Music | Physical Education | Reading | Science

May your day be filled with music…may your life be filled with song!

Mark your calendars- First Grade program February 16th, 2012 at 7:00 in Explorer's gym.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Kindergarten students will continue to learn how to feel a beat and pat simple rhythms using quarter notes and double eighth notes.

First grade and Second grade students will be working on their musicals to present to their parents!Third graders will start learning the letters of the staff. While Fourth graders will review rhythms and musical symbols.

As we enjoy the month of January, we will be singing songs that celebrate the Winter
Season.

Stay warm and listen to some nice "smooth" Jazz this month.

January Musical Birthdays:
Judy Garland (Dorothy- from the Wizard of Oz movie)- 10th
Dolly Parton- Country Singer- 19th
Placido Domingo- Opera Singer- 21st
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Classical Composer - 27th
Phil Collins- 31st
Franz Schubert- Classical Composer

I hope you are still sticking to those New Year resolutions. I know it is tough, but make it a habit. We are starting to plan for Explorer's field day which will be held at the end of May. I know it is a ways off, but it never hurts to plan ahead.

In our P.E. class we are currently getting ready to participate in some striking activities with the hands and feet, as well as some tumbling.

Keep up the good work!

It is great to see the students returning from the holiday break. This month students will be assessed in their classroom using a reading test called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). DIBELS tests four skills that are necessary for learning to read. Children who learn these skills become good readers:

• Phonemic Awareness: Hearing and using sounds in spoken words
• Phonics: Knowing the sounds of the letters and sounding out written words
• Accurate and Fluent Reading: Reading sto-ries and other materials easily and quickly with few mistakes
• Reading Comprehension: Understanding what is read DIBELS is made up of six short individual tests, and each test focuses on a different skill. Your child may be given two to four of the assessments de-pending on his or her grade level. A child's score tells us whether the child is likely to be "on track" for learning to read, or whether that child may need some help in learning important reading skills. For example, the DIBELS test may tell us that we need to spend more time teaching your child how to "sound out" unknown words.

We are working hard at school to make sure that every child is on target for success, and we thank you for your ef-forts at home. Together, we will help your child become a better reader. If you have any more questions about DIBELS or your child's reading progress, please contact me.
Happy New Year!

Current Curriculum:
1st Grade - Health
2nd Grade - Reptiles
3rd Grade - Changes in Matter
4th Grade - Electricity

We are coming up on the middle of the year believe it or not. It is amazing how fast the year goes by. Your students are doing a wonderful job. Please remember to check your students backpack for any work that needs to be completed. Also, be sure to ask what they are working on in class. They do some really neat experiments that they get excited about. I'm sure they would love to tell you about them. Thank you all for everything that you do to expand on your children's education.

Important Information:

• TESTS
  I have a policy of reviewing the test with the students in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. I do this for two reasons. First, the students know exactly what I need them to know. Second, it seems to relieve an enormous amount of test anxiety. Before we take a test, the student reviews a copy of the test with me. We then go over the answers in class in order to avoid any confusion. This gives them a chance to ask any questions that they may have. These are research based practices and are an important part of the "Effective Learning Process". If your student earns a poor grade on the test, he/she will need to work a bit harder on listening in class and reviewing the test at home. In science there is a lot of information to cover from each unit. I have found that giving the students the study guide before we take the test, seems to help them feel more confident and successful. It has the added benefit of teaching them that studying over a long period will give them the ability to retain what they have studied. I will attach a review guide to an email that I will send out at the beginning of each unit. You will also find a copy of the answer key attached to that e-mail. Please study this with your child over the course of each unit so that they are well prepared for the test. If you study one or two questions each night with them, they will quickly master the material. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to e-mail me at Explorer. We will not take the test until the end of each unit. Thank you for participating in your child's educational endeavors.
• SKYWARD
  I want to thank you for continuing to check SKYWARD regularly. Doing so has really helped each of the students stay on top of the test reviews and any class work that may have been overdue.
• Aluminum Recycling Project
  In science we will be working on a recycling program that will allow the students to see the volume of aluminum that we as a school will throw away within a year. This will be an ongoing process that will enable students, parents and staff to work together toward a common goal.
  
  We will be recycling two different items. The first will be aluminum cans. When bringing the cans into the classroom, please be sure that they are rinsed out lightly. I will take care of crushing them for you. The second item to be recycled will be used aluminum foil. We will be making a very large ball out of it. If your student would like to participate, have them rinse and fold the foil so that it can be added to the ball which is already under way. There will be a recycle bin in my room (room 520) for the cans and the foil. Mr. Howell has already issued a challenge to the students. He would like to see the ball so large that it will not fit thru the schools front door. The size of that door is thirty six inches across.
  
  Wichita Recycling will take the cans to the recycling plant at intervals throughout the year. The ball will also be recycled after the challenge is met. Our hope is to have enough recycled aluminum, that we can add the earned resources to the student activity fund. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have questions or concerns. Thank you for being part of our school family
• State Assessments:
  Fourth Grade Science Assessments will be in April. Please be on the lookout for the study materials that I will email to you soon.

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