Week of January 31st

Dear families,

We will begin this week by moving around campus and taking pictures for our auction project. If you have some pictures of your children from previous years please send them in this week. The project is a photo mosaic and will be amazing when finished. Also if you are around campus on Monday at 9:30 feel free to come to the room and walk around with a couple of students while they take their pictures.

The students have been putting together a skit this week and will be presenting it at a stage meeting on Tuesday during the Stage II to III Moving on Up event Tuesday morning. We will also be exploring the early cities of Mesopotamia, Ur, Urak, Babylonia and others by researching books and the internet. After researching the students will compile the information in PowerPoint to share with the class.

Our study of different cultures will continue this Thursday by looking at the Lunar New Year celebrations of TET and Chinese New Year. The morning will be facilitated by Eugenie Gedwill and Shelly Osborne with some interesting projects and yummy food. Eugenie's father will also be in to talk about life in Vietnam and the global awareness we should all be thinking about. Please remember if you would like to expose the students to part of your familie's cultures and traditions you are always welcome to come in a talk with us.

New spelling words will come home on Monday with a test on Friday. We continue as usual with Math, reading groups and afternoon homerooms.

 

Thanks,

Scott and Dee

Monday – Morning Music 8:40

Tuesday – Gabrielle's Half Birthday

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Chinese New Year & TET

Week of January 9, 2011

This will be a very busy week. In addition to math, spelling, and writing we will be preparing for our Muffin Morning on Friday. This preparation will include finishing inventions, preparing a short speech and getting ready to portray their inventor of choice. If they haven't already told you who they are portraying please ask them. Be sure to save the time if possible to spend 45 minutes to an hour with us on Friday morning. We will gather at 8:30 and begin presenting. Muffins and juice will be available for light snacks.

Singing practices will occur almost daily because we are getting ready both for the nursing home and for the Stage III presentation of "Lean on Me" on Monday evening during the MLK event. The children who are participating in this will need to come to the CCB on Monday, Jan. 17 at 5:30. We hope you realize that this is an event open to the entire community and helps remind us about the need for building a stronger, non-judgmental community. The event begins with soup, has a performance part and ends in the Big Dome with a candlelight walk. Please let us know for planning purposes if you intend to come that evening. We would love to see you all there.

The annual Stage III Can Drive for Gleaners began on Tuesday with a presentation from Sarah Blight of Gleaners. Her presentation was one that has moved many of us to take additional action on behalf of the hungry people in Oakland County. There are can collection boxes set up in the lobby of the Steward Building near the stairs leading to the upstairs floor. We are again sorting the food by color in an effort to donate a wider, more thoughtful range of foods. But, the need for rainbow foods also helps each of us think more carefully about the foods we eat. If you would go through your pantries and find foods that you would be willing to donate, Stage III and Gleaners would be most grateful.

Things to remember:

Is your permission slip in for Tuesday's singing trip?

Has your child told you who they are portraying?

Tuesday is late start morning, have you RSVP'd for morning care if you need it? Remember it is in the CCB and drop off starts at 7:30.

This week:

Monday – Music at 8:40; spelling words come home

Tuesday – Late Start – 9:00am; Woodward Hills field trip 10:15

Wednesday – Library 8:40am

Thursday – Spelling test

Friday – Muffin Morning

 

Mon, Jan 17 = NO SCHOOL/MLK Observance
Tues, Jan 18 & Wed, Jan 18 = NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS/Report Writing For Teachers
Fri, Jan 21= PAJAMA DAY!!
Tues, Jan 25 = Lower School Open House for Prospective Families/ 9:00a.m.-Steward Bldg
Mon, Feb 14 = Valentine's Day Party

Feb 21-Feb 25 = NO SCHOOL/February Break

YouTube - Greek Christmas song

YouTube - Greek Christmas song

"Mon, Dec 20 - Fri, Dec 31 = NO SCHOOL/Winter Break
Mon, Jan 3 = School Resumes
Tues, Jan 11 = Late Start Morning/School Begins at 9:00 a.m.
Mon, Jan 17 = NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Day Observance/Candlelight
Walk That Evening/Watch For Details
Tues, Jan 18 & Wed, Jan19 = NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS/Report Writing For
Teachers
Fri, Jan 21 = Pajama Day (The Most Exciting Day Of The Year!)
Tues, Jan 25 = Lower School Open House For Prospective Parents/9:00
a.m./Steward Bldg"

Week of Dec 12.

Well winter is definitely here and with it so are the really cold temperatures. Monday and Tuesday look to be very cold. This will mean indoor recess. Please prepare your kids and let them know this so that they are not disappointed. They will still most likely be asked to move from class to class in the afternoon. Please be sure that they are prepared to be out in the cold for brief periods of time.

We will remain very busy this last week before break celebrating three birthdays, learning more about Holidays around the world, participating in a Michigan Jeopardy game, math and spelling. In the afternoon we will have reading groups and begin the Patent process on our inventions. Don't blink, you might miss something.

We will be leaving the school for a field trip on Tuesday. We will be singing for and visiting with the residents of Woodward Hills. We will be leaving at 10:15 and returning for lunch. Please be sure permission slips are not still sitting in folders or on tables.

Thank you, stay warm and we will see all of you tomorrow.

 

Monday: Library, Spelling words come home

Tuesday: Field Trip

Wednesday: Waffle Wednesday

Friday: Music and Spelling assessment

Dates:

Mon, Dec 20 - Fri, Dec 31 = NO SCHOOL/Winter Break
Mon, Jan 3 = School Resumes
Tues, Jan 11 = Late Start Morning/School Begins at 9:00 a.m.
Mon, Jan 17 = NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Day Observance/Candlelight 
Walk That Evening/Watch For Details
Tues, Jan 18 & Wed, Jan19 = NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS/Report Writing For 
Teachers
Fri, Jan 21 = Pajama Day
Tues, Jan 25 = Lower School Open House For Prospective Parents/9:00 
a.m./Steward Bldg

Week of 12-7

We are looking forward to the approaching holidays and as a class will be exploring different holidays from around the world. Thank you very much to Rachel and Jillian for once again throwing a great Hanukah party. What a blast. We look forward to learning more about how Christmas is celebrated in Australia, The US, Greece as well as Kwanza. Please let us know if you are able to teach us about another culture.

We will work towards finishing up our published stories, learn new Spell words, math and have some fun with Camp Invention during the afternoon times.

We are pleased to announce that unofficially we have raised over 1300 dollars through the student store. Thank you to all of you who participated and shopped. The money will be presented to Gleaners on Wednesday during a stage meeting. It is remarkable to think how amazing a group of 7, 8, 9 year olds can be when given the opportunity to take control.

Monday – Spelling words come home

Thursday – Music Morning

Friday – Spelling test

Week of 11-28

Dear families,

After this long weekend of reflection and celebration of thanks we find ourselves refreshed and ready to come back to school. We will start right away as hosts of the student store. The students of our classroom will be running the store on Monday from 2:45 to 4 PM. Please feel free to come by and shop, if you are unable to visit the store will be open through Thursday. To see the store commercials please visit the following links. Many of our classmates were involved in this committee.

After finishing the preparation for the student store on Monday we will turn our attention to Michigan facts and trivia. We will look at different areas of interest including famous citizens, landmarks, statehood, flag facts, geography, and interesting trivia. The information will be learned in groups and assessed via a Jeopardy type game show. This will take us into the holidays as we decorate the room for winter and look at various traditions of celebrating the holidays from around the world.

We are making a plea to all you to help us learn about different holiday traditions. We have a very diverse group of students and families including Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, African American, English, Australian, Jewish, and certainly many more. It would be great to learn more about each of these and the traditions followed in the different cultures. If there is a way that you may be able to bring this to our classroom we would more that appreciate your participation. Please let us know if you can help. It means so much more coming from families than it does from the same old teachers.

We will also be continuing with spelling, math, writing, learning our songs for the visit to Woodward Hills and book clubs.

Monday - New Spelling Words; Hosting Student Store 2:45 to 4 PM
Tuesday - Class Music 8:30 AM
Wednesday - Class visit to Student Store 9:30 AM
Friday - Library