I feel.... that we have been doing a lot of growing and learning about how to express ourselves in class the past two weeks. We have implemented many different SEL aspects into our classroom recently and I have seen some magical things occurring within the walls of our room.
Here are some things to ask your child about in regards to our SEL lessons: 1) Anger Iceberg 2) Escalator of Emotions 3) The Peace Corner 4) How are you feeling today? 5) I Messages We just did a run-through or practice presentation of what the kids have learned so far on their country of choice within Africa. This activity allowed me to see which students are on track and working independently and those that need to focus more on their work plans each week. There was a lot of fear and reality checking being done in class on Friday. Please touch base with your child and see where they are at with their research; this has been a year long project and will culminate in a presentation to our families. This coming week we have another great field trip to the PAC to see the Jabali African Acrobats. We will be walking downtown, leaving around 9:30, so please make sure that your child has all of their outdoor gear. It will probably be a very chilly walk! We will return in time for recess and lunch. Have a great week, please email me with any questions or concerns! Mrs.Homan Important Dates: February 4th: Jabali African Acrobats @ PAC February 18th/19th: Entrepreneur Market February 18th/19th: Half-days/Conferences February 20th: No School!
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This week we will be continuing to learn about the Third Great Lesson and working with the fundamental needs of people. Students have been learning about the evolution and importance of defense, shelter, clothing, and food the last couple of weeks. This week we will focus in more on the need of shelter. The plan is for the students to work together to create a shelter from a specific period from the Timeline of People. Stay tuned for pictures!
Also this week, 3rd graders will have the opportunity to get comfortable with the AMP test. On Thursday they will spend an hour in the computer lab learning how to access the different tools available to them for the test. I will be a proctor for this test so this will be a good learning experience for all of us. Business plans are due today, Monday, and currently we only have three businesses that have been licensed. As a class we will decide what day(s) the market will take place. Students still have a month to earn and save (or spend if they wish) their money in class to use during the market. Our next field trip is approaching quickly on February 4th. We will be attending the Jabali African Acrobats at the PAC. I will be sending out reminders to those who are chaperoning shortly. If you have not yet sent in your child's permission slip and admission fee, please do so soon. Thank you and have a wonderful week! Christine Homan Important Dates February 4th: Jabali African Acrobats, 9:30-12:00 February 18th or 19th: Entrepreneurs Market February 18th and 19th: Half-days/Parent Teacher Conferences February 20th: No School! Did you have a great three day weekend? I had such a wonderful weekend, I think every weekend should be three days!
I am not sure if you were able to see last week's post, for some reason it looks to me like it didn't publish. I apologize if you didn't get to see it but you should be able to read it now if you like. Last week we focused a lot on getting back into the routines some more and the kids really settled into their work plans again. Second and third graders are beginning to learn how to use Keyboarding Without Tears which is a typing program that we are introducing to help students not only learn this skill but to aid them when them take the AMP test beginning in the spring of 3rd grade. It's a great program that we utilize at school but that they can also access at home. Please email me if you would like me to send you the link for their access code and website information. Our field trip last week to Kaleidoscape was a great success! Thank you to those who chaperoned and drove for our class. The kids had a great time. Make sure to check out the Upcoming Field Trips tab for a picture from our experience at K-Play Studio. Our next field trip will be at the PAC to see the Jabali African Acrobats on February 4th. If you have not yet sent in a permission slip and $8 for the admission, please do so soon. Currently we have enough chaperones to attend. We have been learning about the importance of earning, saving, and spending money the last several months. Now we are beginning to learn about creating business plans and our own businesses. 2nd and 3rd graders have the option of participating in this activity but they must complete the business plan before beginning their marketing and production of product. Once approved each business will get their own business license. The business plans are due this Friday, January 23rd. Currently our market is scheduled to take place on February 18th or 19th. As a class we are going to discuss this more; we may extend the market to two or three days depending on what the kids would like to do. In an effort to wrap-up this learning experience, we will be visiting First National Bank in March to tour their facility. Lastly, we have been focusing a lot on SEL (social emotional learning) in our classroom; typically we do one lesson a week. Last week we discussed the importance of being a good communicator and what that looks like. The class participated in two activities to explore the challenges and benefits of being a good listener and speaker. Ask your child what we did in class to expand on these skills! (Tip: as a reminder for them, ask them what activity they did with a partner that involved drawing) As always, please email me with any concerns or questions. If you would like to volunteer in the classroom you are more than welcome to drop-in or contact me if you're interested in teaching an activity or sharing a skill. We would love to have you! Have an excellent week! Christine Homan We survived our first week back!
I sent home a snack calendar for January before break, if you don't have one please let me know and I can send another one home. This week we will be moving forward in our studies and learning more about the Common Needs of People. Our theme is still centered around Africa and students are beginning to research how African drums are made. They will design their own and then create the drum using a #10 can and a variety of other materials. We will also be creating African masks in the near future. We have some really exciting projects coming up! All year we have been talking about money; how to earn it, how to be responsible with it, and how to decide if you are going to save it or spend it. In November we began applying for job's within the classroom. The kids have to fill out a job application and submit it to me, sometimes being interviewed if more than one person applies for the same position. Each day they complete their job they earn their salary. The same goes for their work plans; every day they complete their work they earn their daily "pay". This week 2nd and 3rd years went home with a Business Plan guide in preparation of our Entrepreneur Market that will take place in mid-February. This is an optional project in which they can create their own business and go through the important steps of designing a business plan, applying for a business license, creating their product, and marketing themselves. In mid-February we will hold the market and the kids will be able to sell their items. 1st years and those who choose not to participate in this project will then have the opportunity to spend (or save!) the money they have been earning all year through the completion of their work plans and their weekly salaries. They have had the opportunity to buy things at our classroom store or to save their money for this upcoming market. ***Tuesday is our field trip! Please have your child carry their booster seat into school with them. They will need it for the trip to Kaleidoscape! Also, please pack a cold lunch on this day. We will be eating lunch earlier than usual in preparation for our trip. Please remind your student of their role in the classroom. We talked a lot about the work expectations and reviewed classroom procedures. While I know that the first week back is typically a hard transition for many students, it is important that we continue to be respectful of our peers and classroom environment. Have a great week! Christine Homan Important Dates: January 13th - Kaleidoscape, 12-3pm (Driving field trip, please bring a booster!) February 4th - African Acrobats (PAC), 9:30-12pm |
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