Week 2- Our 5 Senses

Please send in those family photos!  They love to see their family when they may be missing you as well as make them feel like we are a part of a school family!  Thanks

This week's theme was our 5 senses.  We talked a lot about how it would help us to learn about the wolrd to use our  5 senses.  


We started the week off with name writing in shaving cream.  It was a nice 5 senses project as well as name writing!

We read the story My 5 Senses and students began to predict the words on the pages based on the pattern and context.  Great job friends!  They caught on to the 5 senses pretty quick.  Some friends cut out sentences and put the picture that matched onto them.  They are making connections between the body part and verb that goes with it: nose to smell, ears to hear, tounge to taste, hands to feel, and eyes to see.

Students also got to do some science.  There were bags of mystery materials and students had to use their 5 senses to figure out what it is.  I used orange jello powder, sugar, and salt.  I started with either of the sweets (it varied by group) and then ended with the salt.  I didnt want them to chicken out on the second if they didnt like the salt.  They got drinks right away after.  We had some good describing words and some good guesses as to what they tasted.  Also saw some good faces with delight and disgust. 

Thursday, students helped sort objects into what sense we use with those objects: Skunk = smell, icecream = taste.  My main focus was actually teaching them to correctly use glue sticks and the correct amount, but the fine motor of picking up the papers, and the idea of sorting was also important.

We have been working a lot on name writing.  It is important that your child can write their name because it is the foundation of a lot of their writing skills, the beginning of their letter recognition, strengthens and refines their fine motor skills, and it is important to be on all papers so we know whose it is!  Please work on name writing at home.  A sheet will be coming home on Monday for you to practice on.  We have these same sheets laminated in our writing center that students will begin to use on Monday.

We have been working on morning work with color sheets.  This seems like a silly project--coloring page in all one color, but it really teaches them: come in the room, check in, get your morning work, where crayon supplies are held, how to bring crayons/supplies to your table, how to recognize color words, picking the right color, staying in the lines/coloring a whole shape in, time management, and where projects go when we are done.  Thats quite a bit learned with one sheet in one day....and then practicing it multiple times they will get the routine down pat.

There was no letter of the week this week.  We were busy getting into the routine of things this week. We will begin with a letter of the week next week.  We have been doing some pre-writing skills getting students to ALWAYS start on the left and go to the right as well as a variety of strokes like WWWWW and curves, and cirlces to get them ready for writing strokes.  Keep working on this at home as well.  ALWAYS go left to right.

Important Notes:

• As a part of our room decorations and to make every one feel at home, we have a "family and friends" board in our room.  Students will feel more at home and have a school family if they have their home family with them.  (The same as you putting a family picture on your desk).    Please feel free to send in a family photo that will be stapled up on our wall for the duration of the school year. Send in those family photos!
• Field Trip is quickly approaching.  If you are interested in going on the field trip, you must have all the background checks submitted as soon as possible.  We are going on Tuesday September 29 to Hofacker Orchard.
• Folders. Please be checking your child's daily folder each night.  We put notes on the notebook pages in their folders as well as any notes we may have for you.  Artwork is also sent home this way. As we start letter of the week, we will also start sending home homework to help reinforce the letter concept and identification.  Please work on this with you child to help the students make the connection between home and school. 
• Also, Please check the student's Wednesday Folders.  Please try to take info out and return the folder and any forms/info/payments in those folders a day or two after receiving. 
• Literacy Bags come home every three weeks.  Students will have a week to complete the project inside and can then return the bag with completed sheets in it on TUESDAYS.
• Library Books come every week.  We go to library on Monday and student have the opportunity to check out a book and keep it for a week. It can be kept in their back packs or at home, but please remember to bring it on Mondays. 
• Book Order due September 25th.  Please click on the link for scholastic at the top of this page.  When you buy books for your child, it helps buy books and supplies for our classrooms. 

Next Week:
Theme: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Letter of the Week: Ll
AM Snack: Bonnet
PM Snack : Taube