Black History Month
Toquam Magnet Celebrates Black History Month - February 2023
Black History Month
Important Quotes
“When you get, give. When you learn, teach.” —Maya Angelou
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” —Frederick Douglass
“Truth is powerful and it prevails.” —Sojourner Truth
“The time is always right to do what is right.” —Martin Luther King Jr.
A Message from Principal Brooks
February 28th, is Rare Disease Day
Raising awareness and generating change for the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease, their families and caretakers. We are still collecting for our fourth grader, Sam Lopez. We spent some time outside one afternoon after Sam's treatment and the children were so empathetic and happy to see him. CHANGE FOR SAM!!!
Toquam staff are taking time to teacher our children about social emotional learning. Each week we focus on a letter from the alphabet:
Week of February 6: D- Decide to be compassionate
Week of February 13: E- Embrace Change
Week of February 20: F- Find positive role models
Week of February 27: G- Give of your time and talent
Parent, we are asking that you send your child to school everyday except for when they are feeling sick and have a fever. A child who is running a fever must be picked up and remain home for an additional day. If you have questions regarding COVID or FLU symptoms, please reach out to Nurse Magda.
Sincerely,
Principal Brooks
YOU'RE INVITED TO THE GOVERNMENT CENTER THIS FRIDAY
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QbU1yMzrrtq6nAYtxo2xtAV5scUq-xQG67aQqBrola0/edit?usp=sharing
TOQUAM'S READING TEAM
Grade Level Updates...
Hello Families,
Happy February!! We hope all is well! Here are a couple of reminders for the month...
Curicculum:
This month we will be learning about the Native Americans. Students will be able to discuss where and how the Native Americans lived. What clothes they wore and what foods they ate. This unit is so fun and, informational! You will be so impressed by all the knowledge your child is going to gain about the Native Americans.
CKLA Skills
We are learning how to read the tricky words blue, yellow and, look. We are also working on writing the letters b,l,u,w,j,x,k.
Math
The middle of the year math assessment is coming up. Please take the time to review these skills at home.
- counting from 1-50 in sequential order
-Counting by 5's
-Number stories
-comparing size
-greater than and less than.
-drawing shapes (triangle, square, rectangle, triangle)
-writing numbers 1-20.
Weather: Winter is here! Please be sure to make sure your child is dressed appropriately. On days that it is too cold to play outside students will stay inside and play with blocks, puzzles, games, etc.
Independence: Please continue to work with your child daily on being more independent. Students should be independent in dressing, eating, and toileting.
Rules & Routines: Please go over the rules and routines for school with your child daily. Please remind them how the rules keep them safe while they are in school
Attendance: School starts every day at 8:45 am. Please add any dismissal changes to pick up patrol and, remember to park in the Dolan parking lot and walk to the side door to pick your child up for parent pick up.
Announcements: We will celebrate Black History Month, Valentine’s Day and, the 100th day of school. Please check with your child's teacher to find out what specific activity your child will be doing to celebrate these day's.
Trip: We are going to see the Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon on Tuesday, 3/14/2023, at the Palace Theatre. The cost of this trip is $ 8.00's. At the moment, we do not need any Chaperons for this trip. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this trip.
First Grade:
Hello First Grade Families! We can't believe it is already February!
Here is an update on what we have been learning in our classrooms!
Skills
-Reviewing new sounds from unit 3 (/oo/, /ou/, /oi/, /aw/)
-Learning new sounds in unit 5 (/er/, /ar/
-Learning nouns and verbs
Knowledge
-Started out new unit on Early American Civilizations
-Learning about Maya and Aztec civilizations
Math
-Started unit 5
-Place value and using base ten blocks
Science
-Starting our unit on Air and Weather
-Students will learn about air, weather, temperature and precipitation
Our First Graders are working very hard each day!
Please remember to check remind daily for updates and check
your child's communication/homework folder daily.
Second Grade:
Welcome to February! It looks like the Groundhog has seen his shadow, but with the mildness of January it feels like spring will be here sooner than later! Our second graders have been very busy working hard on their curriculum. In Skills, we are working on nouns, verbs, and adjectives and continuing to use our decoding skills for The Job Hunt. In Knowledge, we are finishing The War of 1812, and will begin Domain 6, Cycles in Nature. In Science we are continuing our unit on Earth Materials. Students will learn about how the surface of the Earth is constantly changing. Students will also learn how natural materials such as water, minerals, rocks and soil are important part of the Earth's surface. Finally in Math, students are still learning about coins to buy things and how to make change. Please continue to practice coin identification and have your child make different amounts with coins at home. Thank you for all your support!
Third Grade:
Happy 2023! Another year gone and a new one is here. It was great having winter vacation and enjoying the holidays with family and friends. Now we are back ready to learn many new things. Our third grade scholars are on Unit 3 of our CKLA Reading program. Unit 3 is on the Human Body. They are learning about the skeletal, muscular, and nervous system. The unit consists of interesting facts on how the human body works. Students are learning new vocabulary and spelling words and how to write those words properly in sentences. They are also learning to write KLW (what I know, what I want to know, and what I learned) charts. In math, our scholars are learning about fractions, comparing fractions, equivalent fractions, and fraction word problems. Our scholars are also continually reviewing past math concepts, such as; area, perimeter, multiplication, estimating, multi-step word problems, geometry, number patterns, and operations of tens. In social studies, students are learning about Egypt. They are learning about the concept of G.R.A.P.E.S - G is geography, R is religion, A is achievements, P stands for politics, E is for economics and S is social structure. The students are researching and learning about these areas as they study Egypt. They are very fascinated with mummification and King Tut's tomb. Their enthusiasm is what excites and motivates teachers to do what we do. In writing, students are continuing to learn how to write clear and concise paragraphs with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Teachers as always, take time to implement social emotional activities and discussions around various texts and. experiences. It is important to teach the whole child. Their social emotional needs are important. Another great learning resource is Time for Kids. The Time For Kids magazine allows our students to learn about what is going on in the world around us. It consists of real issues -- globally and in every day living. The students love discussing the various issues and its wonderful to hear what our students are thinking and feeling about different issues, such as, bullying, social media, poverty, cell phones, video games, environment, school issues, everyday heroes and heroines, and what is happening in other countries. In January, we will also be assessing our scholars in DIBELS, TRC, and the Math Inventory. Time is flying by and before we know it, our scholars will be taking the SBAC. The best way to prepare for the test is to read daily and ask your children questions about what they have read. Even if you do not speak English, you can still ask in your native language. This still builds a child's comprehension and understanding. In addition, reviewing the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division math facts will help with the math portion. There are math fact games (Connect Four, Tic Tac Toe, Math racing games, and other games) and Everyday Math games accessible in google classroom. Thank you, parents, for your support. Teachers could never be successful without it. We are a team. “What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet.” —Anne Frank --- “Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come.” —Melody Beattie
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” —Socrates
Fourth Grade:
We hope that all our fourth grade families are enjoying the new year! Please remember to dress appropriately for the weather: coats, gloves, and scarves are needed with the colder days we have been having. Please remember to bring a refillable water bottle to school each day as well. A thank you to all parents who are checking thier scholar's homework planner nightly and signing it. We are a team & it is much appreciated.
Math:
We are finishing up Unit 4 (Mulidigit Multiplication) in math and moving along into Unit 5. Unit 5 will dive deeper into fractions, mixed number computation and measurement. We will learn how to decompose fractions, add fractions, add mixed numbers, add tenths/hundredths, subtract fractions & mixed numbers, rotations and ilerating angles, creating symetric figures, and reviewing how to solve multi-step word problems.
Science:
In science we are learning all about the three types of rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks. We are learning about how each are made, the rock cycle, and exploring how rocks are classified according to their type, color, hardness, streak color, magnetism, hardness, odor, and texture. We are exploring the plates of the earth, how they move, and what occurs when this happens. Also we are learning about erosion/rivers/streams and how some new landforms are created and/or destroyed by water. Then we will dive deeper and brainstorm ideas/models on how to stop erosion from happening. Lastly we will learn about Earth's major landforms, weathering, and about science careers as a geologist, paleontologist, and a petrologist.
Literacy/CKLA:
In Literacy we are learning about the Middle Ages and the Islamic Empire. At this point in the unit students have learned about the Byzantine, Persian, and Arabian Empires, Muhammad's life, and the Battle of Yarmouk. Students are learning how to paraphrase when they read, take notes, utilize timelines, write informative biographical paragraphs, vocabulary, grammar, story elements, and beginning to write their own historical fiction piece with modeling and guidance from their classroom teacher.
Social Studies:
February is Black History Month. We will be learning about and honoring the contributions that Black Americans have made to our country. We will recognize the history, sacrifices, and achievements that have been made by Black Americans.
Fifth Grade:
Hello 5th Grade Families! Happy February! With the end of the 2nd marking period coming in just a few short weeks, we've had a busy month!
We have recently finished reading "The Adventures of Don Quixote" and completed our persuasive essays in CKLA. We have now started our Renaissance unit, and have been learning about all of the important figures of this time period. By the end of this unit, we will be writing biographies about our favorite Renaissance artists! In math, we have started our decimals unit and are currently learning how to round decimals and plot points on a graph. In social studies, we are now learning about the first settlers!
Please make sure that your child is completing two units of Lexia a night for homework. Keep up the good work practicing your fluency and your math facts! Stay warm everyone!
OUR PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS... LET'S WORKOUT!
IT SOUNDS LIKE MUSIC TO MY EARS...
5th grade is working on their concert music now and will be starting an exciting unit on Swing Music and the Harlem Renaissance in the coming months. 3rd Grade continues working hard on their recorder and are beginning to experiment with improvisation and composing their own melodies. 2nd grade finished up learning about dynamics and are now working on decoding rhythms by ear. 1st grade is working on their concert music (9:30am on March 15th!) and Kindergarten has even started working on some of their concert music while also learning about musical form. Busy months ahead for all of our students!
Social Emotion Learning is for ALL
"We define social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities." Casel website
In partnership with families and communities, schools play a central role in supporting young people’s social and emotional development. All parts of the school, from the cafeteria to the hallway to the playground, offer students opportunities to practice and reinforce social and emotional learning (SEL). Their learning experiences and instruction shape how they develop and use social, emotional, and academic competencies.
SEL efforts both contribute to and depend upon a supportive school environment with strong and positive relationships. How students feel in school—whether they feel connected to their teachers, other adults in the school, or each other—is a powerful contributor to their personal and academic success. Adults in the school help shape this environment by practicing and modeling their own SEL, while working together to continuously improve students’ learning and experiences.
The result? Schools that put SEL at the center are better positioned to create an environment where all adults can offer their best selves and where students have ample opportunities to practice the skills that support their learning and development.
Toquam's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
UPCOMING DATES... MARK YOUR CALENDAR
- February 14: Harlem Wizards will present to our 1st and 2nd Graders
- No School on February 17th and 20th and 21st
- Marking period ends on March 2
- Parent Conferences will be March 22-24th