Music | Physical
Education | Reading | Science
Jo Marsh
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
Kyle Johnson
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!
Sandy Yost
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:
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Phonemic Awareness: Hearing and using sounds in spoken words
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Phonics: Knowing the sounds of the letters and sounding out written words
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Accurate and Fluent Reading: Reading sto-ries and other materials easily
and quickly with few mistakes
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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!
Tony
McDonald
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:
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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.
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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.
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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
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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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