CLNL+January+2011

January 2011 Issue

** Olga Iris Guzmán - Principal ** ** Early Childhood Magnet School of the Arts ** ** 32-65 93rd Street ** ** East Elmhurst, N.Y. 11369 ** ** (718)899-5799 Fax (718)899-7323 ** ** “The Little School with a Heart” ** ** Carmenza Ramirez –Assistant Principal **

January 17 is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

** PRE-K **


 * // READING: //** **Happy New Year! Pre-K’s next theme will be Animals Everywhere. Children love animals and our classrooms will be filled with songs, poems, books and finger plays about different animals.**
 * // WRITING: //**** The Pre-K children are continuing to write their first names (remember only the first letter is capitalized) and some are writing their last name now. The children are also writing letters of the alphabet when they draw pictures and paint. **
 * // Music: //**** Our theme song for the month is //I Love Animals//. The chorus includes the phrases: I love animals big and small, I love animals one and all, I love animals yes I do, I love animals, how about you? We will be singing this song everyday as part of our animal theme. **
 * // MATH //**** : Math skills start from the moment the Pre-K children enter the classroom and they count off as they enter the room. We will also be reviewing shapes and patterns this month. **
 * // TECHNOLOGY: //** **Starfall.com continues to be Pre-K’s favorite educational website. Many of the children are able to work at the computer station and review letters and letter sounds, match capital letters to lowercase letters, play thematic games and learn pre-reading skills. You can download this great website on your home computer!**
 * // Social studies/science: //**** Do you have a pet? Pre-K children will be talking about animals that make good pets and how to care for them. If you have a family pet, please send us a picture of the animal! In science, we learn that many animals sleep during the long, cold winter months. We will take a closer look at some of these hibernating animals. We will also explore their habitats. **
 * // pHYSICAL ED. & HEALTH: //**** We continue to review healthy habits such as covering your mouth with your arm when you cough or sneeze, washing hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, eating with good table manners and trying new foods. We incorporate healthy exercise and movement into everyday when we play games like Hokey Pokey, Shake Your Sillies Out and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. **

** kiNDERGART **** EN **

**// reADING: //** Unit 5 – Readers Have Lots of Strategies to Figure Out Words. We will begin reading books at our reading levels. By putting into practice all the strategies we have learned since September. **// wrITING: //** Unit 5 - Writing for Readers We will focus on writing in ways that others will be able to read and understand. We will create writing pieces that include: detailed drawings, labels, words, spacing and sentences. **// Music: //** Composer – Elvis Presley – Music: Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Love Me Tender. Song – “Frosty”. Instrument – bells – Teaching “Bluebird”. Games – bean bags – “Pass the Beanbag”, “Who’s got the bean bag?” **// MATH: //** This month we will continue to explore shapes, number stories sorting, time, and measuring. **// Technology //**** : ** This month we will continue to explore: shapes, number stories, sorting, time and measuring. **// scIENCE: //** What are the effects of winter on trees, animals and people? How can we observe using all our senses? **// social STUDIES: //**** W **e will explore our jobs at home, at schools, and the different jobs in our community. **// teCHNOLOGY: //**This month, we will reinforce advancing across reading levels by continuing to read electronic books at our levels through Raz Kids.com and Bookflix.com **// PHYSYCAL ED. & HEALTH //**** : ** We will continue to develop our coordination through fingerplays, songs, and group games. We will discuss activities that will keep us safe and allow us to have fun in the snow.

** fiRST GRADE **

communities. We learn about how communities are located on a map of globe and what are the physical features of a community.
 * // reADING: //**Our new unit in Reading is to study characters and practice how to talk well about them and act their stories out with partners.
 * // wrITING: //**We end our How-To unit in the beginning of January and end the month writing all about something we are experts in. We learn how to describe one topic using a lot of details.
 * // Music: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> Composer – Louis Armstrong Music – Saints Go Marching In, Hello Dolly, What a Wonderful World. The song is “Frosty”. The instrument is xylophones – review “Jingle Bells”. We are learning “London Bridge” and “7-Up”.
 * // math: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> We continue learning about telling time on the clock and using timelines. We work on place value learning the difference between ones place and tens place. We also learn about numbers that are “greater than” and “less than” other numbers.
 * // Social studies //**// : //<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> We learn about families in communities and discuss different types of
 * // Technology: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> We continue working on RazKids in the classroom to differentiate. Reading groups and teach students how to access our new educational website [|**www.samsonsclassroom.com**] <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> to practice sight words in different ways.
 * // Science: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> How do animals grow and change? What do different animals do in the winter?
 * // physical ed. &Health //**// : //<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> We will continue to develop our coordination through fingerplays, songs, and group games. We will discuss activities that will keep us safe and allow us to have fun in the snow.


 * seCOND GRADE **

<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">We will continue working in our Nonfiction unit, this month we will focus on developing grade level strategies to enhance the children’s understanding of expository text. <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">Students will continue writing about their topics of interest and will also learn and explore more about these topics by researching books, Internet and other sources to answer questions they have. At the end of the month, they will present their expert projects to their classmates. <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">“Aunt Rhody”. – Extend Notes to “F” and “E”. We are learning “King Chase Queen”. <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">Unit 2 Objectives: Our Earth (Part II) <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">We will also discuss the following topic this month: Martin Luther King, Jr.
 * // reADING: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> Unit 4: Non-Fiction (Informational Text)
 * // wrITING: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> Unit 4: Non-fiction (Expert Projects)
 * // MUSIC //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">: Composer – The Beatles music: She Loves You, Yellow Submarine. Song review “Frosty” We are learning “Let it Snow”. Instrument – recorders and we are reviewing Jingle Bells. Teach
 * // MATH //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">.: In Unit 5, children will learn and explore grade-level geometric skills. Objectives:
 * <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">Points and line segments, including parallel lines
 * <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">Polygons, quadrangles, arrays, and attributes of different figures
 * <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">3-dimensional shapes and line symmetry
 * // Social studies: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> We will continue working on Our Earth’s Natural Resources unit.
 * <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">Distinguish between producing and consuming
 * // Science: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> How does the earth change? What do different animals do in the winter.
 * // Technology //**// : //<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">Students will be introduced to the new online sites to enhance their spelling and math skills. [|**www.samsonclassroom.com**] <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;"> and [|**www.uptowneducation.com**] <span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">. They will also continue using the classroom Smartboard to play spelling and other vocabulary related activities.
 * // Physical education: //**<span style="font-family: 바탕; font-size: 13pt;">Students will demonstrate and assess their performing exercises or activities related to each health-related fitness component, and establish personal goals to improve their fitness.


 * What’s planted in the heart takes root in the soul. **


 * WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE SUCCESS OF ALL OUR CHILDREN. **


 * Please note that you may find the Parent Curriculum Newsletter at ps__228q.wikispaces.com__ every month. **