Mrs. Kranzlein's Koalas

Week 7 in Review...and Looking Ahead

Week 7
The koalas did a fantastic job of illustrating and writing in the computer lab using MaxWrite (a kid-friendly version of Microsoft Word).  We began discussing different community workers and ended the week writing about what we want to be one day.   We also learned many "Secret Stories" this week like why t and h should never, ever be together. 

Looking Ahead...
In science, we will be investigating different materials such as wood, plastic, and clay.  In Social Studies, will complete our unit on Community Workers.  Your child will need to be able to identify the following workers:  mail carrier, police officer, soldier, teacher, baker, doctor, farmer, and firefighter.  Please review these with them.

We will be going to the Media Center on Tuesday.  Our koalas will have an opportunity to return their library books and check out new ones at that time. 

The Fall Festival will be a ton of fun on Friday evening.  Bring some change and vote for the staff member you want to serve lunch to the entire school.  The candidates are Mrs. Richman, Mrs. Fleming, Mrs. Holmquist, Mr. Renna, and Mr. Tighe.  There will also be a dunk tank and moonwalk.  I hope to see you there.

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Thank you, Mrs. R., for sharing with our class.  The koalas were mesmerized by all the equipment you shared with us.   

Week 6 in Review...and Looking Ahead

Week 6
Last week was a crazy, wonderful week.  Our koalas did a fantastic job of adjusting to all the changes in the routine.  Highlights included our Apple centers, our first book checkout in the Media Center, two trips to the Computer Lab (one with our book buddies) and the field trip to Cagle's Dairy.  Your koala should have a lot of new experiences to share with you.  If they need a prompt, ask them what they saw, heard, smelled, felt, and tasted at Cagle's Dairy.

Several koalas have already completed the September reading log.  Remember 10-5 reading is the daily homework assignment.  Those students who turn in a completed reading log by September 30 will receive a special charm for their ring.

Looking Ahead
We are looking forward to returning to our normal routine this week.  Writing Folders will be coming home on Monday and need to be sent back on Tuesday.  Please make some time to let your child read his writing to you.  The students really enjoy sharing your notes about their writing with their classmates.

Be on the look out for a "Question of the Day" or two this week as we delve into our unit on Community Workers.  We are learning about policemen, firemen, teachers, postal workers, doctors, nurses, and other workers who serve our community.  If you know of someone who has one of these jobs and who would be willing to come share with our class, please let me know.

Testing continues this week for third and fifth grades.  Reminder: No lunch visitors during testing.     

Cagle Dairy was Moo-velous

Apple Day Was A Bushel of Fun

Week 5 in Review...and Looking Ahead

Week 5
There were many highlights to our week including our first trip to the Media Center, our walk for America with our book buddies, and our first Great Artist lesson by Mrs. Shaked (Shany's mom) on Pablo Picasso.  We finished the week by "cooking" fire trucks to begin our Community Workers unit.
   

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Looking Ahead...
This week has many twists and turns in the schedule.  Please send in an apple with your child on Monday or Tuesday. 

Tuesday is an Early Release day.  The students will come home two hours early.  The staff will spend the afternoon on Tuesday in training sessions specific to our grade level. 

Wednesday will be Apple day.  We will make apple sauce and do many math and science activities with our apples as part of our unit on the Five Senses. 

On Thursday, I will be out of the class for a couple of hours in the morning at a training class on our phonics program.  Mrs. Nolan will be in early and the students will be learning more about community workers, especially dairy farmers.

Friday is our field trip to Cagle Dairy.  Students should wear our class t-shirt, comfortable pants, and tennis shoes..  We will send the t-shirts home as soon as they arrive.

One final schedule note, CogAT and ITBS testing will start Wednesday and continue through the following week.  The kindergarten students are not tested but the school does limit visitors and enforce quiet zones around those classes that are.  As a result the policy is no lunch visitors on testing days.  Thank you for understanding. 

Walking for America with our Book Buddies

Week 4 in Review...and Looking Ahead

Week 4
Last week, the M&M sort was a fun-tastic way to start learning about describing objects with our senses.  We also wrote about our five senses in our journals and did some cool experiments in the Science Lab about taste, touch, and sound. 

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We finished our unit on "Where We Live" but we will be revisiting this content in October and November. 

WOW!!  What an amazing job our students did on the Alphabet projects.  Thank you parents for supporting your koala with this activity.  We shared our letters and hung them on the wall.  Now we have a great resource as we write and read.

Looking Ahead
In math, we will spend about a week focusing on number formation (i.e. how to write numbers).  I am adding a PowerPoint to the Important Papers/Links page that the students will be using.  It was created by a teacher at Shallowford Falls and we are using it with her permission.  Feel free to review it with your child at home as well.

Apples
On Wednesday, September 17, we will be making applesauce.  This activity will be our grand finale for our Senses unit as well as seque nicely into our trip to Cagle's Dairy.  We need each student to bring in one firm apple (Granny Smith's work the best) next Monday or Tuesday. 

Cagle's Note
If you have not returned a signed permission slip for your child to go with us to Cagle's Dairy, please do so.  Our class shirts should be delivered to us on Monday so we expect to have them in time for the field trip.

Sight Words
Over the last several weeks, we have been exposing your students to our Sight Words (a.k.a. Fast Words) during Writer's Workshop.  They will be expected to identify at least three of these forty words by the end of the nine weeks and read over half of them by the end of the school year.  I am adding these words to the Important Papers/Links Page in case you would like to review them at home.

Scholastic Book Club - Optional
I am sending home information about the Scholastic Book program.  My hope is that this program is a win-win.  You get some great deals on beginning reading books for your student and we get to grow our class library.  Please only participate if it is a benefit to you and your child.  All orders must be completed online.  Additional details will be coming home in the blue folder.

I have enjoyed speaking with most of you.  Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  You have terrific kids and your kids have terrific parents!!!

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