This is Our Country

This week we are beginning our new Social Studies unit - This is Our Country. The essential questions for this are: What makes a good leader? What do symbols tell us about our country? Our focus during this unit are key American symbols such as: the American flag, bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, Liberty Bell, and others. Students will learn about a new symbol each day and will be constructing their own book In addition to US symbols, students will learn about famous non-Missourians (Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr.). We also discuss the branches of government. Our trip to the Magic House will relate to the topics studied in this unit.

Late Start - Wednesday

Remember, this Wednesday is a late start. School will begin at 11:05. Thanks!

Jump Rope for Heart

Students will be learning about heart health in PE. Coming home today is a letter about the Jump Rope for heart program.

Word Work

This week our word chunk is -ate

Challenge list: grateful, navigate, create, debate, private, hibernate

Pajama Day!

Students have earned a class reward. They voted on pajama day again. They can bring a stuffed animal also. Pajama day will be Monday, January 30th. Please let me know if you have any questions about this. Thanks!

Math

This week in math our focus has been comparing two-digit numbers using the language "greater than" "less than" and "equal to". We are also practicing using the symbols <  >  =

We have used a number line to identify numbers that are greater or less than a given number. Students have worked through clues to figure out a mystery number. Some higher order thinking has been involved in this!

Beginning tomorrow we are starting a 5 lesson unit which uses a piece of literature. The book is about the Masloppy family. They're a huge mess! They need help to get organized. This unit will further our work with place value. We will also be working on these concepts:

- compensation and equivalence : This relates back to our work with true/false statements. We want students to understand that 4+4=5+3 and so on.
- unitizing: thinking of groups of ten and counting more efficiently by counting tens first and then ones instead of continuing to count larger quantities by one's
- noticing and understanding patters that occur when making and adding on groups of tens

If I had $100...

Today is the 100th day of school! We are doing some special activities to celebrate. When given this prompt: "If I had $100, I would buy_____________" the children came up with some fun answers. See below:

If I had $100, I would buy ____________:

fun dip
a car
jelly beans
cats and dogs
a car
wood (to build houses)
candy
a big race car
grappling hooks
99 pieces of candy
rice
a dog
emojis
100 shopkins
a mansion
100 cats

Can you guess who said what? :-)