Thursday

Be sure to check your child's folder! There is LOTS of "good" stuff in there today.  State Fair tickets, Six Flags Fright Fest coupon, book fair information and School Picture order forms!  

BOOK FAIR: We will preview the book fair next Friday with our book buddies.  Your child will make a "wish list" bring it home and you all can talk about what can/will be purchased (if anything)!  The book fair will be open on Monday (Conference Day) and the rest of that week! On Wednesday, someone may come, take the child to the book fair during recess (10:20-10:50) and then eat lunch with us (10:50-11:20)! Instruction begins at 11:25 so we ask that your child be with us as soon as lunch is over! 

We are continuing to make make memories and connect text to ourselves!  There has been some great "memory" writing!  It's so fun to see the progress only 6 weeks into school! I'm so proud of all the puppies in Pod 2!!!

We have introduced a few new word work activities.  Last week we worked on word shapes. This week we introduced rainbow words and price a word!! When we make rainbow words we trace over our spelling words with colors from the rainbow! And price a word allows us to practice coin counting AND number sentence writing and solving!  

Now that I am finished with assessments and our work stations are becoming more controlled...AND our guided reading library opens in October...I will be able to get on a more regular Guided Reading schedule!  Thank you all for your patience!  I can promise you that we are all doing LOTS AND LOTS of reading!  

COINS...

we still need some practice recognizing the following coins by name and value ...

Next week we will be asking your child to count like coins as well as mixed coins!  So identifying them by name and value is SUPER IMPORTANT!  We have several games in our math tubs that are helping with this at school.  But in order for it to become automatic PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

We are Getting FRUITY

We are using fruit to explore different properties...Texture, Density and Mass. Day one we explored texture with pineapples, apples, cantaloupes, lemons, limes, peaches, bananas, pears and oranges and grapefruits. Everyone was eager to describe their texture!  We noticed that some had the same "bumpy" texture, some were smooth, one was rough and one was even POINTY...how would you describe them?  

Well, today...it was time to see which fruits were going to sink and which ones were floaters! We thought we  had it all figured out.  Our HYPOTHESIS was "the heaviest ones are going to sink and the light ones would float!"  OH MY GOODNESS...that darn cantaloupe and that itty bitty lime  messed up that hypothesis BECAUSE the cantaloupe FLOATED and the lime SANK to the bottom...several friends wanted to change their prediction but we discussed being wrong is OKAY and that's what Scientist do...they TEST out hypothesis!!! 

TOP DOG

Sam switch-a-rooed days today he brought in his show and tell and tomorrow he will have lunch with someone SPECIAL...

!!!HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING!!!

Tuesday

Don't forget...we took the spelling pre-test on Monday. Everyone should be studying those words for the test on Friday.  It might be a good idea to dictate some sentences using those words.  We want them to be able to not only spell them in isolation but in context as well!

Today in writing we brainstormed "linking" words otherwise known as verbs! We now have a circle map posted with lots of words we can use in our writing!  

Our reading focus continues to be making connections.  We are reading Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge and in this story we find out that an older lady has lost her memory. Wilfrid brings different objects to  help her regain her memory.  The lady was able to connect to the objects so we went ahead and made some connections as well.  We discovered that connections and memories are PERSONAL. They are kind of like snowflakes...no two will be EXACTLY alike!

Don't forget tomorrow your child may bring in an object that creates a memory for them.  We will use these items to write about.  

SCIENCE all caps because WE LOVE SCIENCE.  Today we introduced the word PROPERTIES...When asked what a property was we had a couple of answers...It is where your house is and it is also how something looks, smells, tastes, feels or sounds! "HEY, those are our 5 senses!" Look at those connections being made!  We talked specifically about texture today.  Texture we found out is the way something feels...however, we wondered if hard, cold or even soft were textures...hmmm what do you think? Then we handed out different kinds of fruit. We were able to look at it and touch it but that was it!  We were not smelling, tasting or listening to the fruit today!  After our exploration of the fruit... We decided we needed to go back and redefine... Maybe texture for us was how something LOOKS and FEELS...some words we came up with were rough, bumpy, fuzzy, hairy, smooth and pointy!  We decided we couldn't really SEE hard, soft or even COLD! What budding scientist we are! We then predicted which fruits would float. We can't WAIT to test it out tomorrow!

TOP DOG

Sam brought in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

This is a picture from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Musical playing at the Dallas Children's Theater!  What a coincidence...I was there on Sunday with Jack (8) and Hank (4)!  They BOTH LOVED the play.  I promised the puppies I would let you all know about it! We have season tickets and have enjoyed introducing the boys to the theater here! This is the link if anyone is interested in seeing this play or others throughout the season!  Dallas Children's Theater Rosewood

Please forgive my video skills...I was trying to read, turn the pages and video...

I need to PRACTICE more! 

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

Student council is collecting WRAPPED toothbrushes and toothpaste for "OPERATION SCHOOL BELL"!

Please send in a new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste to help a child that doesn't have one!  We talk a lot in our class about doing things that help others!  This would be a great way to demonstrate that!  Maybe your child could  EARN the money needed to buy these items!  These items need to be brought in by Oct. 17th!!!

Thank you SOOOO much for your help and support! 

Mixed UP Monday

Today we had to switch specials with our 4th grade buddies.  So...we went to specials right before lunch and had recess later in the afternoon!  CRAZY...

Library is first thing on Monday morning...please help your child remember his/her book!  Remember the safest place to keep it is in the BACKPACK! Then it will always be here on library day. Your child is also welcome to leave it here at school if that is easier.  He/she cannot check out new books until the previous week's have been returned! 

This week in Language Arts we will be talking about making connections with others and using our memories!  More on that tomorrow!

MONEY...we LOVE MONEY

Penny, Penny, easily spent,

Copper brown

And worth one cent.

Nickel, Nickel, thick and fat,

You're worth five

And we know that.

Dime, Dime, little and thin, 

We remember--

You're worth ten.

Quarter, Quarter, big and bold, 

You're worth twenty-five,

We are told.

Dollar, Dollar, green and long,

Worth one hundred cents,

We can't be wrong!

This week your child will need to be able to identify each of these by name and value! We will be informally assessing this.  Please have your child do this for you at home and if they are struggling with it...repeat OFTEN!

TOP DOG

 Sam is new to Robertson Elementary! We got to learn more about him today! 

STAR WARS is his FAVORITE Movie!

Super Mario Bros is his FAVORITE Game!

He plays soccer...(when his arm isn't in a sling)

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I'm sorry I missed uploading this yesterday!

A WILD and WINDY Thursday!

We have been talking about weather in science! Today we had "extra" friends from Mrs. Williams' class so we made  WIND SOCKS.  Of course we needed to take them outside and test them out!  

We got a taste of some rain while we were out there!  What a discovery...it can be windy and rainy, cloudy,  sunny or snowy!!!

We have introduced another way to practice and remember our spelling words! WORD SHAPES...We are using ourselves to show TALL letters, small letters and long letters.  The chair is our bottom line.  We then trace around our words to make sure we are correct!  Some friends learn how to spell by the way a word LOOKS! 

Way to go SPELLERS!!!

TOP DOG

Just was so lucky this week.  Her Dad came to eat with HER and her twin.  They got to sit at the parent table and enjoy each others company!  

Look at those beautiful SMILES!

Have a wonderful DAY!

Good Afternoon

WOW! Today was an exceptional morning!  We all got a punch for being GREAT writers.  We came in and everyone got started. I reviewed the Edit It poster....make sure your paper has your name, the date, picture matches the word, words go from left to right and top to bottom, there are spaces between words and punctuation is used (and used correctly)! I saw a number of our writers check their papers against the poster.  I heard students checking each others papers before they had me look at it! AWESOME job little puppies!  Independent already!  Not only are we editing but we are continuing to improve.  Our papers are becoming longer and more fluent.  NO MORE short, choppy sentences...We are combining like sentences with and  AND using pronouns!

Not only did we ALL get a punch for writers workshop but we WON the cafeteria challenge...we lined up quietly and quickly! Way to go!!! So everyone got 2 punches...some got more of course but what a great day!

TOP DOG

Today our the parents of our Top Dog, Justice, wrote a little something to let us know JUST HOW WONDERFUL Justice is to them!

My Justice

      Her name was created for the purpose that she may serve our world in fairness.

      Her smile is like the sunshine

      So warm that it melts away all sadness

      and encourages love.

      Her eyes shine light with a glow that

      inspires.

      Her sweetness is contagious

My justice makes me want to be better each day.

She reminds me of her Mother.

My Justice is LOVE!

Happy Happy Birthday!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Math Homework

We know you all are expecting math homework on Tuesday and Thursday. Our homework usually comes from our math series...however, we do not have those workbooks yet!!! SO...we thought we would post some problems on the blog for your child to complete and return to school the following day! (I understand if this is not possible tonight since I am so late in getting it out!) I will probably set up a homework section either as a page like (all about me, links, classroom needs...) or just a section like "What We Are Learning". BUT for tonight:  You may pick 2 out of the 3 to do. Encourage your child to challenge themselves!
There are several ladybugs.  The first one has 2 dots, the second has 4 dots. If the pattern continues to 30 how many ladybugs will there be in all?
Justice had 14 necklaces.  She bought 9 more. How many does she have now?
 Peyton earned 3 stickers on the first day of school.  Each day he earned 3 more stickers.  How many stickers did he have on the 12th day of school?
CHALLENGE:  If you would like to write your own problem to be posted on the blog...give it a try!  Make sure you can solve your problem!

TOP DOG

Justice brought in one of her favorite books to share with all of us today!

Reading Mini Lesson

We had such fun today during our reading mini lesson.  It's always a GREAT day when students initiate really amazing discussions.  I love "hearing" their thinking! Yesterday we read My Very Big Little World.  We made some good connections about the parents having jobs that produce some NEEDS of ours.  Dad is a baker.  He bakes bread which we need HOWEVER he also bakes cakes and cookies that we do not NEED as one friend pointed out! And Mom is a dentist.  We decided that our health is something that we all need! So today we sorted or classified some pictures on our tree map.  NEEDS  WANTS and CANNOT DECIDES!  Those cannot decides sparked lots of conversation!  Some of them were meat, fish, a veggie garden, television and telephones!  Some thought meat was a need but then we found out that some people don't eat meat at all...hmmmm we came to the conclusion that if we had had a card that said food it would DEFINITELY be a need.  The ones that I found very interesting were the T.V. and Telephone.  The pups immediately said those were NEEDS.  When we asked them to explain why they classified it as a need one said you need the t.v. to watch the weather.  Another student said and I quote, "a telephone is needed to communicate information to others!" WOW such great thinkers.  And BOY am I OLD...Because my first thought was these are only WANTS...I can live without them BUT I think the discussion today may have swayed me to the other side. However, we kept them in the Cannot Decide Category!

  I LOVE LOVE LOVE learning with your children each and every day!  What a great bunch of PUPPIES!!!

Yesterday we did celebrate Landon's birthday!  

GOOD AFTERNOON

Just a heads up...I am a "soccer antie" on Mondays.  SOOO I need to leave school at about 4:30 on these days which make it difficult to update the blog the way I would like to!!! I hope you all understand...My bubbas are precious to me and I want to spend as much time as I can with them!

MONDAY

This week our poem is Rain !

Monday mornings are often a busy time!  

We have really gotten into our authentic journal writing!  The puppies come in and get right to work.  At 8:30 we head off to the library! 

 BUT yesterday we started our practice spelling...Every Monday your child will take a pretest.(Once we start first grade words...2nd 9 weeks those who get all of the words correct on Monday will get an additional set of CHALLENGE WORDS)  He or she will study these words through out the week here at school and hopefully at home.  On Friday, we will take the final test. The final test (2nd 9 weeks) will consist of the 10 spelling words 2 bonus words and a dictation sentence as well as the 5 challenge words for those who received a 100% on Monday. 

Mrs. Biamonte read a story called Chalk.  It is a 2X2 book.  We will try to read all of these this year! This book was a special book! It was a wordless picture book!  Ask your children to retell the story!  (Some children find some chalk at the playground on a rainy day.  They start to draw beautiful things!!! Including the sun.  THOSE things come to life.  One decides to draw a SCARY dinosaur. The children get scared and run to hid in one of the playground tubes.  Mrs. Biamonte asked how our kids thought they could get rid of the dinosaur.  And sure enough someone answered ERASE the dinosaur.  However, the kids were not near the drawing.. So the little boy draws rain inside of the tube!  Sure enough the dinosaur started to "melt" away.)  WE then got to draw with chalk. Although it was not "magic" chalk...We had lots of fun!

When we returned from library we started our Daily 5 with a reading mini lesson. We read My Very Big Little World.  We revisited the purpose for reading.  In this story we were able to make some connections to ourselves and our world.  

Math time brought us to ODD and EVEN.  We have been singing about odd and even numbers for quite some time. MOST of us can name all the odd and even numbers...BUT today was the day...to find out what even and odd ACTUALLY meant.  When I asked what does it mean when we say a number is even some answers were, "2, 4, 6,", "counting by twos", "when the last digit is a 0,2,4,6,8" all good answers but then...someone said, "It's when a number has a twin or a PAIR!"  YAY for coming up with a wonderful definition!  

TOP DOG

Top dog started this week!  Thanks to everyone for getting all about me posters back and doing such a GREAT job! We are looking forward to "meeting" your child throughout the year!

Our TOP DOG IS.....

Justice told us all about herself.  She is a TWIN (I guess that makes her EVEN)!  She has two other sisters as well!  She loves pizza, dressing up and playing soccer! Her favorite destination vacation is DISNEY!  (She is a  sweet, sweet princess!)

College Week...

comes to an end!

Thank you very much for reminding us JUST how important being a mom is!!! 

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY



Our class t-shirts have ARRIVED! If you have not sent in your 8.00 please do so ASAP!  Our class color is pink this year! 

BUSY BUSY DAY

We started our day with our daily writing! Check out our two friends that are applying mini lessons to their independent writing!

AWE SOME job Sam and Addison! Thank you for sharing with us!!

We are talking about putting words in alphabetical order in the word work station.  We are FOCUSED on putting words in order by the FIRST letter...

but we have some SMART PUPPIES in here that are ready to move on to alphabetizing to the SECOND letter! WOO HOO...

COLLEGE WEEK

We didn't have JUST one guest speaker today BUT two!

Mr. Rotz came in early this morning and shared with us all the FUN things a financial adviser gets to do do!

He told  us he gets to work with MONEY...We all made a quick connection.

Mr. Rotz graduated from University of North Texas with a degree in Business Finance! He told us you can become a financial adviser, work in a bank, or even be a stock broker! 

THANK YOU so much for coming in and sharing what you do! 

This afternoon Mrs. Lemons came to visit us!  

Can you guess what she does?

She works in an orthodontist's office.  She went to Texas Tech and majored in Music and then went back to school to learn about BRACES! 

She talked to us about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist.  She emphasized the importance of keeping our teeth clean when we have braces.  She brought some COOL COOL teeth models for us to look at AND a bag full of goodies!

THANK YOU for the goodie bag and sharing your career with us!

celebrating our BRIGHT futures

and Coach B's birthday!

Coach you are a STAR!

The best reason to celebrate with Coach B is because he's 

EMILY's DAD!

Have a wonderful evening!

It's Robertson Elementary's Fund Raiser at Baskin Robbins in Little Elm!  Everyone ENJOY...I think I just may have to have a scoop of peanut butter/chocolate! mmmm YUMMMO

Mr. Burgess

Today Mr. Burgess came in and talked to our class!!

We learned about what he does.  Did you know that it takes a lot of computers "talking together" to make businesses run?  Well...it does and that is what Mr. Burgess does.  He works with the computers making sure they are communicating properly with one another to run a bunch of hotels. He told us he went to college to learn about how computers communicate  (because...you know they don't talk like you and I)!

Mr. Burgess decided he wanted to be a leader within his business...so he went back to school.  He told  us to be a leader he needed even more education!  I know that there are some GREAT present and future leaders in our classroom!

THANK YOU Mr. Burgess for coming into our class today!  We really enjoyed it!

The DAILY 5

We are really working on our fluency in read with a partner!  The kids are practicing and then using photo booth to record/video themselves. They can then play it back and do a little self assessing.  I noticed lots of students pointing out errors and self correcting! YIPPEEEEE

We are currently working on writing 3 good sentences on topic.  Last week we talked about each sentence had to have the same subject...we picked some "connecting words" (verbs) and then added the details.  This week we started talking about using pronouns and compound predicates to make our writing more interesting!  Some students gave it a go and some still didn't feel 100% comfortable with all of that! HOT DIGGITY DOG we are all great writers!

Problem Solvers

A BRIGHT FUTURE

Don't forget to wear your sunglasses tomorrow! 

WOWZIE...can you say SCHEMA!

Yesterday we started talking about schema.  What in the world?  Such a crazy word for a bunch of 6 and 7 year olds!  Since we are talking about our community in social studies...what better way to introduce schema as well!

We started with our "defining in context" circle map! I asked the students to tell me all the things they might find in their community!  LOOK what we came up with.  I asked them how they knew these places and things were in our community...WE know because we have visited them, or see them....But we are not at Kroger right now.  I don't see a stop sign or the Little Elm Beach!  I kind of got some blank stares!!! Finally, we came up with we REMEMBER those things in our BRAIN!!! So, we talked about our brain being a BIG OLE filing cabinet...and our community is just ONE file stored in there. Once we open that file and start using our memory and making connections it is called SCHEMA!  

Not everyone has the same schema we found out!  Mr. Blankenship had mentioned Dubai in his presentation earlier in the morning.  Because of that we all knew that the tallest building in the world was there...but that was about it! Ms. Woodard and Ms. Guy knew a little bit more about it. So our schema was different from the rest of the class! After reviewing a little it was TEST time!  And listen to this...

College Week

(or we could call it furthering education week)

Today we recognized Lone Star High School with our silver and blue!  So...I dug out my MAROON AND ORANGE!!! I attended William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA...
GO TERRIERS! 

 Mr. Blankenship
The Chemist

He talked to us about making cement! We all thought that cement was what we walked on outside! Guess what we were wrong! That is called concrete.  We found out...that when cement and water are mixed there is a chemical reaction that happens and causes the cement to get hard!

Mr. Blankenship showed us this picture of  the "elements"! He compared it to Legos...But I think I got lost about here because I don't remember much else except that some of our necklaces are made of the element gold!  (Sorry...good thing I didn't want to try and be a Chemist that first year at HPU!)

Sam's dad also brought in samples of the different materials used in making cement.  I think everyone was surprised that rock could be melted!

The model bulldozer was a HUGE hit!  We found out that the one they use us as tall as our school and weighs more than some of our dads (as your children were quick to point out)!

We had a BUNCH of good listeners! We really enjoyed looking at all of the materials 

Mr. Blankenship brought in to share with us!  

Thank You