Hello 1JB Families,
Happy spring break! We hope everyone has a restorative and enjoyable break.
Please check out our 1JB folder for resources and helpful worksheets to do over break!
For example, if you have dice at home you can play Roll a Story or Roll and Add.
If your child is a fan of the New York Times Spelling games, check out a printable version they can do on their own! Spelling Bee
Other Post office info: When returning from break students should bring in some change that can be used in the Post Office! All the money that will be made during the Post Office will be donated to charity! High Schoolers will be visiting 1JB with charity suggestions and students in 1JB will then discuss and come to a consensus.
Important dates and reminders:
- Upper School Culture Clubs Hosting Lower School Students:
- Muslim Culture Club | March 11
- Jewish Culture Club | March 14
- Friday, March 15: Spring Break Begins- Dismissal at the end of Day
- Monday, April 1: School Re-opens
- Friday, April 12: Eid Potluck Dinner 6pm-8pm
- Wednesday, April 17th, 9:00-9:30 (following MFW): Family Visiting/Post Office
- Thursday, April 18th/ Friday, April 19th: Parent Conferences- no school for students
- May 10: Grandparents/ Special Friends Day
Post Office
1JB had a special visit from Natalia’s grandma last week! Edith brought in her wonderful stamp collection and taught students how to carefully get a stamp off envelope paper without breaking it. 1JB is so grateful for all the special visitors who have come to our classroom this year to share their stamp knowledge and collections with us!
Our stamps have officially been created! We are so proud of all the hard work that students have put into creating their stamps and we can’t wait to share them with you when the post office opens! As you can see from some pictures, our block area has started to transform into the post office! Last week students began to organize their stamps, create envelopes, and make the mailboxes for the offices and classrooms around the school. Ask your child which classroom or office they wrote the address of.
Check out how to fold an envelope to see how the students learned to make envelopes!
Writing
Students received their very own Words I Use When I Write dictionaries. These are dictionaries specifically made for young spellers as they use more high-frequency words in their writing. Each dictionary has a page of blank lines where students can add words that they use often in their writing. For example, if a student loves a certain sport or activity they may add the name of it into their dictionary so they can use it in their journal writing. Ask your child about what they wrote about in their journals. What words did they add to their dictionary?
This week during Writing students completed their All About books (also called How To Books). Each student picked a classroom material to write about and explain how to use. During this process, students learned how to go back and edit their work with a teacher. Asking questions like, did I start every sentence with a capital letter? Did I use punctuation? Did I check my dictionary for tricky words? Ask your child about the topic they wrote about.
Another activity students took part in this week was a writing activity dedicated to Women’s History Month. Students learned about a handful of inspiring women who have made an impact on the world, like Malala Yousafzai, Frida Kahlo, Katherine Johnson, and Wangari Maathai. Students also had the opportunity to discuss and share about women in their lives that they look up to or love. Ask your child about who they wrote about for our writing activity. Why does the woman inspire them?
Math
Children have continued to examine and learn about each coin individually. We learned the names, values, and fun facts about each. Since the silver coins are hard to distinguish, we had the children discuss ways they can identify the different coins. As students began to feel more comfortable with each coin, we practiced counting coins! Counting coins includes the skill of counting by 1s, 5s, 10s, and 25. We recommend that you practice these counting skills over break as well as studying and discussing the different coins. Some questions you can ask your child: “Can you show me the counting by 25 macarena dance?” “How many quarters make a dollar?” “How many quarters do I need to make $1.50?” “If I have 6 nickels, how much money do I have?”
Check out some students doing the Quarter Macarena!
Students also learned a game called Sparkle! Sparkle is a highly engaging game that’s great for building students’ skip-counting fluency. Most recently we have played a version where we count by 1s and if you get a number that is 5 or a multiple of 5, you have to say sparkle and sit down. (Using a number like 5 or 10 supports students’ ability to count coins like nickles and dimes). Eventually, two students are left, and they continue to count until one student is left standing! This is a cooperative practice game that requires listening skills. If you are with a large group of people, give this game a try!
Reading
This week students took turns reading aloud to one another. This activity supports students’ active listening skills, reading fluency, and provides opportunities for students to see what their peers are reading. Over spring break, you can look for opportunities for your child to read aloud to you or others!
Spelling
What have we been up to in FUNdations?
R-controlled Vowels: Ask your child to read this poster aloud to you. Why are these called r-controlled vowels?
Students continued to practice digraph blends. Examples of words with digraph blends are lunch & shrub.
These words also have four sounds. A digraph (ch, sh) is blended with another consonant. Ask your child about the word pinch. Can they find the digraph blend?
Trick words to practice: would, should, could
1JB Enjoying the beautiful weather!
Celebrating and Learning about Nowruz!
Thank you, Ali, Roxanne’s dad for visiting 1JB and teaching us all about Nowruz. Students learned about the different traditions and celebrations that happen during this special holiday. Following learning about Nowruz, Roxanne taught 1JB how to make spring crowns! Ask your child about how they made their crown. How does it represent the start of spring?
Another big thank you to Sisi for inviting 1JB to the Business office to learn about Nowruz. Students were able to see a decorated Haftseen and learn about the different elements on the table. Sisi even had goldfish on the table! Ask your child if they remember what goldfish represent during Nowruz.
Creative Computing with Katherine
This week during creative computing, students continued learning and programming their bee bot robots! The goal this time was to find the shortest and longest route for the bee bot. Ask your child if they were able to successfully find these routes with their partner.
St Patrick’s Day Celebration
What a way to end our Friday! Lilly’s mom Alexis came to 1JB to teach us about St. Patrick’s Day! 1JB learned about the history of St Patrick’s Day, words in Gaelic, and discussed how they would catch a leprechaun. Students all decorated their own festive glasses to wear on St. Patrick’s Day! What a blast!
