Writing

What a fantastic group of authors we have in Room 8! Here are two pictures of students sharing their writing-one of the kids favorite steps of the writing process!

Shake off those sillies!

Thank you, Mystery Readers!

We are enjoying our Friday afternoons! We love having mystery readers! We have listened to great stories. So far, thanks to Nate's Mom and Caroline's Mom. We have also had 2 special mystery readers! Ms. Donovan and Mr. Hanna!

Science

This week we finished up our study of pumpkins. We did a science experiment with sinking and floating! First we made predictions about whether apples and pumpkins would sink or float. Then we observed what happened and made further predictions about testing bigger pumpkins. After these experiments, the kids turned and talked about what might be making apples and pumpkins both float but to different degrees. We then tested a water bottle with just air inside and a water bottle filled with water.
Take a look at our Venn diagram comparing apples and pumpkins.

Open Circle Parent Workshops

OPEN CIRCLE PARENT WORKSHOPS 2012
For Parents of children Grades K-5
Three-week program Mon. Oct. 22, 29, and
Nov. 5 REGISTRATION REQUIRED
**Meeting Location- Arlington High School Room- 303 7:00-8:30 p.m.
We invite you to join a Parent Group based on the Open Circle Program developed at the Stone Center, Wellesley College. In this three week program, you will learn how to reinforce the social and problem solving skills learned by your children at school.
Here is an opportunity for a limited number of parents to join an interactive program that focuses on the skills your children are learning in the Open Circle Program. This program will suggest ways by which parents can successfully reinforce these lessons at home. The program is designed to teach parents the language and skills their children use in Open Circle in order to develop cooperation, problem solving, self-control and responsibility. The parent forum will help you to adapt these same techniques at home and to develop more effective parenting.
PRESENTER: Debby Broadley MA LMHC is leading these Parent Workshops.
Debby has over 30 years of experience working with children and families. She has worked for many years as a mental health clinician for a large Early Intervention Program and she currently consults to the Arlington Public Schools. Debby leads a variety of parent groups and seminars and has a private psychotherapy practice.
**Debby is a K consultant in our classroom and she's fantastic!**
RESERVATIONS: Since the group will be limited in size to allow for discussion. Spaces will be filled on a first come first-serve basis.
Please call Carlene Newell at 781-316-3571 or e-mail her at cnewell@arlington.k12.ma.us to reserve a place or to obtain more information. Leave or include your phone number and e-mail address when you call. There will be a $25.00 charge for course materials. Payment must be received to save your spot. Checks should be made out to TOWN OF ARLINGTON
And mailed to Carlene Newell A.H.S.Collomb House 869 Mass. Ave. Arlington,Mass. 02476
DIRECTIONS TO LOCATION: Park in front of A.H.S. Enter the School Committee Door (to the left of the main entrance there is a door to get to School Committee Meetings) enter, take a left, go through two red doors and room 303 is on the left after you go through the second door. 

Pop! Pop! Pop!

We explored with our five senses today!  

The kids used their senses with popcorn and came up with fantastic describing words.

 

A big thank you to our fabulous Wednesday afternoon volunteer-  Tanya (Jane's Mom).  She also works with Ms. Rowley in Kindergarten.  Thanks, Ms. Serrao!

Open Circle: Nonverbal signals & compliments

Dear Family:

In Open Circle recently, we talked about nonverbal signals. A nonverbal signal is a way of communicating without using words. We tried out many nonverbal signals that we already know, such as the signals for okay, no, great job, and let’s be quiet. We talked about why it might be helpful to have some nonverbal signals in the classroom that everyone agrees to and is clear about instead of using words. The class chose several nonverbal signals that we agreed to use this year in the classroom. Ask your child to demonstrate these signals. Ask your child to demonstrate some other nonverbal signals and have you guess what they mean. You and your child might want to develop your own nonverbal signals to use at home.

At another Open Circle Meeting, we talked about giving and receiving compliments. A compliment is saying something good about someone, such as something they do well or something they did that was helpful. Giving compliments in a classroom community is important because it makes others feel noticed and appreciated. Getting a compliment is similar to getting a gift. We learned that when you receive a compliment, you should say, “Thank you!” Each student in the class was given a compliment and practiced responding. At home, be sure to compliment your child often for doing good deeds, being thoughtful, and doing things well. If your child gives you a compliment at home, be sure to say, “Thank you!”

Yours truly, Nicole & Lynne

Literature Connections

Here are some books that relate to the topics we discussed in Open Circle. You might want to check out one or two at the library and read with your child:

Aliki. Manners. Greenwillow Books, 1990.
Short cartoon-format “essays” discuss manners, giving examples of good and
bad manners.

Cheng, Andrea. Grandfather Counts. Lee & Low Books, 2003.
Helen and her grandfather use nonverbal signals to communicate with each other until they learn each other’s languages.

       Curtis, Jamie Lee. I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting off a Little Self-Esteem. Joanna Cotler Books, 2002.

A little girl gives herself compliments for all the things she does, or tries to do! This book gives children good examples of the behaviors and traits that they might observe and compliment in themselves or in other people.

Calling all volunteers!

*In class volunteers 

    ~weekly, bi-weekly or monthly

*At home volunteers

    ~help out on the comfort of your     

         couch!  cutting, gluing, sorting...

    ~as often as you can!

Email us if you're interested in helping out in Room 8!

Come be a mystery reader!  A one-time commitment! 

Fridays 1:30-2:00 or contact us if that time never works for you.

Sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/mysteryreaders

Our first PRIDE assembly!

Look at us in our tie-dye shirts!!! Purple for K and blue for 1.

Show your PRIDE:

Perseverance

Respect & Responsibility

Independence
Dedication
Empowerment

We end each assembly singing the Stratton Pride Song.  Mr. Hanna shared an audio clip on Twitter. 

Listen to it here:  http://chirb.it/FIBBcM

Fire Safety Week

We learned a lot at the fire safety assembly! Each child received a bag from the firefighters.  
We watched a clip on Brain Pop with Annie and Moby!
At Centers, each student did a sort of what's hot and not hot.
Did you decide on a meeting place in case of an emergency at your house?

Centers

The students are gaining independence during Centers!  
During Centers, the teachers are pulling students for reading groups and assessments.

Morning Routines

We all line up out on the blacktop together.                               *If there's bad weather, we all line up together in the gym.*There's a K helper...

and a 1 helper.

All Kindergarteners answer a morning question...

as well as the 1st graders.

Open Circle Letter 4

Dear Family:

In Open Circle, we have been getting to know each other better. In order for students to become friends and work well together, it is important for them to learn about each other. We played the “Stand Up/Sit Down” game to find out what we have in common, such as how many like to draw, have a sister, like to play with blocks, or know how to swim. Ask your child to tell you what he/she learned from the “Up/Down” game about what the students in the class have in common. You might encourage your child to get to know a classmate they do not know very well during recess or lunchtime.

We also practiced our listening skills and learned the school listening look. The school listening look refers to expectations for listening at school. 

The school listening look means that we:

• sit still.

• sit up.

• look at the person who is speaking.

• pay attention.

It is important to everyone in the class — students, teachers, and visitors — to be listened to when they speak. At home, ask your child to show you the school listening look and teach it to you. Practice it by listening to your child. This is a very important lifelong skill, not only for children to develop but also for adults to learn and practice. You might want to encourage all members of your family to become better listeners.

Yours truly,

 Nicole & Lynne

Literature Connections

Here are some books that relate to the topics we discussed in Open Circle. You might want to check out one or two at the library and read with your child:

*Cummins, Julie. Country Kid, City Kid. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2002.
Even though Ben lives on a farm in the country, and Jody lives in an apartment in the city, they have many things in common, including the camp they attend in the summer.

*Lester, Helen. Listen Buddy. Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
Buddy’s poor listening habits get him into big trouble. After his encounter with the dreaded Scruffy Varmint, Buddy tries harder to pay attention to what his parents say. 

*Walsh, Melanie. My Nose, Your Nose. Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
In very simple language, the author points out that, although people have many differences, they have many things in common. 

Open Circle Letter 3

Dear Family:

In several recent Open Circle lessons, we talked about what it feels like to be calm and how to get calm when we are upset. When we are being calm, we are also breathing slowly and calmly. Sometimes at school and at other places, it is important to get calm when we are feeling upset, anxious, too excited, or not listening or behaving well. We learned two calm breathing exercises to help us get calm. 

One is called calm breathing:

• Breathe in slowly and deeply, filling your belly with air like a balloon.

• Breathe out slowly.

A second calm breathing exercise is called flower breathing*:

• Breathe in through your nose, imagining the fragrance of a sweet-smelling flower.

• Breathe out with an “ahhh” sound.

Each person has his/her own way of calming down. However, when strong feelings and signals in our body tell us that we’re losing control, the first thing to do is to stop and take some calm breaths.

Ask your child to teach you the two calm breathing techniques he/she learned in school. Practice them together. Share with your child some times when you might want to use one of the calm breathing techniques. Talk about times he/she might want to use them to calm down. Make a habit of using calm breathing yourself, and encourage your child to use one of the exercises whenever he/she needs to calm down.

Yours truly,

 Nicole & Lynne 

Literature Connections

Here are some books that relate to the topics we discussed in Open Circle. You might want to check out one or two at the library and read with your child:

Bang, Molly. When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry. Blue Sky Press, 1999.
When Sophie and her sister argue, Sophie gets so angry that she feels like a volcano that is about to explode. She runs, she cries, and then she tries to calm down by going to places that soothe her.

MacLean, Kerry Lee. Peaceful Piggy Meditation. Albert Whitman, 2004.
Humorous pig characters demonstrate how important it is to use calm breathing in order to think clearly during stressful situations.

Curriculum Night

6:45 Cafeteria with Principal Talk
7:00 Room 8 Presentation by Ms. Dichter & Ms. Melnik

We hope to see you tomorrow, Wednesday 10/3.

A big thank you to everyone that came tonight!!!  We really enjoyed meeting many new parents and seeing some familiar faces.  We hope you have a better idea what your child is busily doing every day. 

If you were unable to make it, we will send home a folder with some important information that you missed.  

As always, please feel free to email us with questions.

Have a great night! :)

Open Circle Letter 2

Room 8's Nonnegotiable Rules are: 
Be Nice, Work Hard, Stay Safe, Play Fair, & Reach Out


Dear Family:

During our first Open Circle meetings, the class practiced taking their chairs and getting
into a circle quietly, safely, and cooperatively. We form a circle so that everyone can see
everyone else and be heard. We always leave one space open in case another person
would like to join the circle.  Everyone is welcome, and no one is ever left out. The Open
Circle symbolizes the idea of an inclusive classroom community. Ask your child to tell
you how the class gets into a circle.
Students worked on getting to know each other’s names in one Open Circle. In order
to be able to work well together, they need to know each other’s names and how to
pronounce them correctly. Ask your child to say the names of as many people in the
class as he/she can remember.
In another Open Circle, we discussed and developed some classroom rules that will help
to keep our classroom safe, make it a place where students feel cared about, and make
it a place where we can do our best learning. Students also learned that some rules are
nonnegotiable. This means “no choice.” They may ask to have these rules explained,
and they may ask questions about them, but they cannot be changed. Ask your child to
share with you some of the classroom rules that we developed. Ask for an example of a
nonnegotiable rule in our classroom. Talk to your child about the rules in your home for
mealtimes, bedtimes, and chores.

Yours truly,
  Nicole & Lynne

Literature Connections:
Here are some books that relate to the topics we discussed in Open Circle. You might
want to check out one or two at the library and read with your child:

*Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum. Greenwillow Books, 1991.
Chrysanthemum loves her name until she starts going to school and the other
children make fun of it.  A teacher’s gentle intervention sheds light on the
importance of respecting people and their names.

*Henkes, Kevin. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Greenwillow Books, 1996.
Lilly learns the hard way that she has to follow the classroom rules and wait for
“sharing time” to talk about her new purse.


*Shannon, David. David Goes to School. Blue Sky Press, 1999.
It takes david a while to adjust to the rules at school.

*Orgwanson, Susan Marie. The First Thing My Mama Told Me. Harcourt, inc., 2002.
A young girl learns to recognize her name when she sees it on
labels, cakes, signs, cards, and school cubbies.

*Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Go to School. Blue Sky Press, 2007.
A very unusual student has to learn some basic classroom rules.

Mystery Readers

Calling all mystery readers...

Come read a story to the Kindergarteners and first graders in Room 8 on Fridays from 1:30-2:00.

Sign up:
http://tinyurl.com/mysteryreaders


Please answer the 3 questions so the kids will have clues to guess who our mystery reader might be!


Thanks for volunteering!

Thank you to Nate's Mom, Neva, for being our first mystery reader!!  Can anyone be our mystery reader next week-Friday, October 12th??