Mrs. Dufault's Peek at the Week- 1/19/10

News to Know

• Our class will be heading to the Hanover Theater for a Charlotte's Web play on February 25! One chaperone is needed for our class. Please let me know if you are interested in joining us. If several people volunteer then I will pick a name at random. Permission slips will be sent home later this month. As of today I have had one volunteer.  Please let me know if you are interested by tomorrow, 1/21/10.

• Our class is very happy to have Mrs. Lapolito for their new Art teacher on Friday afternoons! Please send in an old oversized tshirt for your child to wear as an art smock labeled with their name inside. I would appreciate it if we could have all smocks in by this Friday's art class.

• January Scholastic Book Club orders were due yesterday. I have extended the due date to this Friday. This is a great way to help us earn books for our classroom. There are many great selections for a dollar this month. Please make your checks payable to Scholastic Book Clubs.

Help Wanted

**We are looking for empty cardboard toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes! Please send yours in for upcoming projects.

Class Wish List items: 6 regular sized clipboards and Wet Ones Wipes. Thank you for donating 2 clip boards and two canister of Wet Ones.

We have been having many indoor recess days recently. If you would like to donate any of the following for our class it would be appreciated: coloring books, age level board games, card games, puzzle books or jigsaw puzzles. 

Thank you very much!

This week we will be working on the following:

• Religion: This week we will read the story of Zacchaeus, make cards and notes for our seminarian, Michael, and start or new chapter, "Jesus Teaches Us About Love".
  

• Spelling: Our spelling words are long vowel words which are also plurals: grapes, games, notes, whales, stones, planes
  

• Reading: In SUPERKIDS we are continuing to work on long vowel sounds, plurals with silent e, and sequencing events in a story. We are also working in reading groups 3 times a week where we are working with word games, reading mini books, and having extra time to read aloud in small groups. 
  
  
  In addition we are starting a writing project about a special gift. We will be brainstorming, writing a first draft, editing, and writing  a final draft of our descriptive paragraphs. We are really working on adding details to our writing.

• Math: In math this week we will continue our work with even and odd numbers, basic addition and subtraction facts, telling time to the hour and half hour, as well as counting change.

• Science: This week we will begin a new unit about solids, liquids, and gasses. We will read all about them, classify, and make projects in class throughout the rest of January.

• Social Studies: This week we will focus on goods and services. We will be learning about places in our communities where goods and services come from, too. 
  
  
  The children were very much into our study of Martin Luther King, Jr last week and were happy to  spend extra time learning about his life. I was very proud of the children  as I heard them speak about diversity. Our class enjoyed the story The Crayon Box that Talked which really connects with the Dr. King's message in a simple way for  children.