Speech & Language:  This week in Speech & Language class we will focus on the sound of final /s/.  For our craft we will make a holiday mouse.  Our snack of rice cakes & juice will be contributed by Farrah!

There is no sharing this week.

Our holiday party is in Room K, Thursday from 12:30-1:30.  We welcome adult helpers but there are no siblings allowed per LAUSD.

Friday is our school holiday performance.  There are two shows, 8:30 and 11:00.  We will have "brunch" from 10-10:30 and school will be dismissed at 12:40.

Don't forget to send in your non-perishable food items this week for the 4th grade "We Give Back" project.  They are collecting food for the Topanga Women's Circle, who help people in transition.

Speech & Language-This week we will practice the initial /sh/ blend.  We will make shells and our snack of Sugar Snap Peas will be contributed by Riva.

There is no sharing for the month of December!

This week we will meet Mr. M who has a munchy mouth.  We will practice our handwriting-printing Mm correctly, listen to the sound of initial /m/, think of words that begin with the sound of /m/, work in our rhyming books and Alphabet Journals.  Some have asked why we do not focus on only one letter (in reading and Speech & Language) each week.  It is important to allow the children to learn many letters and sounds.  When we focus on the sounds in Speech, they are organized by the way sounds are produced, chronologically by children, the more difficult sounds being practiced the second semester.  Many of the children in Room K are beginning to read with a few already fluent readers.  We are challenging these children to read beginning reader books and to write more complex journal stories. This is how we differentiate instruction.

We are beginning to do more writing in class and are allowing the children to write at their developmental level.  Some children are writing sentences, others need highlighter to trace and still a few need to dictate their sentences.  Please allow your children to do as much as they can independently, knowing that everything does not have to be perfect spelling, but do remind children to print as neatly as possible and to pring using the guide-lines provided.  It is important for the children to know that they can challenge themselves.  Many depend on a lot of adult help and are hesitant to try for fear of making a mistake.  We learn through our mistakes and it is important to allow children to be independent.

This week we will comlete our Number 10 books and finish our monthly assessment.  We will work in our December math journal and use some of our Handwriting Without Tears math materials to explore shapes, fine motor skills and counting.

This week in Science we will be continuing our exploration of the 5 Senses with our Science teacher, Mrs. Benor.

In P.E. Coach Sean has been teaching the children new games and practicing psychomotor skills.  Remember to wear tennis shoes to school!

We are so grateful to our Art Trek teachers for providing creative and stimulating lessons for the children bi-weekly. The children love it!  We have been having in-class lessons also, on alternating weeks.  December is a great month for craft projects in Room K!

In addition to our regular enrichment schedule, this week we will be practicing our holiday program songs.  Remember to turn in the "packages" by this Friday (the sooner the better).

Classroom needs:
We are getting low on playdough.  If anyone is able to contribute that would be so helpful..

Here are some links:

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C895%2C978&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1480887123649

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=42447926&cp=2255956.2273442.67716186.2255960.70114206.3808765&parentPage=family

Thank you all for your help and support in Room K!
Mrs. W.