March 14th-18th

Hello!

Happy almost Saint Patrick's Day! Do not forget to wear green tomorrow. Hopefully the leprechaun will make a special appearance.

Next Wednesday (March 23rd) is our QU wedding! Q and U will get married to help us remember that (almost) always q goes with u when spelling. Words like quilt, quick, quiet, quarter, and quack are great examples! We make a big deal about this because it helps our brain remember it and because it is a unique CSD tradition. It also helps us with our QU words when reading and writing! Please send your child to school dressed as if they are attending a real wedding! Please send a change of clothes and shoes in case they get uncomfortable.

Spring Break: March 25th-April 1st.

Thematic Centers:

This week we studied our last author: Mem Fox. She is from Australia so she writes about many different animals! We also learned that she does not illustrate her own stories.

1. We read The Magic Hat by Mem Fox and made our very own magic hats! In the story the main character placed the hat on her head and was able to turn people into animals. We discussed what we would do with our magic hats.
2. Illustrate your Koala book.
3. Read Where is the Green Sheep? Paint your hand green and turn your hand-print into a sheep.
4. Color your Australian flag and learn about Australia's currency, culture, place on the map, language etc.

Reader's Workshop:

We learned two new sight words this week: there/were. We also loved the new literacy center. We worked with "word families" with Easter eggs. Place a word ending such as "at" on the bottom half of the egg. Place beginning sounds on the other half like c, m, b, f. Turn the egg to make different words: cat, mat, bat, fat. Many of us realized this worked on rhyming too.

Math Workshop:

We filled out blank 100's charts, worked on range cards and also dove deeper into subtraction. What does it mean to subtract numbers? What happens when you subtract? Do you always start with the bigger number? Does your answer change if the sign changes from a plus to a minus?

Saint Patrick's Day:

We will be sharing our leprechaun traps, graphing Lucky Charms marshmallows, painting a clover by mixing blue and yellow paint, doing a shamrock science experiment and finishing up our weekly reading groups. We have also been learning a few Saint Patrick's Day songs and finger plays. Ask your child to sing them for you. Oh what fun!

Thanks for making me feel so special this week and last week with all of the teacher appreciation goodies!

Hugs,
Mrs. Schultz