Spring ...

Reading: We have been reading Reason for the Seasons this week.  This book lets us practice our summarizing skills as well as how to learn new words.  This nonfiction book explores the Earth's rotation around the sun and attempts to explain how and why we have seasons.
Writing:  We continue to work on writing opinion pieces and we have been practicing going back and fixing up pieces we have already written.  After Spring Break we will learn about writing letters.
Math:  We have been doing a lot of subtraction lately and using different manipulatives to represent subtraction stories.

Congratulations to Veronica and Colin for earning a spot in the school Spelling Bee!  Nora will be our alternate.  Way to go!

St. Patrick's Day fun with a visit from a leprechaun and our book buddies!

Reading:  We loved reading Dr. Suess books last week.  Students practiced rhyming and reading nonsense words.  We especially liked Green Eggs and Ham.

Here are some pictures of the kids sorting real and nonsense words with their partners. 

Writing:  This week we started our Opinion Writing unit.  This unit asks students to talk about things they would like to change and then persuade others to make the change.  We will be writing books, letters, signs, and petitions!  Here are some pictures of the kids starting their writing. 

Math: We are loving drawing pictures to help us solve a problem.  We are writing number sentences, number bonds and pictures to solve story problems.  This week we started subtraction.  Students are learning how to write, solve and illustrate number stories.  We will continue to work on number bonds and number stories for a few more weeks.  

Science: Next week we will start exploring wood and paper and their properties.

Business: Don't forget that report cards go home next week.  Please check backpacks for those.  

March 6

Reading: This week we will finish our Mo Willem's author study and move on to another favorite author- Dr. Seuss! We will be working on rhyming as we read Dr. Seuss books.  We work on word ladders.  These are lists of words where one sound changes but the rest of the word stays the same.  It helps students see that they can write new words using what they already know.
Writing: We are finishing up our "How To" books this week.  Later this week we will begin working on persuasive writing.  During writing we are also trying hard to focus on good handwriting, remembering that some letters are tall and some letters are short.
Math: We have spent a lot of time on number bonds and number stories.  Students are learning how to write number sentences.  This week we learn about subtraction.

Business:

• Please welcome Teaching assistant Mr. Carter to our classroom.  He has worked at Irving for a few months now and we are lucky he has landed in our room to help out.  
• Please remember our dismissal time is 2:55.  While a few minutes seems late seems like nothing (and it really is) it is hard for your child to be the last one picked up.  
• We will have library on Wednesday this week instead of Tuesday.  

March 7:  FIELD TRIP TO FIELD MUSEUM.  Children need a packed lunch.  Chaperones will ride the bus.  Please be at school by 9:10.

3/27-3/31 Spring Break 

May 19:  Young Athletes field trip to celebrate our partnership with Mr. McDonald's Young Athletes.  Permission slips and waivers will be filled out at conferences.