Week of June 9-12

Greetings parents!

We had such a fun week together! We have been enjoying the nice weather together and try to get outside to learn when opportunities arise!

We earned a special treat and had a mini picnic outside!

In reading we have been reviewing the short vowels while really diving into the long vowels. This week we focused primarily on the long e. So proud of these readers and how far they have come!

Counting by tens to one hundred with Ms. Brook!

Working hard on the long e sound.

In writing we are having a blast working on our poems and looking at the world "through a poets eyes." We wrote a ninja poem together and our inspiration was a single blade of grass! It is amazing the creativity that stems from these young friends! Favorite quote of the week: "I learned that you can look at the world in different ways and learn in different ways like a poet would." Love it!

In math we are working on writing and counting numbers 1-100. The kiddos are doing so well with this! We are also learning to count by tens to 100. 

Planting our bean plants!

In science we are having so much fun learning about living and non-living things. This week, we planted our bean plants together. We will be learning about the parts of a plant as well as our bean plants grow. We are so excited to be gardeners as well as scientists this week!

Notes/reminders:

-last spelling test will be this Thursday. Please let me know if you need another copy of the words for your child!

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of May 19-23

Greetings from the youngest friend's room! I hope everyone enjoyed a nice week with family!

We had so much fun on our last Synergy Day! We were able to pack over 400 bags for Kid's Food Basket!

In reading this week we continued to work on our vowel sounds, the sp and sm blends and the -ag word family. This week, we will be working on the long a and e vowels. We will also be studying different poems and nursery rhymes!

In writing we are wrapping up our true stories and getting excited about poetry! We will be writing poetry during the month of June. We are so excited!

In math we are continuing working on counting to 100 and writing to 100. We are also continuing to work on our addition and subtraction problems. This month we will begin measurement.

In science this month we wrapped up our unit on motion and we will be studying living things for the month of June! We will be planting our own bean plants and studying the parts of a plant as well. 

Notes/reminders:

-spelling/sight word tests will be Thursday 

-please try to send a water bottle to school with your child to stay hydrated throughout the day

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of May 12-16

Greetings from the Youngest Friend's room!

We had so much fun this week learning about fairytales and folktales! This week we looked at the story The Three Little Pigs. We have also been reviewing the 7 Habits. This week, we studied Synergize, Think Win-Win and Seek First to Understand.

Researching our garden ideas in pod!

In reading this week we studied the /sm/ and /sn/ consonant blends. We reviewed the short vowels and practiced finding them when making different cvc words, or consonant vowel consonant words.

Working on the /sm/ blend during centers.

In writing this week we practiced looking at our writing using the eyes of the reader. We tried to keep in mind what the reader would be seeing, hearing, etc. when reading our writing. We also continued to practice using different tools in the room, such as the word wall, abc banner, and our own personal word walls.

In math this week we practiced writing numbers 1-100! Students did a great job with this. As we were writing numbers 1-100, we found several different patterns that made it even easier. Way to go mathematicians!

Learning how to serve in L2BF!

In science this week we investigated different questions we had about motion. We were able to use the new playground to investigate some of our questions! Some of the questions we had were: 

Why does the bridge move when we walk on it?

Why do we move down the slide?

Why do our arms feel pulled when using the monkey bars?

These little scientists had so much fun exploring and experimenting with motion outside!

Notes/reminders:

-spelling test will be this Friday

-sight words tested on Thursday

Have a great week!

Monica

Week of May 5-9

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all you mom's enjoyed a wonderful day with your families!

We had so much fun this week on the new playground! 

This week we have been reviewing the 7 Habits. We have learned about all of the 7 Habits and are now going back and diving in even deeper. The kiddos show a true understanding of these habits and it is so fun watching them apply them at school! This week, we reviewed putting first things first, seeking first to understand and being proactive.

Ms. Julie came in to speak to us about Kids Food Basket

In reading this week we reviewed the short vowels and the consonant blends we have learned: sh, ch, th, wh, ph, and the l and r blends. I am so excited about the amount of growth the kiddos have shown in reading!

Making our special Mother's Day gifts!

In writing this week we focused on editing our writing and cleaning it up to make it easier to read. We used our word wall tool to help us remember to write our words in a "snap." We also completed our 7th spelling test this year and the kiddos did awesome!

Writers hard at work.

In math this week we completed our Unit 4 test. Next week we will begin our last math unit of the year. We will be reviewing several math concepts we learned this year, including addition, subtraction, ten groups, shapes, word problems, etc.

In science this week we talked about our favorite thing to do on the playground and how we move about the playground. We also cam up with a question about motion we want to investigate! This week we will begin to explore some of those questions and see if we can answer them using the scientific method!

Notes/reminders:

-spelling test will be on Friday

-please send an extra change of clothes to school with your child

-please send a water bottle to school with your child if possible

Thank you for all of the pretzels! We are going to be good through the end of the year!

Have a great week!

Monica

Week of April 21-25

We had so much fun this week in our room!

In Brain Blast we had to find the object that is different.

In reading we learned the sight words he, she and can. We practiced these each day along with all of the short vowels. We studied the -ad and -en word families and practiced making words in these families. We also studied the L blends this week. We practiced forming, reading and writing words that begin with cl, bl, fl, sl and gl.

Our -ad family workbooks.

In writing this week we used the word wall as a tool to help us when we write. To make writing even easier, each kiddo received their very own personal word wall. Each friend was able to add words to their word wall that are special to them. The word wall tool helps us to write words quickly, or in a snap. That way we don't have to spend lots of time stretching out words we already know!

Matching the -en word with the picture by playing memory with partners!

In math this week we focused on subtraction. We are still working on addition but the focus is subtraction. We are using pictures, manipulatives, drawings and many other resources to help us become better mathematicians!

Working in our sight word books!

In science this week we learned about a push, pull and force. We learned that objects are moved when they are pushed, pulled and that a force has to be given.  We practiced pushing and pulling with different recess equipment. We made science posters and drew a picture of a push on one side and a pull on another side. Great work scientists!

Making our push and pull posters!

If anyone is able to donate a jar of pretzels for extra classroom snacks that would be greatly appreciated!

Have a great week!

Monica

Week of April 14-18

What a wonderful week in our room! It was so nice to see all of the kiddos again!

Writing thank you notes to the guest speaker we had in pod.

This week in reading we learned about the short "u" sound. We did several activities with the -ub and -un word families to help us learn about this short vowel. If you are able, it would be helpful to make flashcards of each short vowel to review at home. We will be reviewing these the rest of the year.
We focused on the ph and wh sounds as well this week. Next week we will be learning about all of the "l" blends.

Our short u books!

Writing was so much fun this week! We are really focusing on cleaning up our writing with spaces and punctuation. The kids have come so far as writers, it is so fun to read their stories!

Fun with sight words at our literacy centers!

In math this week we continued to work on building teen numbers using ten frames. We are really focusing on subtraction. If you have time at home, practicing the math facts with your child that were sent home over spring break will be very helpful!

Our tiny teen number books!

We began our Motion science unit this week. We talked about how we move on the playground and all of the types of movement we see. This week, we will learn about pushes and pulls and what the word force means.

Notes/reminders:

-sight words will be tested on Thursdays from now on

-spelling tests will be every Friday

-please send a water bottle to school with your child. With the weather getting warmer this is very helpful for the kids to stay hydrated. It also helps keep kiddos in the classroom during instructional time.

Have a great week!

Monica

Week of March 24-28

Hello parents!

Thank you to everyone who made it to the Drive-In! The cars were all so cute!

In reading this week we learned the sh, ch, and th blends. We did several activities that when along with these sounds. This week we focused on the short a and short e sounds. We learned the -an and -et word families this week. Way to go readers!

In writing this week we really focused on punctuation, spacing, and cleaning up our writing. I am so proud of how far these writers have come! It is amazing to see the growth from the beginning of the year.

In math this week we focused on the vocabulary greater than and less than. We continued to work on our addition and subtraction equations. Next week we will begin 3D shapes.

In handwriting we are focusing on lowercase letters. We are just beginning the "magic c" letters, or letters that begin with the formation of the letter c. See if your child can point out the magic c letters to you!

Notes/Reminders:

-conferences will be this week Monday and Tuesday (March 31 and April 1)

-growth portfolios will be sent home this week

I will see you all soon!

Ms. Monica

Week of March 17-21

In our room we speak for the trees!

This week we read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. We had so much fun retelling this story and continuing to work on rhyming words and phoneme segmentation.

On Monday we made wish rainbows for St. Patricks's Day!

Green eggs for St. Patrick's Day and reading Green Eggs and Ham last week

In writing this week we continued to work on our true stories and writing sentences. We are working on making sure we have spaces and that our sentences match our pictures. We are also working on adding lots of details to our stories.

Writing stories!

In math this week we had so much fun learning what "greater than" and "less than" mean. We played different games to learn this concept and had so much fun! We are also continuing to work on using math mountains to fund math partners and solve equations.

Playing a card game to learn "greater than" and "less than."

Ms. Brook wrote the numbers 9 and 2 on a white board. We had to move to the side that was greater!

We had our very first spelling test this week! All of the kids knocked it out of the park on this one! Great job super spellers!

Handwriting practice using the wet, dry, try chalkboards!

We loved listening to the Grand Rapids Symphony as we watched The Snowman!

Thank you so much for working on sight words and spelling words at home. Your child truly benefits from this at school and it helps to build confidence. It also bridges the connection between what is learned at school and at home or around the world.

Notes/Reminders:

-our very first Drive-In Movie Night will be this Friday evening beginning at 6:00. The movie Land Before TIme will begin at promptly 6:10. The evening should be wrapped up by 7:30. Cost is $5 to go toward your child's field experience account. I cannot wait to see all of the cars roll up! 

-second spelling test will be this Friday

-conferences will be next Monday and Tuesday March 31 and April 1

Have a great week!

Monica

Week of March 10-14

Do you like green eggs and ham?

We read the book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss this week. The kids loved it! We are continuing to work on rhyming, phoneme segmentation, initial, medial and ending sounds and the short vowels.

Writing in our Green Eggs and Ham readers!

In writing this week we focused on not just labeling and writing words, but writing sentences! The kids did a fantastic job with this! We talked about how sentences have several words, spaces, an uppercase letter in the beginning and a period, exclamation or question mark at the end. Great job writers!

Fun with Spanish and La Comida (food)

In math this week we continued to work on our addition and subtraction equations, math partners and teen numbers. We also began learning what "greater than" and "less than" mean.

Hard working mathematicians!

In handwriting this week we worked on the starting corner capitals. We are really working on pencil grip and starting our letters at the top!

Bob Dean, the director of the Grand Rapids Children's Museum came to speak to us!

Field Trip this Thursday, March 20 The Snowman

Please send your child to school with a car seat on Thursday. We will be traveling to Sunshine Community Church in Grand Rapids to watch The Snowman. We will be leaving around 9:45 and returning around 1:00-1:30. We will be eating lunch there. I am checking to see but I am sure kiddos can still take a sack lunch if they order from school.

Notes/Reminders:

-please send your child's JRL book to school so they can check out a new book and be reading every night

-the first spelling test is on Friday! You should have received a pink spelling list. Spelling words are different than sight words. They can be sounded out and stretched out. It is good to have your child write these words out and do some "practice" tests with you at home!

-your child also should have received their most current sight word list 

Don't forget your green tomorrow! :)

Ms. Monica

Week of March 3-7

Greetings parents!

We had a great week in our room! We had a visit from the Cat in the Hat and it was a blast!

This week we kicked off our rhyming unit by reading The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. In reading this month we are especially focusing on rhyming. We are also learning about the short vowels, blends, and phoneme segmentation.

In writing this week we continued to talk about using spaces in our writing as well as making sure our pictures match what we are writing about. We talked about how sometimes we get so focused on writing a word that we forget what we are writing about! It is important that we can look at our picture and remember what we are writing about if we have to.

In math this week we began Unit 4 by learning about math partners. We are working on partners that sum up to equal 10. We are also working on learning all of the symbols when using these partners and math equations. 

Spelling will begin this week! We will not have our first test until next Friday. This week, we will focus on different techniques with spelling and we will do a few things for practice. When studying spelling words with your child, the technique will be very different than with their sight words. With spelling, encourage your child to break apart the word, listening for each sound. Have them write out their spelling words just as they would on a spelling test.

With sight words, students do not have to sound out or break apart these words. These words are to be memorized.

Field Trip-The Snowman

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to drive! I am still in need of one driver. This field trip will take place on Tuesday, March 20th. More details to come!

Notes/Reminders:

-L2BF is on Wednesday. Please send your child with the appropriate shoes.
-Please send slippers or shoes to school with your child along with their boots.

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of February 24-28

Hello parents!

It was another short week at Innocademy! This winter seems like it may never end!

This week we talked a lot about what it means to have a culture of caring. We reviewed expectations and talked about our promise we made as a group to respect, love and care for one another. We read a book about personal space and a book about being respectful to others by waiting for our turn to talk.

Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook

My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! This month we will be celebrating March is reading month by reading lots of Dr. Seuss books! This is one of my favorite times of the year! We will be focusing on rhyming this month while continuing to learn about our other reading strategies.

In writing this week we focused on really making our stories easy to read by adding spaces in our sentences. We really worked on cleaning our writing up. We used the "nothing bottle" to remind us to put nothing after each word. Way to go writers!

We poured a little "nothing" in our hands to use for our spaces! This technique was taken from the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.


In math this week we finished Unit 3 and took our unit test. We will begin Unit 4 on Monday. We will be working on math partners, addition, subtraction and teen numbers. We will soon be learning how to use math mountains as a helpful technique!

In handwriting this week we completed our frog jump capitals! Ask your child to show you how to write the letters D, E, F, R, P, B, M and N. Also, ask your child to show you the proper way to hold their pencil. We are really working on following the proper technique when writing. The kiddos are doing great!

Notes/Reminders:

-L2BF is on Wednesday
-Sight words and spelling words will be sent home this week

FIELD TRIP-DRIVERS NEEDED

We have an upcoming field trip to see a performance of The Snowman at Sunshine Community Church in Grand Rapids. This will take place on March 20th at 10:45 am. We will have to leave school by 9:45. If you are able to drive, please let me know! If you have not driven before but would like to, please send me an email so I can give you details on what you need to do beforehand.

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica

Week of February 10-14

Greetings parents!

We had a fun day filled with caring on Friday! We decorated cookies, passed out valentines and spent the rest of the day in our pods learning about and using the culture of caring.

Passing out Valentines!

Decorating cookies!

In reading this week we really focused on phoneme segmentation and rhyming words. We worked on breaking words apart, stretching them out and sounding them out. Soon we will be starting spelling words!

Reading at our just right levels!

In writing this week we continued to write true stories. We focused on small moments from our lives and practiced sequencing them in the correct order. We also focused on using correct punctuation and spaces between words.

Writers hard at work.

In math this week we continued to work on math partners and finding sums. We are beginning to focus more on subtraction now as well as building teen numbers with ten frames.

In social studies this week we continued to talk about needs and wants. We used the SMARTboard this week to do different activities as we learned to tell the difference between needs and wants. How fun!

Fun in the snow!

Notes/Reminders:

-sight words will be tested on Tuesday, new lists go home Wednesday
-L2BF is on Wednesdays, please send proper shoes with your child

Have a great week!

Ms. Monica