We are so excited for conferences! We can’t wait to show you how much we have learned! We have been working so hard! It is hard to believe that we have been in school 100 days!

In reading, we are sounding out and blending words and reading books. We are becoming very good readers! Please help by practicing our high frequency words. Thanks!

This month we have been learning about Measurement and Data in math. We have measured many things with inches, centimeters, and non-standard units such as paper clips, toothpicks, and blocks. We have also learned about using graphs to gather and understand information in the word around us. Our next math unit will begin adding and subtracting tens and ones up to 40. The students are excited about learning some ‘big kid’ math.

In ELA we have been reading stories about families and generations, also what life was like long ago. We have learned about the Central Message of a story, the Setting, Events, and Illustrations. We have also been working on our reading fluency. In our Foundational Skills for ELA we have started working on Unit 4 list of sight words. It contains a few words that are a little harder to memorize than the previous list.

Our writing lessons have centered on Narrative writing. We have learned that we need to include characters, setting, and events in the order they happened in our stories.

Social Studies has included discussion about wants and needs and the difference between them. Also we will be discussing Kansas and our state symbols. In Science we will be learning about the structure and function of parts of plants.

We have experienced a lot of sickness and some extreme weather this month. But we are always happy to be at school learning. The First Grade Teachers always want to thank our parents for allowing us to work with your children. We are so happy to have them in our classrooms!

Math Update

We are on Module 5, which is the continuation of adding and subtracting 2 and 3 digit numbers using place value strategies. Students are becoming more confident with using the vertical method. You could help them practice by giving them problems to do at home. Example: 155 + 147, 155 – 147.

Reading Update

ELA Unit 4 Module A & B: Students will read and write about challenges characters face. We are also learning about earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Students are practicing reading words with long vowels and words with the vowel patterns of oo, u, ou, ow, oi, and oy. We have been setting goals for reading more fluently. You can help your child by having them practice reading the same book or even a page in a book every night several times.

Upcoming Event

In 3rd grade, we have been busy learning so many new things.

For math, we started our fraction module. Students are learning about numerators and denominators, equal parts, and unit fractions. We still are learning our multiplication and division as well.

In reading, we finished reading Paul Bunyan a tall tale with a lot of exaggeration which made the story really fun to read. We also learned some interesting vocabulary. Our next book is called “Weather” an informational text. The students have been working really hard on their reading fluency by reading every day to help reach their reading goal.

In writing, we are learning about opinion writing. Students wrote about their own opinion and shared it with their friends by speaking in front of the class. They included an introduction, reasons with supporting details and a conclusion. We talked about how we may agree or disagree about the same topic. Everyone has their own opinion about the same topic and its okay to be different.

In foundational skills/phonics, we have been learning about suffixes and prefixes. We also reviewed high-frequency words as well as working on penmanship, grammar, and punctuation.

In science, we finished learning about weather and mainly the different types of clouds.

In Social studies we are learning the history of Dodge City, Kansas. The students will be using a time line and writing down dates and information about the history of Dodge City. They will also be working on their own timeline of their own life with important life events they would like to share with the class.

We have talked about staying focused and following the rules. It’s important your child goes to sleep early to get enough sleep. It helps your child focus and be ready for school. Some students have been bringing toys to class. It’s better if toys stay at home because it causes a distraction.

Math: -We will be completing the following topics for Module 5: Fraction Equivalence, Ordering, and Operations. Topic D: Fraction Addition and Subtraction, Topic E: Extending Fraction Equivalence to Fractions Greater Than 1, Topic F: Addition and Subtraction of Fractions by Decomposing, Topic G: Repeated Addition of Fractions as Multiplication, and Topic H: Exploring a Fraction Pattern.

Reading: We will be finishing up Unit 3 Module A and getting ready to start Unit 3 Module B. In module B, readers will understand that specific strategies can be used to help them understand what they read. Writers will understand that research of both literary and informational texts can be used to convey ideas and information. Learners will understand the effects of changes in nature on both the environment and people

For our performance based assessment, students will choose a natural event to research (for example, a hurricane, a tornado or other storm, a flood, a volcanic eruption, or erosion). They will write a news report that explains the effects of the natural event on both living things and Earth.

Social Studies: In our unit this month, students will recognize and evaluate the significant people and events that shaped Kansas and the other regions. They will analyze how these people and events contributed to the way Kansas and other regions are perceived and function today. Students will understand the motivation and accomplishments of notable Kansans and notable people in other regions, particularly early explorers, entrepreneurs, and civic and cultural leaders. They will analyze the impact of the Oregon-California Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and Pony Express Route on continuity and change in the United States and compare these routes with transportation routes in other regions of the country. We will also highlight Black History Month.

Science: We will continue in our unit where students investigate the science of sound. Students will construct physical devices to feel the vibrations that allow us to communicate across distances. Students will also use digital devices to visualize the characteristics of different sound waves that cause us to hear different things.

Thank you for your continued support at home!

Valentine’s Day is soon approaching, which means January is a thing of the past. The second semester always seems to go by so quickly. February is a great month to make kindness goals. What are you going to do each day to spread kindness to others? A little bit of kindness goes a long way. If you choose to send cards or treats for Valentine’s Day, please remember to send enough for the whole class.

In the next few months we will have several activities occurring: parent teacher conferences, family Title 1 activities, field trips, LOTS of testing, visits to DCMS and a visit to DCHS to check out the music programs. Our schedules are filling up fast.

Now on to the good stuff!! In the month of February, we will begin a new unit in math. We just finished multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals and will begin working on addition and multiplication with volume and area. The kids are beginning to understand why we worked on some of the skills we did earlier in the year. Knowing our multiplication and division facts are very important as we continue to introduce new concepts that use the same skills. Please continue working on these skills with your children at home.

For ELA we will continue our mission to understand the universe by reading “Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment” and “Our Mysterious Universe”. The things we are learning in ELA right now tie in well with our Science unit. So far we have completed a project about the Earth’s rotation and another about shadows. In the coming weeks we will learn about our seasons, followed by the phases of the moon. Once we complete our science unit we will be prepared to go on our field trip to the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson! Look for more information about this in the future.

In Social Studies we will begin learning about the road to revolution. In this unit we will learn about the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and the Stamp Act.

One last reminder for all parents and students: if your child is absent, please check to see if they have work to complete. With so many being ill recently, there are lots of students with missing work. Please have your child get with their teacher to find out what needs to be done. We send home progress reports biweekly, this is an easy way to see what is missing. It is also a great way to celebrate achievements your child has made. Many of our students have been working really hard this semester to improve their grades. We, as teachers, are very proud of their hard work.

Our 5th graders only have 4 months left of elementary school. Let’s make the last few months the best months! Keep encouraging your child to work hard and let’s all spread kindness to others.

In music kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, & 5th grade classes have learned out state song for Kansas, Home on the Range, along with other facts about Kansas since Kansas day is on January 29!

Kindergarten is learning how to identify loud and soft and the theme is weather to go along with that.

1st grade & 2nd grade are learning how to identify and perform rhythms.

3rd grade is preparing their upcoming music program, The Great Outdoors. Our theme is camping and all of our music centers around it. I can’t wait for you to see these kids perform! The program date is Thursday, 2/17 at 6:30pm. More information will be coming home in a flyer and on Talking Points as the program gets closer.

4th grade is in the last couple weeks of our big dance unit. We are focusing on how to move in time with steady beat and rhythm and working with various partners through folk dancing. It has been a lot of fun! We also are in the beginning stages of reviewing and learning how to draw rhythms and will transition into treble clef note reading.

5th grade have been working on rhythms, along with identifying meters.

Exciting things are happening in the library!

Kindergarten checked out for the first time! They will start by keeping their books in their classroom to enjoy and a little later in the year they will be able to bring them home to enjoy as well. They were very excited!

First grade is going to be hitting text features! We will use the text features to help us learn where information is and find out facts about our favorite animals.

2nd-5th will begin research. We will be looking at lots of different topics, researching and creating in the weeks ahead. We will research toys, animals and even food trucks! It will be a lot of fun!

Keep encouraging your kiddo to read!

Dear parents/guardians:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our newsletter and allowing me to spend time with your student every day at school. During our lessons for this month, we will be learning about the importance being “honest” and how to take accountability for our mistakes. We will be reading stories, and participating in small groups to help students understand how choosing to be dishonest impact you as well as others. I would like you to participate by talking to your children about always telling the truth.

Best wishes and happy month of love and friendship!

7- Site Council

8- Papa John's Night

9- 5th grade to DCHS Musical, Conferences 3:30-6:00

10- No School, Conferences 12:30-7:30

11- No School

14- Valentine's Day, PTO Winter party

15- PTO 5:15

17- 3rd grade program

21- No School, President's Day

22- Math Parent Activity 2:30

23- Late Start (School starts at 9:30)

28- Read Across America Week begins