Newsletter March 29 - April 2

 It's been a minute since I have made an official blog post--we have one week and then it's Spring Break (April 5 -9). Here are are what's happening in our class:

• STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) night this Wednesday, March 31 from 6:30-7:30 on the grass area near the SUU Geoscience building.  This is a free event for parents and students.  These are a great opportunity for extra learning and fun--I have seen the other schools STEAM events that they seem to be "not to be missed" activity. 
• Kindergarten registration closes on March 31--if you have a kindergarten student please make sure they are registered by that date.  That early registration really helps with classes for next year. 
• On April 16 our school will be having a Time Capsule celebration on Friday April 16.  Please have your child wear their East Elementary t-shirt that day.  We will have cupcakes or a cookie, open the time capsule that was placed 20 years ago and celebrate 70 years of EAST elementary's existence!  We'll also be doing some activities before hand  like learning the school song and making a tile about "why East is great" for an art display.
• Scholastic book orders will come home tomorrow--They will be due Friday April 2 before we leave for Spring break.  Please use the online code and order that way if desired.
• Thanks to those that have sent extra masks after my pleas of making sure your child still has a mask for school.  Those have helped and I have already probably handed out 10 of those masks since they came in last week.  We can stick it out!! Thanks so much for your help there and encouraging wearing masks in school.  That's how we have been able to stay open :)
• If you are out and about and could donate some clorox or disinfecting wipes I'd appreciate that.  At the beginning of the year when I asked for that donation they were hard to find.  I am noticing that when I go to the store now they are usually stocked on the shelves.  If you could donate some for our class that would be helpful as we use those a lot (even on non-COVID years). 
• In our learning in math we learning about comparing numbers.  We first compared by finding the number that was "greater than" then we compared and found the number "less than" and now we are comparing numbers using symbols (>,<,=).  We learned that when we compare numbers we first look at the tens and then if necessary we look at the ones place.  
• In reading we started Unit 6 and are learning more ways to spell sounds.  We have learned about the "tricky" spelling and sound 'g' and /j/ and 'c' and /s/.  We have learned that these sounds both have a soft and hard sound and that when we are reading we try the "hard" sound first and then if the word does not make sense we switch to the soft sound (ex. gem --first try /g/ as in goat and when that doesn't make sense switch to the /j/  sound).  We will be writing another descriptive paragraph starting this week after we finish our Unit on Astronomy.  Students will describe "outer space".  We have also started a new reader called "Grace" and have read the first three stories.  These stories follow Grace and her family on their farm. 

I think that's it--if I have forgotten something I will send a REMIND.

I hope that you all have a nice, relaxing Spring Break!

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Armstrong

Newsletter March 8 - March 12

Groundhog art and paragraphs

 Sorry I missed last week with a newsletter--I am glad for REMIND so that I can send announcements that way in the absence of a newsletter.  I was very occupied with my son's state basketball tournament last week :). We are still super excited that we took STATE!

Here are this week's happenings:

• I still can't stress enough to put an extra mask in your child's backpack. Today I gave out 4 masks, thanks to Ethen's parents for providing a package of masks--otherwise I would have to send your child to the office to call home for one.
• Don't forget to read and return your child's take home books weekly--I try to remember to remind you on Wednesday night to return the books on Thursday, but again with the state tournament last week I did not get that reminder out.  We had several this week who did not get a new set of books.  This is such a great way to help with your child's reading fluency. I just read a quote where the jist of it said, "read with your child it helps them associate reading with love, connection and affection".  I believe that to be true.
• This is our final week of the third quarter.  I can't believe it honestly--this time last year we were shutting down schools.  I am so happy we have continued in school all year and it seems that we will continue all the way through the 4th quarter.  We have next Monday and Tuesday off (March 15 and 16) before we start the fourth quarter.  So in case you didn't get that--NO SCHOOL next Monday and Tuesday March 15 and 16!  Spring break will be the first week of April--April 5-9!
• In our learning we just started a unit on Astronomy.  Today we learned about the earth in relation to the sun.  We learned about the earth both rotating and revolving around the sun and learned a little bit about gravity. 
• In math we are modeling two digit numbers using tens and ones.  This knowledge will propel us to learning about comparing numbers using greater than, less than or equal to.... and then we will start adding and subtracting two digit numbers without regrouping.  
• In reading we have been reviewing different spellings for consonant sounds for example we can spell /j/ (sound) with j, g, or ge.  Today we learned the difference between an opinion and fact so that we can start writing opinion as well as descriptive paragraphs. We are reading about Kate, Nan, Jack and Max and their adventures out West in our reader "Kate's Book".  
• I sent home a scholastic reader (February).  The date has expired to order from my note attached, but I will take online orders for those until this Wednesday March 10.  I will send home March orders next week.  

Happy Reading, 

Mrs. Armstrong