Level Updates

 Kindergarten

Wow, we are reading and writing so much these days! It is amazing to see what we have accomplished. We are enjoying our science unit and looking forward to learning even more about living things over the next few weeks. Our school and our level have lots of exciting events coming up. Please be on the lookout for a Save the Date sheet from your child's K teacher soon!

Primary

It really feels like spring has sprung in the primary classes. There is lots of excitement and energy! Kids are already asking for double recess but that is an exception to the rule. We have so much learning to do:-) 

We continue to work to practice and improve our reading. Please remember to have your kids read each day. They will love showing off to you and discussing their stories. As sports practices start up make it a routine to get some home reading time in. Don't forget that just because your child is getting more proficient at reading, they will love to hear you read to them as well. In writing, we have been revisiting true small moment stories again and adding more details and different ways to bring our stories to life. Please notice all the moments that happen at home that would make a good story. Following this unit, we will be learning opinion writing and the kids will be very persuasive as they write stories about the best and worst topics to them. 

In math, younger friends are continuing adding and subtracting with increasingly challenging numbers and problems. Knowing their facts will help them put their energy into the problem solving they will be doing. Please practice facts with your child. Older friends are continuing to work at adding and subtracting numbers while focusing on bigger numbers, for example, 3 digit numbers. While you are in the car or waiting in a line, give your child a 3 digit number like 567 and ask them questions like, "What is this number if we add 20 more? Or 300 less? or 40 more." Our goal is for children to be doing this in their heads by the end of the year, but some students may need to use resources for a little while. Practicing counting to 1000 is also a fun way to engage with your child! 

Our current planner is Who We Are, and the central idea is in nature living things have traits that help them survive. The lines of inquiry are patterns in animals and offspring, animals supporting their young and how humans mimic plants and animals to survive. We will have fun learning about different animals and plants. We even have a field trip in the pipeline in support of this planner. More information will be coming soon. Enjoy the newness that is springtime!

Elementary

Recently, the Elementary level classes started a planner titled “Rock the Boat”. This unit looks at how people have generated change when met with an obstacle. Students will be learning about different figures throughout history, the change that person inspired, and why the change was needed. Some topics that will be learned about include women’s rights and the suffrage movement, the Underground Railroad, and local historical figures such as Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglas. Many classes will be doing a book study on biographies at the same time as this unit. We will finish the year with two science related planners.

Currently classes are preparing themselves for the New York State test, which will be computer based this year. The English Language Arts tests will be on April 15 & 16. The math test will be given on April 29 & 30. Students will need their Chromebooks for those tests. Students are familiarizing themselves with the test taking genre.

Intermediate

This past month our intermediate students have been working on a unit called, “Artifacts tell a Story.” In this inquiry unit, we have been learning about the Columbian Exchange, Silk Road, and the Middle Passage. We have tracked trade routes, analyzed and interpreted maps, simulated the Columbian exchange, and did a jigsaw presentation about explorers.

Looking forward, our 6th graders will be starting their exhibition projects and finalizing their central idea and lines of inquiry. The 5th graders will be doing their science exam prep for the upcoming test!

In math, the fifth graders have been learning about multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals. We have learned how to draw arrays to solve multiplication problems, can draw pictures to solve division problems, and have learned how to change improper fractions to mixed numbers. Our sixth graders are working on algebra, variables and patterns, and have been refreshing their area and perimeter skills.

For ELA, we have been working on understanding the author's purpose, text structure, theme, and figurative language. We are also working on NYS ELA test preparation and learning how to properly answer questions by restating and using complete sentences with appropriate punctuation. Some classes have been doing whole group read-alouds, and some have been working in student led reading groups! Our next unit after the state test is narrative writing!

Upcoming Tests:
NYS ELA Test: April 15 & 16th
NYS Math Test: April 29 & 30th

Special Areas

Spanish

We are finishing up our planner about clothing. Next, we will be learning how to describe ourselves in Spanish. Our goals are:
Kindergarten: Say our name, age, and favorite color.
Primary: Share name, age, hair, and eye color.
Elementary: Write about name, age, hair and eye color, along with an adjective and likes.
Intermediate: Present to the class a description of our name, age, likes, and description. They will also answer questions in Spanish about what their classmates have presented.

Be sure to check your child’s google classroom for Spanish resources