Here's What's Hopping on the Pad

Thank you!

Thank you to all the parents, grandparents, and Mimi's that donated items for our holiday party and also for attending our party!  I know it means a lot to the children.  We hope you enjoyed it as much as our class did!  Thank you and we are wishing you a warm holiday season!

Week of December 12 & 19

Important Dates - Mark Your Calendar!

• 12/13: Super Specials (12/12 - no specials)
• 12/21: Our Class Holiday Party, 9am
• 12/23: Student Holiday, No School
• 12/26-1/6: Winter Holidays
• 1/9: Student Holiday. No School; Teacher Workday
• 1/16: MLK Day; No School

*See calendar in the back of your child's Thursday folder for more information! You can also visit our homepage http://www.cobbk12.org/dowell/index.htm and visit Dowell's PTA website: http://dowellpta.org

Highlights from the Classroom

Balanced Literacy - Good Habits-Great Readers (GHGR) Shared Reading EQs (Essential Questions): How do I use what I know to understand how stories work? Why is it important for readers to think about the characters and setting? How can using pictures and words in a book help you get to know the characters? How does thinking about what you know help you decide how a story makes you feel? How can you tell if an event in a story is really happening or if it is part of a character's thoughts or dreams? Why do you think authors use suprise endings? How does sequencing help me understand a variety of texts? How do literary elements help me comprehend a variety of texts? (title, author, illustrator, title page) We are working identify and understanding literary devices, concepts of print (review first/last, begin/end), phonemic awareness (phoneme isolation), phonics (initial consonant m, s), vocabulary (movement words), guided retelling (character development), letters, letter sounds, and sight words. This week we focused on "made", and "was".

Small and independent groups focused on word work, summarizing/comprehension, reading comprehension, word families, rhyming, CVC words, postcard story starters using describing words, doodle stories, reading and sequencing, sentence scramble, handwriting - letters and names, beginning/middle/end, centers, literacy activities on computer and file folder games, sight words, loft, listening center, and more!

Words Their Way (WTW): How do I learn letters, sounds, and sight words? Sort 22: Sorting by beginning sounds: Dd and Ff.

Writer's Workshop EQs: How do I write about what I know? Students are still practicing writing top to bottom, left-to-right; drawing realistic pictures, labeling pictures, "turtle talking" sentences; phonetically spelling words. Also, they are using the resources in the room to help them spell the words. Students are writing things that happened to them, describing what they do with their family and friends, using the word "I". Students are using graphic organizers to prewrite their personal narratives, and then will use their graphic organizers to draft their narrative stories. We are also working on having a good beginning, middle, and ending to their stories.

Please make sure your child brings their book to school each day as we use them daily.  We will have book buddies on Friday.  We will also check out new books in the media center after our story time on Wednesday this week.  Just a reminder that if your child checks out a pink dot book from the media center and would like to take an AR quiz on the book to please write us a note and let us know they are ready to take the quiz.  Thanks!

Math - How do we use numbers in our daily lives? How do I count objects to 30?  How do I write numerals through 20 to label sets? Review skills....How do I produce number models for number words through ten?  How can we compare shapes? (2D and 3D shapes)  How do I combine basic figures and decompose basic and complex figures into basic figures? How do I compare two or more sets of objects (1-10) and identify which set is equal, more than, or less than. How do I sequence and identify using ordinal numbers (1st-10th)? How do I identify coins by name and value? (penny, nickel, dime) How do I write numbers through ten to label sets? How do I make fair trades using combinations involving pennies and nickels? How do I identify, create, and extend patterns? How do I use math words to determine where things are? (positional words - above, below, beside, inside, outside, in front of, behind) How do I collect, organize, and interpret data? (graphing) How do I use objects, pictures, and numbers or words to create, solve, and explain story problems? (problem solving) Students also worked in guided and independent groups focusing on purchasing items using pennies, counting and labeling objects to 10, matching sets, days of the week, ordering and writing numbers, patterns, and were able to work on a computer program called Mega Math. Daily Math RAP including...What are patterns? How can I show the position of objects in my world? (above, below, beside, inside, outside, in front of, behind) What is a number? What does counting tell me? How do I use numbers everyday? How can I show a number? How does a calendar help me measure time? months of the year; days of the week; seasons, penny and nickel; fair trades; ones; yesterday, today, tomorrow; shapes (triangle, square, circle, rectangle, sphere, cube)

We will begin our theme days on Friday and continue into next week.  Please refer to green sheet that went home for specifics.  You can also click on the following to download Holiday Theme Days sheet.

Things to Work on at Home

• Sight Words: http://www.netrover.com/~crose/dolch/dolch.htm
• Website: http://www.starfall.com/
• Making Words:  http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/games/alien/ash.html
• CVC/Picture Match practice:  http://www.ictgames.com/machine.html
• Stories online: http://www.storylineonline.net/
• Math, Literacy, and other fun games: http://www.cyberkidzgames.com/
• Writing name (first and last)
• Coins (penny, nickel, fair trades), days of the week and months of the year, patterns, shapes, color, and positional words
• Challenges
• Review skills learned in class
• Read nightly - review concepts of print and ask questions about the book

Contact Information

Email Ms. Discepola: naomi.discepola@cobbk12.org

Blog Address: http://dowell.typepad.com/discepola/

Dowell Elementary: 2121 West Sandtown Road Marietta, GA 30064 Phone: 678.594.8059

Dowell Elementary Website: http://www.cobbk12.org/Dowell/

Cobb County School District Website: http://www.cobbk12.org

CCSD Legal Disclaimer: http://www.cobbk12.org/legal.htm

Dinner Theater Pictures

Week of December 5

Important Dates - Mark Your Calendar!

• 12/8: Dinner Theater at Dowell (Our class will be performing!  Additional info below.)
• 12/21: Our Class Holiday Party, 9am
• 12/23: Student Holiday, No School
• 12/26-1/6: Winter Holidays
• 1/9: Student Holiday. No School; Teacher Workday
• 1/16: MLK Day; No School

*See calendar in the back of your child's Thursday folder for more information! You can also visit our homepage http://www.cobbk12.org/dowell/index.htm and visit Dowell's PTA website: http://dowellpta.org

Highlights from the Classroom

Balanced Literacy - Good Habits-Great Readers (GHGR) Shared Reading EQs (Essential Questions): How do I use what I know to understand how stories work? Why is it a good idea to identify the main characters in a story? Why is it helpful to know when and where a story happens? Why is it important to figure out the problem in a story? Why is it important to identify characters' feelings about story events? Can more than one character solve a problem? Why or why not? How do literary elements help me comprehend a variety of texts? (title, author, illustrator, title page) We are working on identifying the main character, understanding story grammar, concepts of print (alliteration), phonemic awareness (phoneme categorization), phonics (Xx, Yy, Zz), vocabulary (question words), guided retelling (character development), letters, letter sounds, and sight words. This week we focused on "he", "said", and "so".

Small and independent groups focused on word work, summarizing/comprehension, reading comprehension, word families, rhyming, CVC words, postcard story starters using describing words, doodle stories, handwriting - letters and names, beginning/middle/end, centers, literacy activities on computer and file folder games, sight words, loft, listening center, and more!

Words Their Way (WTW): How do I learn letters, sounds, and sight words? Sort 21: Sorting by beginning sounds: Cc and Hh.

Writer's Workshop EQs: How do I write about what I know? Students are still practicing writing top to bottom, left-to-right; drawing realistic pictures, labeling pictures, "turtle talking" sentences; phonetically spelling words. Also, they are using the resources in the room to help them spell the words. Students are writing things that happened to them, describing what they do with their family and friends, using the word "I". Students are using graphic organizers to prewrite their personal narratives, and then will use their graphic organizers to draft their narrative stories. We are also working on having a good beginning, middle, and ending to their stories.

Please make sure your child brings their book to school each day as we use them daily.  We will have book buddies on Friday and also check out new books in the media center after our story time.  Just a reminder that if your child checks out a pink dot book from the media center and would like to take an AR quiz on the book to please write us a note and let us know they are ready to take the quiz.  Thanks!

Math - How do we use numbers in our daily lives? How do I write numerals through 20 to label sets? Review skills....How do I produce number models for number words through ten?  How can we compare shapes? (2D and 3D shapes)  How do I combine basic figures and decompose basic and complex figures into basic figures? How do I compare two or more sets of objects (1-10) and identify which set is equal, more than, or less than. How do I sequence and identify using ordinal numbers (1st-10th)? How do I identify coins by name and value? (penny, nickel, dime) How do I write numbers through ten to label sets? How do I make fair trades using combinations involving pennies and nickels? How do I identify, create, and extend patterns? How do I use math words to determine where things are? (positional words - above, below, beside, inside, outside, in front of, behind) How do I collect, organize, and interpret data? (graphing) How do I use objects, pictures, and numbers or words to create, solve, and explain story problems? (problem solving) Students also worked in guided and independent groups focusing on purchasing items using pennies, counting and labeling objects to 10, matching sets, days of the week, ordering and writing numbers, patterns, and were able to work on a computer program called Mega Math. Daily Math RAP including...What are patterns? How can I show the position of objects in my world? (above, below, beside, inside, outside, in front of, behind) What is a number? What does counting tell me? How do I use numbers everyday? How can I show a number? How does a calendar help me measure time? months of the year; days of the week; seasons, penny and nickel; fair trades; ones; yesterday, today, tomorrow; shapes (triangle, square, circle, rectangle, sphere, cube)

Science - Continued with....How do objects move? What is gravity? Students will need to explain why a book does not fall if it is placed on a table and why it will fall down if it is dropped.

Mrs. Snapp and Mrs. Goeke will be in this afternoon to do a special hands-on science activity with our class! 

 

Things to Work on at Home

• Sight Words: http://www.netrover.com/~crose/dolch/dolch.htm
• Website: http://www.starfall.com/
• Making Words:  http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/games/alien/ash.html
• CVC/Picture Match practice:  http://www.ictgames.com/machine.html
• Stories online: http://www.storylineonline.net/
• Math, Literacy, and other fun games: http://www.cyberkidzgames.com/
• Writing name (first and last)
• Coins (penny, nickel, fair trades), days of the week and months of the year, patterns, shapes, color, and positional words
• Challenges
• Review skills learned in class
• Read nightly - review concepts of print and ask questions about the book

Contact Information

Email Ms. Discepola: naomi.discepola@cobbk12.org

Blog Address: http://dowell.typepad.com/discepola/

Dowell Elementary: 2121 West Sandtown Road Marietta, GA 30064 Phone: 678.594.8059

Dowell Elementary Website: http://www.cobbk12.org/Dowell/

Cobb County School District Website: http://www.cobbk12.org

CCSD Legal Disclaimer: http://www.cobbk12.org/legal.htm