Library Field Trip Was a SUCCESS!

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you all had a wonderful day!

We had a great time on our field trip to the library.  The students did a fabulous job and we got a huge compliment from our tour guide about how quiet and respectful they were throughout the library.

Nonfiction Scavenger Hunt

We have been learning about different nonfiction text features.  Your child should be able to identify and tell the purpose of a table of contents, heading, photograph/caption, close-up, comparison, diagram, framed text, chart/table, glossary, and index.  After learning about these we have been going on a scavenger hunt to find examples of these features in books.  

Math

We have been enjoying reading a variety of fables this week.  Yesterday, we read Mousetropolis (a variation of The City Mouse and the Country Mouse).  We had a challenging two-part word problem to solve in math.  The kids persevered and solved both parts in their partnerships!

Writing

In writing, we are working on writing our own fables!  I have heard several kiddos say how much they are enjoying this!  We talked about that if we are changing up a fable that it is called a fractured fable.  We read Go, Pete, Go! today which is a fractured from the fable The Tortoise and the Hare.

All the kids looked so cute dressed as fable characters today!

November Book It Form Due 

As a reminder, the November Book It form is due by Friday, December 2.  If your child participated please make sure that this form gets turned in.  I will send home the December Book It Sheet tomorrow.

Wear a Pair, Give a Pair

The collection of pajamas for The Rainbow House continues through Friday.  As a reminder, if your child donates a pair of pajamas then s/he can wear pajamas on Friday!  The kids are enjoying getting to go and see their kindergarten teacher when they bring in pajamas.

Weather

Brrrr!!!  The weather has definitely shifted & you can feel winter in the air.  Please make sure that your child is coming to school with a winter coat, hat, gloves/mitten, etc. The playground is windy and cold without any windbreakers. The students also get cold going to buses and waiting at Parent Pick Up.

Have a wonderful evening and stay warm!

Mrs. Ross

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break.  It feels like I have been gone for a really long time.  It was so nice to get back into the routine of school today (I had a meeting yesterday).  I had a WONDERFUL report from the substitutes.  I'm very proud of the kids.  Holiday weeks, as well as the Monday after a holiday can be crazy, but they were rock stars!

Here are just a few reminders for tomorrow!  :)

Just a quick reminder that we have 2 fun activities tomorrow.

• Tomorrow is fable dress up day!  Your child can dress up as a character from a fable.  Some examples are: pig or wolf (from The 3 Little Pigs), tortoise or hare (from The Tortoise & the Hare), ant or grasshopper (from Ant and the Grasshopper), Little Red Hen and other characters (from The Little Red Hen), etc.
• We have a field trip tomorrow to Daniel Boone Regional Library.  We will not be at school from about 8:50 to 10:30.  If you returned a Library Card Application by November 15 – your child received his/her Library Card today.  If the application was turned in after November 15, your child will receive his/her Library Card in the mail.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Have a wonderful evening!

Mrs. Ross

Happy Friday

Happy Friday!

I hope you have all had a wonderful week!  It was nice to be back on a relatively normal schedule with a full 5 day school week!  Please take the time to read this post, there is a lot of important information included.

Science

Today we continued our conversation about states of matter.  A few weeks ago we learned that there are 3 states of matter: solid, liquid and gas.  We discussed that the atoms/molecules of a solid are packed together, the atoms/molecules of a liquid are less packed and take the shape of the container, and the atoms/molecules of a gas are the least packed and can only be contained in a sealed container.  We also learned that an item can change states of matter by adding or removing heat.

We did a YUMMY science experiment today about when you have a solid (ice cream) and you add a liquid (ice cream) it makes a gas (bubbles).  After the kids, charted their prediction and results, they were able to enjoy their science experiment!

 Fables

This week we have worked hard on being able to identify a fable, what a fable typically has in it (chart below), and being able to explain the morals of fables we have read.

Fable Week is November 28-December 2.  On Wednesday, November 30, it will be Fable Character Dress Up Day.  Today we brainstormed a list of characters that the kiddos could dress up as.  We talked about if they have another idea of a character that they could definitely dress up as that character, but it is important that they are able to identify the fable that their character is from.

Here is the list that we came up with: 

Junior Achievement

We had our 2nd Junior Achievement class today.  They learned about productions and creating "good" products.  They created "donuts" and learned that it is important to make sure that all donuts are created the same.  Both our Junior Achievement volunteer and I went around to determine which donuts could be sold and which didn't mean the requirements.  The students were surprised how many weren't able to be sold.  Here are some pictures of them making their donuts.

No School/No Homework

We only have 2 days of school next week due to Thanksgiving Break.  There is no Adventure Club next week (so please make sure that your child knows how s/he is getting home on Monday and Tuesday).  If your child will not be at school next week please let me know and the office know.  Due to the short week, we will not have homework next week.

Next Week

• Math: We are continuing to work on +10/+100.
• Reading: We will be working on summarizing and reading fun Thanksgiving books.
• Social Studies: We will comparing and contrasting Colonial and current clothing and work.
• Word Study: We will not have a test next week, but we will be practicing spelling Thanksgiving words.
• Writing: We will pretend to be turkeys and create an advertisement/opinion piece about what food should be eaten on Thanksgiving besides turkey.  

Lost & Found Abundance

There is an abundance of items that has been placed in Lost and Found since we started school in August.  These items will be packaged up and donated to Salvation Army on December 20 (last day before Winter Break).  Please come & take a look through Lost & Found to see if your son/daughter is missing anything.

Recess Attire
Oh my goodness was there a significant temperature drop today!  I think fall (and even winter) temperatures are definitely upon us.  Please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.  There were a lot of cold kids headed to buses and at parent pick up today.  As a reminder, if it is under 44 degrees, they need a winter coat.  If it is between 45-59, they need a light jacket or sweat shirt.  Even when it was 55 degrees today at their lunch recess, it was chilly with the wind.  The kids have more fun at recess if they aren't cold.  :)

Emily Arrow
Emily Arrow will be here in less than a month!  Our RBE Literacy Night is December 7 at Woodcrest Church at 6 p.m.  RBE students will have an assembly on December 9.  Mrs. McKinzie has created a Padlet with links to all the Emily Arrow videos.  They kids love singing along!  Here is the link.

Food Drive
The Meals on Wheels Food Drive runs through November 29.  Second grade is collecting peanut butter.  The RBE Service Club will be packing Snow Days packs at their next meeting.  These are helpful for Meals on Wheels recipients because they are things they can cook themselves when Meals on Wheels isn't able to make deliveries.

PJ Drive
Kindergarten is collecting PJ's for Rainbow House.  They are collecting them November 28-December 2.  The slogan for the PJ Drive is "Give a Pair, Wear a Pair," so if you child donates PJ's, they can wear PJ's on December 2.  It is for a great cause.  Thanks in advance for donations!

I will not be here next week, as I am chaperoning the Hickman High School Band trip.  I have gone over expectations with the students and I know they will have a fun filled 2 days with the substitute, Ms. Mottaz and her class.  We also briefly went over the activities they will be doing next week.  Please make sure to let the office know if your student is not going to be here or is going home a different way (akorschgen@cpsk12.org or rball@cpsk12.org).  I will be checking my email on the trip, but not as regularly as I do when I'm at school.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break.  I can't wait to hear about all the fabulous food the students ate when I get back.

Have a wonderful week and Thanksgiving!

Mrs. Ross

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!

Just a mid-week updates and some reminders :)

Next Week
If you student will not be here next week, please let me know as well as the office.  Also, if your student is going home a different way either day, please make sure to let myself and the office know.

Recess Attire
It is definitely getting chillier and I think fall is upon us.  Please make sure your student has appropriate attire for recess.  As a reminder if it is between 45-59 degrees, they need at least a sweatshirt or light jacket.  If it is below 44 degrees, they need a winter coat.  We base this on the feels like temperature or windchill at our recess times.

Math Manipulatives
A company donated A LOT of manipulatives to the district so they made kits for each student in the elementary schools.  I sent these kits home yesterday.  They can be used to help with homework if needed.  These kits are for the students to keep and do not need to be returned at the end of the year.

Crazy Hair Day
Friday is a school wide spirit day.  It is Crazy Hair Day!  I can't wait to see all the crazy hairstyles on Friday.


Food Drive
Our Meals on Wheels food drive runs through November 29.  Second grade is collecting smooth peanut butter (please no crunchy).  If you would like to donate, please send in the peanut butter with your student and they can put it on he table across from the office.

PJ Drive
Kindergarten is sponsoring a PJ Drive. If you would like to donate a pair of new pajamas to Rainbow House, please send them in with your student the week of November 28.  If your student donates a pair of pajamas, they may wear pajamas on December 2.  The flyer is below.


Have a wonderful day!

Mrs. Ross

100% WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

100% Attendance for Parent Teacher Conferences!  That's awesome!  Thank you so much to all the parents for coming to meet with me!  I know I gave you a lot of information in a short period of time, as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know!

I will be super glad to be able to enjoy a full week of school next week!  This week was a short week and was full of schedule changes - so I am (and so are the kids) looking forward to a regular week.

This week, we talked about the voting process in social studies; reviewed what belongs in a small moment story, thought of an idea for our next personal narrative and started writing our second small moment story; and talked about patterns when adding +10 to a number.

Learning for Next Week:

• Reading: We will be starting a Fable Unit.  On December 2, we will have an assembly. Talking Horse production will be coming to RBE and present the "The Tortoise and the Hare."  The week of November 28-December 2 will be Fable Week!!!  I am very excited about this week, but to get the kids ready for this week we will building a foundation of what a fable is.  We will be discussing traits of a fable (chart below), morals, and how the problem of the story is related to the moral.
• Math: We will continue to look at adding +10 and +100.
•  Writing: We will be finishing up our second small moment story next week.  Today, we went over the rubric (below) that we will be using to grade their more independent small moment story.  Our goal is for this piece of writing to be completely finished by the end of next week.

• Science: We will be continuing our conversation about states of matter from last week.  We have a super fun (and yummy) science experiment that the kiddos will get to enjoy that includes a solid, liquid and a gas.
• Word Study: Our spelling words next week are focusing on long a vowel patterns of CVCe & ai.  Next weeks words are: blame, snake, fame, taste, brain, paint, chain, wait, main & stare (stare is an oddball word).

No School Tomorrow

We do not have school tomorrow due to Parent/Teacher Conferences.

Junior Achievement

We started Junior Achievement on Wednesday.  This is a program where local business people volunteer their time to come teach the students about economics.  The second grade topic is "Our Community."  Our volunteer, Mrs. Cutler, had a conversation with the students about community, needs, wants and jobs.  The students learned about different jobs in a community and then played a fun game to learn about why all the jobs are needed.  We have 4 more classes with Mrs. Cutler.

Meals of Wheels Food Drive

Remember to be sending in peanut butter for the food drive.  The food drive runs through November 29.  The goal this year is to make 125 Snowy Day bags for Meals on Wheels clients when there is inclement weather. Thank you for your support of Meals of Wheels!

Book Fair

If you were unable to make it to the Book Fair this week (Hours Today:  Hours Tomorrow:) and would like to purchase books you can order online through November 12.  Click here to order online.

Emily Arrow Literacy Night

The Emily Arrow Literacy Night is December 7th at 6:00 - Woodcrest Chapel (to accommodate more people).  Please let us know if you & your family are planning on attending Emily Arrow Literacy Night by filling out the online RSVP.  At the bottom of the RSVP there is also a spot for you pre-order signed CD.

Have a fabulous weekend and again, a HUGE thank you for coming to Parent Teacher Conferences.  I enjoyed getting to share all your student's hard work!

Mrs. Ross

Veterans Day Assembly

Happy Wednesday!

I just wanted to share the wonderful pictures and videos from our Veterans Day assembly today.  Mrs. Sharp organized an amazing assembly to honor Veterans and the students did a fabulous job performing their patriotic songs.

The students sang two songs with Ms. Mottaz's class and then sang one song with K-5.  I think they did a great job and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Ross/Mottaz Song 1

Ross/Mottaz Song 2

K-5 Song

Library Card Applications

Just a reminder if your student is interested in getting a library card, please send in their application by November 15.  They aren't required to do this at all, it is optional.

Progress Reports

I will be giving out progress reports at conferences.  If you would like your child's progress report before their conference, please let me know.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Mrs. Ross

Happy Friday!

It was a busy week and next week will be a crazy week with only 3 days of school.  :)  Lots of information in this post, check it out!

No School
As a reminder, we do not have school on Tuesday, November 8 due to Election Day.  We also, do not have school on Friday, November 11 due to conferences.

Veteran's Day Assembly
We have a Veteran's Day Assembly on Wednesday, November 9.  The students will be performing at the 9:30 assembly if you would like to come.  Please have our student wear red, white and blue on Wednesday.  Today, we made cards to be given to veterans on Veteran's Day.

Conferences
I am looking forward to meeting with everyone at conferences.  Please check the conference time in your student's Friday folder.  All times have been confirmed, but I also understand schedules change.  If you are unable to make your scheduled time, please let me know and we will reschedule.  My goal is 100% attendance for conferences!

Book Fair
During Conference Week, we have the Scholastic Book Fair.  It will be in the media center again this year.

• Monday: 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
• Friday: 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

We will be going on Monday for the students to preview the book fair and make wish lists.  These will be available in the library.

Library Field Trip
We will be going on a field trip to the Daniel Boone Regional Library on Wednesday, November 30.  We will be going in the morning and return before lunch.  The students get to see the different areas of the library and learn about different activities offered at the library.  They will also have an opportunity to get a library card if they fill out and return the form.  I will send the forms home next week and if you would like your student to receive a card on the day of the field trip, the form needs to be returned by November 15.  It is a fun field trip.

No Homework
Due to the shortened week next week, we will not have homework.  Even though we don't have official homework, I recommend still practicing math facts and spelling words.   We have the same spelling words for next week as we did this week.  They are which, lots, tall, spend, club, vote, rule, save, wipe, space.

PJ Drive
Kindergarten is doing a pajama drive at the end of November.  There is information in your student's Friday folder.

Food Drive
RBE Service Club is doing our annual food drive for Meals on Wheels.  Each grade level has a different item to bring in and then RBE Service Club will create "Snow Day" bags for Meals on Wheels recipients so they have food when Meals on Wheels isn't able to deliver food.  2nd grade's item is Peanut Butter (no crunchy please).  If you would like to donate, please send the peanut butter in with your student and they can put them on the tables outside the office.  Thank you in advance for your donations.

Crazy Hair Day
Our next spirit day is November 18.  It is Crazy Hair Day.  I can't wait to see all the crazy hair we will have.

Solids, Liquids and Gases
We started our next unit in science this week.  It is learning about States of Matter.  We did a fun movement activity today to introduce solids, liquids and gases.

 First, they were a solid.  Since solids are very tightly packed, they were also.  More of them couldn't move. 

 Then, they started moving just a little bit and became a liquid.  Even though they could move, they had to "take the shape" of their container, which meant, they had to stay on the carpet.

Then, they became gases and moved around the room.  We discussed how heat can go almost anywhere it wants to go.  It takes the shape and stays in the container if the container is sealed, but if it isn't, the gas can "come and go as it pleases."

We had a brief discussion about how adding or taking away heat can cause a change in state of matter.  We "added heat" and "took away heat" and the students had to move from a gas to a liquid to a solid with their body.  We will revisit this again next week.

MakerSpace
Today in MakerSpace, the students had 3 different building activities.  They had Magnatiles, Zoobs and Knex.  They enjoyed getting to build with different materials.

Recess Weather Expectations

Please make sure you student has a jacket or sweatshirt with them at school.  I realize we have had unseasonably warm weather, but I'm sure fall and/or winter will be here soon.  As a reminder, from 45-59 degrees, they need a light jacket or sweatshirt, if it is below 44, they are expected to have a coat and if it is really cold, I recommend a hat, gloves, scarf, etc.  

Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to meeting with everyone at conferences.

Mrs. Ross