NANCY'S NEWSLETTER

Weeks of September 3rd-12th

We have had a woderf!" start for the ew s#hoo" $ear% The #h&"dre have '!&#k"$ "eared
ma$ of the ew ro!t&es ad are a"read$ mak&( ew fr&eds) We !sed T*+N, -L.C,S
to "ear how o!r da$ &s or(a&/ed) These b"o#ks he"p #h&"dre to see the W*.LE ad the
0ARTS v&s!a""$)
+ w&"" be sed&( home a ews"etter ever$ 1r&da$ & the weeked fo"der) + hope &t w&"" be a
start&( p"a#e for #oversat&os w&th $o!r #h&"d abo!t what &s happe&( at s#hoo"2 as we""
as &format&ve for $o!)
We have bee fo#!s&( o o!r ro!t&es ad o how we w&"" "&ve to(ether as a #"ass
#omm!&t$) We have bee d&s#!ss&( wa$s to treat ea#h other ad o!r mater&a"s w&th
respe#t) + have &trod!#ed o!r most &mportat r!"e2 3The 4o"de R!"e35 Do unto others
as you would have them do unto you. We are a"" ot&#&( t&mes whe fr&eds fo""ow the
4o"de R!"e) + w&"" refer to th&s r!"e a"" $ear)
We are a"so b!&"d&( #omm!&t$ ea#h da$ whe + e6pe#t #h&"dre to5
+ start ea#h da$ w&th a spe#&a" (reet&( so that we "ear ea#h other's ames) + a"so start the
da$ w&th o!r poem of the week) + read a poem to the #h&"dre o 7oda$2 ad the we
re-read &t to(ether ea#h da$) -$ 1r&da$ most of the #h&"dre w&"" kow &t) Th&s meas that
the "a(!a(e of poetr$ &s &tera"&/ed) 8!r&( the week we ma$ read the poem & d&fferet
wa$s2 s!#h as w&th mot&os or & (ro!ps) Whe poss&b"e2 + make t&me for the #h&"dre to
&""!strate the poem) Th&s &s a"so someth&( that #a be doe at home) The poem of the
week &s a ver$ &mportat part of m$ "a(!a(e arts pro(ram) Ever$ 1r&da$2 the week"$
poem w&"" #ome home & the homework fo"der)
+ e#o!ra(e $o! to save the poems & a spe#&a" p"a#e so that $o! #a ret!r to
them ma$ t&mes ) + s!((est a spe#&a" fo"der or otebook)
We9ve had a "ot of f! w&th o!r se#od poem) + #oe#t&o w&th the poem2 we had
st!ffed a&ma" da$ o 1r&da$) St!dets &trod!#ed the&r a&ma"s to the #"ass at mor&(
meet&() The&r st!ffed a&ma"s were w&th them fo""ow&( the da$9s ro!t&e for most of the
da$)
+ read to the #h&"dre ever$ da$ ad the we share o!r rea#t&os to the stor$) Somet&mes
the book rem&ds #h&"dre of someth&( that happeed to them) Shar&( o!r persoa"
stor&es &s a ver$ &mportat part of o!r #"assroom) These stor&es he"p !s to kow ea#h
other2 ad #a a"so be#ome f!t!re wr&t&( top&#s) Th&s week + asked #h&"dre to wr&te a
respose to a book #a""ed *aah9s Co""e#t&o)
8!r&( the $ear + w&"" &trod!#e !mero!s :word #h!ks); Th&s week + ta!(ht the word
#h!k :a$;2 wh&#h was & two words of o!r poem <wa$2 da$=) We bra&stormed a "&st of
words that have th&s so!d ad the pra#t&#ed wr&t&( words w&th th&s #h!k o dr$ erase
boards) +t wo!"d be he"pf!" for $o! to keep a "&st of these word #h!ks so that as $o!
read w&th $o!r #h&"d $o! #a re&for#e these ew"$ "eared sk&""s)
+ am tea#h&(>rev&ew&( the format&o ad p"a#emet of the "ower #ase a"phabet "etters)
+ a"so rev&ew the so!d of the "etters) The #h&"dre work & a hadwr&t&( book as we"" as
o &d&v&d!a" sheets) + have a spe#&a" hadwr&t&( pra#t&#e t&me ea#h da$) Th&s w&"" (o o
for severa" weeks) 0"ease keep ad refer to the a"phabet #hart & the fo"der2 as &t &""!strates
the "etter format&os + am tea#h&()
8!r&( the f&rst two weeks of s#hoo" + have &trod!#ed the #h&"dre to :Read&(
Worko!ts;) 8!r&( th&s t&me #h&"dre read to themse"ves) + #a"" th&s t&me :Read to Se"f;)
E6pe#tat&os d!r&( th&s t&me are (eerated from the st!dets ad tea#her) We be(& b$
tr$&( to b!&"d stam&a wh&"e read&( ad fo""ow&( the e6pe#tat&os for oe m&!te) The
#h&"dre d&d '!&te we"" d!r&( the f&rst week of s#hoo"% We have worked ea#h da$ to
b!&"d o!r stam&a ad o Th!rsda$ we read for ? m&!tes% The #h&"dre are so e6#&ted
abo!t th&s) + w&"" te"" $o! more abo!t th&s pro#ess2 ad or(a&/at&oa" s$stem for read&(
t&me at C!rr&#!"!m N&(ht) <.#tober 2
d
at @5A@=) 0"ease save th&s date)
+ ta!(ht the f&rst "esso of Se#od Steps 0ro(ram) + w&"" !se th&s #!rr&#!"!m to tea#h
"essos abo!t empath$2 &mp!"se #otro" ad prob"em so"v&(2 ad a(er maa(emet)
Resear#h te""s !s that #h&"dre who "ear ad !se these sk&""s are more "&ke"$ to (et a"o(
we"" w&th others ad do better & s#hoo") The f&rst "esso &trod!#ed the #h&"dre to the
&dea of fee"&(s) We made a "&st of ma$ d&fferet fee"&(s2 ad d&fferet s&t!at&os that
#o!"d make $o! fee" a #erta& wa$)
1or o!r be(&&( math2 we have e6p"ored a var&et$ of mater&a"s ad ta"ked abo!t s&/e2
#o"or2 shape2 ad !mber) The #h&"dre have eBo$ed work&( & sma"" (ro!ps to d&s#over
ew th&(s abo!t these mater&a"s) + a"so &trod!#ed the #h&"dre to the S&(apore 7ath
pro(ram) The f&rst !&t fo#!ses o rev&ew&( the !mbers oe to te) We a"so be(a to
"ear the !mber words s!#h as oe2 three2 ad f&ve) The #h&"dre worked & math
workbooks2 ad rev&ewed the #o#epts ta!(ht th&s week) We a"so "eared what a (raph &s
ad made two (raphs th&s week)
Ea#h da$2 + 3h&(h"&(ht3 a mater&a" ava&"ab"e to the #h&"dre at o!r a#t&v&t$ t&me) We d&s#!ss
&ts propert&es ad how &t m&(ht be !sed)
. 7oda$ d!r&( math t&me we made a #"ass (raph show&( how ea#h #h&"d #omes to
s#hoo" <b!s2 wa"k2 ad #ar=) We made observat&os b$ "ook&( #aref!""$ at the data we
#o""e#ted) +f $o! are & the b!&"d&(2 "ook for the (raphs o the b!""et& board e6t to o!r
#"assroom) The draw&(s that the #h&"dre d&d to a##ompa$ these (raphs are terr&f&#%
Ever$oe has bee so &vo"ved at o!r a#t&v&t$ t&me% We ow have some bea!t&f!" art work
o o!r wa""s) .ther #h&"dre have made var&o!s str!#t!res w&th the b"o#ks2 ma&p!"at&ve
mater&a"s2 #"a$2 ad a var&et$ of mater&a"s & o!r ("!&( area) + tr$ to share the work of oe
or two #h&"dre ea#h da$2 so that the&r efforts are #e"ebrated ad other #h&"dre #a (et
ew &deas abo!t how to !se a mater&a")
.!r "&brar$ t&me &s ot $et de#&ded !po) 0"ease d&sre(ard that t&me o the s#hed!"e +
haded o!t as we are work&( as a s#hoo" o a ew "&brar$ s#hed!"e) 7ore &format&o
w&"" fo""ow abo!t th&s)
7a$ thaks to those who have set & sa#ks2 t&ss!e bo6es2 markers2 ad mask&( tape%
+f $o! wat to sed & a fresh sa#k2 + w&"" serve &t o the da$ &t &s bro!(ht &) +t &s &#e for
the #h&"dre to have fr!&t at "east o#e a week as the$ (et t&red of #ra#kers ad pret/e"s
'!&#k"$) + w&"" per&od&#a""$ "et $o! kow whe we are r!&( "ow o sa#ks so that $o!
#a sed more sa#ks &) A (ood wa$ to remember sa#k &s to p&#k a da$ ad sed a sa#k
& o#e a moth o that da$) 0"ease be s!re to #he#k for pea!t ad tree !ts & the
&(red&ets as we have a""er(&es & o!r #"ass)
+ 4REATLY appre#&ate the "etters $o! have wr&tte abo!t $o!r #h&"d% The$ he"p me see
$o!r #h&"d as a !&'!e &d&v&d!a" ad w&"" #erta&"$ a&d m$ tea#h&() T*AN, Y.C% +f $o!
have ot set & $o!r "etter fee" free to do so over the e6t few weeks)
WEE,EN8 RED+EW5 S*ARE T*E TW. 0.E7S-- Ret!r the #ommet sheet
abo!t the poems & the homework fo"der) <+ do ot e#essar&"$ e6pe#t the #h&"dre to be
ab"e to read the poem o the&r owE some #a ad others ma$ have memor&/ed &t2 or kow
some of the words=) WEEKEND folders are returned every Monday)
0LEASE N.TE5 0"ease tr$ to have 2 d&#e ad a de#k of #ards ava&"ab"e at home) Yo!r
#h&"d w&"" be "ear&( math (ames wh&#h the$ w&"" be asked to p"a$ at home !s&( these
mater&a"s)
SAVE THE DATE: .#tober 2
d
&s Curr!ulum N"ht) + w&"" des#r&be m$ pro(ram o
th&s &(ht2 so + hope a"" of $o! #a atted) + w&"" speak from @5A@-F53G)
+ wo!"d "&ke to sed home a #"ass "&st w&th te"ephoe !mbers) +f $o! 8. N.T wat $o!r
phoe !mber &#"!ded2 p"ease "et me kow b$ Wedesda$ Sept 1?
th
)
+ we"#ome ad appre#&ate paret vo"!teers & the #"ass% 0"ease see the vo"!teer sheet &
the homework fo"der2 f&"" &t o!t ad ret!r &t to s#hoo") +t w&"" be a few weeks before +
be(& hav&( $o! vo"!teer & the room)
0"ease fee" free to #a"" me w&th a$ '!est&os $o! have)
Na#$ 7ar&o