Announcements
Take Home Folders:
*Be sure to notice the Dorian Photography photo order form
for a CREW PICTURE on March 10th
-Auction Flier and Parent Info Meeting Flier
-Math Quiz and Family letter
-How to Make a Pulley (which we did with our 4th grade buddies!)
-Phonics Work
-and more!
Check out our Crew Art: Another reason to come to the REMS auction is to bid on this beautiful collection of "pinch pots" that our crew made with Ms. Staci. You can preview our crew art and other crew art next to the front office.
School Newsletter: Check out all the updates and announcements in this week's school newsletter including a note about healthy snacks, crew photo day, and a preview of what will be up for auction. School Newsletter Link.Thanks for staying updated!
(repeated from last time)
My Thoughts on the Auction Fundraiser:
Here is my personal plug for the Auction Fundraiser. :) Our school has done an amazing job with narrowing down the fundraisers to two a year- Renaissance Adventure Day (RAD Day) and an Auction Fundraiser. These have become meaningful and celebrated rituals of Renaissance. One of the things that I love most about these is how HUGE of an impact these have for students, teachers, and classrooms. When I first started teaching at Renaissance, there were only a few computers carts for the whole school--- now we have a computer or iPad cart in every classroom! This is so amazing to prepare students as digital learners. Another year, the money was used to purchase our white buses that allow our school to have more opportunities to do authentic fieldwork. WOW! I LOVE THAT RENAISSANCE FUNDRAISING DIRECTLY IMPACTS OUR LEARNERS! So money aside, this is a super fun night, where you get to dress up and connect with other Renaissance parents. Every year, my husband and I look forward to this evening. Please consider coming. It is such a great event for a great cause- your kids! I hope to see you there! Buy your tickets today!
REMS Auction, Save the Date!
When - Saturday, March 4th at Cielo
Theme - 1920's, Speakeasy - Dressing up is fun and we hope you do! But if that's just not you, that's ok too!
Where - Cielo At Castle Pines
Time 6 - 10 pm
Step back into the Roaring 20s to an exclusive speakeasy for our Renaissance Community! We'll have hors d'oeuvres & signature drinks to enjoy while you bid on awesome items and experiences in the Silent & Live Auctions including Teacher Time, Crew Art, exclusive Travel Packages, theme baskets & more!
Enjoy this adults-only event to visit with other Renaissance parents and our teachers and staff. Childcare will be available, provided by RSS! Whether you're looking to cut a rug on the dance floor, take pictures at the photo booth, or take home one of our prize packages, there's something for everyone while we support our school!
Tickets On Sale Now! Now through February 10th, individual tickets are $65 and couples tickets are just $85! For families and businesses that wish to sponsor our event, each level of sponsorship also includes event tickets for you and all your friends!
Scholastic News:
Class Order Due Date: 2/26
Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/YCRBR
Shop Digital Flyers for Our Grade with Your Child: https://clubs.scholastic.com/kindergarten
Please share the Class Page link to extended family and friends.
***All orders also earn FREE Books for our class. I love that our crew library grows from every order that is placed! Thank you for your support!
Class Code: YCRBR
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities:
-Teacher Helper Volunteers (at home projects- Thursday; in-classroom helper Friday morning; and iPad helper Friday afternoon)
Calendar
Fri 3/3: Community Reading 8:30-9am
Sat 3/4: REMS Auction Fundraiser 6-10pm (Adults Only)
Thur 3/9: Winter Hike at Plum Creek Trail
Fri 3/10: Crew Photo (Please make sure your child is present on this day)
March 13-24th: Spring Break
Crew Highlights
Learning Update:
In reading, we are beginning Unit 7 on Holidays and Celebrations. We have been practicing making three kinds of connections when we read: text to self, text to text, and text to world. Students are sharpening their skills of making meaningful connections of a story to their own lives, to another story, and to an event or thing that happens in the world. Additionally, we have talked about "Fix-Up and Monitoring Strategies" where readers will pause every so often to decide if they understand what they have been reading. If you do not understand what you have read, you can try rereading, asking yourself questions, or looking at the pictures & text features for clues. I model using "Fix Up and Monitoting Strategies" when I do a read alouds so that I can model the inner dialogue that a reader has when reading.
*Practice making all three types of connections when you read.
In writing, we have focused on how to begin a story. We used Knuffle Bunny as a mentor text to see how authors will use the setting to begin a story or use action to begin a story. Our writers continue to work on personal narratives with a beginning, middle, and end. To show the sequence of the story, we have practiced using the words first, then, and last. Additionally, students have been using speech bubbles to add more feeling words and character descriptions into their stories. How fun to see our writer trying so many new things in their writing!
*What is something new that you have tried in your writing? How did it go? Will you do that again or try something different in your next story?
Students uploaded a piece of writing to Seesaw today!
In Phonics, we have been working on the letter Dd. No new sight words were added this week, so that there would be some time to review jump, one, and, & you. Our crew has been working on phoneme addition and deletion. If I have the word dig, and I delete the d & add a b, I now have the word big. We will do this drill with a series of words: did, dig, dog, and so on. Additionally, we have been practicing the -an word family. "If you know -an, you know man, fan, pan, ran, tan, van, and so on.
In math, we have started our new VOLUME 2 workbooks, which begins with Session 16 on Understanding Addition. There is a lot of intentional work that we do with this, to build these foundational mathematical skills of addition. We use pictures, manipulatives, and number equations to deepen understanding. We build new vocabulary, so that students learn all the associated language (equation, equals, plus, add, addition, the plus sign, the equals sign, sum, and in all).
*Begin using these mathematical words at home to build familiarity. "If I add two more, how many will that equal?"
In expedition, our latest simple machine is the pulley. Our challenge began with "how do we raise and lower the flag?" Many students were earnest when they thought we had a tall ramp to get up there. :) Mr. Ken, our wonderful building engineer, gave us a demonstration of how he uses a crank (lever!) and a pulley to raise and lower the flag. Since then, we have been watching videos, reading books, and even making our own pulleys (with 4th grade buddies!) to deepen learning about this simple machine. Other examples of pulleys that we identified were the pulleys in the gym that Mr. Doug uses when we rock climb, the blinds, elevators, the blinds, and construction cranes. Next up, learning about gears. How can I open this can? What are other examples of gears?
*Go on a hunt at home for examples of gears or pulleys. Feel free to send me pictures!
Tuesday's challenge in expedition: How do we raise and lower the flag?
Mr. Ken, our amazing building engineer, demonstrated how he used a crank (lever!) and a pulley to raise and lower the flag.
Our crew made pulleys with their 4th grade buddies using a spool, pencil, yarn, cup, and little bears (the load).
*Many asked to bring these home, so I sent home copies in Take Home Folders.
Speaking of buddies, it was a highlight to see Ms. Kristen's Crew lead The Beat and present their learning about the geological history of Castle Rock.
Friday's Mystery Simple Machine... How can I open my can of beans?
With the GEARS, levers, and sharp point of a can opener.
Where else can we find gears?
On a bike!
*Send pictures if you find other examples of gear in your home!
My example writing on the board was "One gear spins another gear."
Check out this amazing scientist drawing!
"The gears make the wheel turn."
"I see gears at the park."
Such great evidence of learning!
Being Kind is Sweet!
It was a great week of noticing and celebrating kindness.
One day we collected examples of kindness and called them "Kindness Cookies."Another day we filled a "Kindness bucket."
Today we made a gigantic kindness icecream cone.
This is what it looked like after lunch, and it got even taller!
For more pictures, check out the link here:
Hope your weekend is filled with kindness!
Love, ~Ms. Lauren
Our crew made pulleys with their 4th grade buddies using a spool, pencil, yarn, cup, and little bears (the load).
*Many asked to bring these home, so I sent home copies in Take Home Folders.
Speaking of buddies, it was a highlight to see Ms. Kristen's Crew lead The Beat and present their learning about the geological history of Castle Rock.
