December 21st Newsletter

**For some reason this didn't post yesterday, I apologize for the delay.

Today and tomorrow I will be reading Christmas stories.  We will be using our senses to write about candy canes.  The kids will get to eat a candy cane while they write!  We will also be doing a few fun Christmas projects and playing a few math games.

Additionally, we will be watching a movie and having our Holiday party tomorrow.  The kids are so excited!  Again, thank you to all of the generous parents who are donating food or volunteering!  I greatly appreciate it!

Thank you also for all of the generous gifts!  I greatly appreciate it!

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Enjoy spending time with your family!

See you in 2016!

December 14th Newsletter

This week in reading we are going to be looking at the main idea and details of different stories.  We are going to be focusing on comprehension and working on asking ourselves questions throughout the story to make sure that we fully understand what we are reading.  We are focusing on the ch and wh sounds, which will be our chunks of the week this week.

In math, we are going to continue working on addition and developing “fact power.”  Having fact power is like being a good reader.  It is more enjoyable if you recognize words automatically.  The same is true of number facts.  Solving problems is easier if you automatically know the answer.  Keep practicing addition and subtraction facts with your child at home so they can develop fact power.  Practice at home by playing math games, using flash cards, or playing online math games.  Great online math activities are located on the Thorson webpage (go to IMC, then click on math).  Look for Home Links 4.9 and 4.10 to come home this week.

We are looking forward to our holiday party next Tuesday.  Thank you in advance to all of the parents who are donating items, preparing games/activities, and volunteering during the party.  The children are already looking forward to it!

Special Points of Interest

• Next Tuesday, December 22nd is our last day of school before winter break
• THANK YOU to all of the families that donated toys the past few weeks!

December 7th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week in reading we are going to be working on comparing and contrasting ideas in the stories that we read. In addition, we are going to be focusing on s blends.  Examples of words with s blends include: spell, swim, and skip.  We will also be learning about past tense verbs.  Our chunk of the week this week will be -ake as in cake.  In writing this week we will be working on our foundation for opinion writing.  We will continue opinion writing throughout the remainder of this quarter.

In math, we are going to continue exploring measurement.  This week the students will be using a tape measure in order to measure objects that are not flat.  The students will be measuring different parts of their own bodies, such as their wrist, elbow, and head.  Additionally, we will be learning how to tell time to the quarter-hour and introducing timelines.  Look for Home Links 4.5, 4.7 and a subtraction practice sheet to come home this week.

In science we will be learning about African animals and the habitats that they live in.  We will be integrating writing into science by writing about grasslands as well as writing animal reports on different African animals that we will be learning about.

Special Points of Interest

• Scholastic Book Orders are due this Thursday, December 11th. We will receive the orders before winter break!  Go to: www.scholastic.com/bookclubs Online Code:  JBVLK
• Our classroom elf friend Jingles is watching our class to see who is "naughty or nice."  The kids are having fun finding our classroom elf each morning.
• The Kapco's Kids 2 Kids toy drive lasts through this Friday, December 11th.  If you are able to, please bring in a new, unwrapped toy for the Toy Drive.
• Hat day is this Friday, December 11th - donate a dollar and wear a hat to show your support.

Scholastic Book Order

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub
One-Time Class Activation Code: JBVLX

Dear Families,

Please remember to place your Reading Club orders by Friday, December 11th.

You can shop and submit your order online or return the order form with payment directly to me. No matter how you order, every purchase you make earns FREE Books and educational supplies for our classroom.

The arrival of the book box is always a highlight - thanks for making it happen!

Happy reading,

Mrs. Majinski

Ordering online is fast and easy:

• REGISTER at scholastic.com/readingclub
• ENTER the Class Activation Code at the top of this letter
• CHOOSE from thousands of print titles, value packs, and Storia eBooks
• SUBMIT the order to me by the due date at the top of this letter
• EARN FREE Books for our classroom too!

November 30th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week in reading we are going to be working on making predictions.  The students will be trying to predict what is going to happen next in the stories they read, based on what they have already read.  When reading with your child at home, pause in the middle of the story and have your child predict what they think is going to happen next.

We are also going to be working on the long a sound, as in the word bake.  Our chunk of the week this week is –ate as in skate.  Remember to have your child practice their spelling words at home every night.  Also, have your child practice using their spelling words in sentences.

In math, the children will practice measuring and comparing lengths using nonstandard units, such as paper clips.  We will also be introducing the inch and how to use a ruler.  The children will learn to estimate and measure the length of objects in inches.  Look for Home Links 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 to come home this week.

Your child needs to know the name of their street by Friday for a lesson in our communities unit.  Please practice writing it with your child.  We will be finishing our communities social studies unit this week.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come to parent-teacher conferences.  It was great to meet with you and talk about your wonderful children!  As always, if you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to email me.

Special Points of Interest

• Scholastic Book Orders are due next Friday, December 11th.  The orders will be here before December 18th!  You can view the flyers online and order books by going to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and using the online code:  JBVLK
• Kapco's Kids 2 Kids toy drive starts today and will last through Friday, December 12th.
• I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!!

November 23rd Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week we will be doing Thanksgiving reading and writing activities.  The students will be writing about people and items that they are thankful for.  Additionally, the students will continue to work on sequencing the events in a story and retelling the stories that they read.

This week we will begin unit 4 in math. Your child will be learning how to read a thermometer.  Please practice counting by 2’s to help them read a thermometer.  As you help your child with homework, please guide them with directions as necessary.  The Family Letters we send home for each unit have all of the answers listed and will help you assist your child with their homework.  Look for Home Link 4.1 to come home this week.

We will continue working on our Communities unit in social studies.

Due to the short week, we will not be having new spelling words or a star of the week.

Special Points of Interest

• No school on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Toy Drive

Thorson Student Council News

The Kapco's Kids 2 Kids toy drive will start on Monday, November 30th and last through Friday, December 11th.  If you are able to, please bring in an unwrapped toy for the Toy Drive.  Thorson's goal is to bring in 275 toys!  Please help us reach this goal.

Kids2Kids Toy Drive Events: Buy an ornament day is on Friday, Decmber 4th - Students can donate a dollar to the toy drive and buy an ornament to put on the bulletin board outside of Mrs. Kikkert's office.  Hat day is on Friday, December 11th - donate a dollar and wear a hat to show your support.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

PebbleGo

Today the kids went to the computer lab with Mrs. DeLeon and I and they learned about a wonderful online resource called PebbleGo.  The kids had time to explore this wonderful resource and they had so much fun!  PebbleGo has a lot of science and social studies topics and it reads all of the information to the kids.  It is a very informative resource that your child could use at home as well.  They can access PebbleGo from the Destiny homepage.  Ask your child to show you how to get there and have fun exploring!

**If you need the username and password it is listed below.

PebbleGo

Username: csdt

Password: read

November 16th Newsletter

This week in reading will be working on sequencing events in a story.  The children will be practicing retelling stories in sequential order.  We will continue to work on proper nouns and we will be concentrating on days of the week, months of the year, and holidays.  The children will also continue to work on short vowel sounds.  This week we will be working on the l blends, an example is bl as in blanket.  Our chunk of the week this week will be -op as in top.

Additionally, we will be working on stretching out sentences.  We will be adding details to our sentences, so that our sentences answer questions like who, what, when, where and why?  The children will also be introduced to verbs and they will be learning how commas are used in a series of words.

This week in math we will be practicing finding the values of collections of pennies, nickels, and dimes.  We will continue to explore domino/dot patterns to provide practice for basic addition facts.  This week’s homework will include Home Link 3.12 and an addition practice sheet.  Also look for the Unit 4 Family Letter to come home this week.

Special Points of Interest

• Winter is quickly approaching.  Now is the time to start thinking about packing an extra pair of socks and mittens in your child's backpack.
• Please continue to remind your children to bring their take-home books back to school.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences are this Thursday, November 19th and the following Monday, November 23rd.  I am looking forward to meeting with you to talk about your wonderful children!
• No School next Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday

November 9th Newsletter

This week in reading we will be working on reading for understanding.  The children will be practicing retelling the stories that they read in their own words.  We will be working on reading fluently in our guided reading groups.  The students will learn about imagery through read-alouds.  They will draw pictures of what they visualize in their minds before they actually see the pictures.  Additionally, we will be introducing proper nouns.  The children have also been working on the short vowel sounds.  This week’s short vowel sound is u as in nut.  Our chunk of the week this week is –ug as in bug.

This week in math we will be introducing dimes and adding combinations of pennies, nickels, and dimes.   We will review graphing by creating our own class graphs.  The children will be exploring dot patterns on dominoes to find the sum of the two parts.  Remember to keep practicing addition and subtraction facts at home.  This quarter, we will be working on addition and subtraction facts to 10.  Look for Home Links 3.9, 3.10, and 3.11 to come home this week.

This week during our science and social studies time, Mrs. Kikkert will be coming in for Guidance lessons.  The children will be learning about families and health.

Special Points of Interest

• Veteran's Day Assembly will be this Wednesday, November 11th
• Scholastic Book Orders are due this Friday, November 13. Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub Class Activation Code: JBVLX

November 2nd Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,
This week in reading will be focusing on main ideas and finding details to support them in the stories that we read.  The sounds we will be focusing on this week are the sh and th sounds in both the beginning and ending position of a word.  Remember to practice the Unit 2 vocabulary/high frequency words that were sent home in October.

Beginning this week our Friday spelling lists will also include two challenge words.  Children are encouraged to try these more challenging words; however, these two additional words will not be reflected in your child's test score.

In math, we will continue to practice counting up and back on the number line in order to understand addition and subtraction.  We are working on problem solving skills using the hundreds chart and our number lines.  We will also be learning how to tell time to the half hour.  Look for Home Links 3.5, 3.7, and 3.8 to come home this week.

We will continue working on our Communities unit in social studies.

Thank you for all of the help and donations for our Halloween Classroom Party!  The kids had a blast!

Special Points of Interest

• No School this Friday, November 6th
• Veteran's Day Assembly will be on Wednesday, November 11th
• Scholastic Book Orders are due Friday, November 13. Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub Class Activation Code: JBVLX - Flyers will be coming home this week
• Remember to dress your child for the cold weather.  They will be going outside for every recess unless it rains.

Homework Update

The week got away from me and I realized that I did not send home two math homework sheets.  Home Links 3.3 and 3.4 will be coming home today, but they DO NOT need to be returned.  The children can complete them and keep them at home.  Sorry about this!

Happy Friday and Happy Halloween! :-)

October 26th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week in reading we will concentrate on retelling and summarizing stories in order to check for comprehension.  Your child will be asked to identify characters and settings in a story.  We have been working on identifying nouns in sentences and we will also learn about plural nouns this week.  We will continue to work on writing in complete sentences.  Our chunk of the week this week is –ed  as in bed.

We will be starting a new unit in math.  The Unit 3 parent letter was sent home last week with information about this new unit.  This week we will be working on pattering skills, odd and even numbers, and reviewing basic number line concepts.  Your child should be able to add and subtract using a number line.  Look for Home Links 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4.  Ask your child to sing the “Doubles” song we’ve been learning, too!

This week we will be learning about fire prevention.  We will also be starting a new social studies unit on communities.  Look for a parent letter to come home today with a volunteer opportunity that goes along with our new social studies unit!

THANK YOU in advance to everyone who will be donating items or volunteering to help at the party this Friday.  The kids are already looking forward to it!

Special Points of Interest

• Remember to bring in your pumpkin for Pumpkin Days!
• Halloween parties will be on Friday afternoon, please send your child's costume in a bag.  The children will be changing right before the party.
• No school next Friday, November 6th.  It is teacher progress report writing day.
• Have a Happy Halloween on Saturday, October 31st!

Our Fall Tree

Our class went on a "field trip" to the outdoor classroom to take a look at our tree.  We will be looking at it each season to talk about how it changes and what signs of life we see.  After we observed the changes, we wrote about our tree in our journals.

Book Orders due this Friday

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub
One-Time Class Activation Code: JBVLX

Dear Families,

Please remember to place your Reading Club orders by Friday, October 23rd.

You can shop and submit your order online or return the printed order form with payment directly to me. No matter how you order, every purchase you make earns FREE Books and educational supplies for our classroom.

The arrival of the book box is always a highlight-thanks for making it happen!

Happy reading,

Mrs. Majinski

Ordering online is fast and easy:

• REGISTER at scholastic.com/readingclub
• ENTER the Class Activation Code at the top of this letter
• CHOOSE from thousands of print titles, value packs, and Storia eBooks
• SUBMIT the order to me by the due date at the top of this letter
• EARN FREE Books for our classroom too!

October 19th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We will be concentrating on the main idea and details in the stories that we read this week.  We will continue to talk and write about animals that we see in the fall.  Additionally, the students will learn more about nouns.  The sound we are focusing on is the short o as in box and  pot.  Our chunk of the week this week is –ot.  We will also be adding some new fall poems to our poetry binders.  The kids have been enjoying adding new poems to their poetry binders each week.  The poems help us work on our fluency.

In math this week, we will continue to explore counting combinations of nickels and pennies.  Children will learn to exchange pennies for nickels.  We will also be working on subtraction number models and number stories.  Look for Home Links numbers 2.12, 2.13, and the Unit 3 Family Letter to come home this week.  Please continue practicing skip counting by 2’s and 5’s, counting combinations of nickels and pennies and memorizing addition and subtraction facts.

In science, we have been working on our Land and Water unit.  Your child has been learning about natural resources and their uses in the environment.

Special Points of Interest

• Pumpkin Days are October 26-30 - Bring a decorated pumpkin to school to be displayed in the IMC
• Our Halloween party is next Friday, October 30th.
• Scholastic Book Orders are due this Friday, October 23rd. Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub Class Activation Code: JBVLX

October 12th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our topic this week in reading will be all about sports and teamwork.  We will be talking about books that give information about a specific topic.  The students will also learn about nouns and we will work on incorporating nouns into our writing this week.  The sounds we are focusing on this week are nd, nk, nt, and st.  Our chunk of the week this week will be –et as in met.

This week in math we will be learning about counting up and back on a number grid, comparing quantities of pennies and nickels, and counting and writing by 2’s, 5’s and 10's.  We will be reviewing time and working on story problems.  Look for Home Links numbers 2.10 and 2.11 to come home this week.  Please practice counting combinations of nickels and pennies, telling time to the hour, and practicing subtraction facts to six.

This week we will be continuing our Land and Water science unit.  We will also be integrating our science unit into our guided reading groups by reading nonfiction texts about land and water.

Special Points of Interest

• Picture Retake is on October 21st
• Donuts with Dad is tomorrow morning before school, starting at 7:30 a.m.
• Scholastic Book Orders are due Friday, October 23rd. Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub Class Activation Code: JBVLX - Flyers will be coming home this week

Field Trip Reminder

                                               

Our field trip to Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary is tomorrow,

October 9^th.  Please remember to send a cold lunch and a drink with your child.  We will be outside most of the day, so make sure your child is dressed for the weather.  Thanks in advance!

Pencil Sharpener Purchased

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Hadleigh M.'s family.  They purchased a new pencil sharpener for our classroom.  Thank you for your generosity!

October 5th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In reading this week, we will be reading about pets.  Our main focus will be on characters, settings and sequencing.  As you read with your child, remember to ask them about the setting of the story, as well as the events that happened in the story.  We have been working on our reading strategies to help us with both our reading and writing.  Make sure to ask your child about the animals reading strategies they have been practicing at school.  Last week we worked on stretchy snake and this week we will be focusing on chunky monkey.  The students will be continuing to differentiate between telling and asking sentences.  Additionally, we will be working on r blends.  The blends are br, fr, cr, gr, and tr.  Our spelling test this Friday will be given in sentence form.  Having your child write their spelling words in sentence form at home would be very beneficial to them.

This week in math we will be learning about telling time to the hour and half hour and counting by 2’s and 5’s.  We will also continue to work on our addition and subtraction facts.  Please practice with your child at home until they become fluent with these facts.  Look for Home Links 2.4 and 2.5 to come home this week.

We are looking forward to our first field trip this Friday!  We are excited to see the animals up close in their habitats, which will enhance our fall animal study.  Please remember to send a cold lunch and something to drink with your child on Friday.  Also, remember to dress your child for the weather, we will be outside almost the entire time that we are gone.

Special Points of Interest

• Scholastic Book Fair begins this Thursday, October 9th
• Fall Family Fest is this Friday, October 9th from 5:30-8:30 here at Thorson
• Donuts with Dad is next Tuesday, October 13th starting at 7:30 a.m.
• THANK YOU to all of the families that sent in napkins, paper towels and brown bags, I appreciate your generosity!

Pencil Sharpener

Unfortunately, our pencil sharpener stopped working a few days ago.  If you have an extra pencil sharpener you'd like to donate to our classroom, we would greatly appreciate it!  Thank you in advance!

September 28th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In reading, we will continue to sequence the stories that we read.  We will also be focusing on the characters and settings.  We will be reading two different versions of The Three Little Pigs and we will be comparing and contrasting the two stories.  Our chunk of the week this week is -in as in win.  We will also be reviewing the short a sound as well.  This week will be the last spelling test that the students write just the words.  Starting next week, the spelling test will be given in sentence form.

This week we will be working on counting up and back on a number grid, learning our telephone numbers, and practicing single digit addition.  Watch for the Unit 2 Family Letter to come home today.  Home Links for lessons 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 will also be coming home this week.

In science, we will be continuing our unit on land and water.  We will also be studying many animals we see during the fall season.  We will be reading and writing about these animals as well as seeing some of them up close on our field trip to The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary on October 9th.

Special Points of Interest

• Our take-home book program will begin this week!  Please remember to initial and return the books after you have read them so that your child can bring home new books.
• Family Fall Fest is Friday, October 9th in the evening at Thorson
• Donuts with Dads is on October 13th starting at 7:30
• If you haven't returned The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary field trip permission slip, please return it ASAP

IMC Change

We do not have school next Friday, October 2nd, so we are not able to go to IMC on our normal day.  Instead, we will have IMC on Monday, September 28th.  If your child wants to check out new books, please make sure they bring back their books on the morning of the 28th.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Room Parent Needed

Our class does not have a room parent yet this year.  The job duties include:  
• Classroom holiday parties
• Hospitality Committee food donations for teacher events
• Set up for grade-level special events
• Winter Carnival class auction items
• Group gifts
• Candid yearbook pictures
• Communicating with parents via email
• Any other miscellaneous job a teacher may need help with

If you are interested, please go to this link https://docs.google.com/a/cedarburg.k12.wi.us/forms/d/11fKmpS5rHYBhuw_t0SPQzytu4H1ZzfwANGryg1k3Yzc/viewform
and fill out the form by Monday, September 28th. Thank you in advance!

September 21st Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In reading this week, we will be continuing to work on sequencing a story.  As you read with your child, remember to ask your child what happens in the beginning, middle, and end of the story.  Our chunk of the week will be the short sound of i as in it and bit.  Our class has been working hard to choose appropriately leveled books to read.  The children are learning to choose books with a purpose and topics that interest them.  They are also encouraged to choose a book that they are able to comprehend and read a majority of the words correctly without help.

This week in math, we will be working on problem solving skills, writing tally marks to show a number, and looking at weather and temperature routines.  Look for Home Links 1.12, 1.13, and a tally mark practice sheet to come home this week.

This week we will finish up our school and safety social studies unit and begin a new science unit on Land and Water.

Friendly Reminders

• October 2nd - No School
• Please remember to send back the field trip permission slip if you haven't done so already.
• Save the Date - Family Fall Fest is on Friday, October 9th - Look for more information in the Thursday Folder

Daily Schedule

Our Daily Schedule

8:50 – Seated & Ready
8:55 – 9:15 Morning Meeting & Math Exercises
9:15 – 10:00 Reading 
10:00 – 10:30 Literacy Centers
10:30 – 11:10 Writing 
*(10:35 –11:05 Library on Fridays)
11:10 – 11:50 Recess/Lunch
11:50 – 12:50 Math 
12:50-1:05 – Recess
1:05 – 1:35 – PIE Time
1:35 - 1:50 – Snack & Spelling/Word Work
1:55-2:40 – Specials
2:40-3:10 – Science or Social Studies
3:10 – 3:30 – Read to Self/Someone/Teacher 
3:30 – 3:35 Pack-Up
 
Specials:
A Day -PE
B Day -Art
C Day -Music

September 14th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In reading, we will be looking at the different events that occur in a story and we will be sequencing the events that happen throughout a story.  After you read a book to your child or your child reads a book to you, make sure you ask them about the events that happened in the story (what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story).  Additionally, we are going to be working on the short a sound, as in bat.

This Friday will be our first spelling test.  The format for the first two weeks of spelling tests is simplified and the children just need to write the words.  I will look at the first two spelling tests, but no grade will be taken.  We will also write some additional words the children should know from things we do in class.  In a few weeks, we will move to our standard first grade spelling test where the children need to listen to dictated sentences that the teacher reads with the spelling words, and write them down in sentence form.

This week we will continue to write about ourselves.  The students are doing a great job telling stories about real things that have happened to them.  Our class is full of wonderful storytellers and the children love to share their stories with their classmates.

We will be working in math on the elements that make up a calendar, counting objects correctly, comparing quantities, and using tally marks.  Please look for Home Link 1.8 and an addition practice sheet to come home this week.  Math homework will always come home on yellow paper.

In social studies, we will be continuing our school and safety unit.  We will be learning more about our classmates and friendship, as we build our classroom community.

There will be a lot of information coming home in your child's red folder this week.  Look for a parent volunteer letter, a field trip permission slip, math homework, information about spelling homework/tests, and our first set of vocabulary words.  Please make sure to check your child's folder daily.  Thank you for your help with this!

Friendly Reminders

• Picture day is tomorrow!
• Please remember to send a healthy snack with your child everyday.
• Scholastic Book Orders are due this Friday, September 18th. Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub Class Activation Code: JBVLX