• Thursday March 2nd - Early Release

  Friday Marc,h 3rd - No School for Students; Kindergarten Orientation

  April 3-7: Spring Break, No School

• Please have your learner return their library books the day BEFORE they have library to ensure they are able to check out new books! Days to return books:

• Ms. Altman: Friday
• Ms. Alfaro: Friday
• Ms. Ahmad: Monday
• Ms. Strong: Tuesday
• Ms. Bowser: Tuesday

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will engage in research projects using different sources of information.
• Students will discuss the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts

HOME PRACTICES

• Check out nonfiction books from the library - talk about the different text features they notice (tables, maps, diagrams, etc.)
• Explore topics of interest - if your learner is interested in cats, check out different books about cats and discuss what they learn from the books!

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will learn about fractions, specifically halves and fourths
• Students will learn about data and how to represent findings using bar graphs, picture graphs, and tables

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk about fair shares using food or toys. Practice using vocabulary words such as halves and fourths when dividing things.
• Allow your learners to interview friends and family members. Then, encourage them to turn their findings into graphs and tables.

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will learn about the relationship between money and savings
• Students will learn about animals - their needs, body coverings, and habitats

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk to your learner about the importance of saving money
• Observe different animals in your neighborhood - where do they live? Where do you think they get their food?

February

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are learning to write realistic fiction books.
• Students are learning to have conversations about books with a partner

HOME PRACTICES

• Create stories together about things that have not happened (e.g. What would happen if Ms. Yac let us bring pets to school?)
• Read with your learner and talk about your favorite parts of the books, how the characters changed, or what you predict will happen next.

January

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Reading and writing different styles of poetry

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice Nursery Rhymes
• Practice rhyming words
• Review letters and letter sounds
• Practice blending words using materials given at Literacy Night
• Reread and self-correct when something doesn’t make sense

December

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will write All About books, showcasing their knowledge of a particular topic
• Students are analyzing text features in nonfiction books
• Students will be exposed to different types of poetry.
• Students will create their own poems

HOME PRACTICES

• Go to your local library and check out nonfiction books
• Have students practice writing about what they know
• Sing nursery rhymes at home and point out rhyming words
• Look at rhyming words or patterns in story books

February

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are reviewing addition and subtraction up to 10.
• Students are learning to break apart numbers in many ways

HOME PRACTICES

• Review addition and subtraction facts at home (e.g. 4 + 3 = 7, 8= 4 + 4, etc.)
• Give students a number and ask them to show it in many ways ( 10 = 5 + 5, 10 = 7 + 3)

January

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Counting forward to 110 and backwards from 30 in and out of sequence
• Skip counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s
• Understanding place value by grouping objects into groups of tens and ones
• The difference between a digit and the value of a digit in a 2 digit number

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice counting forwards and backwards starting at any number
• Practice skip counting groups of objects by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s
• Grouping objects in groups of 2’s, 5’s, 10’s and skip counting them
• Estimating how many there are of the same thing (ex. How many apples are in the basket? Why do you think that?)
• Identify patterns in numbers on a hundred’s chart

December

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are identifying and describing 2-D shapes in their environment
• Students are identifying and creating growing patterns using shapes
• Students are counting numbers 1-100
• Students are adding and subtracting 1-10

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice counting forwards and backwards
• Create patterns using objects at home such as toys or food
• Look for patterns in your environment - routines at home, weather, decorations, etc. 
• Talk about what more and less means (ex: Is 6 more or less than 5?)
• Talk about plus and minus

February

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Plant and animal responses to seasonal changes
• The history of Virginia, looking at the Jamestown colony

HOME PRACTICES

• When walking outside ask your learner to identify the signs of winter - no leaves on trees, seeing fewer animals, colder weather
• Discuss how life has changed in Virginia since Jamestown

January

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Science - Force/Motion and Sound
• Social Studies - Geography and Jamestown

HOME PRACTICES

• Practice observing force and motion in your home environment

December

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will identify changes to the plants, animals, and human behavior in winter
• Students will identify the difference between wants and needs
• Students will identify the difference between goods and services

HOME PRACTICES

• Observe how the weather changes as we move into winter - what are animals and plants doing differently? What does your family do differently in winter?
• Discuss what a want is versus a need
• When you are shopping, identify a good and a service you see

November

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will be able to identify nonfiction texts.
• Students will be able to identify nonfiction text features
• Students will write about a nonfiction topic.

HOME PRACTICES

• Check out nonfiction books from your local library
• Talk about the difference between fiction and nonfiction books

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to identify story elements in fictional texts (characters, setting, plot)
• In writing, we are learning to write small moment narratives. 

HOME PRACTICES

• After reading, ask your learner about the characters, setting, and events from the story.
• Encourage your learner to write a story about a specific moment from their life such as playing a game, eating a special meal, or going to the park

October

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to identify story elements in fictional texts (characters, setting, plot)
• In writing, we are learning to write small moment narratives. 

HOME PRACTICES

• After reading, ask your learner about the characters, setting, and events from the story.
• Encourage your learner to write a story about a specific moment from their life such as playing a game, eating a special meal, or going to the park

September

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to point to each word as we read.
• We are learning spelling strategies.
• We are learning to ask and answer questions about fiction stories.

HOME PRACTICES

• After reading a story together, ask your learner about the characters, where the story took place, and what happened in the story.
• Encourage your learner to point to words as they read.

November

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students will be able to identify 2D shapes
• Students will be able to sort shapes by their attributes

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk about different shapes you see at home and outside
• Sort objects at home by their shape

October

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning addition and subtraction. 
• Students are learning what it means when something is equal. 

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk about equal amounts of things around the house such as fruits, toys, doors, windows, etc.
• Practice adding and subtracting up to 10.

September

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning to count forwards and backwards.
• We are learning to order sets of objects from least to greatest.

HOME PRACTICES

• Students can count their toys or pieces of food at meals. 
• Count down to the start of an activity. 
• Compare sizes of objects around home or when out shopping. Questions to ask: which has more? Which has less?

November

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Students are learning about the qualities of a good leader
• Students are learning about how plants and animals change during Fall

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk about how your student can be a good leader
• Observe how plants are changing as we get into Fall

October

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• We are learning about being a citizen of Virginia. Students are identifying symbols of Virginia (cardinal, dogwood, flag).
• Science is focused on seasonal changes, plants, and animals.

HOME PRACTICES

• When outside, see if your student can spot our state bird (it’s red!) or our state tree (it has white flowers!)
• As the season changes, ask your student how they know it is fall. Do they see different colored leaves? Do they notice squirrels collecting more nuts?

September

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING

• Social Studies: We are learning about what it means to live in Virginia. 
• Science: We are learning about our environment, focusing on plants and animals.

HOME PRACTICES

• Talk to your learner about the place they live and what it means to them. Also discuss other meaningful places such as a friend or family member’s house, another country, another state, etc. 
• Science: when outside, ask students what they see, smell, hear, taste, and touch. Talk about how to be safe with plants and animals we don’t know.