Family Newsletter

 Dear Families,

This is a short letter this week.  Ms. Shelby was our guest teacher as I was administering some end-of-the-year reading assessments.  We will continue with our online reading assessments on Tuesday.  Please make sure your child’s chromebook is fully charged.  Thank you!

Here is our week in review:

Reading:

• The students continued to build their reading stamina this week by setting individualized reading goals for each class.  They are reading for longer periods of time every day.  I hope you see this at home as well.  They are also selecting “just right books”, which helps build stamina because as a reader you are actively engaged and understand what is read.  

• Here is a message from Cara Clopton regarding Summer Reading Clubs:
  Virtual 12 week Capstone camp https://www.capstonepub.com/camp (Starts May 31st with choice boards and ebooks)

 

• Scholastic Summer Reading Promise challenge  https://www.scholastic.com/site/summer/home.html 

 

• Pizza Hut Book it! https://www.bookitprogram.com/about

 

• Barnes and Noble Gr. 1-6 free book giveaway: https://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our-stores-communities/summer-reading-program/ (click on '2021Summer Reading Journal')

Writing:

• Ms. Shelby taught several lessons on poetry writing this week too.  The students continued working on their understanding of onomatopoeia.  They also created a guessing poem, using sound words and other adjectives as clues in their poetry.  They did a terrific job!

First Grade Math:

• First grade mathematicians learned about non-standard measurements this week.  While they all explored measuring with rulers and yard-sticks during our animal report writing unit, they are now exploring how we can measure objects using non-standard measurements, such as popsicle sticks, toothpicks and unifix cubes.  This week, we practiced measuring our desks and other objects around the classroom with no overlaps and no gaps!

• First grade mathematicians also learned how to subtract while anchoring back to ten as an efficient strategy.  For example, if we solve the equation 14-8, it is more efficient to decompose 8 into 4 and 4, thus subtracting back to 10 first.  This helps us do mental math and it also helps us be more precise as mathematicians.

• Lastly, all first graders participated in the end-of-the-year math assessments district-wide.

News and Reminders:

• There is no school on Monday, May 31st due to Memorial Day.

• We will need fully charged chromebooks next week as well for our reading assessments.  We will start on Monday.  Please send in your child’s chromebook fully charged.  If you have headphones too, please include those as well.  Thank you!

• Our last Essential Arts Rotation starts on 6/1.  We will have Art on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Music on Thursdays and Fridays.

• All ABS Library books were due today.  If your child forgot to return them this week, please return them as soon as possible next week.  Thank you.

• Report cards will come home on the last day of school.  They will be in your child’s backpack.

• Here's a link to this week's Bell

Have a great weekend,

Maria