Dear K/1 Families,

Happy Wednesday! Can you believe that this our final letter for the year? It has gone by amazingly fast and has been a wonderful journey with your children. I have to say that I was so proud of each of them as we prepared for the musical and of course, during the actual performances. They were just outstanding! Thank you for your patience and support during an extremely busy time.
As we complete our lessons for the school year the students will be participating in the following activities:

Language Arts

Kindergarten
• Experimenting with creating sentences using punctuation and capitalization
• Learning specific sight words
• Focusing on handwriting and proper letter formation
• Reading aloud each day
• Playing many language arts/word games

First Grade
• Phonics games/word work
• Recognizing closed syllables
• Cursive writing (most exciting)
• Writing with descriptive and feeling words
• Taking more responsibility for correct spelling of familiar words
• Reading aloud and silently each day

1st Grade/Kindergarten Math
• Continuing to practice math facts for addition and subtraction
• Review telling time to the half hour, quarter hour
• Counting pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars
• Place value: 1's, 10's, and 100's
• Exploring 3-D shapes
• Fractions and equal shares
• Exploration of 3-D shapes
• Representing numbers through money
• Craft-stick math
• Introduction of the quarter
• Telling time by the hour
• Function machines
*There will be lots of review of these concepts during the remaining school days.

Social Studies/Science
• Honoring Earth Day with nature stories, discussions, and planting flowers for the front porch of our school
• Reading the story of Big Tree by Mary and Conrad Buff. This story takes us through the life of a giant redwood tree. Ask your student about it!
• Observing the wonderful spring season that is finally here
• Looking closely at nature with Ms. Lois

TEAM
• We continue to work on treating each other with kindness and compassion. I ask the students to remember that it's more important to be kind than it is to be right.
• Working, playing, and sharing lunch and snack with classmates that are not your usual "buddies"
• Remembering that our facial expressions and tone of voice are very important as we try to communicate with each other.

Thanks to all of you for your extraordinary support and helpfulness during this school year! We have loved being with your children. Thanks for sharing them with us each day!

Ms. Mitzi and Ms. Clare


Dear 2/3/4 Parents,

Astoundingly, we are in the homestretch of our school year! We have had an amazing year of learning and growing together. In circle, we have been sharing some of the favorite things we’ve learned this year and all the personal goals we have accomplished. I will share these with you at conferences, but suffice to say that it is truly moving to hear the children express genuine pride in learning how to write productively in different genres, fall in love with a series of books for the first time EVER, or in mastering division in math. Today as we were discussing different kinds of graphic novels, I said that one series didn’t have any words, only illustrations. Elizabeth corrected me saying, “Actually, there are some words but they are all just onomatopoeias.” I thanked her for making my whole day! Mr. Grady noted last week while grading a stack of grammar papers for me, “It’s amazing how much all of the kids have improved with their grammar this year—there are hardly any corrections anymore.” And today I walked into the classroom after the end of Spanish, and the children were all draped around the room completely immersed in all the new books I had brought in this week from the library. It was not easy to get them to put the books down and pack up!! What a great problem to have!

***We are really looking forward to our all-school camping trip Monday 5/17!! 2/3’s will be staying for one night and 4th graders will stay for two nights! Please email me with any questions or concerns.

Read on to see what else we have been doing in class:
•In RWS, we are finishing up our unit on Historical Fiction by putting together a bulletin board display of the books we have read in our book studies, with info about characters, setting, plot, and historical information gleaned from our reading. These books have all been integrated with our social studies unit on Colonial America and the Revolutionary War. This week we were also introduced to the world of comics and modern graphic novels---what a vast array of styles and subject matter! The children are completely taken in by this genre and we’ve had some good laughs over some of my husband’s “vintage” comic book treasures.
Continued….
•In WWS, we are experimenting with writing our own comics or mini graphic novels. What a great way to pay attention to details, dialogue and plot sequence—a lot of thought and planning is required! Currently, the children are working on comic strip representations of main events in their historical fiction book study books. The children are thrilled to try one more new way of writing before the school year ends.
•In Word Work, we have been focusing hard on grammar, and the mechanics of writing. The children are becoming excellent proofreaders! They have come a long way this year! We continue with our word sorts and lots of review and reinforcement. I love when the kids ask if they “should look for homophones” in their sorts.  They have become very independent about figuring out the patterns of their sorts, whether to focus on sound or sight patterns, and making connections from previous lessons.
•In Social Studies, we are finishing up on the brink of the Revolutionary War. We have been learning how real historians conduct research by reading letters and journal entries from time period they are studying by reading writings by the fictional Cavendish family in colonial Pennsylvania. We have also been able to experience many different perspectives of this time period by sharing what we’ve learned in our book studies, and from other historical fiction texts we’ve been reading aloud in class.
•TEAM—in the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a couple areas of focus in our TEAM discussions and activities. We have talked extensively about how we can support each other during the hustle and bustle of the musical, and during times of stress or sadness when big things are going on in our lives. The kids have thought deeply about the different ways we can be supportive of each other, and that each of us has days or periods in our lives when we need to lean on others for help or comfort. We have also focused on Talking it out with others when someone says something negative that bothers us. And what we can do to support each other and ourselves in talking things out when one or both people feel really emotional. We’re always learning and growing!
Lastly, I will be distributing a Summer Reading Packet next week and will talk with you more about it at conferences. Studies show that newly independent readers decline the most in their reading skills if they do not continue reading regularly over the summer. So I ask for your support in keeping your child reading over our long summer break so that they can retain all the amazing gains they have made this year. Thank you for the opportunity to work with your beautiful children!

With gratitude,
Ms. Julie
julie@thelearningcommunity.org


Mr. Forrest’s Wednesday Letter for the 5/6 Class

With the final Wednesday letter of the year, I want to remind you of all the end-of-year events and updates that apply to the 5/6s as well as tell you know about our final writing project, which the students are very excited about. Independent Status has been working very well because it has made their responsibilities more personal; the responsibilities aren’t just homework or something they do for school. Proof of success is posted and reinforces this mature behavior. Every student has been successful in remaining independent or in regaining independent status. Next week, the 5/6s will have “mock” finals in WWS/RWS, social studies, science, and math. We are spending this week reviewing and thinking about our year with a “big picture” lens. Class trips begin on Monday, May 17 and end on the 19th, with pickup at the Swannanoa Ingles. More info on the trip will follow. Our final WWS subject is Descriptive Writing, which I know is very general. We are focusing on our skills of description and personal interests, not necessarily in a genre. The students were able to choose one of two groups: nature writing or letter writing. With nature writing, we are exploring the woods and waterways daily, discovering something special, and then writing about it in a nature journal style. In letter writing, the students are reading Van Gough’s letters to his brother and then painting in nature and writing their own letters describing their art. Every student is very excited and we have spent very little time in our classroom, but a lot of time writing.

What’s going on in:

Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop
• Finalizing short stories and creating an anthology
• Nature group is exploring, discovering new things, and deciding if they want to write in a memoir style or use a more scientific, informative voice.
• Art group is painting near Lake Eden and writing daily letters with Ms. Theresa
• Studying for our final exam

Social Studies
• Reviewing the year in social studies with a “big picture” lens
• We covered these units: Renaissance Artists, Scientists, and Life, Reformation and Religious Turmoil, Exploration and World Cultures, Native Americans, and First Colonists
• With Ms. Theresa, we are making colonial times dioramas

TEAM
• Working as a class to support Gennie and each other
• Independent status
• Preparing for class trip


News from the Science Classroom – May 5, 2010

5/6

We completed our discussions on infectious diseases and began our study of the body. We learned about muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. They continued the study of the body by learning the names of the major bones and how many of each there are. We had fun playing, “Ms. Carol says….” with tasks such as “Put your upper left phalanges on your right tibia/fibula” and “Put your upper right phalanges on your neighbors left scapula.” It was great fun all around and proved that the students know their bones! We have completed a lot of life science this year and I am excited by everyone’s progress!

7/8

We completed our discussions on infectious diseases by conducting a WebQuest about the influenza epidemic of 1918 which linked us into the current H1N1 flu epidemic. The students broke into groups and each person became an “expert” on a portion of the quest. Then the team, as a whole, created a public awareness campaign based on their understanding of viruses, microbial evolution, vaccines, and public health. Each of the 3 teams took a different approach, the first one gave a fact-based presentation, the second did a skit interspersed with facts, and the last did a rap about vaccines. These presentations were given to the 5/6 class who enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot in the process! All students now have a deeper understanding of the virus that is infecting people today. The students then embarked on their study of the body by learning all of the major bones in the skeletal system, where they are located and how many of each there are. Life science was a huge success this year and I am excited about all that the students were able to learn!

If you have any questions, please contact me at carol@thelearningcommunity.org or through the school office at anytime. 

News from Ms. Carol’s Algebra I-II Class – May 5, 2010

We continued our mathematical studies by tackling radical expressions and equations, which included trigonometric ratios and our first foray into the extensive use of a calculator in my class. We then continued on into rational expressions and functions that included dividing polynomials. The students embraced each new topic with enthusiasm and a desire to master each topic solidly. We’ve learned a great deal of math this year and had fun in the process!

If you have any questions, please contact me at carol@thelearningcommunity.org or through the school office at anytime. 

News from Ms. Carol’s 5/6 Pink and Black Math Groups

This group tackled the following topics:
•Proportions
•Similar figures
•Map creation and reading
•Percents
•Changing between proportions and percents
•Review of all topics covered this school year

We continue to have fun on math while learning!

If you have any questions, please contact me at carol@thelearningcommunity.org or through the school office at anytime. 


Math with Ms. Katherine

Dear Parents,
We've had quite the successful year in mathematics. Students have grown in more ways than one. From fractions to geometry, integers to graphs, the students have filled their notebooks to the brim with activities, labs, lessons, and routine (and non-routine) problem solving.

2/3/4
We are reviewing, reviewing, reviewing! Through singing songs, building with manipulatives, and pencil-and-paper review work, we are revisiting each concept that we learned this year. The students have retained a lot of information. As I often tell them, they know A LOT of MATH!

7/8
We've had two quizzes this week in preparation for our exam next week. We first reviewed chapters 1-6 and then had a quiz, then reviewed chapters 7-12 and a quiz. The students are working to identify what they know and what they don't know... so they can study what they don't know, and then they'll know it. :)

Let me know if you have questions, comments, concerns, etc.
-Katherine

7/8 Research Paper

In early February, the 7/8 class embarked on a long-term research paper designed to give the students the skills to complete papers that will be required throughout high school and college. They were given the opportunity to choose from a long list of science topics relating to last year or this year’s curriculum, in order to make this a cross-curriculum project. They were enthusiastic every step of the way and gained valuable skills. After the papers were completed, each student created a 5-minute presentation to allow them to show the knowledge that they learned. The presentations were given to the 5/6 class and several teachers. The 5/6 class loved it and learned many new things from the newest “experts” in the subject! Congratulations to all!

If you have any questions, please ask any member of the team!
Carol, Tom, Grady, David, and Forrest


Final Musings from the Middle School

Summer is coming! Summer is coming! However, it's not over yet. These last few weeks are oh-so- important! So here is some vital information and incidental doo dahs to keep you up to date.
We are wrapping up our letter writing unit as part of our "words that make a difference" study that we have done this year. Students have been asked to write three different letters: a letter of appreciation, a letter with the intent to change, and finally a letter of healing. Of course, they choose their audience and then must mail the letter. It has been a very intriguing unit, especially watching how the students interpret the three categories. Actually, it's been fascinating and incredibly inspiring to watch them so freely express themselves with such articulation.
Summer reading/writing work will be coming home soon. Just so you know, I am a big proponent of summer break. You will not find me pushing for year-round school. There is too much learning taking place while eating Aunt Ruby's crab gumbo or out fishing with Uncle Jack or chasing down fireflies with my shirt front covered with watermelon juice or curling up in the hammock to read until the fading light of day cuts me off mid-sentence. However, I do ask the students to read, and any writing I ask them to do is designed to capture, in a fun way, some of the fabulous summertime moments.
We are going into town tomorrow to shop for the class library. We will be going to Mr. K's and Barnes and Noble. Students can bring a little of their own money for books for themselves if they like. Before going, we have researched our book shopping list online at the numerous children's and young adult awards sites.
Finally, finals are next week on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Please help your child stay rested during this time.
So, that's it for now. Keep an eye on emails, Wednesday letters, and other random notifications so you can keep up with the all the fun-filled times that go with the end of the year.
Wrapping up, let me say what a great year it has been with this group. I look around the room and love what we have created as a classroom, family, and community. It's a fabulous mix of kids and I am going to really miss this group. Have an experience filled summer!!

Mr. Tom