The children have
been looking forward to this week since I put the April calendar up in the
classroom! They are so excited about Earth Day! All week long we have discussed
it - what it means and what we can do to help the Earth. In conjunction with Earth Day we discussed the rainforest and the problems that many of the rainforests, specifically a tropical rain forest, are facing. We read many books and learned about some of the animals
that live there. More importantly, we discussed why the rain forest is
important and how we can help it. As always, the children loved listening to stories as well as the non-fiction informational books that we read. We created
several different projects throughout the week and capped it off by going outside and cleaning up our playground by picking up any litter that we could
find. Of course, we washed our hands thoroughly when we went back inside!
It was a fun week!
In Math we began a chapter on learning
about the numbers to 10 by composing and decomposing them. 'Composing' a number means to put two numbers together to make a number with the same value. 'Decomposing' a number means to take a number apart using two numbers with the same total value. Although we have done this in the past, we learned a different way this week, and it proved to be a challenge for many of the students at first! It did not take them long to understand the new technique though, and they were off! We also continue to review all of the concepts that have been covered up until this point.
I hope that you enjoyed reading the Informational/'How-To' papers and booklets that your child brought home this week. They have really turned into terrific writers! As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, we will begin our final unit, Persuasive/Opinion writing, soon. This is a fun unit and the ultimate goal at the end is for each child to write a letter to Mrs. Bonacquist trying to convince her that we need a class pet! I will definitely keep you up to date on that task!!!!!
Thank you to Addison's Mom for being our Mystery Reader this week!
Conversation Starters:
- What are the 3 R's? (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
- As your child to show you the recycling symbol on something, such as a yogurt container.
- What are some ways that we can keep our Earth clean?
- What is a 'habitat'?
- What is Arbor Day? (It is a day to remember why trees are so important and to plant a new tree! Arbor Day is today, April 28th.)
How You Can Help:
- Help your child to fill out the 'LOVE THE EARTH REPORT CARD' that came home in their folder today.
- Read/sing the 'Rain Forest Animals' poem with your child that is in their folder today.
Looking Ahead:
- Litterless lunch has been extended to May 2nd and May 3rd.
- Friday - May 5th - Annual Used Book Sale at Slingerlands
