Weekly Newsletter

Dear Families,

Happy Friday!  Today, we're completing our first week of online learning and I wanted to check in to see how the week went for all of you.  First of all, I hope everyone is healthy and safe.  I hope your loved ones all across the globe are safe and healthy too.

I shared lots of links and materials this week.  I hope I did not overwhelm you. These materials/links and web-sites are meant for you as different choices as we continue our maintenance of learning together.  It is great to see more kids participating in our daily morning seesaw challenges.  I love to read your posts.  Ms. Z has joined us on seesaw as well so please look for her comments as well.

On Fridays, the students typically hand in their reading logs.  Since school ended abruptly, many students did not receive or did not get a chance to pack up, their Iditarod reading log maps.  I attached the map to this email.  As you may recall, the students check off towns along the Iditarod Trail as they complete their own reading logs. Since I cannot collect the reading logs and facilitate this process, I attached it to this email in case your child wants to complete the Iditarod Reading Race.  This is voluntary, of course.  I also linked the Iditarod wiki site to this email in case your child wants to print more reading logs and check out some of the web-sites for the Iditarod as well.

http://inspirefirstgrade.pbworks.com/w/page/72349472/The%20Iditarod%20Race

I will send out another email later today with a sign-up sheet for you to join small group google hangouts starting next week!  I will host a daily google hangout with approximately 4 students in each group.  I will provide days and times in another email, so please be on the look-out for that.

I miss all of you and all of your smiling faces.  See you online!!

Checking In

Dear Families,

As you know, school will be closed starting tomorrow.  Our school administration is working on guidelines for what our next few weeks will look like in terms of on-going learning using online platforms.  Luckily, all of the kids already know seesaw, razkids and lexia well!

I will keep you posted and share links as soon as they are shared with me.

In the meantime, please take this opportunity to spend some extra time with your child.  Play board-games together, read a book and talk about the book together.   Cook dinner together or bake a cake together.  Clean the mudroom and fold the laundry together.  If your child does not know how to tie his/her shoe laces yet, learn that! There are countless life skills in these tasks.

Please also remember that our young learners absorb everything around them and they overhear adult conversations.  Many of them are feeling anxious; as we are too.  Check in with them and be transparent and honest about our new reality.

Today, we had a small group of kids, but they did an amazing job working together at school.  We used seesaw to reach out to our senior citizen friends at Wake Robin.  Please visit seesaw and see their thoughtful videos and recordings, supporting those in need at this time.  If your child wishes to make a recording too, please support your child in this endeavour.  Not only would this be kind, it would also allow you and your child to practice a digital platform together that we will use in the weeks to come.

Take care until next time.  I will be in touch in the next couple of days.

Best,

Maria

Iditarod Reading Event

The Annual Great Alaskan Reading Event March 6th-April 3rd,

Welcome to the Harmony House Annual Iditarod Reading Event. Students will be completing reading summaries as part of their reading homework. Students will move along the Iditarod race trail here at school. Each book they read will bring them to a new checkpoint along the trail.

This is optional. Students who do choose to participate will not have to fill out the regular reading log during the month of March. If students choose not to participate they should continue to do the regular reading log and return it on Friday as usual. A small prize will be given to all children who complete the 16 summaries. It is definitely possible to read more than 16 books in a month!

There are a total of 25 checkpoints along the trail. So in order to reach the end, students will need to read and summarize at least 6-7 books per week over the next month. Iditarod reading logs will be in their Friday folders. They can also bring extra logs home for the weekend. We also have opportunities for the students to complete these at school during reading times. Other prizes will be awarded for reaching the 20" check point and the 25" checkpoint.

We want each child to do their own writing when they complete their summaries. Families can encourage neat handwriting and complete sentences. We will be talking with your child about the expectation for this project. Individual student abilities and grade level will be taken into consideration when teachers look at logs.

*Children must choose books that are on their own reading level; “Just Right” books. Chapter book reading is highly encouraged for those who are ready. At any time, a teacher or other adult may ask questions about books read to make sure they read and understood the book.

Sample summary:
Title: The Doll People 
Author: Ann M. Martin 
This book was about: A family of dolls who are alive. When their owners are not around they move around, talk, and even go on adventures. In the chapters I read Annabelle Doll and Tiffany went into the attic to see if they could find Auntie Sarah. She has been missing from the doll house for over 40 years.

Every year we hear from parents that students are motivated by this event. Classes will be doing other learning around the Iditarod throughout the month of March as well.

Here is a link to the Iditarod reading log in case you wish to print extra copies at home.

Sincerely, The Harmony House Teachers

Race to 100 Math Games

Dear Math Families,

I have linked a new math game for home.  It is called "Race to 100".  There are two different versions and both are linked on the wiki.  You can download and print for home use.

Use a paper clip for the spinner.  Use two different colored crayons to color in each turn, alternating between each spin.  This way, students are encouraged to add by 5s, or 10s.

The first person to reach 100 wins!

For additional challenge, try the "Race to 100" while you and your opponent choose another/different spinners.  What are the differences between the spinners?  How do these spinners affect the outcome?

Thanks for supporting math learning at home!

Spin and Write Trick Words

Dear Families,

I linked some new trick word games to support the trick word work we do in class and the trick words I sent out a couple of weeks ago.  I linked these games on the wiki and can be downloaded at home.  Let me know if you do not have a printer at home and want me to print these out for your child to take home in his/her Friday folder tomorrow.

The new games are called "Spin and Write".

I also linked a blank template so your child can enter his/her own preferred trick words.

Have fun and, again, thanks for supporting our learning at home!