Ms. Bickart

K-3 Week and Review
April21, 2008

It has been, what the kids call, an upside down week.  Since grades 3-6 are having DC–BAS testing, our resource schedule has been changed around.  Some days we have resource, some days we don’t and some days we have it in the afternoon instead of the morning.  CRAZY!!!

In our study of pipes we have seen how pipes work in real life.  When we were outside at recess on Tuesday, the children noticed the rain flowing from the gutter to the ground.  We discussed how gutters our needed to help the water flow off the roof of buildings and houses. Also during the week, repairmen were in Kaufmann fixing the water fountain and the children got to see the pipes in the wall that give the water fountain its water.  The children were so excited they began chanting, “We see pipes, we see pipes!!” 

During Writing Workshop, the children have been learning how to write letters to their friends and family.  We began the week by learning the format for a friendly letter, which includes writing the date, the greeting and the signature.  The children learned that when people write letters they need to tell the person who they are writing something about themselves or something that has happened.  They can also ask him/her a question.  The children learned that questions are different than the typical sentences they write.  Some children needed help differentiating between a question and a statement by thinking about what words questions might begin with (Who, What, How, When). 

In math, we have been practicing counting by 2s, 5s and 10s and understanding the pattern that occurs when counting.  The children are beginning to understand that when they count by 2s the number changes by 2 every time.  When they count by 5s or 10s the number changes by 5 or 10 every time.  It is an abstract concept and the children have found it beneficial to use manipulatives to help them figure out the patterns of counting. 

Homework:  While waiting for dinner, teach your family the game Pattern Maker.  See if they can guess who the pattern maker is.
Snack: It is Olivia’s turn to provide a healthy snack.  We need water or milk, crackers or pretzels, cheese and fruit for the week.  We also need cups.
FYI:  If anyone is willing and able to provide our class with some new markers for the end of the year that would be fabulous.  We are currently experiencing a marker shortage.