Happy New Year!

Dear Parents:

I can hardly believe that it is already 2011! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday with your loved ones and enjoyed the break with your children. I definitely enjoyed the time with my family and was so blessed to have all three of my children home with us for both Christmas and New Years. Some exciting news in my family is that my son became engaged on Christmas Eve. My future daughter-in-law, Erica, and I began wedding planning immediately!

There is also some exciting news for our class! Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Beth Rauman to our class! As you read in December's letter from Dr. Bianco, Mrs. Rauman is the instructional assistant for our class. She comes with many years of experience in working with children at two local day schools. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Economics. I know you are wondering how a Seminole and Gator will handle working together so closely. With absolute joy! We became friends a number of years ago when I had the pleasure of having her daughter in my class and I have the utmost respect for her. We are very lucky to have her join us!

Now, what's up this week in 1-4?

Reading/Language Arts: We are working on words with the syllable -le, the inflections -er and -est, and the inflections -ed and -ing (doubling the final consonant). The comprehension focus is on determining the main idea (what the text is mostly about) and finding details in the text for that big idea. We will also review possessives. The word wall words this week are buy, carry, money, other, paint, paper, and would. The robust vocabulary words this week are agreement, rejoice, predicament, extraordinary, and unnoticed.

Writer's Workshop: We will continue to write personal narratives and will soon be choosing our next piece to "fancy up" for publication.

Math: This week we will focus on place value concepts for tens and ones, investigate place value digit patterns with calculators, and introduce the relation symbols <, >, and =.

Science/SS: Our Solar System study continues.The moon and the planets will be our focus this week. Did any of you get up in the wee hours of the morning of December 21st to observe the lunar eclipse? I caught the end of it. It was so cool! Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera to take pictures so if any of you happened to take pictures, please share them with us!

Volunteers this week:

• Tuesday - Art - Ailsa Hudson (12:00)
• Thursday - Library Check-out - Kristen Danielson and Valerie Pillot (2:05)
• Friday - Math Game - Cynthia Biondi (9:00)
  
• Friday - Parent Reader - Ailsa Hudson (2:15)

Other Reminders:

Please be sure to practice reading, spelling, and writing the vocabulary words on the word rings every day. Return the word card rings EVERY Thursday.

Please be sure to have your child work on the reading folder assignment each day and return it completed on Mondays. Rereading helps to build fluency!

Math Night will be January 20 at 7:00 p.m. This will be a great opportunity to get some hands-on experience with our Everyday Math program. Please let the office know if you plan to attend.

There will be no school on Martin Luther King Day - January 17th.

Our next Spirit Day will be Friday, January 28th.

That's all for now!
Have a great week!
Susan

We Made the News!

Dear Parents:

Did you catch our class on Fox 13 news? Our class was filmed on Friday delivering our gifts to the gym. If you didn't catch the live feed, you can go to their website and watch the video. At the end of this blog, I have also posted a short video clip that I made with my new Flip camera - a gift to myself! Thank you again for your participation in the gift drive. You were all so very generous! You have truly made our adoptive family's Christmas a brighter one!

I was also finally able to get the Thanksgiving slideshow posted. Enjoy it at the end of the blog as well!

Reminders!

Our holiday party is this Friday! A flyer went home today in your child's folder reminding you that they come to school in their jammies for our Pajama Breakfast Pary! They will have PE that morning, so please make sure they have on or bring tennis shoes. As always, everyone is welcome! You can wear your jammies too! It is also Spirit Day on Friday. If your child wants to change out of his/her pajamas, they can bring a uniform or spirit clothes to change into. Dismissal is at noon on Friday.

There will be no reading folder this week, but PLEASE continue to READ, READ, READ over the holidays!

Please be sure to return the word ring on Thursday. We must have the rings returned to school before the holiday break.

Volunteers this week:

• Tuesday - Art - Cynthia Biondi (12:00)
• Thursday - Library Check-out - Julie Piper and Molly Camp (2:05)
• Friday - Parent Reader - Leigh Harting (During the Pajama Breakfast Party!)
  

What's Up this week in 1-4?

Reading/Language Arts: We are working on words with the r-controlled vowel, as in her, bird, and nurse. The comprehension focus is on Main Idea. The grammar focus is on using he, she, it, and they correctly in sentences. The word wall words this week are always, nice, by, please, Cow's, room, and join. The robust vocabulary words this week are captured, mercy, struggling, compatible, amiable, and relax.

Math: We are finishing Unit 4 this week. Please look for your child's Unit 4 Checking Progress to come home in the next few days. Please continue to review the skills at home. We will also begin Unit 5. During the month of January, we will focus on: Place Value: Tens and Ones; Greater than, Less than; More than, Less than number stories; Dice Sums; Turn-Around Facts (3+2=5 2+3=5); and What's My Rule?

Writer's Workshop: We continue to write personal narratives and have been working with our writing partners to help us with planning and adding more detail. Ask your child what "no excuse" words are!

Partners work together during Writer's Workshop

Science/SS: Our Solar System study continues this week! I am sure you read about it in Ebytes, but John S. from Mrs. Densa's class brought in his telescope last Tuesday to show the children sunspots! So cool! This week we are learning what it is like to be an astronaut. Ask your child how an astronaut sleeps and eats in space!


In addition, we celebrated Gabby's 7th birthday last Friday! This week we will celebrate Anna's on Thursday!

Can you believe this is our last week together in the 2010 school year? The time is flying by! I hope each of you has a fun, safe, and relaxing holiday with your families! It is a great time to read, play games, and just spend quality time together.

See you on January 4, 2011!
Susan

Important Reminder!

A reminder that an updated student information form needs to be submitted for every Shorecrest student. Forms can be downloaded from the Parents Info page from the Community Link on the Shorecrest website (http://www.shorecrest.org/?page=ParentsPage). Remember to fill out the form electronically, save the file using your child's first and last name, and send it via email to forms@shorecrest.org. A separate form needs to be completed for each child. If you are having trouble with the form, or would prefer to complete a hard copy, please contact Judy Roberge at jroberge@shorecrest.org or (727) 456-7513.

Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!

Mrs. Jordan helps us with Two-Fisted Penny Addition

Working on our solar system folders

Livvi's mom was a great parent reader on Friday!

Dear Parents,

Wow! Maybe it really is almost winter! It's cold outside! Please make sure that your child dresses appropriately for the colder weather. We were out at Town Meeting early this morning and it was quite chilly! Remember that we eat outdoors and have PE and recess, so the children need sweaters and jackets! I know that some of these items may have been bought at the uniform sale or traded with a friend. Please check the name inside to be sure that YOUR child's name is in the sweater/sweatshirt/jacket.

The children are getting so excited to see how our gift drive boxes are filling up! What a great way to make someone's holiday brighter and at the same time reinforce the life skill of generosity to our children.

The children are also getting excited about our upcoming holiday party! It will be on Friday, December 17th at 8:30 am. Your child may wear his/her pajamas to school that morning! If they want to change for PE, please send a uniform in their bag. All parents are welcome to join us and wear your PJ's as well!

Even with all of the excitement of the season, we are still working hard in our classroom. Here is a glimpse of what is going on this week:

Language Arts: The phonics focus this week is on the digraphs /kw/qu, and /hw/wh. We will also be practicing more with the inflections -ed and -ing. Our high frequency words (word card words) are about, books, family, name, people, read, work, and writing. In reading, our main genre focus will be on biographies (stories about the events in the life of a real person), but we will also be talking about realistic fiction (made-up stories that could happen in real life) and comparing the two genres. Our comprehension focus will be on sequencing the events in the stories we read. Knowing the order of the events can help us to better understand the information. Our robust vocabulary includes the words cozily, interrupted, triumphantly, accomplishment, ambition, and admire. In grammar we will be learning when to use the words I and me.

Writer's Workshop: We will be working on personal narratives this week to correlate with the biography genre study.

Math: We will be working on several strategies for addition and subtraction this week. Ask your child what "Fact Power" is!

Science: We are into our unit on the solar system and the children are loving it! If anyone has anything that you would like to share with us, please let me know!

Volunteers this week:

• Tuesday - Art - Mai Nguyen (12:05)
• Thursday - Library Check-out - Ailsa Hudson and Cynthia Biondi (2:05)
• Friday - Math Game - Mai Nguyen (9:00)
• Friday - Parent Reader - Molly Camp (2:15)

Have a great week and stay warm!
Susan

It's December!

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed the week together with your families. I began the Thanksgiving break visiting and taking care of our grandma in Neptune Beach (Jacksonville area). We are so thankful that we were able to spend her last few good days with her. She passed away on Thanksgiving night and we celebrated her life at her funeral service yesterday. She was an amazing woman who lived on this earth for 103 years and her mind was as sharp as a tack for all of those years!

The children have been in good hands the last 3 days while I have been with my family. I will return to school in the morning. I'm looking forward to seeing the children!

Here is what is going on in our classroom this week:

Language Arts: Our spelling focus is on the r-controlled vowel /ar/ as in "farm". We are also practicing adding the inflections -s, -ed, and -ing to words. Our focus skill in comprehension is on the author's purpose/point of view. We are also learning practicing writing the names of holidays and remembering that they begin with capital letters. Our wall words this week are again, feel, house, know, loud, Mrs., put, and say. Our robust vocabulary words include approached, energetic, pace, blunder, reassure, and excel.

Writer's Workshop: We are continuing with our poetry unit this week.

Math: We have begun to practice telling time to the quarter hour. We also are working on our math facts with domino math, number lines, and with the number grid. We also begin our number scrolls this week, so if you have not sent in the paper towel tube and clean, empty Pringles can, please do so no later than Friday. These will be used to make our number scrolls.

Science: We have begun our new unit on the Solar System this week.

Other important events:

The gift drive started this week! Last week you should have received a letter with details about the family our class is helping. Our life skill of the month is generosity. What a great way to reinforce this skill with your child by bringing in a gift for a family in need!

The Strategic Plan Symposium will take place on Saturday, December 4, from 8:30-3:00 in the Crisp Gym. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

The Lower Division Holiday Sing Along will take place on Friday, December 17, at 11:00 for grades K – 4 in the Janet Root Theatre.

Volunteers this week:

• Tuesday - Art - Kristen Danielson (12:05)
• Thursday - Library Check-out - Valerie Pillot and Kristen Danielson (2:05)
• Friday - Math Game - Kristen Danielson (9:00)
• Friday - Parent Reader - Leigh Harting (2:15)

Wow! This nice cool weather arrived December 1! How appropriate!
Enjoy it!
Susan

Thankful Thoughts

Dear Parents:

First of all, let me say thank you to all of you for helping your child practice our long, but fun poem for Poetry in the Park. They were OUTSTANDING! That is one of my favorite days of the year and the weather could not have been nicer! Thank you to those who shared pictures! I tried to put all of the pictures into a slideshow, but kept getting an error. If I am able to get it corrected, I will post the slideshow later this week. If anyone has a video of the children reciting our poem, please send it to me and I will post it for all to enjoy.

I am so thankful for not only your wonderful children but for the wonderful parents that you are! That is my thankful thought for this season. Now it is your child's turn to come up with a thankful thought. We will have our little Thanksgiving celebration at 1:15 on Friday. A letter went home home today asking your child to bring in a specific ingredient to add to our cornucopia snack mix. Please be sure to send it in no later than Wednesday. I would like for each child to tell us about something he/she is thankful for when adding the ingredient to our snack mix. You may have your child write the thought down to help him/her remember. It is always so special to hear the wonderful thankful thoughts of the children. As always, everyone is welcome to our Thanksgiving celebration... and we can always use the extra hands as we will also be making a fun and functional Thanksgiving decoration!

Many thanks to Dr. Brad Peckler! Last Wednesday, he visited with our class and taught us about infections and diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans and what to do to avoid them.

Mrs. Whitecage, Mrs. Vigue, and Ms. Conroy are leading a math workshop on Wednesday morning at 8:20 in the student center. Please join them and learn all the ins and outs of Everyday Math.

If you have not sent in a paper towel tube and/or Pringles can (empty and clean), please do so this week!

Now, for what's happening this week in our classroom:

Language Arts: Our phonics focus this week is on words with the digraph sound /ch/, spelled either ch or tch. This week's wall words are air, fly, friends, grew, need, play, rain, and watch. These words are always included in my lists on spellingcity.com. The comprehension focus this week is on sequencing the events in a story. When you read with your child, talk about the sequence (or order) of events in the story. We will also be practicing capitalizing the names of days and months, working with compound words, and begin talking about the inflection -es (adding es to the root word to show the plural, as in matches). The robust vocabulary words this week are astonishing, continue, doubt, transform, examine, and devour.

Writing Workshop: We are continuing with our poetry unit.

Math: We are working on nonstandard and standard units of measure. The children will be having fun measuring with different parts of their bodies, rulers, tape measures, and even candy corn! M-m-m sweet math!

Science/Social Studies: Our human body pocket books went home today. Take a look with your child! We are reviewing and learning a little about the first Thanksgiving and how pilgrim children were alike/different than we are today.

Things to Remember:

• Word card rings due on Thursday. Several of the children are forgetting to return these on time! Please help them be responsible students!
  
• There are NO READING FOLDERS this week, but please make sure that your child reads every day!
  
• Spirit Day will be this Friday, November 19.
• Our Thanksgiving celebration will be Friday at 1:15. All are welcome to join us!
  
• Thanksgiving break will be Monday, November 22 - 26.
• You should be receiving your child's report card by next week.
  

Volunteers this week:

• Tuesday -Art - Chris Chen- 12:00
• Thursday - Library Check-out - Julie Piper and Molly Camp - 2:05
• Friday - Math Game -Jennifer Lewis - 9:00
  
• Friday - Parent Reader - Kristen Danielson- 2:15

I hope you all have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING with your loved ones!
Susan

Don't be "SICK" on Wednesday!

Dear Parents,

It was great to see some of you at Town Meeting this morning. The children did a great job performing the poem "Livin' in Skin". We continue to practice using our "big voices" when speaking or reading aloud. Luckily the microphone helped this morning! Enjoy the slide show of some pictures taken from Town Meeting.

Our poetry performance continues on Wednesday at Poetry in the Park. It begins at 8:30 in the courtyard. Our class is slated to be the sixth class to perform our poem. We will be in the first part of the day before snack. Bring your chairs or blankets and enjoy the morning!

We will be visiting the book fair tomorrow morning. The children will be able to browse and create a wish list to bring home. If you would like for your child to shop tomorrow, you may send cash placed in a zip-top bag with your child's name on it or a check made out to Shorecrest. If the amount is blank, please note on the memo line the maximum amount the check can be made out for. Please note that students will not be given more than $20 in change. If you would like to shop with your child, you may join us from 9:45 - 10:15 tomorrow at the book fair. Or you may take your child shopping during normal book fair hours.

Starting today, Jeff Diedrich will be your child’s primary teacher in physical education for the coming trimester. Each Monday, he will be posting a blog that recaps the learning that took place during the previous week. Feel free to follow along at http://shorecrestldpecoachd.blogspot.com

Although this is a short week of school due to the professional development day on Friday, it will be jam packed! Let's take a look.
Language Arts: Our spelling focus will be on words that begin and end with the digraph /sh/. This week we will be looking at myths - old stories that teach a lesson and have make-believe characters and events. We will also be talking more about the "setting" of stories - when and where the story takes place - i.e. on a farm in the morning. We are including the characters and setting in our story mapping. Please help remind your child that the special names of places begin with capital letters. This week's wall words are could, happy, cold, night, saw, came, made, and were. The robust vocabulary introduced through literature will be reward, handsomely, cruel, greedy, consequences, and regret.
Writing Workshop: We will be working on line breaks and hearing the "music" of poetry.

Math: The Math Message routine will be introduced and we will be reviewing thermometers and reading temperatures to the nearest two degrees. We will also begin practice measuring and comparing lengths. During the next two weeks, we will be using nonstandard units of measure as well as the standard foot to facilitate understanding of the need for standard units of measure.

Science: We will complete our Human Body unit this week focusing on our digestive system and keeping our bodies healthy around animals and plants. Dr. Peckler will be joining us on Wednesday for a special presentation!

Things to Remember:

• Word card rings due on Thursday. Several of the children are forgetting to return these on time!
• Reading Folders will come home on Wednesday and are to be completed and returned on Monday. Please have your child reread the book each day and work a little at a time on the comprehension activity.
  
• Book Fair this week!
• No school on Friday due to a Professional Development Day for teachers.
  
• Spirit Day will be Friday, November 19.
  
• Thanksgiving break will be Monday, November 22 - 26.

Volunteers this week:

• Tuesday -Art - Ailsa Hudson - 12:00
• Thursday - Library Check-out - Ailsa Hudson and Cynthia Biondi - 2:05

See you on Wednesday!

Susan