Here’s what’s going on in our classrooms this month:
Welcome to kindergarten! We are enjoying getting to know each student in our class. We have been very busy and focused while we learn classroom rules, routines, and procedures. In addion, we are working hard on learning letter names and the word “I.” We have been looking in books for the word “I” as well as for recognizable letters. The kindergartners are also counting, recognizing shapes, and writing numbers each day. We now have our library schedule with Mr. Smith. The Cougars (Mrs. Fink’s roster) will visit the school library on Mondays, and the Huskies (Mrs. Halstead’s roster) will visit the library on Tuesdays. Have a great weekend!
We are so excited to be team teaching again this year, and we are already seeing the First Grade students beginning to settle into the school routines. They are trying hard to follow school and classroom rules. In reading, we are beginning the Start Smart part of our ELA curriculum, reviewing letter sounds and words to make sure the students have a good foundation before we move ahead. Students got to choose three classroom library books this week to keep at their desks. Ask your student how they pick a “good fit” book! In writing, we wrote about our favorite game. In math, we are working on Topic 1, understanding addion, and we were happy to discover that numbers and problem solving is a favorite for many of our students. We are earning lots of Panther Pawsi-tives and have begun a compliment chain in our classroom. We can add loops by receiving class compliments or earning a score of 4 in our arts blocks. We are looking forward to a great year!
We are off to a great start in Room 11! I am really enjoying your children. We are working on increasing the length of time we are able to read each day. We are working on characters, setting, and the problem in the fable “Lion and Mouse.” In math, we are working on addition and subtraction. We are learning our rules and procedures for second grade. I sent home a reading club calendar. If your child reads, write the amount of time they read on that day. When they have completed the calendar, on September 30, they bring the calendar to school and will receive a free book and bracelet. If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 313-1900 or laurie.shelton@vansd.org. Have a nice weekend!
Welcome to 2nd grade! It has been wonderful getting to know the students and their families this past week! Your students are learning how to follow our classroom and school expectations and are getting into the groove of being at school every day. In math, second graders are learning how to write addition and subtraction number sentences. They are also creating and reading story problems that go with their number sentences. Over the next week, we will be reading various fiction and non-fiction texts about what makes us special. We are reviewing our short vowel sounds and going over new vocabulary words in our readings. Over this past week, we have started our first science unit on soil! Students are excited to be thinking like scientists and will be planting their own peas. If any questions or concerns arise, please contact me by phone or by email at rebecca.winard@vansd.org.
It was great to meet so many of you at the back to school BBQ before school started. As a class, we are spending time getting to know each other and going over classroom expectations. In math, we are working on place value and number sense. During reading, our focus has been learning routines and procedures for reading using the Wonders curriculum and a Daily 5 reading routine. Our science unit of plant growth and development has begun with the planting of Alaskan pea seeds. Homework will start coming home on Fridays with the expectation that it is returned the following Friday. Our first homework packet will be sent home on 09/18 and returned by 09/25. Please feel free to contact me at 360-313-1900 or email ann.corlett@vansd.org. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Welcome to our 3rd/4th grade classroom! I am ecstatic to be back at Fruit Valley teaching my own class after completing my student teaching with Mrs. Pamiroyan and Mrs. Corlett last year. I enjoy spending my free time with my family and playing soccer. We have a strong classroom community! The students have been flexible and respectful as we learn how to best support each other. We have reviewed the school rules and defined our classroom expectations and routines. In math, the 3rd graders are learning about place value and the 4th graders are learning about multiplication and division. In reading, we are reading a folktale and determined the theme, character, setting, and plot. Homework will start coming home on Fridays and will be due the following Friday. Our first homework packet will be sent home on 09/11 and returned by 09/18. Please feel free to contact me at (360) 313-1900 or email at dinah.nyugen@vansd.org. Hope you have a great weekend. GO SEAHAWKS!!
Welcome to our 4th grade classroom! We have been working hard and having fun getting to know each other so far this school year. In math, we have been working on multiplication. Students have been using patterns and properties to find multiplication facts. Next we will solve division problems using related multiplication facts. In reading, we are reading a fairy tale and finding text evidence to answer questions. Next up in reading will be to identify the sequence of events in a story and use clues to make a prediction about a story. In writing, students began their personal narrative writing this week. This is going to be a great year in 4th grade!
Students in Mr. Warner’s room have been working on routines for effective learning. They have started reviewing their math skills involving place value, comparing, ordering and rounding. Students are taking placement tests in reading to find their levels and are studying geography in social studies. Parents: Please sign your student’s planners every night. By signing, you are letting me know that your child has done his/her homework. If they have not done their homework, tell me by NOT signing it. You can even write me a quick note letting me know. The homework requirements are: 30 minutes of work on the homework packet and 30 minute of reading EVERY night. Homework comes home on Friday and is due the following Friday unless indicated on the packet. Also, each student should know their multiplication tables. Please work on these with your child. Classroom work and communication comes home every Friday. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Warner at: dave.warner@vansd.org.
Dear Families of Ms. Van Damme’s Class,
We have had an awesome start to the year! Your fifth graders are already hard at work in Math, Language Arts and Social Studies and are looking forward to starting a fun Science unit later this month. We have lots of exciting field trips planned for the year, so if you’re interested in joining us for some of them, please make sure to fill out paperwork in the office. We are always looking for parent volunteers. Your student should bring home a planner detailing the day’s activities and a homework folder on the days homework is assigned. In class we have discussed our homework policy for the year, so please make sure to have your student tell you about it. I also hope to see you at Curriculum Night on Tuesday, September 22nd to discuss any questions you may have about the year. As always, feel free to contact me as needed by email at janelle.vandamme@vansd.org. I’m looking forward to another wonderful year at Fruit Valley!