Playing Outside

Playing Outside

April 30, 2011

Harmony's Arbor Day Celebration makes the Oldham Era

Visit the oldhamera.com to read the article about our Arbor Day Celebration!

May 2, 2011

A note from Ms. Poteet…

Thanks so much for all of the cards, flowers, treats, and drinks everyone sent in last week!  I have greatly enjoyed teaching your children this year.  I cannot believe we only have 20 days left of school.  This year has gone by way too fast!

On Tuesday we are going to the theatrical production of the Aesop’s Fables.  Afterwards we are going to Creasey Mahan to have a picnic lunch (weather permitting).  Please have your child wear their orange class t-shirts and tennis shoes.  Your child will need to bring a sack lunch, drink, and beach towel. 

Thursday we are going to celebrate Harmony’s Earth Day.  Please send in gardening tools (shovels- big and small, buckets, gloves, rakes).  All items will be returned after we finish using them.    

Important Dates this Month:
May 3: Aesop’s Fables Theatrical Production Field Trip and Picnic Lunch at Creasey Mahan
May 6: No School- Oak’s Day
May 9-27: State Assessments (No volunteers or guests for lunch at permitted during this time period)
May 17: Election Day- No School
May 27: Zoo Field Trip
May 20: Memorial Day- No School
June 1: Mega Skills Assembly
June 1: Our class will perform for the 5th grade graduation
June 2: Last Day of School & Early Release Day



What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
In reading, we are reading several different fairy tales and folk tales.  After reading each tale we will discuss its story elements.

Writing Workshop
This we are starting our poetry unit.  We are going to read several poems to help get ideas for our own poems.  Family journals will be sent home on Thursday.   Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond. 

Word Study
This week, we will explore the word families: -ake, -ale, -ame.  We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: small, because, why.  Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

Math
In math, we are learning name collections, how to use the function machine, and about telling time to the hour.
Everyday Math Home Link
Family Note:
Children are familiar with money transactions, but many children are unable to distinguish between coins, understand a coin’s value, or realize what a coin of greater value can be exchanged for several coins of lesser value.  To build your child’s familiarity with money, empty your coin purse or pocket and have fun exploring pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters today.

Activity:
Help your child empty a purse or pocket.  Explore the coins with them and think about these questions:
-      How many pennies are there? Nickels?  Dimes?  How many coins all together?
-      Which coin is the biggest?  Which is the smallest?  The thickest?  The thinnest?
-      How many pennies equal a nickel?  How many pennies equal a dime?
-      Do you think all the coins add up to more or less than $1?
-      What else do you notice about the coins?      


Social Studies
We are learning all about the community we live in and how we can make it a better place. 
Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes.  Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack. 
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night!
* Library book due every Friday!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday                      PE
Tuesday                     PE
Wednesday               PE
Thursday                   PE
Friday                         PE

April 22, 2011

April 25, 2011

A note from Ms. Poteet…

The final book fair of the year will be here on Monday, April 25th.  Come eat lunch at 11:29 on the 25th with your child and visit the book fair afterwards.  This event was very popular with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members last year . . . and it helped Harmony have its most successful book fair ever.  We’re hoping for a repeat performance with this year’s fair!  Invitations will come home on Monday. 

Harmony Elementary’s annual trip to The Louisville Zoo will be Friday, May 27th.  We plan to leave school around 9:15a.m.  Upon arriving at the zoo, we will split into chaperone-led groups.  Groups will have the opportunity to take a self-guided trip through the zoo and have a picnic lunch.  We will depart from the zoo around 1:15p.m. and return to school by 2p.m.  Field Trip permission slips and fees are due May 5th.
This is a community event and we encourage all parents to attend.  There is no limit to the number of chaperones we can have for this trip, so anyone who signs up will be able to attend.  To be an official chaperone you must have a current background check and have completed Harmony’s confidentiality training.  If you would like to bring younger siblings you are welcome too but cannot be an official chaperone (you will be considered a tag-a-long with your child’s group). 

Each student needs to:
  • Wear weather appropriate clothing (don’t forget to wear your class T-shirt)!  Also, please wear tennis shoes, and hats or sunglasses are acceptable.
  • Apply sunscreen before school.
  • Pack a snack, a disposable water bottle, and sack lunch. A disposable camera will be allowed.
  • NO MONEY.  To be fair to everyone, we (teachers, chaperones, and students) will not make any purchases on this trip.

Information for chaperones:
  • Meet inside the front gates in front of the train station entrance no later than 10:00am to get your child/group and as well as an itinerary.  
  • Please bring a backpack to carry children’s lunches and water bottles. 
  • You may not make any purchases for any students (including your own) or allow them to spend any money.  This includes food, rides, gifts, etc.
  • Meet us back at the same spot (near first aid, zoo membership area) near the front entrance promptly at 1:00. We have to be loaded on the buses by 1:15pm.
  • Please e-mail me your cell phone number.  This is a safety measure that will allow us to have access to every student since we will be touring the zoo in small groups. 

Important Dates this Month:
April 25: Eat Lunch with Someone You Love!
May 3: Aesop’s Fables Theatrical Production Field Trip and Picnic Lunch at Creasy Mahan
May 6: No School- Oak’s Day
May 9-27: State Assessments (No volunteers or guests for lunch at permitted during this time period)
May 17: Election Day- No School
May 27: Zoo Field Trip
May 20: Memorial Day- No School
June 1: Mega Skills Assembly
June 1: Our class will perform for the 5th grade graduation
June 2: Last Day of School & Early Release Day



What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
In a couple of weeks we are going to watch the theatrical production of Aesop’s Fables.  The kids are so excited!  To help prepare for our trip, this week we are going to read several of the fables.  Students will practice creating mental images of the fables and write about the different lessons they learn from each fable.

Writing Workshop
We are finishing our Authors as Mentors unit by publishing our writing pieces this week.  We will edit, revise, and fancy up our stories.  On Thursday we will have a writing celebration.  Family journals will be sent home on Friday.   Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond. 

Word Study
This week, we will explore the word families: -ank, -ink, -unk.  We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: nice, your, friend.  Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

Math
In math, we are learning about greater than/ less than, dollar bill, and how to use the function machine.
Everyday Math Home Link
Family Note:
The concept of passing time is difficult for young children.  Hours, minutes, and seconds are confusing; children usually do not have a good sense of how long each time interval is or how long things take to do.  Help your child make connections between familiar activities and the time spent on those activities.  When you tell your child something is happening in 5 minutes (or some other interval), try to stick to that interval to help develop his or her sense of time.  Use opportunities such as cooking or watching television to use timing devices to measure and track intervals of time. 

Activity:
Think of things you can do in about 1 hour.  Help your child determine how long things take to do.  Help your child track the time it takes to get to school, bake cookies, go grocery shopping, or watch a television show.  Set a time for 1 hour.  Have your child draw or write down everything they did before the timer rings.      


Social Studies
This week we will be learning about North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.   
Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes.  Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack. 
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night!
* Library book due every Friday!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday                      Music
Tuesday                     Music
Wednesday               Music
Thursday                   PE
Friday                         PE

April 16, 2011

April 18, 2011

A note from Ms. Poteet…

On Monday, we will complete most of our end of the year math assessment.  Some sections will be assessed at the end of the year because they haven’t been taught yet.  This will give me a good idea if students have mastered the concepts I have taught this year.  If some students haven’t mastered some of the concepts, they will be pulled before school to work in a small math group before school. 

We are going to the North Oldham Fire Department this Friday, April 22nd.  We plan to leave school at 10:30 and return at 12:30.  This is a walking field trip, which means it is a free trip!   We will walk towards North Oldham High School where we will meet up with our campus police officer, Officer Malcolm.  He will safely escort us across street together.  The firefighters will teach us about fire prevention and safety.  We will also get to see a firefighter put on their gear and oxygen masks.  They do this because sometimes children are afraid in emergencies when the firefighters are wearing all of this heavy equipment.    After exploring the fire trucks, we will have a picnic lunch!    This is going to be so much fun!  Students will need to bring a sack lunch and a beach towel to sit on for our picnic.  Please have them wear their class t-shirt and sneakers.  Field Trip Permission Forms will come home Monday and are due Wednesday!    

The final book fair of the year will be here on Monday, April 25th.  Come eat lunch at 11:29 on the 25th with your child and visit the book fair afterwards.  This event was very popular with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members last year . . . and it helped Harmony have its most successful book fair ever.  We’re hoping for a repeat performance with this year’s fair!  Invitations will come home on Monday. 

Important Dates this Month:
April 22: North Oldham Fire Department Field Trip
April 25: Eat Lunch with Someone You Love!
May 3: Aesop’s Fables Theatrical Production Field Trip and Picnic Lunch at Creasy Mahan
May 6: No School- Oak’s Day
May 9-27: State Assessments (No volunteers or guests for lunch at permitted during this time period)
May 17: Election Day- No School
May 27: Zoo Field Trip
June 1: Mega Skills Assembly
June 1: Our class will perform for the 5th grade graduation
June 2: Last Day of School & Early Release Day



What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
We are continuing to learn how and why good readers create mental images in their head while reading.  Visualizing is a skill required when students begin reading book without pictures.  When readers create mental images, they engage with text in ways that make it personal and memorable to them alone.  Anchored in prior knowledge, images come from the emotions and all five senses, enhancing understanding and immersing the reader in rich detail.  

Writing Workshop
In writing, we are continuing our authors as mentors unit.  Students will be writing small moments just like Angela Johnson.  We are focusing on starting our stories with the time of day, using research details, and writing many moment stories.  Family journals will be sent home on Friday.   Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond. 

Word Study
This week, we will explore the word families: -ish, -ash, -ush.  We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: run, has, three.  Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

Math
In math, we are learning about place value, greater than and less than, patterns, and name collections.  
Everyday Math Home Link
Family Note:
In school we are working on the idea that numbers can be shown in different ways. For example, the number 6 can be shown as 5 and 1; 4 and 2; 3 and 3; and 6 and 0.  This is a name collection for the number 6.  Dividing a collection of objects into groups helps children to understand that the total stays the same even though the number in each group changes.  This is an important concept for more advanced mathematics that children will explore later.
 
Activity:

How many are in your family? ____________________
(Include pets and grandparents or other family members if you wish.)

What are some different ways to group the members of your family?

Draw them on a piece of paper.       



Social Studies
This week we will be learning about Asia, Africa, and North America. 
Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes.  Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack. 
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night!
* Library book due every Friday!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday                      Art
Tuesday                     Art
Wednesday               Music
Thursday                   Music
Friday                         Music

April 1, 2011

Week of April 11, 2011

A note from Ms. Poteet…

Welcome Back!  I hope everyone had a wonderful, restful spring break.  I will be glad to get back into the swing of things.  We have an exciting week planned with the North Oldham Firefighters visiting us on Friday and Ms. Hammons teaching us about good and inappropriate touching.

As the weather is getting warmer, make sure you dress your child in layers.  Often it is chilly in our classroom but warm outside.  Packing a light jacket for the classroom would be great. 

Important Dates this Month:
April 15: Firefighters Visit

What are we learning?
Reading Workshop
We will learn how and why good readers create mental images in their head while reading.  Visualizing is a skill required when students begin reading book without pictures.  When readers create mental images, they engage with text in ways that make it personal and memorable to them alone.  Anchored in prior knowledge, images come from the emotions and all five senses, enhancing understanding and immersing the reader in rich detail.   

Writing Workshop
In writing, we are continuing our authors as mentors unit.  Students will be writing small moments just like Angela Johnson.  We are focusing on adding comeback lines to our stories.  Family journals will be sent home on Friday.   Please take time over the weekend to read your child’s letter to you and respond. 

Word Study
This week, we will explore the word families: -ick, -ack, -uck, -ock.  We will also learn how to read and write these words that will be added to our Word Wall: play, who, made.  Have your child sing you the songs for these words.

Math
In math, we are learning about place value, greater than and less than, patterns, and name collections.  
Everyday Math Home Link
Family Note:
Using toothpicks and miniature marshmallows or gumdrops as building materials helps children develop their understanding of 2- and 3-demensional shapes.  Your child may use the materials to build structures (buildings, vehicles, 3-D designs) that are made up of common geometric shapes.  You can help your child learn more about shapes and numbers by talking about his or her project.  You might ask questions such as:
-      Are their any squares in the structure?
-      How many triangles did you make?  How many rectangles?
-      Which shapes keep their shape the best?
-      Do any shapes have more toothpicks than marshmallows or gumdrops?
 
Activity:

Build shapes and structures with toothpicks and marshmallows or gumdrops.  Begin with flat 2-D shapes, and then try building 3-D shapes such as cubes, pyramids, and rectangular prisms.      



Social Studies
The children loved exploring maps and learning about the oceans two weeks ago.  Be sure to check out Our Ocean Song video in the previous post.  This week the students are making their own map and will learn about the 7 continents.  Ms. Hammons will also visit to teach us about good touch and bad touch.
Reminders
*Send in a healthy peanut-free snack and water bottle (with a pull up spout) every day.
* Our classroom gets very chilly sometimes.  Please send in a light jacket or sweater for your child to keep in their back pack. 
* Sign your child’s weekly planner every night!
* Library book due every Friday!

Related Arts Schedule
Monday                      PE
Tuesday                     Art
Wednesday               Art
Thursday                   Art
Friday                         Art

Our Ocean Song