Readers Theater/Family Dance Students performed their Readers Theater this week. It was fun for them to illustrate their characters, learn what it is like to speak in front of others, and perform for another class. The students worked very hard at not only learning their parts, but also helping their peers read. I’ll post the video of the performance of If I ran the Zoo soon!
The Family Dance was a big success!!!! Thank you to everyone who came out and a special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make it happen.

South America

This was our last week of our South America studies. The kids have learned more about the culture, food, and landmarks. We celebrated our last week by making guacamole and salsa. The students also learned how to weave on a traditional loom. If you would like to continue this project at home, here is an easy way to make a loom.

SPRING BREAK!!!!! Spring break! I hope everyone is ready for some sunshine and relaxation. Over spring break please don’t forget to read to or with your child every night. Have students work on sight words, phonics skills, and math facts. Here are some great on-line resources:
Sight Words
Reading
Phonics
JiJi Math
Math Games

Readers Workshop

In readers workshop this week we continued our fiction unit, talking more about main idea and key details. Reading groups work at their specific levels to answer questions about the text. Many guided reading groups focused on new vocabulary and how that is important to figuring out what the story is about. Make sure when your reading with your child you stop and ask them what new words might mean.

Writers Workshop

In writers workshopthis week students worked on developing a more in-depth character for the fiction series. Students worked on developing their characters inside characteristics such as, like/dislikes, thoughts/feelings, and traits. Then they wrote adventures to match their characters traits. For example if their character is brave, trying to make sure and create an adventure where their character had to display bravery. Finally to finish up their stories they worked on adding supporting characters to help their main character.

Ms. Ooton’s Corner Even with spring break right around the corner, the students of room 204 were very focused learners this week! One lesson that stands out to me in particular was when students learned to write adventures for their characters. The students were eager to write and before I knew it, many of them had already written more than one story! I’m so excited to see how students’ series turn out as they finish up drafting their fiction this week

Taste of Leschi! We had such a great night at the Taste of Leschi! Our Equity Team worked hard to put together a Leschi cultural cookbook and a wonderful mix of all the rich food from many of our cultures represented at Leschi. We even had a video of students from different classes which showed them speaking about their culture and what they know about it! Make sure you take a look at the cookbook! I saw some really tasty looking recipes in there that may be fun to try at home with your students!

Work Time: Just to share some amazing, hard, independent works students have been doing in class!!
Readers Theater

Students have been doing a great job on their Readers Theater parts. Wow have they grown as readers! Please help them keep practicing at home, not only reader the words, but speaking in a loud clear voice. We have been talking about slowing down so your audience can hear your parts and really read with expression. We will be having a performance soon and let you know the dates to that performance.

Readers Workshop In readers last week we continued our fiction unit talking about cause and effect. The students listened to the story I ran a zoo! By Dr. Seuss. Students were assigned parts and partners to read with or help them with their reading script. We are having a fun time changing it up with Reader’s Theatre and seeing how much our readers have grown this year! Please continue reading with your child at home every night!

In readers this week we continued our fiction unit talking more about main and idea and key details. A big goal is to use texted based evidence to support the main idea. Students had to highlight the details they used to retell the main idea. When you at home reading this is an important skill you can practice with your student. Have them go back in the book and look at the evidence to retell the main idea.

Writers Workshop

In writers last week students edited and published their fiction stories! They were able to share their great writing with the class. We also started our series unit. Writers explored different series books such as Frog and Toad and Henry and Mudge. They learned about how the characters usually stay the same, but the setting and adventures are different in each series. They developed their own character and wrote details describing their characters outside traits. Ask your child what outside traits their character has.

In writers this week we wrote a story using the characters, settings, adventures, problem and solutions and ending that we have been learning about for our fiction writing! We added beautiful language and sparkle words to our writing. We talked about giving our characters dialogue and action words to our writing Next week we will be learning about how to write a series. We will take a closer look at some famous series such as Henry and Mudge, Frog and Toad, and Piggy and Elephant to help inspire us!

Ms. Ooton’s Corner Last week was packed with excitement but I have to say one of my main highlights was teaching a lesson on galaxies as part of Room 204's stars unit. Students explored the different types of galaxies and worked to great their own artistic representation of each type using chalk. A couple of the students were so excited to know more about this topic that they exclaimed, "I want to be a scientist!" and continued to ask more questions about outer space throughout the week. I'm looking forward to seeing students expand their scientific investigational skills as we begin our fabric science unit in the upcoming

This week the students in room 204 did a LOT of writing – over an hour each day! I think Mrs. Castiglia and I are both so impressed by how much the students’ stamina has grown over the course of a year. It was also fantastic to see students challenge themselves over several days to expand on skills they have been learning in our fiction writing unit to begin to create a series. These ideas are also translating into students’ reading – a group of 7 students or so was immersed in the “Jack and Annie” series during library and they were all able to talk about what makes that series a series. Ask your student what they are planning for their series!

Student of the Week

Solomon Solomon has really been an author these past few weeks! He has worked very hard on his fiction stories. When it is time to write he gets started right away and has dreamed up some great characters! He has really worked hard this week choosing challenging works. He learned the 100 board and loves work on that! He loves reading in the library and is a great game player with his peers! Way to go!!!

Student of the Week Everyone! This is the last week before spring break and it is important to recognize how much our class has grown as readers, writers, mathematicians, sciences, and independent learners. Please take some time this week to recognize your child’s achievements. Overall as a class we have worked hard to be kinds, welcoming, and respectful to everyone. There is so much great learning going on everyday, I know Ms. Ooton and I feels so proud to be a part of it. Way to go EvERYONE!!

Stars Unit! We have started our stars and constellations unit! So far we are what stars are and their life cycle. Students are very excited about this unit, so ask them what they have learned so far!

Lion King

We had a very exciting assembly on Thursday. Several actor and actress from the Lion King came to our school to talk about what it is like to perform. We even had the two young girls (11yrs, 9yrs) that play Nala in the musical. The students were able to ask them questions, do a little acting themselves, and sing Hakuna matata as a thank you! It was a wonderful experience for our whole school!!!

Donors Choose:

Donors choose is currently having a promotion that they will match any donation made for the next 7 day. When someone donates to your project and enters the code INSPIRE, DonorsChoose.org will match their donation dollar for dollar. Check out Room 204's project or other Leschi projects. http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/search.html?state=WA&community=18300:3&school=35959


Work time/ Words their Way

Work time has been going well. Students have been focused and remembering to be independent learners. We also started focusing on words-their-way more this week. Students did an excellent job practicing their words sorts and hopefully they enjoyed working on them at home as well. Let me know how its going for you student!

Readers Workshop In readers this week we talked about identifying the setting. Students looked at many different ways books to find the setting. The setting is where and when the story took place, but students also took a deeper look. Learning how the author described the time and the environment.

In readers this week we talked about identifying the main character. Students helped to determine the main characters feelings, thoughts, personality, and actions. We learned about how the main character is often the protagonist. They also learn about characteristics of a protagonist. We then took a closer look at supporting character, and how they can sometimes help the main character. Finally students learned about the antagonists in stories, such as the Fox in Dr. Desoto!

Writers Workshop In writers this week we brainstormed settings for our fiction story by thinking of some great setting for our stories. We also thought about what it might be like at those places using our 5 senses of touch, taste, hear, sight and smell. We also used descriptive language to write out our settings. We practiced identifying place, time and environments of settings and we noticed that place and time affect the environment. We used words to visualize our settings to help paint a picture for our writing audience. We also started imagine our characters. What their personality is a and physical features and why those are important for the character.

In writers this week we brainstormed adventures for our characters. The student’s thought about the problems their characters might come across. They thought of ways to write out those problems in an exciting way. Then they went back and wrote solutions to their stories. Making sure to have a clear way their characters problems were solved. Ms. Ooton read the story Dr. Desoto about a pair of mice dentist that outsmart a Fox! This was a great example of an exciting an adventure that can happen to characters in stories. Ask you child what adventures their characters went on!

Ms. Ooton’s Corner  

Hello all! It’s been a joy getting to know students more and more throughout the year and I’m excited to share some things they’ve been learning. I’m also happy to say that I gained my substitute certification in January and can now sub for Mrs. Castiglia when she has to be away from class.  
One of my favorite parts of this past week was when students explored the settings of different stories and worked to identify the place, time, and environment in a number of books. I was blown away by students as they took their understanding of setting to the next level by drawing detailed pictures of the settings they envisioned as I read Owl Moon. Students didn’t even stop there! They all pushed themselves to write down descriptive words they heard that helped them create their image. I’ll be back next week to share more of the fabulous things the students in room 204 have been working on!

This past week it was so exciting to see students take so much ownership over their work during work time and other independent work times throughout the day such as reader’s and writer’s workshop. Students have been challenging themselves to the utmost, picking out language and math works that stretch their thinking - so much so that Lyndsay and I were able to add three brand new work centers to work time the past few weeks including an iPad center where students can use technology to practice reading, writing, and math skills; a listening center students can use to follow along with stories and build their reading fluency; as well as a station for jiji math. I am looking forward to seeing how our students utilize these tools and continue to blossom into independent scholars throughout the spring!

Student of the Week

Dylan has been choosing quiet and more challenging works during work time. Dylan has been focused on writing and is really creating some great fiction stories. Dylan also does a great job contributing to our classroom discussions about characters and setting. Dylan has really focused on his language work plan and trying to push himself to learning to read and spell more words! Way to go Dylan!!!!!

Aisha has been writing a bunch of amazing fiction stories this week. She loves adding many details to her writing and pictures. She has become so much more focused on her writing and is really pushing herself as a writing. She does a great job at work time finding a work to work on, and focusing on that work. She has been a great friend not only to students in our class but to any new student she meets on the play ground.

Exciting News !

I have some exciting news that I wanted to share with everyone.  Mr. Castiglia and I are expecting a new bundle of joy Aug. 30th!  We can’t be more thrilled and I know I will need all of your expert parenting advice.  I plan to return back to teaching after my maternity leave.  I will be telling my students on Monday, but I wanted to let you all know first. Any helpful advice is welcome!

Dr. Seuss’s Birthday!

We celebrated his birthday this week by reading many of his incredible stories and writing. We read about his life story and how he came to be Dr. Seuss. We also made rhyming Cat in the Hat, hats and made Thing1 and Thing 2 puppets with Mrs. Gardner’s class. Ask you child what story they life best so far.

Readers Workshop

In readers this week we talked about the difference again between fiction and non-fiction. We took a look at some great fiction stories, such as Piggy and Elephant and Woolbur. The students helped point out elements of fiction writing such as a made up story that includes: characters, a setting, a series of events (beginning, middle, and end), and a problem and solution. When your reading with your child at home, ask them if the story is fiction or non-fiction. See if they can point out the elements of a fiction story to you!

Writers Workshop In writers this week we are starting our fiction unit! The students wrote their first fiction story, and they were so imaginative! We then looked at some other first grade writing examples of fiction writing. The students pointed out how the writing examples had characters, a setting, a problem/solution, and a beginning, middle, and end. They continued to work on their writing making sure to include all those fiction writing elements. Next week we will take a closer look at characters and setting.

Student of the Week

Aislin has been working really hard this week on our new fiction writing unit. Her first fiction writing was three pages long.!She has grown so much this year as a student and continues to challenge herself. Aislin is always making new friends and inviting others to play. She is incredible kind and respectful to everyone. She really has stepped up as a kindergarten leader in our classroom. Way to go Aislin!!!!!

Black History Thank you to everyone who came to Black History Night Celebration. It was so wonderful to see the hard work everyone put into their projects. I know the students loved learning about the different historical figures and especially getting to sing!!!!!

READ ACROSS AMERICA

This Monday, March 3rd Dr. Seuss’s Birthday. His birthday celebration starts the week of reading across the nation as a way to get families, students, and the community to come together to share their love of reading.!!!!!! We will be dedicating this day to some fun reading projects, as well as exploring more of Dr. Seuss in the month of March.




Readers Workshop

This week in readers we reviewed different strategies we can use to figure out tricky words. Not only can we sound them out, we can hop over a word, take a guess, or look for chunks of letters we know! We also made sure to always ask ourselves if what we are reading makes sense, and go back and re-read if it doesn’t. We even used these strategies to uncover a secret message. Please ask your reader what strategies they are using!

Writers Workshop This week for writers, we finished brainstormed ideas for persuasive writing topic. Student’s were able to drive in and start writing their own letters. We learned who to write to, our main audience. We learned how to state our opinion in a polite way, and how to list our reason’s using big feeling words. They ended their letters in kind ways. The students also tried to not just write about things they want but things they want to change. We choose our favorite letter to fix up and publish. Ask your child to read their letters to you.

Student of the Week: Owen!

This week Owen has been working incredible hard on his work plan and challenging himself. He has learn how to set challenging goals for himself and learn how to achieve those goals. All this hard work has paid off, because he has also moved up several reading levels! He has been participating more in our readers/writers discussions. He also gave some really nice complements in our classroom meeting. Way to go OWEN!!!!!

100th Day of School!!!!

Monday is the 100th day of school. Wow, it is amazing we have already been in school 100 days. Take this time to reflect on how much growth your child has made!!! On Monday we will be doing a lot of fun activities , such as counting 100 objects, jumping for 100 seconds, reading as a class 100 books, and so much more!!!!! I sent home a letter yesterday with a bag for your child to collect 100 things. Small items are great and I will have extra in case someone forgets!!!

Penguin Unit: Last week we learned all about two different types of Penguins: Emperor and Macaroni. With Mrs. Guzman's class we studied where both penguins habitat, diet, predators, and interesting facts. The kids worked with a partner to record their learning. We had a Penguin party celebration where the students pretended they were carrying the babies at their feet. We also made mini penguins on the ice, ate baby goldfish, and practiced drawing penguins. It was fun unit for the students to learn some new interesting facts. Ask your child what their favorite part was!

Readers Workshop This week in readers we talked about ending sounds –ed and –ing, trying to see that if we sound out the words, we repeat them to ourselves to see if they make sense and then if they don’t, change the word to a word we know, instead of guessing. We also practiced whole class tricky word strategies, such as look at the picture, say the first sound, stretch it out. Please ask your reader about this!

Writers Workshop This week for writers, we brainstormed ideas for persuasive writing topics and tried to look outside the box for ideas that not only benefit us as humans, but the greater good. For example, we finished reading The predators and talked about reasons why the Lorax was so passionate about saving the trees. We also wrote about whether or not the boy from the story Hey Little Ant, should squish the ant. The kids practiced writing who the letter was to, stating their opinion, and giving reasons why. They also learned how to end their letters. Ask your child what their reasons were.

Valentine's Day!

Thank you to all the families who came to help with the valentines day party! It was so nice to have everyone there helping the kids and get to see them so excited to pass out sweet cards to their friends. Also a big THANK YOU to Aly for taking those really cute pictures! I hope everyone enjoyed them.
Student of the Week:

Sumayah! This week Sumayah has really pushed herself as a mathematician. She worked very hard on some difficult problem solving problems. She didn’t give up or just guess, but really spent the time to figure them out. She also worked so hard on sight words and blends to move up a reading level!! Sumayah is a warm welcoming friend to everyone. Way to go Sumayah!

Black History Month

This year our amazing equity team has reached out to our community to bring in some influential African American community members to speak to our school during every Monday morning assembly, for the month of February. Our first guest speaker was Reggie Jones, a former NFL player who helped the New Orleans Saints to their 2009 Superbowl victory. Reggie spoke to the school about the importance of effort, leadership, integrity, and encouraged students to push themselves to always strive for excellence. Additionally, the K-1 classes will be helping Leschi celebrate Black History Month by performing songs by influential African American artists. Each class has taken on a decade to feature. Our class will be highlighting the 60’s and has chosen to perform “Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes. We will be filming all of the performances and showing the video during black history night on Feb. 27th.

Music! We welcomed Ms. Davis to our school this week! She is the new music teacher who will be coming to Leschi every other week to teach music to all the K-3 classes. She has already made a huge impression on our students and they are very excited to proceed with her. Ask your student about their new music teacher!

Celebrating the Seahawks!!!!!!!!!

Readers Workshop This week in readers we focused on visualizing. Ms. Ooton taught the students the importance of visualizing what is happening as we read. Being able to visualize helps us to remember important details about the story and it’s characters. Ms. Ooton read a very descriptive book, Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. As the students listened to the story, they drew out what they imagined was happening! It was wonderful to see their creative and listening skills come to life!

Writers Workshop

In writers workshop last week we continued to practice using transition words to enhance our writing. We also used our writers checklist to go back through our writing and see what we could add. Student's then set two goals for their writing. We divided into groups to work on those goals. Students then got to use special editing pens to add more to their opinion writing. Some goals students came up with were: work on getting the readers attention, use transition words, add more details, and spelling. This was a great task for students to have to self-reflect on their own writing and think about how they could make it even better. Ask you child what their goals were.
In writers workshop this week we are about to embark on a new unit, persuasive writing!!!! TO help get us ready to be persuasive writers we have read several persuasive text, such as The Lorax, Hey little Ant, and Don’t let the Pigeon drive the bus! Next week we are going to start writing our own persuasive letters and brainstorming things that matter to us, that we hope to change.

Student of the Week:

Kaz has been an excellent role model this week in class. We started a new system in class, Complement Captains. Which are given out to students showing the Leschi Motto of being respectful, responsible, and safe. IN turn they get to give out a complement to someone following that same Motto. This week Kaz has not only been a complement captain, but also received a complement. Way to be a great leader in our class KAZ!!!!!
Rosa has been working so hard last week!! She received her math binder and has been working in it none stop! She has pushed herself as a mathematician, learning new facts, operations, and problem solving skills. She also did a great job this week adding many more details to her writing and really worked on editing her piece! Way to go Rosa!!!!!!!!!