marionettes on “The Frog Prince.” We watched a puppeteer who made his own puppets perform several short skits using music in the background. It was really entertaining! Today we had a special presentation from the San Jose Museum of Art. They came and introduced us to many different pieces of art styles using different art mediums.
Today was also the last day for the Eaton library. Students cannot check out books anymore since it is the end of the year. Please make sure you have returned your book to the Eaton library to avoid any fines!
We are near the end of the year, but I just found out we are getting a new student on Monday! Unfortunately, we do not have much time to get to know her, but please welcome her and her family anyways during these last 2 weeks. Her name is Jin Kim and she speaks Korean. Thank you!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
May 21, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
* Friday, June 5th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
This will be our last visit to the Cupertino Library. Please remember to send your child’s blue library card to school!
* Monday, June 8th: Almaden Lake Park Field Trip
This is our end-of-the-year field trip with all first graders. Attached to today’s newsletter is a permission slip that needs to be returned by Friday, May 29th. We can take three parent chaperones with us on the light rail and bus, and other parents with siblings are welcome to drive themselves and meet us at the park.
* Friday, June 12th: Last Day of School – Dismissal is at 12:20pm
Remember to pick up your child on time at 12:20pm! Have a great summer!
-----
Dear Families,
This was a short week! Thank you for all of the flowers, books, cards, supplies, and gifts this week for Teacher Appreciation Week. I really appreciated the kind thoughts and gestures. Thank you also to Emi’s mom, Mai’s mom, Jhanvi’s mom, and Seyon’s dad for coming to the San Francisco Zoo with us on Monday. Despite the incredibly cold weather, we had a great time looking at the different animals! My favorite was the baby giraffe!
This week we had a special first grade social studies circuit on Communities that lasted Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We rotated to each of the classrooms to learn about people, homes, buildings, transportation, nature, signs, streets, and addresses in our community. These projects will be displayed in our classroom next week.
We are busily finishing up projects for Open House! Please plan on attending this Thursday, May 28th from 6:30-7:30pm! You will be taking home many of your children’s projects that they completed during this first grade year and it will be a great moment for your child to share what he or she has learned! I am very proud of all of them. All of the students have made tremendous improvement, especially in the last few recent months. You should be very proud too! Have a wonderful long weekend!
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
* Friday, June 5th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
This will be our last visit to the Cupertino Library. Please remember to send your child’s blue library card to school!
* Monday, June 8th: Almaden Lake Park Field Trip
This is our end-of-the-year field trip with all first graders. Attached to today’s newsletter is a permission slip that needs to be returned by Friday, May 29th. We can take three parent chaperones with us on the light rail and bus, and other parents with siblings are welcome to drive themselves and meet us at the park.
* Friday, June 12th: Last Day of School – Dismissal is at 12:20pm
Remember to pick up your child on time at 12:20pm! Have a great summer!
-----
Dear Families,
This was a short week! Thank you for all of the flowers, books, cards, supplies, and gifts this week for Teacher Appreciation Week. I really appreciated the kind thoughts and gestures. Thank you also to Emi’s mom, Mai’s mom, Jhanvi’s mom, and Seyon’s dad for coming to the San Francisco Zoo with us on Monday. Despite the incredibly cold weather, we had a great time looking at the different animals! My favorite was the baby giraffe!
This week we had a special first grade social studies circuit on Communities that lasted Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We rotated to each of the classrooms to learn about people, homes, buildings, transportation, nature, signs, streets, and addresses in our community. These projects will be displayed in our classroom next week.
We are busily finishing up projects for Open House! Please plan on attending this Thursday, May 28th from 6:30-7:30pm! You will be taking home many of your children’s projects that they completed during this first grade year and it will be a great moment for your child to share what he or she has learned! I am very proud of all of them. All of the students have made tremendous improvement, especially in the last few recent months. You should be very proud too! Have a wonderful long weekend!
Friday, May 15, 2009
May 15, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Thank you to our four parent chaperones: Emi’s mother, Seyon’s father, Jhanvi’s mother, and Mai’s mother. Please have your child dress in layers to stay warm and send a BAG lunch with your child’s name on it. Everything will be thrown away at the zoo!
* Thursday, May 21st: LAST Scholastic Book Orders Due!
Attached to today’s newsletter is the last book order of the year. Please make ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs if you are interested in purchasing!
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
-----
Dear Families,
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Jhanvi
Poem of the Week: The Robin’s Secret
Song of the Week: The Presidents
Kindness is … singing with all your heart
Words: watched, together, garden, sharp, baby, edge, only, enough
Next Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something at the beach
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 9 Special Friends – Week 3
o Strategy and Skill Focus: Question & Compare/Contrast
o New Sound: vowel pairs oi, oy, aw, au, suffixes –ful, -ly, -y
o Grammar: Describing what we see
• Math: We are in out last chapter for first grade on two digit addition and subtraction. This week we focused on addition and practiced adding two-digit numbers. Students had trouble with subtracting numbers such as 16-9 because they would confuse the ones place as 6-9. Please be careful!
• Writing: We finished learning about the frog life cycle. On Wednesday, we wrote an outline together in class, then students drafted an expository piece about a frog’s life. At this point in the year, students should be able to write an organized paragraph with a topic sentence, at least 3 facts with details to support it, and a conclusion. On Thursday, we published our writing and illustrated a frog to decorate our piece. We also made a quilt square about our favorite memories of first grade this week.
• Science: This is our last week observing the cloud cover, precipitation, wind, and temperature. Students have been assessed on whether or not they made accurate observations during the last month. This includes graphing temperatures correctly.
• Computer: Many students are finishing their The Very Hungry Caterpillar stories in the computer lab. We only have about 2 more weeks to work on them! Students who finished are reading stories in Starfall.
• Music: This week, the first grade classes got together to watch the DVD of our show! Great job everyone! Also, on Monday we were able to watch the fourth and fifth graders perform their musical! The upper graders use instruments such as drums and xylophones to accompany their singing, and also have role playing to tell a story.
• Circuits: On Tuesday, we had circuits with Mrs. Zankich. We reviewed fractions and then designed our own flags using either ½, 1/3, ¼ or 1/8. Then we wrote about what we made.
I came down with a cold during the week, so I rested on Thursday. I know some of the students were also sick! Take care and I hope you have a nice weekend!
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Thank you to our four parent chaperones: Emi’s mother, Seyon’s father, Jhanvi’s mother, and Mai’s mother. Please have your child dress in layers to stay warm and send a BAG lunch with your child’s name on it. Everything will be thrown away at the zoo!
* Thursday, May 21st: LAST Scholastic Book Orders Due!
Attached to today’s newsletter is the last book order of the year. Please make ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs if you are interested in purchasing!
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
-----
Dear Families,
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Jhanvi
Poem of the Week: The Robin’s Secret
Song of the Week: The Presidents
Kindness is … singing with all your heart
Words: watched, together, garden, sharp, baby, edge, only, enough
Next Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something at the beach
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 9 Special Friends – Week 3
o Strategy and Skill Focus: Question & Compare/Contrast
o New Sound: vowel pairs oi, oy, aw, au, suffixes –ful, -ly, -y
o Grammar: Describing what we see
• Math: We are in out last chapter for first grade on two digit addition and subtraction. This week we focused on addition and practiced adding two-digit numbers. Students had trouble with subtracting numbers such as 16-9 because they would confuse the ones place as 6-9. Please be careful!
• Writing: We finished learning about the frog life cycle. On Wednesday, we wrote an outline together in class, then students drafted an expository piece about a frog’s life. At this point in the year, students should be able to write an organized paragraph with a topic sentence, at least 3 facts with details to support it, and a conclusion. On Thursday, we published our writing and illustrated a frog to decorate our piece. We also made a quilt square about our favorite memories of first grade this week.
• Science: This is our last week observing the cloud cover, precipitation, wind, and temperature. Students have been assessed on whether or not they made accurate observations during the last month. This includes graphing temperatures correctly.
• Computer: Many students are finishing their The Very Hungry Caterpillar stories in the computer lab. We only have about 2 more weeks to work on them! Students who finished are reading stories in Starfall.
• Music: This week, the first grade classes got together to watch the DVD of our show! Great job everyone! Also, on Monday we were able to watch the fourth and fifth graders perform their musical! The upper graders use instruments such as drums and xylophones to accompany their singing, and also have role playing to tell a story.
• Circuits: On Tuesday, we had circuits with Mrs. Zankich. We reviewed fractions and then designed our own flags using either ½, 1/3, ¼ or 1/8. Then we wrote about what we made.
I came down with a cold during the week, so I rested on Thursday. I know some of the students were also sick! Take care and I hope you have a nice weekend!
Friday, May 08, 2009
May 8, 2009
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
Upcoming Dates
* Friday, May 15th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
Please send your child’s blue library card to school! Remember to practice his/her 4-digit PIN number and please return books on your own!
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Thank you to our four parent chaperones: Emi’s mother, Seyon’s father, Jhanvi’s mother, and Mai’s mother. Please have your child dress in layers to stay warm and send a BAG lunch with your child’s name on it. Everything will be thrown away at the zoo!
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
Don’t forget to return this form! It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out as soon as you can!
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
-----
Dear Families,
I hope you were able to come watch our First Grade Musical, “Leave the World Just a Little Bit Better,” today! We worked very hard learning the words of the songs and practicing the dancing! We hope you enjoyed it!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Alina
Poem of the Week: Caterpillar Small
Song of the Week: The Presidents
Kindness is … picking up someone else’s trash.
Word Wall: after, before, buy, done, off, pretty, school, wash
Next Week’s Sharing: Regular – Something you made yourself
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 9 Special Friends – Week 2
o Strategy and Skill Focus: Evaluate / Story Structure
o New Sound: base words with –es, –ies endings, prefixes un-, re-
o Grammar: Using was or were
• Math: We finished our eleventh chapter on Time and Calendar. Students now know how to read a clock by hour and half hour. They should also be able to answer questions about the day of the week, month, year, or date on a calendar. Keep practicing finding start times, end times, or the duration between two activities. That was the trickiest part for students!
• Writing: We wrote I Am poems this week. We used different question prompts to help us write a poem about ourselves and our favorite things. We tried to use descriptive words to write the sentences. These will be displayed at Open House.
• Science: This week we continued measuring the cloud cover, wind, and temperature on our weather calendars. On Thursday, we even saw the wind anemometer turning fast because there was strong wind. We also continued talking about the life cycle of frogs and toads. We are reading fiction stories from the Frog and Toad collections by Arnold Lobel. We are also reading non-fiction stories to learn facts and differences about frogs and toads.
• Social Studies: We talked about Mother’s Day this week and made a special present for our mothers! We hope you love our gifts. The clay pots were made from art class with Mrs. Abada and we painted them using acrylic paint. I chose bamboo plants because they’re easy to take care of since all you have to do is water them whenever you want to. You might want to place them on a plate in case water leaks from the bottom of the pot.
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Two students are finished now and their books have been bound together!
• Music: We had music practice everyday this week. We had to practice getting on and off the risers, remembering our words and dance moves, as well as learning to stand for an entire performance! On Wednesday, we had a dress rehearsal for the Kindergarten and second grade classes. Today, we performed for the rest of the school and for all our parents! It was exciting to see all the children in their costumes!
• Art: This week was our last art class with Mrs. Abada! We made a chalk pastel drawing after the artist Monet. We focused on his waterlily and garden paintings. They turned out very beautiful!
• Circuits: On Tuesday, we had circuits with Mrs. Bachelor. She talked about windy skies and weather. We decorated our own kites.
If you are interested, I put together our favorite Kindness journal
entries and drawings into a published book which you can purchase online on the website, www.bookemon.com. Just look for the title, “Kindness Is…” and you can see the example. I purchased one for myself to keep and will display it during Open House!
Upcoming Dates
* Friday, May 15th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
Please send your child’s blue library card to school! Remember to practice his/her 4-digit PIN number and please return books on your own!
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Thank you to our four parent chaperones: Emi’s mother, Seyon’s father, Jhanvi’s mother, and Mai’s mother. Please have your child dress in layers to stay warm and send a BAG lunch with your child’s name on it. Everything will be thrown away at the zoo!
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
Don’t forget to return this form! It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out as soon as you can!
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
-----
Dear Families,
I hope you were able to come watch our First Grade Musical, “Leave the World Just a Little Bit Better,” today! We worked very hard learning the words of the songs and practicing the dancing! We hope you enjoyed it!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Alina
Poem of the Week: Caterpillar Small
Song of the Week: The Presidents
Kindness is … picking up someone else’s trash.
Word Wall: after, before, buy, done, off, pretty, school, wash
Next Week’s Sharing: Regular – Something you made yourself
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 9 Special Friends – Week 2
o Strategy and Skill Focus: Evaluate / Story Structure
o New Sound: base words with –es, –ies endings, prefixes un-, re-
o Grammar: Using was or were
• Math: We finished our eleventh chapter on Time and Calendar. Students now know how to read a clock by hour and half hour. They should also be able to answer questions about the day of the week, month, year, or date on a calendar. Keep practicing finding start times, end times, or the duration between two activities. That was the trickiest part for students!
• Writing: We wrote I Am poems this week. We used different question prompts to help us write a poem about ourselves and our favorite things. We tried to use descriptive words to write the sentences. These will be displayed at Open House.
• Science: This week we continued measuring the cloud cover, wind, and temperature on our weather calendars. On Thursday, we even saw the wind anemometer turning fast because there was strong wind. We also continued talking about the life cycle of frogs and toads. We are reading fiction stories from the Frog and Toad collections by Arnold Lobel. We are also reading non-fiction stories to learn facts and differences about frogs and toads.
• Social Studies: We talked about Mother’s Day this week and made a special present for our mothers! We hope you love our gifts. The clay pots were made from art class with Mrs. Abada and we painted them using acrylic paint. I chose bamboo plants because they’re easy to take care of since all you have to do is water them whenever you want to. You might want to place them on a plate in case water leaks from the bottom of the pot.
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Two students are finished now and their books have been bound together!
• Music: We had music practice everyday this week. We had to practice getting on and off the risers, remembering our words and dance moves, as well as learning to stand for an entire performance! On Wednesday, we had a dress rehearsal for the Kindergarten and second grade classes. Today, we performed for the rest of the school and for all our parents! It was exciting to see all the children in their costumes!
• Art: This week was our last art class with Mrs. Abada! We made a chalk pastel drawing after the artist Monet. We focused on his waterlily and garden paintings. They turned out very beautiful!
• Circuits: On Tuesday, we had circuits with Mrs. Bachelor. She talked about windy skies and weather. We decorated our own kites.
If you are interested, I put together our favorite Kindness journal
entries and drawings into a published book which you can purchase online on the website, www.bookemon.com. Just look for the title, “Kindness Is…” and you can see the example. I purchased one for myself to keep and will display it during Open House!
Monday, May 04, 2009
May 1, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Monday, May 4th: Musical Costumes DUE!!!
On Monday, I sent home a costume list highlighted with your child’s name. Please make sure to bring the exact clothes listed in a bag labeled with his/her name by MONDAY. Remember that shirts and pants need to be ONE color and have NO designs on them. Your child will wear their clothes home on Friday after the performance.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical - 2:00pm in the MP Room
Please come and watch our performance! Your child has worked hard to learn songs and dances for our show titled, “Leave the World a Little Bit Better.” It will be a cute show that you don’t want to miss!!!
* Friday, May 15th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
Please send your child’s blue library card to school!
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Our parent chaperones for this trip will be Seyon’s father, Jhanvi’s mother, and Mai’s mother. Thank you for volunteering! Please have your child dress in layers to stay warm and send a BAG lunch with your child’s name on it. Everything will be thrown away at the zoo!
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
Don’t forget to return this form! It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out as soon as you can!
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
-----
Dear Families,
Thank you to Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) for coming with us on Monday to the Flint Center on our field trip. We watched singers and dancers act out seven short stories including, If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Despite a minor bus issue, we made it there safely and enjoyed the show!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Winny
Poem of the Week: May Song
Song of the Week: The 50 States that Rhyme
Kindness is … picking up someone else’s trash.
Word Wall: around, else, ever, dance, ocean, open, talk, though
Next Week’s Sharing: Silly Poem
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 9 Special Friends – Week 1
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Monitor/Clarify
• Word Families: words that rhyme with my
• Sounds: y
• Grammar: is/are
• Math: We continued practicing to tell time by hour and half hour. We also started the second half of the chapter on reading and interpreting a calendar. We have been trying to answer questions about a calendar by answering with a month (Jan, Feb…), a day of the week (Sun, Mon, …), or a date (May 1).
• Science: We are recording the weather every day and measuring the temperature. This week, we talked a lot about wind. We learned how to make a wind anemometer and how it measures wind. We also practiced identifying the wind as no wind (calm), some wind (gentle or moderate breeze), and strong wind (strong breeze).
• Social Studies: This week our class had two special duties. First, we had campus clean up duty. We picked up trash throughout the school and tried to clean up the campus. Also, our parents had traffic duty. Thank you for those of you who volunteered 20 minutes or more to help keep our school safe in the bus circle!
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Some students are almost done!
• Music: We had our last music class with Miss Rachel this week. She allowed us to have a recital to show any talents that we have. We also did a May Pole dance together. We have also been practicing hard on our musical songs and dances. One more week to go before the performance!
• Art: We painted our pinch pots this week. We chose our colors and used paint brushes to decorate our pots.
• Assembly: On Wednesday, the West Bay Opera came to Eaton and performed an opera called, “Barber of Seville.” It was a great opportunity for students to be exposed to different styles of singing!
I am sorry to hear that ELD will no longer be offered at Eaton after this year. I know that those of you who are supposed to continue in ELD for second grade received letters about this change. Unfortunately, we were told that Eaton is growing too big, and we do not have anymore classrooms to accommodate the ELD classes. Therefore, ELD is moving to Muir Elementary School next year. That also means that I lost my position at Eaton. I am sad to announce that I have taken a first grade position at Stocklmeir Elementary School next year. I will miss the Eaton community very much, as it has become my second home. Thank you for your support, and please continue to keep in touch with me even after this year!
* Monday, May 4th: Musical Costumes DUE!!!
On Monday, I sent home a costume list highlighted with your child’s name. Please make sure to bring the exact clothes listed in a bag labeled with his/her name by MONDAY. Remember that shirts and pants need to be ONE color and have NO designs on them. Your child will wear their clothes home on Friday after the performance.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical - 2:00pm in the MP Room
Please come and watch our performance! Your child has worked hard to learn songs and dances for our show titled, “Leave the World a Little Bit Better.” It will be a cute show that you don’t want to miss!!!
* Friday, May 15th: Cupertino Library Field Trip
Please send your child’s blue library card to school!
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Our parent chaperones for this trip will be Seyon’s father, Jhanvi’s mother, and Mai’s mother. Thank you for volunteering! Please have your child dress in layers to stay warm and send a BAG lunch with your child’s name on it. Everything will be thrown away at the zoo!
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
Don’t forget to return this form! It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out as soon as you can!
* Friday, May 22nd and Monday, May 25th: NO SCHOOL
Friday, May 22nd will be a staff learning day for all of the teachers. Monday, May 25th is Memorial Day so there is no school. Enjoy your long 4-day weekend!
* Thursday, May 28th: Open House 6:30pm-7:30pm
Save the date! This will be your opportunity to come to Room 8 and see all the beautiful work your child has completed this year in first grade. Siblings are welcome too and your child will be your “tour guide” for the evening!
-----
Dear Families,
Thank you to Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) for coming with us on Monday to the Flint Center on our field trip. We watched singers and dancers act out seven short stories including, If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Despite a minor bus issue, we made it there safely and enjoyed the show!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Winny
Poem of the Week: May Song
Song of the Week: The 50 States that Rhyme
Kindness is … picking up someone else’s trash.
Word Wall: around, else, ever, dance, ocean, open, talk, though
Next Week’s Sharing: Silly Poem
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 9 Special Friends – Week 1
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Monitor/Clarify
• Word Families: words that rhyme with my
• Sounds: y
• Grammar: is/are
• Math: We continued practicing to tell time by hour and half hour. We also started the second half of the chapter on reading and interpreting a calendar. We have been trying to answer questions about a calendar by answering with a month (Jan, Feb…), a day of the week (Sun, Mon, …), or a date (May 1).
• Science: We are recording the weather every day and measuring the temperature. This week, we talked a lot about wind. We learned how to make a wind anemometer and how it measures wind. We also practiced identifying the wind as no wind (calm), some wind (gentle or moderate breeze), and strong wind (strong breeze).
• Social Studies: This week our class had two special duties. First, we had campus clean up duty. We picked up trash throughout the school and tried to clean up the campus. Also, our parents had traffic duty. Thank you for those of you who volunteered 20 minutes or more to help keep our school safe in the bus circle!
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Some students are almost done!
• Music: We had our last music class with Miss Rachel this week. She allowed us to have a recital to show any talents that we have. We also did a May Pole dance together. We have also been practicing hard on our musical songs and dances. One more week to go before the performance!
• Art: We painted our pinch pots this week. We chose our colors and used paint brushes to decorate our pots.
• Assembly: On Wednesday, the West Bay Opera came to Eaton and performed an opera called, “Barber of Seville.” It was a great opportunity for students to be exposed to different styles of singing!
I am sorry to hear that ELD will no longer be offered at Eaton after this year. I know that those of you who are supposed to continue in ELD for second grade received letters about this change. Unfortunately, we were told that Eaton is growing too big, and we do not have anymore classrooms to accommodate the ELD classes. Therefore, ELD is moving to Muir Elementary School next year. That also means that I lost my position at Eaton. I am sad to announce that I have taken a first grade position at Stocklmeir Elementary School next year. I will miss the Eaton community very much, as it has become my second home. Thank you for your support, and please continue to keep in touch with me even after this year!
Friday, April 24, 2009
April 24, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
We will be going to the Flint Center on Monday. Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) will be coming with our class. We will return by lunchtime to Eaton.
* Friday, May 1st: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Please write ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs if you are interested in purchasing books from the May catalogs.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical - 2:00pm in the MP Room
On Monday, I will be sending home a costume list for your child. Please bring the clothes in a bag labeled with his/her name by the following Monday, May 4th. We will be keeping the clothes at school to ensure that everyone has their outfit on the musical day. They will take their clothes home on Friday.
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Attached to today’s newsletter is a permission slip for the SF zoo. Please sign and return the form by next Friday. We are able to take 3 parent chaperones, who will be in charge of a group of students to explore the zoo together during the day.
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
Don’t forget to return this form! It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out as soon as you can!
-----
Dear Families,
Welcome back from vacation! I hope you had a great time last week. I spent most of the week taking care of errands, cleaning the house, and spending time with family and friends.
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Maya
Poem of the Week: Little Seeds We Sow in Spring
Song of the Week: The 50 States that Rhyme
Kindness is … taking care of our environment.
Word Wall: carry, kind, put, saw, butter, were, work, person
Next Week’s Sharing: Regular – something from another country
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 8 Our Earth – Week 3
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Predict/Infer, Conclusions
• Word Families: words that end with –ed and -ing
• Sounds: -ed and –ing words
• Grammar: Action words with -ed
• Math: We are continuing our chapter on time and calendars. We have been practicing reading and writing the time by hour and half hour. We read a story called Time To… and also completed a personal book describing different activities we do during the day. This helped us to practice drawing the time on clocks. We also learned about elapsed time and completed word problems together. Students practiced problems with the following equation: start time + how long (hours) = end time.
• Writing: We worked on Writer’s Workshop this week and some students are making really good progress. They are really practicing the skill of working independently and proofreading their own work.
• Science: We have moved on for learning about Air to learning about Weather. This week, we began pretending to be meteorologists and learned how to describe the weather each day. We learned vocabulary to describe the cloud cover (sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, or foggy), the precipitation (rainy, snowy, hail, or no precipitation), the wind (no wind, some wind, or strong wind), and the temperature (Fahrenheit). We made our own thermometers and practiced how to graph the temperature each day! It reached the 90’s this week!
• Social Studies: On Wednesday, it was Earth Day. To celebrate, we had an assembly called “Ocean Commotion” where we sang songs about animals and things in the ocean. We also talked about how we help the earth and our environment. Thanks for those of you who participated in the District Walk-to-School day and walked to school on Earth Day to help our environment!
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A few more weeks to go!
• Music: We are working really hard on our musical, which is in 2 weeks! Not only have we been practicing the songs, but now we are learning dances too! Please plan on attending May 8th!
• Free the Children Fundraiser: Thank you to those students who have already donated money to this fundraiser. One option that was given by the Student Council was that students are encouraged to do chores around the house to raise money to donate (for example, maybe they can earn 50 cents for helping in the garden). Also, they will be collecting used books in the next 2 weeks to donate as well.
Room 8 has traffic duty next week! All the classes at Eaton have an assigned week to help out our school bus circle, and next week is our turn! I placed a sign up sheet outside of our classroom. If you have not signed up yet, please look at the list and try to sign up one day (Monday – Friday). We need at least one parent volunteer for the Suisun parking lot 20 minutes before school (8:45-9:05am) and also 20 minutes after school (3:00-3:20pm) each day, so please help if you can! Thank you!
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
We will be going to the Flint Center on Monday. Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) will be coming with our class. We will return by lunchtime to Eaton.
* Friday, May 1st: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Please write ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs if you are interested in purchasing books from the May catalogs.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical - 2:00pm in the MP Room
On Monday, I will be sending home a costume list for your child. Please bring the clothes in a bag labeled with his/her name by the following Monday, May 4th. We will be keeping the clothes at school to ensure that everyone has their outfit on the musical day. They will take their clothes home on Friday.
* Monday, May 18th: San Francisco Zoo Field Trip
Attached to today’s newsletter is a permission slip for the SF zoo. Please sign and return the form by next Friday. We are able to take 3 parent chaperones, who will be in charge of a group of students to explore the zoo together during the day.
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
Don’t forget to return this form! It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out as soon as you can!
-----
Dear Families,
Welcome back from vacation! I hope you had a great time last week. I spent most of the week taking care of errands, cleaning the house, and spending time with family and friends.
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Maya
Poem of the Week: Little Seeds We Sow in Spring
Song of the Week: The 50 States that Rhyme
Kindness is … taking care of our environment.
Word Wall: carry, kind, put, saw, butter, were, work, person
Next Week’s Sharing: Regular – something from another country
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 8 Our Earth – Week 3
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Predict/Infer, Conclusions
• Word Families: words that end with –ed and -ing
• Sounds: -ed and –ing words
• Grammar: Action words with -ed
• Math: We are continuing our chapter on time and calendars. We have been practicing reading and writing the time by hour and half hour. We read a story called Time To… and also completed a personal book describing different activities we do during the day. This helped us to practice drawing the time on clocks. We also learned about elapsed time and completed word problems together. Students practiced problems with the following equation: start time + how long (hours) = end time.
• Writing: We worked on Writer’s Workshop this week and some students are making really good progress. They are really practicing the skill of working independently and proofreading their own work.
• Science: We have moved on for learning about Air to learning about Weather. This week, we began pretending to be meteorologists and learned how to describe the weather each day. We learned vocabulary to describe the cloud cover (sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, or foggy), the precipitation (rainy, snowy, hail, or no precipitation), the wind (no wind, some wind, or strong wind), and the temperature (Fahrenheit). We made our own thermometers and practiced how to graph the temperature each day! It reached the 90’s this week!
• Social Studies: On Wednesday, it was Earth Day. To celebrate, we had an assembly called “Ocean Commotion” where we sang songs about animals and things in the ocean. We also talked about how we help the earth and our environment. Thanks for those of you who participated in the District Walk-to-School day and walked to school on Earth Day to help our environment!
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A few more weeks to go!
• Music: We are working really hard on our musical, which is in 2 weeks! Not only have we been practicing the songs, but now we are learning dances too! Please plan on attending May 8th!
• Free the Children Fundraiser: Thank you to those students who have already donated money to this fundraiser. One option that was given by the Student Council was that students are encouraged to do chores around the house to raise money to donate (for example, maybe they can earn 50 cents for helping in the garden). Also, they will be collecting used books in the next 2 weeks to donate as well.
Room 8 has traffic duty next week! All the classes at Eaton have an assigned week to help out our school bus circle, and next week is our turn! I placed a sign up sheet outside of our classroom. If you have not signed up yet, please look at the list and try to sign up one day (Monday – Friday). We need at least one parent volunteer for the Suisun parking lot 20 minutes before school (8:45-9:05am) and also 20 minutes after school (3:00-3:20pm) each day, so please help if you can! Thank you!
Friday, April 10, 2009
April 10, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
* Friday, April 24th: Spring Portraits & Cupertino Library
Order envelopes will be sent home the day before. These are individual pictures. In the afternoon we will be walking to the Cupertino Library. Please remember to send your child’s BLUE library card and practice his/her 4-digit PIN number! They will check out 2 books each and please return them to the library at your own convenience.
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
Thank you for returning the permission slip for this field trip. We had several volunteers to chaperone, but unfortunately we can only take one parent on this trip. Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) will be coming with our class. We will return by lunchtime to Eaton.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical (afternoon: Time TBD)
On Wednesday, I sent home a blue paper with all of the words to the songs that we will be performing. Please have your child practice memorizing the words.
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
In today’s Friday Folder, there is another paper that must be returned to Eaton School. It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out and send it back to our class.
-----
Dear Families,
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Ryan
Poem of the Week: Baby Chick
Song of the Week: Water Cycle
Kindness is … offering free hugs.
Word Wall: always, arms, body, seven, eight, ready, warm
Next (2) Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something from Earth or nature
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 8 Our Earth – Week 2
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Evaluate, Topic/Main Idea
• Word Families: words that rhyme with out and down
• Sounds: vowel pairs ou, ow, and syllables
• Grammar: Present Tense
• Math: We finished up our chapter on addition and subtraction facts to 20 and started Chapter 11 in our math books on Time and Calendar. This week we talked about words such as before and after, and practiced sequencing events in order. We also learned how to write and tell time by the hour and half hour, and used the vocabulary words, minute hand and hour hand.
• Writing: Our second step in Writer’s Workshop is taking our outlines and drafting them. We practiced indenting our paragraphs and on Wednesday, we also reviewed the proper way to revise our writing, or make it better. First, we used a sample writing piece and tried to find different mistakes in capitalization, punctuation, or spelling. Then, we tried to fix our own writing and make it better.
• Circuit: This was our last weather circuit. We went to Mrs. Barelli’s classroom and she taught us about wind and air. We made a little pinwheel on pencils and brought them home on Tuesday.
• Science: In our Air and Weather unit, this week we explored air pressure and compression using syringes. We learned the parts of a syringe: the barrel and the plunger, and used plastic tubes and bottles to test how air moves. We found out that even though we can’t see air, air still takes up space. We even learned how to make a water fountain using air pressure and water. Yesterday, we used balloons and experimented with making our own rockets!
• Social Studies: One of our songs in music is about giving four hugs a day to people we love. We talked about how a hug cheers others up and that it makes people happy. We practiced asking for permission and giving others hugs around school. Also, our Eaton Student Council has begun our Sierra Leone fundraiser. This week’s challenge was to bring in 50 cents if you sleep in a bed every night. Children in Sierra Leone do not have beds to sleep in, so we talked about how we are very fortunate to have the homes that we have, and that we can help them by donating a little bit of money. This fundraiser will last until the end of the school year, so you can donate anytime.
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Students are slowly beginning to understand how to save their work and transfer pictures from Kidpix into their Powerpoint slides. This is difficult for many students because it requires them to go through several steps, however they are learning to independently navigate through the computer.
I hope you have a wonderful week off from school. I do not have any plans so I will be cleaning the house and relaxing with my family! See you in a week!
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
* Friday, April 24th: Spring Portraits & Cupertino Library
Order envelopes will be sent home the day before. These are individual pictures. In the afternoon we will be walking to the Cupertino Library. Please remember to send your child’s BLUE library card and practice his/her 4-digit PIN number! They will check out 2 books each and please return them to the library at your own convenience.
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
Thank you for returning the permission slip for this field trip. We had several volunteers to chaperone, but unfortunately we can only take one parent on this trip. Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) will be coming with our class. We will return by lunchtime to Eaton.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical (afternoon: Time TBD)
On Wednesday, I sent home a blue paper with all of the words to the songs that we will be performing. Please have your child practice memorizing the words.
* Thursday, May 21st: Intent to Return form due
In today’s Friday Folder, there is another paper that must be returned to Eaton School. It asks you to share whether or not your child will be returning to Cupertino during the next school year. Please fill it out and send it back to our class.
-----
Dear Families,
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Ryan
Poem of the Week: Baby Chick
Song of the Week: Water Cycle
Kindness is … offering free hugs.
Word Wall: always, arms, body, seven, eight, ready, warm
Next (2) Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something from Earth or nature
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 8 Our Earth – Week 2
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Evaluate, Topic/Main Idea
• Word Families: words that rhyme with out and down
• Sounds: vowel pairs ou, ow, and syllables
• Grammar: Present Tense
• Math: We finished up our chapter on addition and subtraction facts to 20 and started Chapter 11 in our math books on Time and Calendar. This week we talked about words such as before and after, and practiced sequencing events in order. We also learned how to write and tell time by the hour and half hour, and used the vocabulary words, minute hand and hour hand.
• Writing: Our second step in Writer’s Workshop is taking our outlines and drafting them. We practiced indenting our paragraphs and on Wednesday, we also reviewed the proper way to revise our writing, or make it better. First, we used a sample writing piece and tried to find different mistakes in capitalization, punctuation, or spelling. Then, we tried to fix our own writing and make it better.
• Circuit: This was our last weather circuit. We went to Mrs. Barelli’s classroom and she taught us about wind and air. We made a little pinwheel on pencils and brought them home on Tuesday.
• Science: In our Air and Weather unit, this week we explored air pressure and compression using syringes. We learned the parts of a syringe: the barrel and the plunger, and used plastic tubes and bottles to test how air moves. We found out that even though we can’t see air, air still takes up space. We even learned how to make a water fountain using air pressure and water. Yesterday, we used balloons and experimented with making our own rockets!
• Social Studies: One of our songs in music is about giving four hugs a day to people we love. We talked about how a hug cheers others up and that it makes people happy. We practiced asking for permission and giving others hugs around school. Also, our Eaton Student Council has begun our Sierra Leone fundraiser. This week’s challenge was to bring in 50 cents if you sleep in a bed every night. Children in Sierra Leone do not have beds to sleep in, so we talked about how we are very fortunate to have the homes that we have, and that we can help them by donating a little bit of money. This fundraiser will last until the end of the school year, so you can donate anytime.
• Computer: We continued illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Students are slowly beginning to understand how to save their work and transfer pictures from Kidpix into their Powerpoint slides. This is difficult for many students because it requires them to go through several steps, however they are learning to independently navigate through the computer.
I hope you have a wonderful week off from school. I do not have any plans so I will be cleaning the house and relaxing with my family! See you in a week!
Friday, April 03, 2009
April 3, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Friday, April 10th: April Scholastic Book Orders Due!
Attached to today’s newsletter are the April Book Orders. Please write ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs by this Friday.
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
Thank you for returning the permission slip for this field trip. We had several volunteers to chaperone, but unfortunately we can only take one parent on this trip. Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) will be coming with our class. We will return by lunchtime to Eaton.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical
More details will come, but mark your calendars for the first grade musical on Spring and Colors. The musical will be in the afternoon in the MP room. We will also be sending home words to the songs soon so that your child can practice at home!
-----
Dear Families,
Thank you for turning in our last Book-It reading logs for March. The pizza hut certificates expire on May 1st, so make sure to use them by that date. Even though we will not have the Book-It program anymore, please continue to read at least 15 minutes every day with your child!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Mai
Poem of the Week: The Winner
Song of the Week: Water Cycle
Kindness is … learning to reduce, reuse, and recycle
Word Wall: about, because, draw, happy, teacher, part, tiny
Next Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something shaped like an egg (oval)
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 8 Our Earth – Week 1
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Summarize, Categorize/Classify
• Word Families: adding –s, -ed, and -ing
• Sounds: base words and endings –s, -ed, -ing
• Grammar: Action Words
• Math: We are finishing up our chapter on addition and subtraction facts to 100. We practiced solving more word problems, and reviewed our “magic words” such as in all, altogether, how many more, left, etc. to help us determine if it is an addition or subtraction sentence. I am encouraging students to take their time to compute math problems accurately instead of rushing to finish fast.
• Writing: Most of us finished our outline on our autobiography writing this week. We learned how to write interesting facts about ourselves using a topic sentence, supporting facts, details, transition words, and a conclusion. Students are going to choose new topics to write about independently in Writer’s Workshop, and we still have a few children finishing up their Mitten stories.
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Nieveen’s class and she taught us about different clouds. We used cotton balls and different types of strings to show cumulus, stratus, nimbostratus, and cirrus clouds.
• Science: In our Air and Weather unit, this week we explored how we see air in water. We experimented with vials and water to discover how bubbles are made, and we also tried to trap air in the vial and not let any water inside. In the next activity, we made parachutes and learned about air resistance. Also, we are starting to learn about the life cycle of frogs and toads. We began reading stories about frogs and learned facts about how frogs grow from eggs to tadpoles to froglets and frogs.
• Social Studies: Our kindness sentence this week went along with our sharing for the week. We learned about reducing, reusing, and recycling to help our Earth. It was great to hear everyone’s sharing because we saw many examples of objects we can recycle, and ways to reuse different cans or bottles.
• Computer: We are staring a long-term project in computer lab using the software program, Powerpoint. We will be illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. At the end of the year, we will print out our stories and bind them into books to take home.
• Assembly: We had a special assembly this week to learn about an organization called Free the Children. We learned about children around the world and found out how we can help specifically the poorest place in the world, Sierra Leone. It was important to see pictures of how Eaton looks so different from schools around the world. The Eaton Student Council will be sharing with us how we will raise money and materials for Sierra Leone children.
Enjoy the weekend and I will see you on Monday!
* Friday, April 10th: April Scholastic Book Orders Due!
Attached to today’s newsletter are the April Book Orders. Please write ONE check payable to Scholastic Book Clubs by this Friday.
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
Thank you for returning the permission slip for this field trip. We had several volunteers to chaperone, but unfortunately we can only take one parent on this trip. Mr. Feve (Emilie’s father) will be coming with our class. We will return by lunchtime to Eaton.
* Friday, May 8th: First Grade Musical
More details will come, but mark your calendars for the first grade musical on Spring and Colors. The musical will be in the afternoon in the MP room. We will also be sending home words to the songs soon so that your child can practice at home!
-----
Dear Families,
Thank you for turning in our last Book-It reading logs for March. The pizza hut certificates expire on May 1st, so make sure to use them by that date. Even though we will not have the Book-It program anymore, please continue to read at least 15 minutes every day with your child!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Mai
Poem of the Week: The Winner
Song of the Week: Water Cycle
Kindness is … learning to reduce, reuse, and recycle
Word Wall: about, because, draw, happy, teacher, part, tiny
Next Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something shaped like an egg (oval)
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 8 Our Earth – Week 1
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Summarize, Categorize/Classify
• Word Families: adding –s, -ed, and -ing
• Sounds: base words and endings –s, -ed, -ing
• Grammar: Action Words
• Math: We are finishing up our chapter on addition and subtraction facts to 100. We practiced solving more word problems, and reviewed our “magic words” such as in all, altogether, how many more, left, etc. to help us determine if it is an addition or subtraction sentence. I am encouraging students to take their time to compute math problems accurately instead of rushing to finish fast.
• Writing: Most of us finished our outline on our autobiography writing this week. We learned how to write interesting facts about ourselves using a topic sentence, supporting facts, details, transition words, and a conclusion. Students are going to choose new topics to write about independently in Writer’s Workshop, and we still have a few children finishing up their Mitten stories.
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Nieveen’s class and she taught us about different clouds. We used cotton balls and different types of strings to show cumulus, stratus, nimbostratus, and cirrus clouds.
• Science: In our Air and Weather unit, this week we explored how we see air in water. We experimented with vials and water to discover how bubbles are made, and we also tried to trap air in the vial and not let any water inside. In the next activity, we made parachutes and learned about air resistance. Also, we are starting to learn about the life cycle of frogs and toads. We began reading stories about frogs and learned facts about how frogs grow from eggs to tadpoles to froglets and frogs.
• Social Studies: Our kindness sentence this week went along with our sharing for the week. We learned about reducing, reusing, and recycling to help our Earth. It was great to hear everyone’s sharing because we saw many examples of objects we can recycle, and ways to reuse different cans or bottles.
• Computer: We are staring a long-term project in computer lab using the software program, Powerpoint. We will be illustrating and writing our adaptations of the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. At the end of the year, we will print out our stories and bind them into books to take home.
• Assembly: We had a special assembly this week to learn about an organization called Free the Children. We learned about children around the world and found out how we can help specifically the poorest place in the world, Sierra Leone. It was important to see pictures of how Eaton looks so different from schools around the world. The Eaton Student Council will be sharing with us how we will raise money and materials for Sierra Leone children.
Enjoy the weekend and I will see you on Monday!
Friday, March 27, 2009
March 27, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Wednesday, April 1st: March Book-It Reading Logs Due (last one)
Please remember to read everyday for 15 minutes with your child. After March, we will not have the Book-It reading logs anymore, but please continue to read on your own!
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
Attached to this newsletter is the permission slip for our field trip to watch this play at the De Anza Flint Center. We will be going in the morning and will return to Eaton by lunchtime. We are able to bring one parent chaperone. Please return this form by next Friday, April 3rd.
Dear Families,
I can’t believe it’s already the end of March. Time is really going fast! I hope you are enjoying the warm weather and sunshine!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Melissa
Poem of the Week: Spring in the Woods
Song of the Week: Spider or Insect
Kindness is … reading a book to someone special.
Word Wall: build, old, piece, shoe, start, under, very, wear
Next Week’s Sharing: Regular – something recycled
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 7 We Can Work It Out – Week 3
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Question, Fantasy / Realism
• Word Families: words with igh
• Sounds: vowel pairs oo, ew, ue, ou, long I (ie, igh)
• Grammar: Pronouns
• Math: This week we finished our chapter on Measurement. Students should know how to measure length or height in centimeters and inches, and they should know how to compare different capacities and weights. We also spent several days practicing how to solve longer word problems by breaking down each sentence. I am teaching students to read one sentence at a time and write down any numbers or information that may help them. We are still working on addition and subtraction facts to 20.
• Writing: Congratulations to several more authors who finished their Mitten stories this week. We also had several authors finish their first expository Writer’s Workshop piece. Great job! This week, we practiced writing paragraphs as a whole class using colored strips of paper. We have been learning how to outline our writing and to organize our thoughts.
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Zankich’s class. She taught us about the water cycle, and we learned about Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation. We made a weather wheel and learned about water cycle facts.
• Science: We made a book this week called “The Twelve Days of Spring.” We learned about different plants that bloom in the springtime, and learned a song to match our stories. Also, we had an opportunity this week to walk through the Science Fair. We saw many interesting science experiments and projects by Eaton students. This week, we officially received our new science kits on air and weather. We are starting to talk about air and explore air with different solids such as straws, feathers, balloons, and other solids.
• Social Studies: This week, we talked about why people should help others. We reviewed the golden rule and learned about what happens if we have a helpful heart.
• Computer: We went on Starfall this week to read a St. Patrick’s Day story, as well as other fun stories of our choice.
• Buddies: This week, we saw our fourth grade buddies. Since we didn’t see them last week, we did a St. Patrick’s day book with our big buddies, called “Looking for Gold.” Students had to describe where the leprechaun is looking for gold, using spatial words such as over, under, across, through, and around.
• Art: Mrs. Abada came this week and she returned our clay pots that we made last week. This lesson we used paints and learned about colors and mixing colors.
Have a great weekend!
* Wednesday, April 1st: March Book-It Reading Logs Due (last one)
Please remember to read everyday for 15 minutes with your child. After March, we will not have the Book-It reading logs anymore, but please continue to read on your own!
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
* Monday, April 27th: If You Give a Pig a Pancake Field Trip
Attached to this newsletter is the permission slip for our field trip to watch this play at the De Anza Flint Center. We will be going in the morning and will return to Eaton by lunchtime. We are able to bring one parent chaperone. Please return this form by next Friday, April 3rd.
Dear Families,
I can’t believe it’s already the end of March. Time is really going fast! I hope you are enjoying the warm weather and sunshine!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Melissa
Poem of the Week: Spring in the Woods
Song of the Week: Spider or Insect
Kindness is … reading a book to someone special.
Word Wall: build, old, piece, shoe, start, under, very, wear
Next Week’s Sharing: Regular – something recycled
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 7 We Can Work It Out – Week 3
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Question, Fantasy / Realism
• Word Families: words with igh
• Sounds: vowel pairs oo, ew, ue, ou, long I (ie, igh)
• Grammar: Pronouns
• Math: This week we finished our chapter on Measurement. Students should know how to measure length or height in centimeters and inches, and they should know how to compare different capacities and weights. We also spent several days practicing how to solve longer word problems by breaking down each sentence. I am teaching students to read one sentence at a time and write down any numbers or information that may help them. We are still working on addition and subtraction facts to 20.
• Writing: Congratulations to several more authors who finished their Mitten stories this week. We also had several authors finish their first expository Writer’s Workshop piece. Great job! This week, we practiced writing paragraphs as a whole class using colored strips of paper. We have been learning how to outline our writing and to organize our thoughts.
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Zankich’s class. She taught us about the water cycle, and we learned about Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation. We made a weather wheel and learned about water cycle facts.
• Science: We made a book this week called “The Twelve Days of Spring.” We learned about different plants that bloom in the springtime, and learned a song to match our stories. Also, we had an opportunity this week to walk through the Science Fair. We saw many interesting science experiments and projects by Eaton students. This week, we officially received our new science kits on air and weather. We are starting to talk about air and explore air with different solids such as straws, feathers, balloons, and other solids.
• Social Studies: This week, we talked about why people should help others. We reviewed the golden rule and learned about what happens if we have a helpful heart.
• Computer: We went on Starfall this week to read a St. Patrick’s Day story, as well as other fun stories of our choice.
• Buddies: This week, we saw our fourth grade buddies. Since we didn’t see them last week, we did a St. Patrick’s day book with our big buddies, called “Looking for Gold.” Students had to describe where the leprechaun is looking for gold, using spatial words such as over, under, across, through, and around.
• Art: Mrs. Abada came this week and she returned our clay pots that we made last week. This lesson we used paints and learned about colors and mixing colors.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 20, 2009
March 20, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Friday, March 27th: Summer School Forms Due
This is a free program offered by our school district, and it is optional. If you are interested in having your child attend summer school, please complete and return the form.
* Wednesday, April 1st: March Book-It Reading Logs Due (last one)
Please remember to read everyday for 15 minutes with your child. After March, we will not have the Book-It reading logs anymore, but please continue to read on your own!
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
------
Dear Families,
Today the second trimester report cards are going home. Remember that ELD students have a separate report card for Language Arts (Reading/Writing/Speaking on pages 4 & 5). In order to exit ELD, students should be at level 4 (Early Advanced) or level 5 (Advanced) in all 3 areas of Language Arts by the end of the year. Also, students should be trying to get “4” in other areas such as math, social studies, and science, which means performing at grade level. All students are making great progress!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Julia
Poem of the Week: Wearing of the Green
Song of the Week: Spider or Insect
Kindness is … increasing the peace
Word Wall: afraid, any, bear, follow, most, tall, water, idea
Next Week’s Sharing: Weather Poem
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 7 We Can Work It Out – Week 2
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Monitor/Clarify and Sequence
• Word Families: words with oo (good)
• Sounds: oo sound and compound words
• Grammar: Proper Nouns for Places and Things
• Math: We have been working on measuring capacity this week using containers that are bigger or smaller. We have learned how to measure using cups, pints, and quarts. Please continue to practice this at home. In addition, we are working on numbers up to 20. Sometimes this means adding 3 numbers such as 3+3+6= or other times, just adding double facts 8+8= and double plus one facts 8+9= . Take a look at the work coming home this week and see if your child had a lot of mistakes on adding bigger numbers! If so, please practice practice practice!
• Writing: Along with our Mitten stories, we talked about Writer’s Workshop and the last step, the publishing step. A few students have published their first expository piece this week by writing in their best handwriting and illustrating their writings. The best part about publishing a piece is the Author’s Chair! Students get to read their stories to the class and sit in the teacher’s chair =)
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Bachelor’s class and we talked about clouds and thunderstorms. She taught us about lightning and we made a stormy picture.
• Science: We have been talking about seasons and how the weather is changing from Winter to Spring. We also learned about St. Patrick’s Day and talked about rainbows.
• Social Studies: For our Peacebuilders and Kindness Journal lesson this week, we talked about increasing the peace around us. We learned different ways to increase more peace and sorted different examples into two groups: increased peace or decreased peace. Afterwards, students thought of their own examples of ways to increase peace.
• Computer: Since it was Kinako’s last week, we went to the computer lab and wrote letters to Kinako. We decorated our letters and put them altogether in a book for her to take to Japan.
• Music: Miss Rachel came to our class this week and she taught us how to do a partner dance called the Minuet! We danced several times to classical music. Also we learned a pirate song to sing.
Today is Kinako’s last day =( We are sad to see her leave but we are happy that she was part of our class this year. Good luck and have a safe move to Japan!
* Friday, March 27th: Summer School Forms Due
This is a free program offered by our school district, and it is optional. If you are interested in having your child attend summer school, please complete and return the form.
* Wednesday, April 1st: March Book-It Reading Logs Due (last one)
Please remember to read everyday for 15 minutes with your child. After March, we will not have the Book-It reading logs anymore, but please continue to read on your own!
* Monday, April 13th to Friday, April 17th: Spring Break
No school! Enjoy your vacation!
------
Dear Families,
Today the second trimester report cards are going home. Remember that ELD students have a separate report card for Language Arts (Reading/Writing/Speaking on pages 4 & 5). In order to exit ELD, students should be at level 4 (Early Advanced) or level 5 (Advanced) in all 3 areas of Language Arts by the end of the year. Also, students should be trying to get “4” in other areas such as math, social studies, and science, which means performing at grade level. All students are making great progress!
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Julia
Poem of the Week: Wearing of the Green
Song of the Week: Spider or Insect
Kindness is … increasing the peace
Word Wall: afraid, any, bear, follow, most, tall, water, idea
Next Week’s Sharing: Weather Poem
(at least 4 sentences memorized and picture/object to show)
• Language Arts: Theme 7 We Can Work It Out – Week 2
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Monitor/Clarify and Sequence
• Word Families: words with oo (good)
• Sounds: oo sound and compound words
• Grammar: Proper Nouns for Places and Things
• Math: We have been working on measuring capacity this week using containers that are bigger or smaller. We have learned how to measure using cups, pints, and quarts. Please continue to practice this at home. In addition, we are working on numbers up to 20. Sometimes this means adding 3 numbers such as 3+3+6= or other times, just adding double facts 8+8= and double plus one facts 8+9= . Take a look at the work coming home this week and see if your child had a lot of mistakes on adding bigger numbers! If so, please practice practice practice!
• Writing: Along with our Mitten stories, we talked about Writer’s Workshop and the last step, the publishing step. A few students have published their first expository piece this week by writing in their best handwriting and illustrating their writings. The best part about publishing a piece is the Author’s Chair! Students get to read their stories to the class and sit in the teacher’s chair =)
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Bachelor’s class and we talked about clouds and thunderstorms. She taught us about lightning and we made a stormy picture.
• Science: We have been talking about seasons and how the weather is changing from Winter to Spring. We also learned about St. Patrick’s Day and talked about rainbows.
• Social Studies: For our Peacebuilders and Kindness Journal lesson this week, we talked about increasing the peace around us. We learned different ways to increase more peace and sorted different examples into two groups: increased peace or decreased peace. Afterwards, students thought of their own examples of ways to increase peace.
• Computer: Since it was Kinako’s last week, we went to the computer lab and wrote letters to Kinako. We decorated our letters and put them altogether in a book for her to take to Japan.
• Music: Miss Rachel came to our class this week and she taught us how to do a partner dance called the Minuet! We danced several times to classical music. Also we learned a pirate song to sing.
Today is Kinako’s last day =( We are sad to see her leave but we are happy that she was part of our class this year. Good luck and have a safe move to Japan!
Friday, March 13, 2009
March 13, 2009
Upcoming Dates
* Monday, March 16th: No School – Staff Learning Day
Teachers will be coming to school to work on writing strategies. We will be using rubrics to look over grade-level writing assessments.
* Friday, March 20th: Cupertino Library *rescheduled*
Sorry! We were rescheduled to visit the library next Friday instead of today. Please send your child’s blue library card to school again and have him/her remember the 4-digit password. Your child can check out 2 books. Please return them directly to the library on your own.
* Friday, March 27th: Summer School Forms Due
This is a free program offered by our school district, and it is optional. If you are interested in having your child attend summer school, please complete and return the form by March 27th.
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Dear Families,
Thank you for the cute birthday cards and wishes this week. I appreciated the kind thoughts and I used this opportunity to write praise notes to many students. I am encouraging students to “surprise” other students with praise notes, by noticing something extra special that happened that day. We have been talking about doing kind things all the time, and not just because they want a praise note, but because they want to be nice. I hope you can also encourage your children to help others at home.
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Kinako
Poem of the Week: Cloud Parade
Song of the Week: Spider or Insect
Kindness is … stopping germs from spreading
Story of the Week: Five Little Sharks Swimming in the Sea
Vocabulary of the Week: People 3
Word Wall: again, both, or, gone, want, turn, hard
Next Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something green
(at least 4 sentences memorized and hide object in a bag)
• Language Arts: Theme 7 We Can Work It Out – Week 1
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Summarize / Problem Solving
• Word Families: -ow (long o)
• Sounds: vowel pairs oa and ow
• Grammar: Proper Nouns for People and Animals
• Math: Our measurement chapter is continuing on from length and height to weight. This week we discussed the words “pounds” and “kilograms.” We are comparing objects to see if they weigh more or less than a pound. We also continued reviewing our math facts to 20 and working on reading clues to solve different word problems.
• Writing: Mitten stories are continuing and about half of the class has finished! Writer’s Workshop has also been progressing well. We have been practicing Prewriting and Drafting, and now we are learning how to Revise and Edit our pieces to make them better. It is important we take the time to re-read our stories to look for mistakes with capitals, punctuation, and spelling. We practiced using dictionaries to help us spell difficult words.
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Byers’ classroom. She taught us about how rainbows appear and we wrote a few sentences about rainbows. Then we used watercolor to draw a rainbow and decorated it with construction paper.
• Science: We talked about seasons this week and life cycles. Since Spring is starting next week, we read some stories about spring and what we might notice in our environment. We created a spring tree using tissue paper flowers and decorated our drawings. Then, we wrote a Spring poem that describes what Spring means. Also, we are talking about Spring and baby animals. We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and discussed the lifecycle of a caterpillar. We will be studying different books written by Eric Carle in the next few weeks.
• Social Studies: For our kindness journals this week, we talked a little about proper ways to stop germs from spreading. We talked about washing our hands before we eat and coughing or sneezing using a tissue. For peacebuilders, we have been learning about PeaceTalk, our ways to solve problems with our friends. We are practicing using “I feel ___ because ____.” statements to speak with a person who does something hurtful to us, and we are brainstorming how to solve those problems. This week, we read the story, Amazing Grace, about a girl who overcomes put downs, and learned a song called, Amazing Peace.
• Computer: We practiced fractions in computer lab. We had to make ½, 1/3, and ¼ with different shapes including squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles. The most challenging ones were for the 1/3 fraction.
Have a great 3-day weekend!
* Monday, March 16th: No School – Staff Learning Day
Teachers will be coming to school to work on writing strategies. We will be using rubrics to look over grade-level writing assessments.
* Friday, March 20th: Cupertino Library *rescheduled*
Sorry! We were rescheduled to visit the library next Friday instead of today. Please send your child’s blue library card to school again and have him/her remember the 4-digit password. Your child can check out 2 books. Please return them directly to the library on your own.
* Friday, March 27th: Summer School Forms Due
This is a free program offered by our school district, and it is optional. If you are interested in having your child attend summer school, please complete and return the form by March 27th.
-----
Dear Families,
Thank you for the cute birthday cards and wishes this week. I appreciated the kind thoughts and I used this opportunity to write praise notes to many students. I am encouraging students to “surprise” other students with praise notes, by noticing something extra special that happened that day. We have been talking about doing kind things all the time, and not just because they want a praise note, but because they want to be nice. I hope you can also encourage your children to help others at home.
Here are some highlights from the week:
Star of the Week: Kinako
Poem of the Week: Cloud Parade
Song of the Week: Spider or Insect
Kindness is … stopping germs from spreading
Story of the Week: Five Little Sharks Swimming in the Sea
Vocabulary of the Week: People 3
Word Wall: again, both, or, gone, want, turn, hard
Next Week’s Sharing: Riddle – something green
(at least 4 sentences memorized and hide object in a bag)
• Language Arts: Theme 7 We Can Work It Out – Week 1
• Strategy and Skill Focus: Summarize / Problem Solving
• Word Families: -ow (long o)
• Sounds: vowel pairs oa and ow
• Grammar: Proper Nouns for People and Animals
• Math: Our measurement chapter is continuing on from length and height to weight. This week we discussed the words “pounds” and “kilograms.” We are comparing objects to see if they weigh more or less than a pound. We also continued reviewing our math facts to 20 and working on reading clues to solve different word problems.
• Writing: Mitten stories are continuing and about half of the class has finished! Writer’s Workshop has also been progressing well. We have been practicing Prewriting and Drafting, and now we are learning how to Revise and Edit our pieces to make them better. It is important we take the time to re-read our stories to look for mistakes with capitals, punctuation, and spelling. We practiced using dictionaries to help us spell difficult words.
• Circuit: For our weather circuit this week, we went to Mrs. Byers’ classroom. She taught us about how rainbows appear and we wrote a few sentences about rainbows. Then we used watercolor to draw a rainbow and decorated it with construction paper.
• Science: We talked about seasons this week and life cycles. Since Spring is starting next week, we read some stories about spring and what we might notice in our environment. We created a spring tree using tissue paper flowers and decorated our drawings. Then, we wrote a Spring poem that describes what Spring means. Also, we are talking about Spring and baby animals. We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and discussed the lifecycle of a caterpillar. We will be studying different books written by Eric Carle in the next few weeks.
• Social Studies: For our kindness journals this week, we talked a little about proper ways to stop germs from spreading. We talked about washing our hands before we eat and coughing or sneezing using a tissue. For peacebuilders, we have been learning about PeaceTalk, our ways to solve problems with our friends. We are practicing using “I feel ___ because ____.” statements to speak with a person who does something hurtful to us, and we are brainstorming how to solve those problems. This week, we read the story, Amazing Grace, about a girl who overcomes put downs, and learned a song called, Amazing Peace.
• Computer: We practiced fractions in computer lab. We had to make ½, 1/3, and ¼ with different shapes including squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles. The most challenging ones were for the 1/3 fraction.
Have a great 3-day weekend!
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