Happy Halloween!

BOO!  I hope everyone is ready for the full night ahead of us.  I know that the kids are!!  We have had a great week learning about strategies that we can use to recall our facts.  We focused mainly on making ten and using doubles facts plus or minus one.  A great game to play at home is "Go Fish Make 10".  This game is played just like "Go Fish" but without the face cards and the 10 card.  Instead of asking for the match, they will ask for the number that would pair with their number to make ten. (ie: 4 would ask for 6)  They have played this in class and should be able to teach you.  The making ten skill will help them when we begin double digit addition next week.

Next Wednesday is picture retakes.

Also, just a quick reminder that next Wednesday is an early release day.  Students will be released at 12:30.  Please let us know if their transportation will be changed.

Have a great weekend!!

Week 10/20

We had such a fun week talking about 3-D shapes.  I am super confident that all of the kids did great on their unit test today.  I will let them know next week so they can share the news.  I really enjoyed meeting with all of the parents this week.  I know that we didn't get to meet with everyone as a trio, but we will get together and share what was discussed.  Anyone who maybe missed yours, please email one of us to reschedule.

Next week, we will be reviewing addition and subtraction strategies.  We will be working toward our goal of recalling all addition and subtraction facts up to 20. Please have students practice their facts nightly.  They can do xtramath or flash cards.  I will also be sending home login information for a new online math program called Sumdog.  It is a more concept based program and similar to the video games that we know they enjoy. I have listed some apps and websites that students can also use for basic fact and problem solving practice.

Websites:
http://www.mathplayground.com/math_monster_addition.html
http://www.mathplayground.com/number_bonds_10.html
http://www.mathplayground.com/tb_addition/thinking_blocks_addition_subtraction.html
http://www.abcya.com/math_facts_game.htm

Apps:
Math slide addition & subtraction
Math slide basic facts
Math museum
Math blast
Thinking blocks
Mathtastical

This week is Red Ribbon week.
Tuesday-crazy socks
Wednesday -hat day
Thursday - college shirts
Friday - dress up like your favorite Superhero or everyday hero. (Costumes must follow all dress code rules. No masks or props.  Wear appropriate shoes for PE or recess.)

Storybook pumpkin decorating contest-
Students are invited to decorate a pumpkin like their favorite storybook character. Pumpkins will be turned in to the library Thursday morning before school.  Winners will be announced Friday at Coyote Call-out.

Have a great week!

Week 10/13

The fall air has finally blown in and I am loving it.  We had a lot of fun this week learning about 2-D shapes. Your kiddos identified 2-D shapes by counting their sides and vertices.  They really loved learning about the "special" shapes that we don't normally see and hear about.  We learned about the septagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, undecagon, and a dodecagon.  Ask your student if they can remember how many sides and vertices these shapes has.  We also composed and decomposed 2-D shapes.  Compose and decompose are vocabulary words that we have used previously to describe adding and subtracting.  I liked watching them make a visual connection with shapes.  We put different shapes together and identified the new shape that we created.  We also looked at how we could break up a shape into new smaller shapes.  We will do more with this on Monday.  Next week, we will be getting into 3-D shapes.  The hardest part of 3-D shapes is identifying what shapes make up the 3-D shape.  We will be creating 3-D shapes for them to take apart and put together.  I encourage you to look at 3-D shapes at home and talk about what shapes create it.  For example. a cereal box is a rectangular prism and is made up of 6 rectangles.

Here are a few technology tools that you can use at home to practice geometry:
Shape Shoot - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/shapes_shoot.htm
Star Matica - http://www.starrmatica.com/standalone/starrMatica3DEarthExploration.swf

I look forward to seeing everyone next week for parent conferences.  Have a great weekend!

Weekly update

Good evening parents.  I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend of FALL weather.  I did!  I had to dig out jackets and sweatshirts.  We finished up our unit on place value last Friday.  I was very proud at how hard they worked.  Our next unit, which we will begin tomorrow, is Geometry.  We will learn how to identify attributes of 2-d and 3-d shapes.  We will be using technology in class this week.  Tomorrow they can bring any device that takes pictures.  Tuesday through Friday, we will be using a geoboard app.  There are several that are free. As always, we have class iPads and actual geoboards that can be used if the students don't have access to technology.

Thank you all for returning your parent conference forms.  I will be sending home confirmation of your date and time.  I look forward to meeting all of you.

Upcoming events:
10/22-anti-bullying day Students are encouraged to wear orange.
10/24-Fitness Friday - come join us and help us earn the golden shoe.  It takes place during our PACK time (9-10).
10/24-End of 1st nine weeks
Week of 10/27 - Red Ribbon week
Monday-wear red
Tuesday-crazy sock day
Wednesday-hat day
Thursday-college shirt day
Friday- dress as your favorite superhero
10/31-"SUPER" coyote call-out @ 2:00

Parent conferences and Math Review

Parents,
A note went home today regarding parent conferences.  We will be scheduling conferences with our homeroom students.  If you would like to meet with a specific teacher, please notate that on the form. Please mark your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice.  These will be scheduled on a first come first serve basis.  We also bribed the students to bring them back tomorrow.  Hopefully they don't knock you down when you walk in the door as mine already have. :) We look forward to meeting with all of you.

Also, I sent home 1 of 2 math review sheets today.  We graded and discussed in class.  I asked the students to correct the ones that they got wrong and return tomorrow.  We will be doing part 2 tomorrow and we will follow the same procedure.  They should study these over the next two nights to be ready for their test on Friday.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Howdy Folks!!

Our fair day is here!  I was really thinking about taking my kiddos but all of these health scares are forcing me to stay away.  So if you go, please eat a corn dog and funnel cake for me. :)  We had a great week this week.  I loved seeing all of them so dolled up for pictures.  They get so excited to get dressed up.  We wrapped up our current math unit this week and will spend next week reviewing.  I will be sending home a review sheet on Tuesday for students to practice at home to be ready for our test on Friday.  This test covers place value, number lines, comparing and ordering numbers, and problem solving.  They have been working very hard and I know that they are going to do great.  We also started our xtramath schedule in class.  All students will do xtramath 2-3 times a week.  But xtramath should be done at home at least three times.  It is really quick but does really help on their recall of facts. Our next unit in math is geometry, so we will be exploring and defining 2-D and 3-D shapes.  Also, be looking for information to be coming home within the next few weeks regarding parent conferences.  Our conference night is scheduled for October 23rd.  We will be setting them up soon.  Have a great weekend!