PBIS and Learning Stances
As a class we are continuing to focus on "expected" student behaviors such as whole body listening, raising your hand AND waiting to be called on, staying in one spot and following directions. We are also learning about being persistent (trying even if it seems hard) and being optimistic (telling yourself you can do it). With the arrival of our Kindness Elf, we will be switching our focus towards learning about kindness and empathy (understanding how someone else is feeling). Empathy is a tough concept to directly teach but I hope that by providing a lot of examples of kindness and thinking about others that this important trait will have a chance to blossom in each of the students.Literacy
We have moved into new units in both reading and writing. We are now learning about reading and writing non-fiction texts. Our class will often refer to these texts as "Teaching" or "Informational" text. We will be learning about different text features and writing our own "expert" books. The literacy unit will also be integrated into our discovery unit about animals.
Math
During math time, we have begun to focus extensively on place value and using place value as a strategy for solving problems. Our number system is a base-10 system and understanding place value is essential for math going forward. We will be working on using the concept of a unit of 10 to assist with mental math and extending our understanding of number to 3 digit numbers (numbers in the 100s). One of the skills we are currently working on is counting by 10 from any number. We are also working to understand the difference between a digit and the value of that digit. For example in 134, the digits are 1, 3, 4 but the one is worth 100, the 3 is worth 30 and the 4 is worth 4 ones. There are several place value games on the math page of the blog. Children often have fun teaching relatives these games.
Outdoor Gear
It is important that every child have appropriate gear for going outside in the winter. This includes coat, snowpants, boots, hats, and waterproof gloves or mittens. Many students are forgetting to bring mittens and hats to school. Please help your child to remember all his/her gear. It is also important for students to have a pair of indoor shoes to wear. Wearing wet or snowy boots inside makes for an unpleasant afternoon. If you need help obtaining gear for your child, please let me know.
