We're a Bucket Filling Classroom

Owl-Ways Learning. . . 

CK Sister

Last week we were introduced to the H-Brothers. This week we met our CK sister...Mack, short for Mackenzie. We are reinforcing when to us c,k, or ck in a word. We use CK at the end of the word, following a short vowel. Students are learning to mark up a digraph in a word by underlining. They also learned a short vowel is marked up using a breve and a macron is used when a vowel is long or says it's own name. Ask your child to show you the symbols or how to mark up a word with a digraph. 

Digraph Flowers!

Guided Reading
We are SO fortunate to have a number of support staff during our guided reading/center time to read and help students during our ELA block. What this means is that your child is participating in a small reading group practicing their reading skills almost daily with teacher support. With an increase of opportunities for reading in small groups, this means there is a decrease in recording sheets being sent home. This does not mean your child is not completing their work nor does it mean they are not given the opportunity to work in their centers. As we near to the end of the year there will be more opportunities for independent work and students will be assessed in their reading skills. If you have any questions please let me know. 


Brave Volunteers

Teacher Talk. . .

Communication
We communicate to achieve our wants and needs or share our feelings. We can communicate in many ways.  In Room 5 we are using three ways: Speaking, Writing, or Sign Language. We are very lucky to have Sign Language as a form of communication! Communication is very important in understanding one another and making sure each of the students is getting their needs met. We can always take guesses when a student does NOT use these methods of communication, but it is very difficult. 

Students reviewed, modeled, and practiced ways of communication. We learned how to ask for help, how to ask a friend to play, how to ask for snack and bathroom. 


Bucket Fillers
 
Room 5 is learning how to be a bucket filler. In the books above, the class learned that we have an imaginary bucket above our heads. When we wake up everyday our bucket is filled and it's our job to help others fill their buckets or keep our own buckets filled. A bucket dipper is when someone is unkind. We are using the language "Bucket dipper" and "Bucket filler" to reinforce good/poor choices throughout their day. 


How do you fill a bucket?
Students can fill another person's bucket in many ways. Below is what a bucket filler looks like, sounds like, and feels like. . . 

Here are our own Buckets!

Each week we will be filling a friends bucket with a bucket note. These small slips of paper can make someone's day! EVERY student has a bucket note in their bucket. We have just started so, its not about how many bucket notes you have, but what they say. Next week we will spend some time reading our bucket notes and celebrating our extra drops into our buckets! 

Help fill your child's bucket every day!

Hopes & Dreams

Did you notice your child's first hope and dream from the beginning of the year went home? This is because they have ALREADY achieved their goals, even before the end of the school year! CONGRATULATIONS! As we near the end of the school year, it's time to make new goals! 

Check them out:

Happy Birthday Ryan!! 

Summer Birthdays

If your child has a birthday in the summer (last week of June, the month of July, or August) we will be scheduling birthday celebrations for your child at the end of the year. We want each student to have the opportunity share their birthday celebration and share a birthday poster (if they want). We will send out a notice and a list of dates for you to select with your child. Look out for this at the end of May. 

Mystery Reader

Thank you Mr. Wile for a fabulously funny story...We are still talking about it!

Upcoming Events. . . 

May 17th. . .Seussical Field Trip 

Some BUNNY told me Spring is here!

Owl-Ways Learning. . .

Community Circle

Mrs. Johnson met with Kindergarten to check in about school behaviors.  It was a nice refresher for students to review and practice expectations in the bathroom and out on the playground. We will be reviewing classroom routines and procedures after vacation. It is most helpful after a long break to end the year strong. We are trying to prepare for First Grade!! 

Meet the H-Brothers!!

The H-brothers are purposefully named after the digraphs we are learning in Fundations. The students were introduced to the H Brothers on Friday. Each brother has a specific tool to remember their sounds. For example, CHarlie likes trains....CHOO! CHOO! Most students loved Theo, the naughty brother who sticks out his tongue! 

Once we learned about each brother we broke up into 4 teams to brainstorm words which began with our respected digraph. This was a great start to our bigger unit on the H Brothers and Digraphs next week. After vacation, you will see an H brother emergent reader and poem.  

Guiding question: Ask your child about the brothers and what they like to do? What is their favorite brother? 

Brave Volunteers

Teacher Talk. . . 

Mystery Reader

Thank you Jen Scanlon!

Rainbow Fish is always a great choice!

I think we were SURPRISED!!! =)

It's never to late to volunteer to be a Mystery Reader. If you'd like to sign up please let me know. Space is limited and would like to offer days/times to parents and families who have not signed up thus far. Thank you!

Class Reward!

Check out some photos from our gym time! We practiced our baseball swings, catching , and running! This was perfect for our friends who have signed up for T-Ball. 

Sight Words

We've completed ALL 50 sight words!! Monday, after vacation, you will receive a ziplock bag of your child's COMPLETED words. These are the words your child has been able to successfully spell and read three times. This would be considered mastery. The words that are left on your child Sight Word book/ring are the words your child still needs to practice and be assessed on. Once your child receives mastery on the remaining words we will send them home separately for you to keep and add to your other words.  

Some suggestions for what to do with these words:

-Create a personal word wall

-Keep them handy for personal journal writing.

-Hold onto them for younger siblings.

-Create a scavenger hunt (hide the words and see if your child can find them all and read them) 

-Use them for games

-Fold them up and put them in your child's Easter Eggs....JUST KIDDING!! =)

Upcoming Events. . . 

April 26th. . .Tools to Help Your Child Manage Emotions and Problem Solving (School Event)

Happy Spring Break!!