Northwest News

The holiday season is a time for joy. This year, it is needed more than ever. In that spirit, we want to help others have a better Christmas. We will collect pennies, other coins, and dollars to help a family have a better Christmas.

This will also help us with our social studies themes of wants and needs and caring for others as well as an introduction to money for math. We will continue to work on our letters, sounds, high frequency words, and sounding out words.

Have a very Merry Christmas! We will see you January 5th!

Once again November has been a busy month, with lots of learning and tons of fun activities for our students.

Math- We are continuing to work on our Module 2. We are working on addition and subtraction skills to 20. Students have been working hard and are gaining confidence with many different strategies.

ELA- We finished Unit 2, where students learned that citizenship begins with becoming an active member of a classroom community. Students are understanding that key details in stories help us determine what the central message of the story is. During writing students have been working on developing their own opinions on how to be a classroom citizen and they are supplying reasons for their opinions. Students worked on comparing and contrasting other students from around the world with their own experiences.

We continue to work on our Phonemic Awareness skills by listening for all the sounds in words. We are learning and developing our understanding of blends. During our phonics time we are hearing and understanding the sound and letters involved in the blends.

We continue to practice our reading fluency every day to become fluent readers. Please continue to practice reading those decodable books that come home with your student. Unit 3 high frequency words will be coming home soon too, continue to practice those with your students as well.

First Grade also did a few art activities that decorate our halls to get the school ready for the Thankful season.

We saw many students during our time together during Turkey BINGO. We enjoyed seeing many families during our Thanksgiving feast as well.

Thank you!!!

First Grade Teachers

Ms. Shiflet Mrs. Doussa Mrs. Falcon

Math Update

We are on Module 4, which is adding and subtracting 2 and 3 digit numbers using place value strategies. We continue many of the skills we learned in Module 3.

Reading Update

ELA Unit 3 Module A & B: Students will ask and answer questions about informational (non-fiction) text. We will research a topic and write about it.

Students are practicing reading words with long vowels and making plural words by adding s, es, or changing y to i, or f to v! We also work on many skills to build strong, fluent readers. Please encourage your child to read at home!

Upcoming Event

We are looking forward to watching the second graders during their music program on December 9th!

In 3rd grade we have been doing many things…In Math we are finishing the last few lessons before the end of Map 3 assessment. Students are becoming proficient in multiplying by using patterns of 8, 9 and multiples of 10. They’re also beginning to understand algebra and how to use a letter or a symbol in place of a number to solve simple equations. In Language Arts we are exploring extreme places to live throughout the world while practicing how to use text features to better understand the text. Our latest focus during phonics has been on prefixes and suffixes. We will continue to work on Geography during our Social Studies time to learn how to read and use different kinds of maps effectively.

Happy December!

Math: We will be wrapping up Module 3- Multi-Digit multiplication and Division. We will be completing Topic G: Division of Thousands, Hundreds, Tens, and Ones, and Topic H: Multiplication of Two-Digit by Two-Digit Numbers.

Reading: We will be continuing Unit 2 Module B. In this module, readers will state and support opinions to demonstrate their understanding of both literary and informational texts. Writers will use text-based evidence to state and support opinions. Learners will understand how interactions among communities affect cultures and people.

Social Studies: We will continue our unit where students will investigate settlement patterns to draw conclusions about a sense of place, first in Kansas, and then in relation to five geographic regions in the United States. Students will compare and contrast the Kansa with one prominent tribe from each of five geographic regions in the United States in the context of their geographic, cultural, political, and social characteristics.

Science: In our unit this month, students will explore the past and present pattern of where volcanoes exist on the earth. In the activity, Mapping Volcanoes, students plot volcano locations on a world map and look for patterns. Students analyze these maps to discover that volcanoes form a “Ring of Fire” around the Pacific Ocean.

Thank you for your continued support at home!

-4th grade team (Mrs. Egger, Miss Blankman, and Miss Luetters)

As we approach the end of our first semester, 5th grade will be completing our second unit in ELA. In this unit we have been reading about superheroes! We will continue talking about the characteristics of a superhero. This will lead us to a project in writing where we will select a Real-Life Superhero, research that person, and complete a project about this person.

In math we just completed the unit on adding and subtracting fractions. Now we will move on to multiplying and dividing fractions. This module is a long one, which will continue after we return from Winter Break. Please continue working with your child on basic multiplication and division facts. When we are comfortable with these facts, other skills become easier.

In Social Studies we continue learning about colonization. We have been reading about some of the struggles people encountered as they discover new areas in our country. As we move through December, we will learn about the Plymouth colony and colonial life.

Before we leave for our break in December, we will finish learning about our watery planet. We will focus on the water cycle, water involved natural disasters, and how engineering can save a town from a hurricane.

Our 5th grade team would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Holiday season!

Mr. Struzik, Miss Harris, and Mrs. Whelchel

Kindergarten learned how to figure out if a pitch is high or low, singing Thanksgiving songs with a couple including playing rhythm sticks, singing Spanish songs, and the character trait of sharing.

1st grade learned to read rhythms that include quarter notes, eighth notes, & quarter rests, singing Thanksgiving songs of which one they got play unpitched percussion instruments, and singing Spanish songs.

2nd grade has been working hard preparing for their music program, Elves of the North Pole, that will be on December 9th.

5th grade learned about reggae music, reading rhythms using the counting system instead of ta’s & ti’s, singing Thanksgiving songs, and reviewing and identifying the pitches on a treble clef staff.

We have been busy in P.E. working on endurance! One of our favorite activities that helps work on endurance is our obstacle course! The students count how many times they can complete the course in 25 minutes!

Hi all! Its Mrs. Torres in the library! Kindergarten has been working hard on book handling skills. We have been focusing on good choices and bad choices so after Christmas break they will be able to start checking out library books! First and Second grades are focusing on comparing their lives to characters in the story. Third, fourth and fifth grades are practicing respectfully responding to points of views of others. All grades have done a wonderful job this year of being responsible with returning their books on time! We are excited for some fun upcoming read a louds this month!!!

Children go through phases of various feelings- some over-confident, some not so confident, and some balanced feelings of “I didn’t do it the first time, but maybe I can the next time”.

Part of growing is learning that each person has his or her own talents, but not everyone is good at everything. We can help our children learn about friendships and equality by teaching lessons such as building empathy. Not only will children feel better about themselves but also they will recognize that we all have a story and we learn in different ways and speed. In the month of December more than ever, I will be working in the classrooms with students teaching them about empathy. I encourage you to support our social-emotional lessons by reinforcing what empathy means at home. Thank you

Mrs. Flores

Preparing for Winter Weather

The colder weather is upon us, with snow and freezing temperatures comes the need to send your children to school with proper winter clothing. Parents and caregivers play an important role, monitoring their students’ clothing selections to make sure they are dressed appropriately for the outdoors.

Protecting students from the cold is important, however recess is critically important to the mental and physical well-being of children. Whenever possible we try to have students outside for recess, making sure your student comes prepared for outside recess is a necessity. Dressing your student in layers and making sure their head, neck and hands are covered is ideal for the cold weather. Students who walk to school or wait at school bus stops should be dressed appropriately for cold temperatures and snowy conditions as well.

Remember to label your students’ winter coat, each year we collect a large selection of lost clothing. Labeling coats will help the school get them returned to the correct student.

Required Information for Parents

¨ If you have questions regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s teacher or

paraprofessional, please contact the school principal to gain more information on teacher

qualifications and observed teaching performance.

¨ If you have questions regarding your student’s state assessment scores, please contact the school

principal where your child is attending school.

9- Second Grade Program

15- 3rd, 4th, 5th Christmas Feast

17- No School, Teacher work Day

Winer Break Dec. 17th - Jan. 4th

School Resumes on Jan. 5th