Mrs. Simonds Classroom News

Thank you for throwing our children such a marvelous fall party! They had a great time! The holidays are such a fun time of year!

In math we are continuing to work on our addition and subtraction facts. We are also beginning to learn how to interpret graphs and tables. We will soon begin with place value, which can be a tricky concept for the children. Be sure to review homework and practice pages together.

During this nine weeks students will learn about Colonial and Native Americans. We will discuss the types of food, transportation, education, clothing, housing, and medicine they used. We will compare and contrast their way of life and our present day way of life. Students will also get a taste of the first Thanksgiving. We will wear Native American and Pilgrim attire and try some of the actual foods that were at the first feast (i.e. not mom’s yummy macaroni and cheese!).

In addition to Colonial and Native Americans, the students will also learn about the United States presidents, symbols money, and monuments.

1. Please continue to send in snack. The $5.00 donation is also a big help when we need to purchase supplies for Social Studies, Science, and Math.

2. There will be no school on November 11^th. Take some time to celebrate our veterans! School is out November 25-27^th for Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday!

3. Cheetah Run money is due on Monday, November 9^th. Remember all the money collected stays at Chiles this year!

November 2, 2009

Conference night is Thursday, Nov. 5th. I will contact you if I feel we need a conference!

· In your child’s report card you will be receiving a letter regarding your child’s FAIR testing results from the beginning of the year. I recommend that you spend some time reading over this letter. It will explain what they were tested on, how they were tested, their results and some things you can do at home with your child.

· To further assist you in understanding the information provided, our Curriculum Resource Teacher will be here Thursday evening to give an overview of FAIR with you if you have questions. She will be meeting with K-2nd grade parents in the Planning Room from 5:30-6:00.

The FUN RUN is Thursday, no dresses or sandals!

Please continue to encourage your children unpack their own backpacks in the centrum in the morning! The kids love it!

Snack is due this week for the month of November! We are almost out!

We also need hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes (like Clorox or Lysol wipes)! We are just about out! Thank you to those of you who sent some in last week!

Thank you to Vinata Mai for organizing our Fall Party on Wednesday last week and to the moms who came and to the parents who sent in snacks! The kids had a great time! I will try to have the pictures posted this week from the party!

We will begin our Social Studies Unit this week entitled "My America". The children will learn about Colonial Americans, Native Americans and American Symbols. We will begin Monday with learning about the Mayflower.

Have a great week!!