January Newsletter
Mrs. McGehee’s Class
News
Welcome back and happy 2016!
Math:
We are continuing practicing measurement, two digit
addition and subtraction, time, counting money, story
problems, reading and interpreting graphs in Unit 3.
We will begin Unit 4 towards the end of this month.
Objectives:
 Number patterns and knowing the rule (what a
pattern in counting by)
 Rounding numbers to the nearest ten
 Adding 3 or more numbers
 Multi step story problems
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Addition and subtraction story problems
Place value
Two digit addition with and without regrouping
Two digit subtraction with and without regrouping
Estimation
Counting money
Fact families
Telling time
We will continue practicing our addition and
subtraction facts using different tools from EDM.
We will also continue our timed addition and
subtraction tests. When students have mastered
these, they will move on to multiplication facts!
Science:
This month we will begin our Foss Science
curriculum called Solids and Liquids. In Solids and
Liquids, students get to shake rattle and roll an
assortment of objects and materials while engaging
in science explorations clearly linked to their everyday lives.
During the explorations, students deepen their understanding of
the characteristics and behavior of solids and liquids.
The unit begins with solids. Students examine solids and sort
them on the basis of criteria of their own choosing. Discussion of
the criteria leads to the concept of properties. Then, lessons
focus on individual properties of a set of solid objects.
Social Studies:
We are continuing learning about communities. Our next unit is
about map skills.
We will also be taking a closer look at the poles. We will research
facts about the Arctic and Antarctic regions and
compare/contrast the differences between the Arctic and
Antarctica.
Reading:
We will be continuing our Comprehension Toolkit
Lessons. This will focus on using questions as tools for
learning, reading with a question in mind and inferring
meaning. Remember that your child is learning
language such as, background knowledge, questions,
inner conversation, text to text connection, text to self
connections, text to world connections, and turn and
talk.
We are continuing our Reading Workshop rotations.
These are reading centers that we do 3 days a week.
Our centers are read to self, Partner reading, listening,
guided reading with teacher, writing, and word work.
Language Arts:
We will be writing New Year Resolutions. They will set
their goals for 2016! Ask them what their goals are for
the year.
We will continue to work on writing every day. This
month we are focusing on sticking to the topic,
beginning/middle/end, and writing crafts.
Our class is continuing working in our Write Source
book. We will spend this first week reviewing what we
have already learned (where our capital letters go,
commas and ending punctuation.)
Winterize your child:
Parents please send your child to school with a
coat, hat, gloves, and scarf if possible. Our
weather is very unpredictable and we are having
too many kids coming to school without the
proper clothing to keep their warm on the
playground. Please put your child’s name in
everything.
Mark Your Calendars:
1/7- Report Cards go home
1/18- NO School (MLK Day)
1/28- Collaboration Day (school begins at 10:40)
2/5- Dynamic Dads
Have a happy January and thank you for your constant
support!
 Alexis McGehee