Math Centers - Working with Numbers

Math Center time is when students have the opportunity practice and apply the skills and strategies they have learned in the classroom. These skills concentrate on building number sense, fluency and practice. The first center on the computer is called Reflex Math which is a game-based math fact fluency site. It is individualized whereby each student is building basic math facts to ten.

 Math Center #2: Students are using the 100's chart to play (+1) (-1)  (+10) (-10). This game is used to help build number sense.

Math Center #3: Students are doing Number Sprints. There is a timer and they are challenging themselves to see how many math facts they can complete in one minute.

Math Center #4: By using a number line as a tool to solve equations, students are playing Start With - Get To.  All of these games are used to enhance student's learning and to build number sense.

Letter Combinations and Blend Charts

Once again, we have had several requests for the above "Letter Combinations" chart. We alternate this chart with the below "Blends" chart every day during Skills Block. Students chant it as "ay, ey, ai See kids play, etc." They see these letter combinations in their reading and use them in their writing. These two charts are also kept in easy eye-sight for students to refer to as needed. Smaller charts are also put into their writing folders and reading bins earlier in the year to use as reference tools and chant during partner reading.

Literary Pumpkin - Mummies in the Morning

This year the children chose "Mummies in the Morning" by Mary Pope Osborne for their entry into the Literacy Pumpkin display in the front lobby. It is #3 in the Magic Tree House series. They love the adventures of brother and sister Jack and Annie in the magic tree house. In this book, they take a trip to ancient Egypt and meet up with a 1000 year old queen and help return her belongings. The trip takes us to pyramids, a burial chamber and, of course, the mummy queen. The students enjoy their daily read alouds when we read them two chapters a day of their favorite characters' escapades. Parent volunteers helped the children paint the pumpkins and they did an awesome job!

Fall Festival - Lollipop Tree

One of our favorite times of the year is the annual Fall Festival and Literary Parade. Each class has a booth and our tried-and-true each year is the Lollipop Tree. Costing only two tickets, children get to pick a lollipop. If it has a red tip on it they win the lollipop and a prize. If it is not colored, they get the lollipop. That's why we say,  "Everyone is a winner at the Lollipop Tree!"

Field trip - IMAX - Great Barrier Reef

What is more exciting than a field trip to a six year old? Our first field trip this year was to the IMAX Theater to see the Great Barrier Reef: An IMAX 3D Experience.  Students grabbed their snorkel gear and skillfully mastered a trip through the awesome and bizarre living world of the reef. They experienced the 3D movie with the focus on preserving and protecting the habitat of giant mantas, sea turtles, sharks and Minke whales. Seeing the children reach out and trying to touch the sea creatures was very entertaining. This was a wonderful field trip that compliments our school theme this year of "Love All - Live Big - Learn Deep!"