Kriletown Adventures - Week 12

 Welcome to week twelve of Kriletown News. 

Here is a look into what we have been learning during week 12 of our Kriletown adventures. 

Important Date

• Wednesday, November 26-Friday, November 28 - No School, Thanksgiving

• Tuesday, November 26th Report cards sent home

• Monday, December 1 School Resumes

Curriculum

Word Work

This week we worked with the digraphs ng and nk. Our heart words this week were could, would, should, or, and for. These are words that do not follow traditional spelling rules. Our FANCY vocabulary words were ’challenge', ’journal, ‘comfort', 'and ’cling’. 

Reading

This week we read different versions of the Little Red Hen. We compared and contrasted the stories. We started our second unit in reading and writing this week. Our learning will center around the question "What do people learn from studying animals?" We read the book Seven Blind Mice and discussed how we can use all of our five sense to 'see' clearly. We read a nonfiction article about elephants and studied how an elephant uses each body part.

Math

We concentrated on counting forwards and backwards to 120 this week. Your little should be able to count and write any number to 120 by this time in first grade. We have MANY numbers that are still being written backwards. Our classroom goal is to be able to write all numbers correctly by the end of December.

Writer’s Workshop

This week we concentrated editing. We discussed the different purposes writer's write, to inform, to persuade and to entertain.

Social/Emotional Learning - Life Skills

This week we discussed what it means to be grateful. We talked in detail about how lucky we are to have grown ups who love and take care of us. We also chatted about how lucky we are to have such a great school to come to each day.

Social Studies/Science

This week we reviewed wants and needs and how important it is to take care of your needs first. We had a great discussion about trade and barter with Mrs Lemmen. Her grandma taught in a one room school house in Indiana. The community was not always able to pay her for her services so instead would give her eggs and chickens.

Parent Corner

Each week I will share ideas of ways you can aid in your child's education. Soft skills modeled at home have the most impact on life long learning. 

Confidence is not luck. It is the brain remembering what it has already survived. Each small win releases dopamine, fuel for the "I can" circuit. The circuit strengthens only through repetition in the same challenge. A child who keeps puzzling builds pattern recognition. One who keeps zipping coats and backpacks build motor mastery. Self-efficacy isn't global confidence. It's earned, one domain at a time. Confidence is not inherited. It is built one skill at a time. As a parent we often what to do for our kids however what we need to let them do build. 

School Stuff:

Report card message

The following message is from our district reading specialist concerning reading scores on report cards.

The Ann Arbor Public School District adopted a new reading curriculum, Arts & Letters, this year. This program is a rigorous knowledge and skill-building curriculum that allows students to build skills in English language arts. It has increased Demands for critical thinking and stamina. As with any new endeavor, some students may have lower scores initially as they work to meet new demands and build stamina. Over the course of the program, stamina and skills build, and should increase over time. The implementation dip in scores is often part of making a change and not indicative of lower performance overall. Students, over time, will build the skills necessary to carry them forward to success.

 

Snack Donations

Thank you for all of the donations.

From past newsletters....

Class books

We are missing three class books! Please check your home for Ish, Fun Run and The Dot. The children put SO much work into these creations. I would hate for them to be lost.

These books will are making their way to each of your homes. When a large manila envelope comes home in your littles backpack please read through the book together and return the next school day. If you would like to leave a book review on a class book that comes home. Please attach a post it note to the large envelope. The littles love to hear what you think of their creations :) 

Computers

 Please be sure to send the computer FULLY charged each day. We will be using them daily. Please also send the charger. I am not supplied a classroom charger. Please do not let your littles change the settings on their computers. This is against the user agreement and poses a big problem when using them in class. Changes and creation of personal backgrounds interfere with programs run at school. 

Attendance Line

When your student is absent please use the following email to report the absence log_attendance@aaps.k12.mi.us

Instagram

If you would like to see adventures from our days together you can request to follow @Kriletown. 

Donations

To donate much needed items you can find the Kriletown wishlist here. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your littles. Thank you to all of you for the great conversations during conferences the last few weeks.