Spring News!!

Grade Level News Spring 2015

Preschool:

We have a wonderful group of children in preschool. Many friendships have been made. We love listening to the children’s conversations and watching them interact with each other. We have been busy learning our letters using the Lively Letters program. We are so impressed with the progress the children have made.  The children continue to progress in printing their names, drawing pictures and telling a story about their picture.  The children also continue to progress in learning to recognize their numbers, counting objects and they are beginning to learn the proper way to print numbers.  We have read many non-fiction books that have interested the children and they have gained new information about topic that we hope they have shared at home.  We also have introduced the children to poems and nursery rhymes.  The Preschool Team

Kindergarten:

The long awaited Spring is here!  We find ourselves approaching the final stretch of our school year.  The children have been working on How To and All About books in writing. Be sure to ask your child what they have been writing about in school.  In math we have been working on addition and subtraction with numbers to 10.  We will be becoming experts on 2-D and 3-D shapes in the weeks to come.  You will be able to ask your child how many faces and vertices a cylinder or rectangular prism has.  We are so proud of how hard they are working!

We have been reading about Poetry during our Interactive Read Aloud time.  The children have been very excited about it.   Please continue reading with your child each night.  It helps them improve on their reading.  Try reading two books each day; read one book to your child and then have your child read one book to you.  Remember to send the Reading Log back on Fridays and continue to check the “Family Times” each week for new sight words, skills and activities.

The snow has finally melted in the playground, and we will be going out to recess whenever the weather permits.  We have been learning about the weather over the last several months.  So you can check the weather with your child each morning and make sure your child has the appropriate jacket/clothing, as some days are still a bit chilly outside.  We look forward to seeing families at our upcoming end of year picnic and show.  Please check your child’s folder each night for important notices and information about these important end-of-year activities.        The Kindergarten Team

First Grade:

As we leave the long, cold winter behind, and await the warmth of spring, the first graders are busy learning and exploring.  We have started a new math module looking at organizing data, solving for difference unknowns, and justifying if equations are true or false.  These are just a few of the standards being addressed this term.  Students are busily discussing their mathematical strategies and providing evidence to support their understanding.  This can be seen in their oral and written work.  These conversations can continue at the dinner table while completing homework.  You’ll be amazed how much your child is becoming an expert in the field of mathematics.

            The first graders continue their amazing journey in writing.  In Writer’s Workshop, students are looking at writing their own versions of folktales and fairytales.  They are getting to be creative to imagine their own twists on classic fairytales and folktales.  We’re having a great time exploring this genre of writing.

In reading, we are comparing and contrasting fairy tales and folktales. The first graders are examining what is the same and different with some of our classic stories.  While reading these stories, some of the essential questions students are keeping in mind are:  How does thinking about the author’s words help us understand characters and theme? How do authors construct their texts about the same topic or theme?  These questions and a simple “Tell me about your story” are conversations that can be extended from the classroom to reading at home.

            As always, thank you for your support.  Go Red Sox!   The First Grade Team

Second Grade:

Spring is almost here! We know it's coming soon!  The 2nd graders have been working hard finishing up another unit in math that focused on place value with 3 digit numbers, addition and subtraction story problems, greater than/ less than and number patterns. We are now starting a brand new unit on Time, Fractions & money review!  This will be an exciting one! We can't wait to get into it!

In reading we are starting a new unit on Folktales and Fairy Tales and we happen to be writing our own as well. The kids are brainstorming ideas using all the elements of fairy tales and folk tales that they are learning now and they are beginning to write some pretty interesting stories. We are pretty talented authors in the 2nd grade! We have completed our very cool science unit on insects and we are starting up with Solids, Liquids and Gases very soon! We are looking forward to learning as much as we can in Science. It has been an awesome!

We are loving 2nd grade and as we near the end of another successful year we want to thank you for your support and remind our students how important it is to stay focused on what we need to accomplish every day. We are getting ready to become 3rd graders and we have a big job ahead of us.  Thank you for sending in supplies, as you know we go through these on a weekly basis. Tissues, GermX, Pencils have all been welcome additions to our classrooms. We appreciate you so very much!  Remember to study those math facts. Remember to read every night. Remember how awesome you are!  Happy (Almost) Spring, and we hope to see you all soon!   The 2nd Grade Team

Third Grade:

This is a busy time of year for Third Grade.  We took our ELA MCAS test on the 31^st of March and April 1^st.  Third grade teachers are so proud of their students who worked hard all year and are now showing off what they have learned.

On April 9, we had an in-school field trip called Farm to Factory.  National Park Rangers from the Boott Mills will come to visit our classrooms and teach students about life during the Industrial Revolution right here in Lowell.  Our follow up field trip will be in May, when we visit the Boott Mills for the Change in the Making program.  This field trip has always been a big hit with our students, and we are sure this year will be no different.  There’s so much incredible history in our community.

In Math, we have finished our fraction module and are diving right into our multiplication and division module, focusing on two-part story problems, area and perimeter.  It is important that students continue practicing facts at home so they know their facts by heart.
In ELA, we are beginning a module on Historical Fiction.  We will be working in literature circles, reading fictional stories set in the past.

Please make sure your child is reading every night.  By this point in the school year, third grade students should be reading for a minimum of 30 minutes each night.  Reading Log is considered part of your child’s homework.  It needs to be signed every night in order for your child to get credit.  April vacation is the week of April 20-24.  This will be a well-deserved break for your hard-working little ones.  It’s hard to believe we are heading into the last stretch of the school year.  We are having a great year!  The Third Grade Team

Fourth Grade

McAuliffe School fourth graders have been hard at work this winter.  We are looking forward to opening up windows, breathing in fresh air, outdoor recess in the park and a good amount of sunshine on our faces.  Fourth grade students are hard at work learning Multiplication and Division. We appreciate your continued support on encouraging students to study multiplication facts each evening.  Please give your children a hug and a high five for a job well done completing ELA MCAS testing.  Students worked hard using the strategies practiced throughout test preparation. With ELA MCAS complete, we are now ready to tackle MATH in May.  We have a bit of work to do before then but soon enough we will be saying, “Bring it on!”  Fun filled end of the year activities have been planned for our hardworking fourth graders.  Please stay tuned for information regarding these activities.  As always, remember to check our school blog and listen to the Sunday night message.  Check you child’s school bag for homework and notices.

                                                                                               

The Fourth Grade Team

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