May 6-10

Hello Smart Pre-Second Graders and Super Pre-Second Grade Parents!
The kids had so much fun with career week last week!  Thank you so much to the parents who were able to come in and tell the kids about your jobs.

CAMP  LEARNED  A  LOT!
Camp Learned a lot is a fun and exciting way to end first grade and blast off to second grade!  Camp Learned A Lot is a 3 day camp full of games, friends and surprises during the last week of school!  The students will be offered the chance to earn a stay at Camp Learned A Lot.  In order to earn Camp Learned A Lot, the students must:
* Be awesome pre-second graders at all times
* Follow our class rules (we are respectful, we are responsible, we are safe, we follow the Golden Rule) at all times
Kids - Camp Learned A Lot is SO MUCH FUN!!!  I know that you will all be responsible pre-second graders and earn camp!
BLASTING OFF TO 2nd GRADE!!!
For the next two weeks in science and guided reading we are doing a unit on our Solar System.  The kids are very ready for 2nd grade and this is a fun science unit to end the year and blast them off to second grade!  Today the kids learned about the Sun and stars.  Beginning tomorrow, we will study the planets in their order from the sun.  We will study all the planets until we finish next Thursday.  The planets we will study this week are the inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
In writing we are working on making a space book!  Each child will make a page about each planet with different information. 
The kids enjoyed their space centers today!  The centers for the week include:
1.  Listening - The kids listened to "I Can Read About Space," and they made their cover for their space books.
2.  Science - The kids colored different constellations and made their own telescope.  The telescope can actually be used on the constellation paper like a real telescope.  Kids, be sure to show your parents how this works!
3.  Writing - The kids wrote about blasting off to second grade!  They wrote about what it will be like in second grade and what they will do in second grade.
4.  Math - The kids made a space book with different patterns and numbers related to space.
5.  Reading - The kids worked on reading assessments for the report card.
The kids did a great job working on strategies to help increase speed when adding numbers.  We will continue to work on strategies for solving both addition and subtraction problems.  We are still working on place value by writing and identifying large numbers.  The kids have gotten so good at this!  We will review a variety of concepts this week.
We were unable to go to computers this week due to MAP testing.

Have an A+ week!
Ms. Klein

April 29-May 3

Hello Smart Pre-Second Graders and Super Pre-Second Grade Parents!


Wow!  Can you believe that it will be May 1^st this week?  This year has flown by and the pre-second graders have made so much progress?

PRE - SECOND GRADE SPELLING CHALLENGE!!!
It's almost time for second grade!  Are you ready??  Are you spelling like a second grader???  I am challenging the class to all get 100% on their spelling tests this Friday.  If EVERYONE gets an A+ or A++, I will provide surprise for the class.  Are you up for the challenge???  YOU CAN DO IT!!!
This week in social studies and guided reading we are continuing our Eric Carle author study and having career week.  We will read "Rooster's Off To See The World" to get ready for second grade and make predictions about next year.  We will have several visitors in our class for career week.  The kids love having visitors in our class! 

 This week in writing we are working on a variety of exciting things!  The kids are working on essays about Eric Carle.  The kids will write thank you letters to each of our class guests.  The kids are letter writing experts now! They are such wonderful and enthusiastic writers.  I really enjoy reading their writing.
The kids came home with Rainbow Words and they are due tomorrow.  This week in making words we are working on question words with patterns (words that begin with the "wh" chunk) and we are also reviewing "are" and "is" contractions and adding "not" contractions.  The kids have really tackled our contraction study and it is such a treat to see correctly used contractions in their writing.  Way to go, pre-second graders!
The kids enjoyed their career week centers today!  The centers include:
1.  Listening - The kids watched a short video of Eric Carle reading a story, talking about his life and career and demonstrating his illustrations.  This is a very neat and interesting video!  They made a page to our class book about what it would be like to be an author and illustrator.
2.  Social Studies - The kids took a mini-field trip to the Harelson office.  They interviewed the wonderful people in our office (Ms. Ann, Ms. Janice, Ms. Jill, Ms. Sharon) to find out more about their jobs.
3.  Writing - The kids looked at different books about careers.  They wrote a letter to themselves about their hopes for the future.
4.  Math - The kids practiced addition and subtraction on a space ship paper to get ready for our upcoming space unit.
5.  Reading - The kids played sight word flash card races.
This week in math we are working on strategies for quickly and efficiently solving different types of addition and subtraction problems.  The kids are good at addition and subtraction, but speed is still an issue.  These additional strategies will help increase speed.  We are also working on adding two two-digit numbers together.
We were unable to go to computers this week due to MAP testing in the older grades. J
Have an A+ week!
Ms. Klein