Learning to be a Community

 Our first week was a success and it's so exciting to see how quickly kids learn new routines.  We can tell with each day, our class becomes more efficient and relaxed in the classroom.  We're not there yet, but we've made significant progress.  

Routines and procedures help us now how to organize our materials and make smooth transitions.  Next, we'll explore building a safe and kind learning environment.  Students will give their suggestions for classroom rules, we will role play how to follow rules and what to do if something makes us uncomfortable. This is important foundational work in our Social Studies standards.  

As we begin our study of Old Testament Bible stories, we're starting at the beginning with the Creation.  This week we'll walk through the first few days, what God made and delighting in the majesty of His miracles.  

In letter writing we will cover writing letters Ee, Dd and Pp.  Students will work slowly and carefully to keep their letters the correct size and shape.  Each day we write a letter, we also focus on it's sounds.  We will focus identifying the correct beginning sound in words.  Our first reader comes home on Tuesday and with it a reading log for parents to update weekly.  Use your reading time at home to help your child follow along and read with or to you.  At story time, we'll finish learning more concepts of print and go on to identify characters and setting in a text.

Last week we completed an initial assessment of student skills.  This week students will begin a new math unit on how to count and sequence numbers 0-5.  This is pretty easy introductory work for most students.  The challenge is in learning how to listen and follow directions.

In music we are learning about how to make an echo rhythm with claps.  We'll start learning a funny song about farm animals.

Our art project is recreating the Winslow Homer style of painting.  Students will learn what a horizon line is and use it in their watercolor creations.

We will introduce scissors this week and practice our cutting skills. At center time, students will rotate in four groups, alternating academic activities with free play. 

I can't wait to see all the learning and fun!

Mrs. Luoma