The Letter R

Welcome back! It was our first day of school following our Winter Break. We began Monday by collecting Friday Folders and with Nutrition. We updated our calendar, counted the days in school, and practiced the alphabet during morning activities. Then we read "My 'R' Book" and brainstormed words that begin with "R." At language arts rotations, students practiced "R" handwriting and put "Raisins on 'R's on a Rainbow" at their new desks. My groups tried to think and write three different  New Year's Resolutions . The other groups had their first secret centers of this rotation. They include: Rainbow art at the Art Center, Starfall and Wixie at the Computer Center, listening to "Bear About Town" by Stella Blackstone at the Listening Center, Subtraction practice at the Math Center, and Legos, cubes, puzzles, and ocean animals at the play center.  After recess, we learned our new poem "Jack and Jill" and had math. We worked on subtraction sentences using the minus sign and equal sign.

After lunch, we introduced our new theme in the California Treasures Reading program: Animals. We recited two poems and read "Mama Cat Has Three Kittens." The class liked it!  Then we talked a little about animals, some animal groups, and what our favorite animals are. We concluded the lesson by writing a sentence and drawing a picture.  For Star of the Week, we introduced Katharine. She shared her beautiful poster and took question and comments from the class. At P.E., we used jump ropes and bouncy balls to practice our skills. To end the day, we had our last lesson with Ms. Maria and Miss Karla. We made friend wall hangings, as inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Then we passed out homework, packed up, and lined up for home. Let's have a great week!

Be sure to look over the homework packet for the week. Tuesday's phonics work now include writing two sentences to go with the six "R" words. Drawing a picture is no longer required. And our third At Home Project: the "100 Day Book" goes home today. They are due on Friday, January 30th. Directions and a booklet are included in the homework. Basically, students decorate and label ten pages of ten different items to make 100 objects in all! See me if you have any questions or would like to see a sample.