Last Week of February '18

Happy end of February.  The month may be short, but it sure is always packed with learning and events.  This week is no different.  Before we get to all that, a quick reminder that students are not allowed down the halls and in the classrooms before the 8:35 bell rings.  They are to take their backpacks outside with them to morning recess, which begins at 8:20.  Those that eat breakfast must go to breakfast at 8:15 and then out to the playground (please remind your children who eat they must go eat first, and then go outside - not vice versa).  Our morning time is used to prepare for our day.  With Miss Teller taking over, this is even more important because we are often talking about her lessons, making sure she is prepared and ready.  If you arrive with your child early you may sit with them on the couches in the lobby until the bell rings.  However, if there is an important matter which you need to discuss with us, we do understand and our door is always open to parents for these types of situations.  Thank you for your understanding in this, and for taking time to discuss the above with your children.  Now a look at our week ahead...

Math:  We will spend a few day's on learning how to make quick tens (leading to understanding of ten rods and their value) and using them to understand how to identify 10 and 1 more and less than a given number.  After that we will stray for a while to learn about identifying coins and their values.

ELA:  Our Hartcourt story next week is "My Robot."  This was supposed to go with our engineering project of building robots, see note below.  We will also be focusing on a few Daily 5 CAFE strategies.  

Please note - our Wednesday Robot building may possibly be postponed.  This is for several reasons.  First, our robots are having difficulty running with consistency.  Out of a number of times being built only twice have they ran, and only for a short amount of time.  We need this to work 88 times without stopping or we have 88 sad first graders on our hands.  Therefore, we are in the process of remodeling our robot so that we have 100% success 100% of the time.  Second, we believe there may be weather on the way, which would cancel our robot day anyway (no guarantees - it is Flagstaff, just going on weatherman rumors).  With that being said, this is where we stand.  we are going to make some type of robot with the children.  We are hoping to have them built either on Wednesday the 28th or possibly make up date of Monday the 5th.  I will notify all parents who have volunteered via the agenda tomorrow of final plans.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.  We just really want to make sure the kids have a working robot and walk away happy and excited.

Science:  We finished our class science fair project.  Thank goodness it snowed and I was able to collect a jar full of snow!  The kids all had a hand in measuring and writing up our board, and in gluing and putting it all together.  They also did a great job remembering the scientific process and in using their brilliant little brains to conclude why our results were what they were.   We asked "What has more water in it, snow or ice?"  Ask your kiddos about our results.  Our board will be on display at the Science Fair Family Night this Wednesday from 5-6:30.  Special shout out to Lovely who did an individual science fair project!  She shared her project with us on Friday and we loved seeing all the hard work she put into it!

Social Studies:  Ms. Reger will be wrapping up her unit on American Symbols with the Liberty Bell.

Parent Teacher Conferences:

Science Fair Family Night is this Wednesday, the 28th.  This is a chance for families to come check out all the amazing science fair projects from our Marshall students.  

Our spring conferences are just around the corner.  There will be early release all three days, and I will send a paper sign up soon.  These conferences are optional.  More information to come.

Save the Dates:

• Wednesday, February 28 - Kindergarten Registration
• Wednesday, February 28 - Science Fair Family Night
• Wednesday, March 5 - STEM Night @NAU Dome
• March 14 - 16 Optional Parent/Teacher Conferences
• March 19 - 23 Spring Break

See you tomorrow morning.  -Ms. Shaw

President's Week Post (February 19th-23rd)

Happy President's Day.  I hope everyone is finding time to relax and enjoy our blustery weather.   Short week this week.  Here's what we have happening...

Math:  We begin our unit on place value this week.  We will be counting be tens, understanding that some tens plus some ones equals a certain amount of ones (ex: 2 tens and 3 ones equals 23 ones), and naming tens and ones (ex:17equals 1 ten and 7 ones).  We will also move into bigger concepts such as writing two digit numbers as addition sentences (ex: 18 = 10 + 8), and identifying 10 more and less, and 1 more and less than a given number.  

ELA:  Our Hartcourt story this week is "Tell Me a Story."  During Daily 5 orur CAFE strategies will be "flip the sound" (teaching students to use different vowel sounds) and "blend sounds, stretch and reread."  

Science:  We started our inquiry process to our class science project last week.  Our experiment is "What has more water in it, snow or ice?"  We have made our hypothesis, and plan on melting a jar of both snow and ice to discover our results. We will finish our process and our board this week.  The only thing we need is a mason jar full of snow.  Hmmm.....  I do have a plan for snow results if our dry spell continues, no need for concern.  Also, we are hoping to have a little time for our motion unit.  

Social Studies:  More American symbols, perfect for President's Day!  Ask your children what they have been learning about with Ms. Reger.

Extra Scoop of Information:

Box Tops due Wednesday February 22nd!  This is a easy way to make a small chunk of change that comes directly back to your child's school!  If you have been busy collecting now is the time to turn them in.  Thank you!

If your child has been doing an individual science fair project it is due on Friday!

Next Wednesday, February, 28th we will be building our robots!  This is in correlation with our story, "My Robot."  We have very high hopes that this is going to go well.  I have had a couple of volunteers so far (YAY!  Thank you so much!)  but we could definitely use a handful more!  If you are available next Wednesday from 1:30-3:00 we would love to have you come in and help us build robots.  First grades goal is that every student will have a working robot.  We plan on taking these to STEM night at NAU and Flagstaff Festival of Sights and Sounds at the Mall, before they get to take them home.  

Mark Your Calendar:

• Wednesday, February 22 - Box Tops Due
• Friday, February 23 - Science Fair Projects Due
• Wednesday, February 28 - Kindergarten Registration
• Wednesday, February 28 - Robot Building Day @ 1:30-3:00
• Wednesday, March 5 - STEM Night @ NAU Dome
• March 14th - 16th - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Information to Come)
• March 19th - 23rd - Spring Break

See everyone back at school on Tuesday.  -Ms. Shaw 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentines Day❣  Our kiddos had so much fun today celebrating their friendship and love for one another.  There were so many smiles, I just had to take some pictures of our valentines celebration and share them with you all!  Thank you for for spoiling Miss Teller and myself as well, we definitely felt the love!  My families are simply the best, and I love and appreciate all you do to support my class and our students!  Enjoy these fun pictures.

Busy Checking out their valentines.

Always time for a photo.

This was cute because Xochitl called for a group picture.  The more the merrier! 

Showing off our valentines.

Examining their bounty.

These three were having so much fun toogether!

Aly was so excited to have her dad join us for our celebration! 

Batgirl was enjoying her Valentine's Day!

Cute valentine friends!  

Love this valentine smile!

These two!  Such good friends.

Someone insists on being camera shy.

Group superhero valentine photo!  Everyone struck their best superhero pose.

The next two picture are very similar, but I couldn't pick one.  They are hilarious.  Check out Joey enjoying some Valentine candy, Davinee showing off her valentines, and the photo bomb by Sasha.

Now Xochiltl gets in on the action, Sasha hangs in there, and Davinee's face is hilarious!  Love this!

Such a fun day!  Thank you parents for giving me the opportunity to teach these amazing little people.  They make me smile! -Ms. Shaw

Valentine's Week Post

Happy Valentine's 💝week!  This is also Random Acts of Kindness Week.  Read on below for the scoop on both events and so much more...

Math:  We will be wrapping up our data and measurement unit with data interpretation.  This includes learning to make and read tally marks, bar graphs, and asking and answering word problems about data sets.  This has been a fun unit.  

ELA:  We will spend this week finishing our chapter book, "My Father's Dragon."  This will include a short comprehension test.  Our Hartcourt story will be "At Home Around the World."

Science:  Our class will be moving on to the motion part of our unit.  We will learn about how things are moved by force, and focus this week on how on objects moves when pushed.  Students will make tops and focus on how they use the force of pushing to make them move.  

Social Studies:  National symbols continues with Mount Rushmore.  

Next Week Extra Happenings:

This Week (February 12th - 16th) is Random Acts of Kindness Week sponsored by our amazing PTO.  All week we will be building a kindness chain that will run throughout the school.  Whenever one of out students gets caught in the middle of a random act of kindness we will put their name and good deed on a strip of paper and add their link to the chain.  We hope to show the kids how one act of kindness can multiply into many.  In addition we will have spirit days all next week.  They are:

• Monday is Pajama Day (please bring shoes and jackets for recess still!)
• Tuesday is Tie Dye Day
• Wednesday is Red and Pink Day (Valentines Day!)
• Thursday is Hawaii Day
• Friday is Crazy Hair Day

Valentine's Day is also smack dab in the middle of this week.  We will be celebrating at the end of the day on Wednesday.  We sent home a list last week, but please let us know if you need another.  Also, we will not be sending out a sign up, but if you care to send in treats for our party that would be fine.  Please remember, we do have a peanut allergy.  Also, we do not need anything sweet or junky, the students will get plenty of this in their valentines.  Fruit, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip are always a hit.  It may sound strange, but they truly do eat it up!  We have juice and cups already.  Thank you in advance!

The Science Fair is right around the corner, February 28th.  However, projects are due February 23rd.   Our class will be working on a class science experiment.  However if your child is interested in doing an individual experiment they may.  You may access more information and some help/information via our school site http://www.marshallmagnetschool.com/.  Click the link at the top labeled "Science Fair Stuff."  I will also be putting some information in your child's cubbies this week.  Be on the lookout this week.

Important Dates to Remember:

• February 12th - 16th Random Acts of Kindness Week
• Wednesday, February 14th - Valentine's Day/Party
• Monday, February 19th - School Closed - President's Day
• Wednesday, February 28th - PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED from 1:30-3:00 for a special project (robot building...shhh...don't tell the children yet....more details to come).
• Wednesday, February 28th Kindergarten Registration
• 
  

Can't wait for this exciting week ahead.  It looks like some snow may be headed our way, so look and listen for any snow delays or cancellations.  Also, don't forget that it is not too late to make your tax credit donations!  This can also be done via our webpage   http://www.marshallmagnetschool.com/.  Thank you for your continuous support of our school and our one of a kind programs that cannot happen without your support.  We are Marshall because of families like you and your willingness to give to make these programs happen for all!  Thank you! 💜 -Ms. Shaw

Updates February 5th-9th

Happy February!  It may be a short month, but it is full month.  Here's the scoop 🍦on what is happening currently....

📐Math:  We are having so much fun with our measurement unit.  This week we will be learning how to measure with centimeter cubes, making sure to measure from endpoint to endpoint with no gaps and no overlaps.  We will also compare the length of objects to solve for the difference in word problems!  

📕ELA:  This week's Hartcourt story is Me on the Map.  We will use this as an introduction to different types of maps, and to begin a unit of study on maps next week.  We will also continue to read our chapter book, "My Father's Dragon"  focusing on vocabulary and other reading skills.

💡Science:  We will be finishing our balance portion of our science unit this week with a very cool experiment that will allow the students to use what they have learned about counterweights and stable position.  On Friday we will assess what we have learned so next week we can move onto motion!

🗺Social Studies:  Ms. Reger will continue her American Symbols unit this week, focusing on The Statue of Liberty.  The students will learn about her creation to her reassembly in the United States.  Good stuff!

Extra Scoop of Marshall School Information🍧:

Box Tops are due soon!  Please turn box tops in ASAP.  Marshall always earns a nice little chunk of change that goes towards our students due to box tops!  

Please remember if you have not done your taxes that you can still make your tax credit donations to Marshall School.   This is a dollar for dollar credit, and every dollar goes directly to each and every student here at Marshall.  We pay for everything from fieldtrips to our magnet programs, including our twice weekly Suzuki violin program.  For more information, or to make your take credit donation visit our Marshall School blog either through our Marshall School site or through the link http://www.marshallmagnetschool.com/.

Valentines Day is next Wednesday, February 14th!  We will be exchanging valentines.  I will be sending home a class list this week so if your child wishes to write names on their valentines they may.  Honestly though, it is so much easier on you if you just have them write just their names on their valentines.  Miss Teller and I will help them pass out their valentines in the morning.  Our celebration will take place at the end of the day.   If your child chooses to bring in valentines they must bring in one for everyone in the class!  If they would like to bring in a healthy treat to share they may (no sign up, we'll take what we get).  Please, no junk...they will get plenty in their Valentine holders (I already have purchased the candy conversation hearts for a graphing activity).  We already have punch and cups, but if anyone wishes to bring in napkins and/or plates that would be helpful.  Just jot me a quick note in the agenda letting me know.  As always, your help is appreciated!

Save the Dates🍒:  

·      Wednesday, February 7^th- PTO at a NEW TIME 4:30!

·      February 12^th-16^th- Random Acts of Kindness Week

·      Monday, February 19^th- No School

Thank You! -Ms. Shaw