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Dora Moore's new counselor, Ms. C came to our class today!

She read a book about friendship and then the students worked on an art activity.  The incorporated a sentence and one work to describe what friendship means to them.

We can't wait for her to come back!!!






A homework packet was sent home with your child today.  I have circled the spelling words they need to practice for the week.  If you have any questions, please let me know! -Ms. Feinman


Share one sentence from your friendly letter. 
Then comment on someone else's sentence. 


There are two spelling groups this week.  I highlighted the words on your child's homework calendar that he or she needs to practice.  

Spelling city is a great resource. Click here for online games, tests, and practice. 




To trust…. Or not to trust?
After reading An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni, the students had discussions about why the author wrote the book, or what the moral of the story was.  Many students came to the conclusion that it was something about trust. Look inside their eggs (posted outside room 116)! Did you “trust” that was what was going to be inside?


Then, ask yourself these questions: Often we believe we have knowledge because of testimony from other people - can such information be knowledge? Do the words of other people give us a basis for believing something? How do we determine which testimony to trust? Does it depend on how the people speaking to us know what they think they know? How often do we hold onto our beliefs even in the face of evidence that they are not true?











This letter was sent home Thursday!πŸ“« Dig through your seat cushions, cars and hiding places for loose change!!πŸ’ΈπŸ’°πŸ’Έ Open Door is a pillar in our community. πŸ«πŸ’πŸ‘πŸ πŸ£πŸ πŸ’’⛪️🏭πŸͺ🏒They work with many of our students at Dora Moore.πŸ‘¨πŸ‘¨πŸ‘¦

We want to give back so they have more than enough supplies for the summer!🏊⛺️⚽️πŸŽ¨πŸŽ­πŸŽΆπŸŽ΅πŸŽΉπŸ‰⚾️
Bring donations to room 116!!!!!! πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²πŸ’²

Sometimes teachers get caught up in the day to day business of "school".  And sometimes it takes a very bright and thoughtful  student to wake that teacher up. After reading this poem, I was reminded of why I do what I do everyday. 

I thought I would share it on the blog. 


So, students, keep writing those poems and bringing them into school to share!!!





Share one sentence from you friendly letter.


After you post your comment, give feedback to a classmate's comment.  



This flyer was sent home today with your child:


The students are so excited!  We hope you can join us! Free pizza!  Reptiles! Literacy!  






Reading With Reptiles – An evening that focuses on both science and literacy, featuring fiction and non-fiction books and live reptiles.

Please return the bottom portion by April 24th.  You only need to send in one for your family.  Thank you!
 

Oh how we love Chicken Soup with Rice!! 






When students are transitioning, we typically do a Brain Break. These usually last 1-5 minutes.  A wonderful website I have been using with the students this year is http://www.gonoodle.com. There are a variety of videos for me or the students to pick from.  Some are relaxing, some are energizing, some are education, some are just plain silly.  

Lately, the students have really been enjoying KooKooKangaroo! You can find their youtube channel here.  You can also find their website here.  




So why do we do Brain Breaks?


MOVEMENT MATTERS





No spelling words due to the short week.

Click here for the homework packet (This Friday!)

General Homework Tips for Parents 

  • Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.
    Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.
  • Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available.
    Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.
  • Help your child with time management.
    Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.
  • Be positive about homework.
    Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
  • When your child does homework, you do homework.
    Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.
  • When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.
    Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.
  • When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it.
    Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.
  • If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away.
    Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.
  • Stay informed.
    Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.
  • Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework.
    Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.
  • Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration.
    Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.
  • Reward progress in homework.
    If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.

Click here for the reading log due 4-20-15 (Monday!)





Another poem brought in by a student!  A bit difficult to read with that beautiful pink gel ink, so I typed what is written!

There is a thing under the string, it is called the zing, it is a winged ink. It slimes around and tells the future!


There is something you should be scared of, it is in a box that got delivered to me- a cube kitten. From Grandma and Grandpa

Share one sentence from your letter to Jaime.  Then comment on another student's sentence.  



Students: Read the poem at home with your family!  Have them sign it, and/or write a note.  Bring your poetry journal back tomorrow!


This student wrote a poem about folding paper-and then folded the paper!  Very creative! Keep writing those poems!!!





One student went home very excited last night and came back to school this poem:

Writing Station
In the class there's a 
thing called the station,
But not just any station
it's a writing station,
No one cleans it,
All night and day it's messy,
Like writing a messy poem.  

I translated for the spelling. This particular student has excellent handwriting, but purposely made it look bad to match the writing station (she also tends to be the one who cleans up the writing station!) 

Keep writing and reading poems!  Bring them in to share with the class!

Which book was your favorite?  Don't forget to show evidence! 




Every Wednesday, the students study a poem, practice writing it, and take it home to read to their parents.  I have gotten a lot of feedback from parents over the years.  Many say they still have the poetry journal and it brings back wonderful memories.  I plan to incorporate more poems within lessons, in the month of April.  





What will you do to celebrate Poetry Month?



I personally like WordMover.  I love those little magnetic words and creating playful poems.  






Maria Shriver is currently challenging us to write a poem a day for April.  Time to start writing!

What the Teacher Wants!: Favorite Freebies:

Families, although this site is mainly for teachers, there are some awesome things YOU can download for your kiddos at home if they are getting rambunctious!