Newsletter

Week Of:

May 4 – May 8

Hi Parents! Welcome to Mr. Mandru’s weekly blog. Each week you will be able to click this link to find information for the upcoming week.

Reading Strategies

-     “Eagle eye” (using pictures to help sound out a word)

-     “Skippy Scott” (Skip over unknown words, then come back to them)

-     “Lips the fish” (look at the first letter of the word, Get your lips ready to make the letters sound)

-     “Stretchy snake” (stretch out the sounds of the word)

-     “Elephant Ears” (Listen to the word. Does it sound right?)

-     “Turtle talk” (Sound out the word slowly. Blend the sounds together.)

-     Daily 5-

Read to self

Read to someone

Word Work

Computers/Listening center

Work on writing

Phonics

“al”

Grammar-

“opposites and antonyms”

Vocabulary- Life Cycles- Ladybug

 Fragile

Hibernate

Aphid

Larvae

Pupa

Pollen

Antennae

Spelling Words

bad

vet

fact

all

talk

walk

small

made

their

beanstalk

(Test May 8^th)

Math

We will then begin our unit on Geometry. Students will focus on the following:
Identifying Plane Shapes, Making Organized Lists (with shapes), Building with shapes, 
Making New Shapes from Shapes, Identifying Solid Figures, Flat Surfaces and Vertices, 
Sorting Solid Figure and Building with Solid Figures...

(Test- May 19^th)

Please have your student continue working on their facts. Xtramath is a great way to do this. It also allows me to track their progress. Please let me know if you need the information for accessing it through your computer or personal iPads.

Homework-Purple folder

There will be a math sheet for homework every night (unless there is a test or review). There will also be a reading sheet in your student’s folder. Please write down the title of a book that your student read. They do not need to finish the book.

IPADS

We have received our iPads again!!!

At this point, we will review the technology skills and apps from earlier in the year.

We will then move into introducing/applying new skills and apps.

Ask your child about our iHatch Chickens app.

(If your student does not have this app, please let me know. I will download it next week)

In school- We are using the apps Raz-kids, Nearpod, Starfall, Xtramath and Dictionary for kids. These apps are assisting students with their reading and comprehension skills. Please feel free to use these at home.

At home

-     Chargers should remain at home until otherwise instructed.

-     Ipads should be returned in their ziplock bag daily.

-     Please have your student charge their Ipads the night before school.

This is a pilot year. Therefore, there will be some problems and kinks we need to work out. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. I will do my best to help!

Reminders/notes

Our chick/life cycle unit is underway! During this unit students will learn about the growing process of a baby chick and many other animals/insects/plants. We will discuss the different stages each animal/insect/plant will go through. During this unit we will incorporate other academic areas. We will compare and contrast, make graphs, discuss life cycles, etc.

We will also hatch baby chicks in our classroom. Students will be able to see the beginning to a life cycle first hand!

We are currently on day 10 of a 21 day cycle.

Please continue to discuss these life cycles with your child.

-     Early dismissal- May 15^th- Students will be dismissed at 12:00

-     Author visit- Aaron Reynolds- May 22^nd

-     No School- May 25th

Have a Great Weekend!