January 4th Newsletter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back!  During our first week back we will be working on stories dealing with families.  We are also going to continue working on making predictions as we read stories.  Our sound of the week is the long i sound, as in the word mine.  Our chunk this week is -ig as in pig.  The children are going to be learning about adjectives and working on writing descriptive sentences.

In math, we are going to begin learning about place value.  We will be using manipulatives, as well as calculators.  The children will be finding mystery numbers after they are given or shown place value clues.  We will also be revisiting money by completing a few fun activities.  The children will be comparing numbers and learning how to use the relation symbols greater than, less than, and equal to.  In addition, we will be doing activities that help the children memorize their addition facts in order to continue developing “fact power.”  Keep working with your children at home on both their addition and subtraction facts.  Look for Home Links 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4 and the Unit 5 Family Letter to come home this week.

The students will be starting a new science unit, Pushes and Pulls, this week.  The students will be thinking about their favorite jobs and how pushes and pulls are used in that job.

Special Points of Interest

• The holiday party was fun for all.  Thank you so much to all of the parents who donated items and a special thanks to Mrs. Dorsey and Mrs. Caravella for all of the fun games and activities!
• THANK YOU for all of the wonderful gifts and cards!  I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
• I hope you had a great winter break and enjoyed spending time with your children!
• Please send an extra pair of socks and mittens in your child's backpack for the wet winter weather.
• Winter MAP testing begins next week.
• Scholastic Book orders are due on Friday, January 15th.  I have not received the paper copy of the books orders, but I will send them home as soon as I receive them.  Go to: www.scholastic.com/bookclubs Online Code:  JBVLK