Some News From Room 108

Hey Fabulous Families!

I can't believe it's Sunday already.  This weekend flew by...could it be the BEAUTIFUL weather?   I definitely wanted to spend as much time outside as possible because I have a feeling this beautiful weather is coming to a close.

Next week is conference week.  It is one of my favorite weeks of the year!  I love spending time talking about these awesome kids!    It's a busy week, that's for sure, but I believe it's time well-spent.   We do only have 15 minutes to talk so we need to be organized and focused.  I will be sharing with you what I have found out about your child and then we will discuss goals for your child.   If you have a goal or goals in mind when you come to the conference that would be GREAT!   That will help us use our time more wisely.   Also if you have ANY questions or concerns, please e-mail them to me in advance so I can be sure to have those answered for you (it might take a little research on my end).   You may choose to invite your child to the conference or you may just want an adults-only conference, I am comfortable with both formats so feel free to use the format that works best for you and your child.   If your child does not attend, you will have to do some goal setting with them at a different time.

I heard back from the majority of you about conference times.  Please keep those conference slips coming in so I have confirmation of the time that works for you.  I will send out a complete schedule on Monday when I've had a chance to see a few more of those slips.

I need to send a big SHOUT-OUT to Mr. Mac!  Ella's dad came on Friday and worked his magic on our computer.  The computer that hasn't worked for THREE long weeks is now back in business and better than ever!   I am sooooooooooo  excited!   Though the kids thought invisible writing was fun...it was driving me crazy!   So a huge, enormous, colossal,  humongous, tremendous, gigantic thank you (or as we like to say in Room 108, Merci) to Mr. Mac!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We learned a lot about pumpkins in our room last week.   We talk a lot about "schema" in our room.   I have noticed some of the kids saying the word in natural conversation these days (exciting!) so I thought I'd let you know what it means in our room.   We talk about how each reader brings something to the table when reading a book.   We don't come as a blank slate.   All the knowledge we bring to the book is called our "schema".  We like to think of it like a file folder.  So as a reader approaches a book, we look at the cover, we read the blurb on the back, we look at the author and we ask ourselves what we know about this book and subject already.  For example, we've been reading a lot about pumpkins.  So even before we read a new pumpkin book, we get out our file folder in our brain labelled pumpkins and look inside.  What do we already know about pumpkins?  What would you expect to be in a book about pumpkins? etc.   Then as we read we can check to see if we already knew that or do we have to add some information to our already established schema of pumpkins.  

Why in the world do we take this step?   Research shows that new learning is best attached to previous learning.   It is good to determine what you already know and what you have learned and file it, if you will, in the same location.  

Here is a great way for your child to share some of the pumpkin information with you!  I have subscribed to an AWESOME web site called Big Universe.   It is as if I've just added thousands of books to your home library!    Here is how to log in:

1.  Go to biguniverse.com

2.  To log in, you'll need three things:
username (your child's first name)
password:  northstar
group username:  carconjam

If you log-in, you'll see that I assigned the book "Pumpkins" to your child.   I encourage you to explore this book together and have your child show all that s/he has learned!   After you've finished that book, feel free to explore all this site has to offer.  I will assign books over the weekend that we've read in class.  I love making the home-school connection as strong as possible and I think this is one great way to do it!

As you may or may not know, the portal is not working again.  Next week, we will be getting new usernames and passwords as part of the new technology fix.   So I will again print out homework and send it your way.

Speaking of homework, we have had the MAJORITY of kids bringing it back on time.  However, not every one has...:(   Remember this is an important habit to establish as early on in the school career as possible.  Homework does not go away in the upper grades, in fact, students are required to do much more homework.  Please help your child get in the habit of homework early for great school success.   While there are not consequences yet for not bringing back homework (except for a poor homework grade), at the trimester's end, your child will be required to do lunch detention for not bringing back homework.

I must also applaud those students who are going ABOVE and BEYOND!   We had two kids bring their special Husky challenge books on Friday.  Big congrats to Anna and Austin!   They are researching such interesting things!  


We also celebrated Emma's 7th birthday this week!  Happy Birthday to Emma!  We have another birthday coming up this week!!  I'm sending out an early birthday wish to the sweet Addi-B!   We will be celebrating both girls' birthdays on Friday.

Keep working on your pumpkin book character project.  If possible, send the book with the pumpkin and we will have a great display to show to all!

Next week, we turn our studies to spiders!   Get the cobwebs off those schema folders....ask yourself, "What do I already know about spiders?".

Have an AWESOME week!
Carin