Sunday, April 29, 2018

Week 34. April 29 - May 3

Welcome to a new week of school!


Today we started our super fun ABC countdown to the last day of school! Please make sure you have read our previous post with the information about what will be happening each day. Today’s letter is A: “Animal Day”. We have also added the ABC Countdown to our upper tabs for you to find it easily.

From the ES library

ES Library Calendar Dates
May 8-10 Used book sale
May 15 Last day for check out
May 22 Last day for classes; All books are due
May 29 Summer check out starts

Swim bags and library bags
Library books that get wet are in danger of developing mold. Mold is a highly contagious growth that can invade a library. It is very hard to get rid of, and is toxic to humans. Please keep your swim bags and any liquids well away from library bags. Any book that is returned wet or damp will need to be replaced, either by paying the replacement fine or by giving us a new copy. Take care of our books. Do not get them wet!

Swimming Starts this week for KGS (May 3), next week for KGC and KGB (May 8).

This week Kindergarten will begin swimming in PE in their 1 hour lesson each week for the remainder of the school year. Please remember to send a swimsuit, towel and goggles with your swimmer. Swimmers with long hair must either wear a swim cap or have their hair tied back. 

To support independence in all students please make sure they wear clothes that they can easily take off and put on. Crocs and sandals are the best option for shoes, socks and shoes with laces are not recommended on swimming days.

Students will need to wear their full PE uniform in all 30 minute classes for the remainder of the year. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s PE teacher.

Other Important Dates

  • There is no school on Tuesday, May 1st for Labor Day.
  • KGB will have their ES assembly on May 8th
  • The last Library day for KG will be May 17th. Please make sure you return all books by this date.
  • Student Led Conferences will be on May 21st.
  • KGS will have their assembly on May 22nd.




Learning This Week

Reading Workshop


As students read different genres, we will review strategies readers use to read fluently. One of our lessons will be that readers always stop, pause and jot their thoughts. They do this because it helps them to understand what they are reading to later share and talk with others about what they are reading. So far readers have only written jots on nonfiction books, starting this week they will be encouraged to record their thinking as they read fiction also.

Students will also try to go beyond “happy” and “sad” to precisely describe the feelings of the characters in the books they read. We will build a shared vocabulary of feelings-words to help us accomplish our goals. Speaking of goals, we will do some individual goal-setting so that readers can understand what they do well and what they need to work on. 

Writing Workshop


Writers continue to revise their stories. This week, we will incorporate editing strategies to make their writing easier to read. Using a checklist, writers will reread their stories and stop whenever they find something to fix: spaces, punctuation, lowercase letters and sight words. These sight words we also call them “no excuse words” as we expect students to spell them correctly. Sight words can also be used to elaborate and stretching sentences”

I got ice cream → I got ice cream with my mom.

On Thursday, we will being to prepare for publication. Writers will work with their partners to choose one piece they wish to publish at the end of the unit.

Math


This week students will start working on Topic D which leads students beyond teen numbers up to 100 . They will begin by counting up and down to 100 both the regular way (ten, twenty, thirty, ...) and the Say Ten way (ten, 2 tens, 3 tens, ...).

Based on their work with numbers 11-19, students will realize the number sequence of 1–9 is repeated over and over again within each decade as they count to 100. Students begin by counting within and then across decades. Students also write some of the numbers ranging from 21 to 100.





Circles


This week, kindergarten students will continue discussing the CAC core value of courage. They will be discussing personal connections to Courage, and giving examples of times they or someone else have shown courage when feeling afraid of doing something. We will also be discussing how courage is important in growing as a learner and as a human being.



Science



Thanks to all parents who have supported our science unit by sending recycled materials to school. We can always use more! 

This our scientists will start planning their matter project! They have explored all recycled materials you have kindly sent to our classrooms. They will now start thinking about what object they would like to design and built, and most importantly, what materials they will need for this project. Stay tuned for a very creative and fun project!


Thank you for your support and feedback!
Ms. Ana, Ms. Paola, and Mr. Balazs

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Week 33. April 22-26

Welcome to a new week in Kindergarten! 


Egypt Festival was a success! Students had a wonderful day and we thank all parents who came and helped us out. Click here to see more photos!

This Wednesday there will be no school due to the Sinai Liberation Day. There will be regular school on Thursday.

As the year approaches, we would like to share important days and events for you to add to your calendar:

  • The second swimming unit in PE class starts on May 3rd for KGS and May 8th for KGB and KGC. Scroll down to see more information from our PE teachers
  • KGB will have their ES assembly on May 8th
  • The last Library day for KG will be May 17th. Please make sure you return all book by then
  • Student Led Conferences will be on May 21st
  • KGS will have their assembly on May 22nd


To celebrate the last weeks of Kindergarten, we have planned to have an ABC countdown with many activities for students to have fun and enjoy each other. Starting on April 29th we will have an activity a day following a letter of the alphabet. Check it out:

KG ABC Countdown!

Sunday, April 29
A - Animal Day
Children bring a book about an animal or a photo of their favorite animal.

Monday, April 30
B -Book Day
Children bring their favorite book for a show and tell at the end of the day.

Wednesday, May 2
C - Creative Day
Children will have creative art activities at the end of the day.

Thursday, May 3
D- Dance Party
Children will have a dance party in the classroom at the end of the day.

Sunday, May 6
E - Eric Carle Day
Children will enjoy reading Eric Carle books; they may bring their favorite book if they choose to.

Monday, May 7
F - Fun games day
Children will play different fun games at the end of the day.

Tuesday, May 8
G - Green Day
Children wear something green to school.

Wednesday, May 9
H - Hat Day
Children wear a hat to school.

Thursday, May 10
I - Inside Out Day
Children will come to school wearing their clothes inside out.

Sunday, May 13
J - Journey’s ahead
Children will make cards for the students who are leaving CAC.

Monday, May 14
K - Kindergarten Buddies
KG classes will buddy up for some partner reading time. (tentative field trip)

Tuesday, May 15
L - Lego Day
Children will engage in a Lego challenge.

Wednesday, May 16
M - Musical Chairs
Children will play musical chairs in the classroom at the end of the day.

Thursday, May 17
N - New Friend Day
Make a new friend today! Children will be encouraged to spend time with someone who they don’t usually hang out with, and share something nice about that child at the end of the day.

Sunday, May 20
O - Orange Day
Children will wear something orange to school.

Tuesday, May 22
P - Pizza Day!
Children will have pizza for lunch!

Wednesday, May 23
Q - Q-tip Painting Day
Children will use Q-tips to make some art.

Thursday, May 24
R - Red Day
Children will wear something red to school.

Sunday, May 27
S - Sunny Day
Reading in the sun. Children will enjoy some D.E.A.R. time on the grass.

Monday, May 28
T - Teddy Bear Day
Children bring their favorite stuffed animal to school for a special share at the end of the day.

Tuesday, May 29
U - Under The Table Reading
Children will enjoy reading under the tables during Reading Workshop.

Wednesday, May 30
V - Very Big Splash!
Last house event of the year: The Big Splash (more information will be shared in our blogs very soon)

Thursday, May 31
W - Wacky Hair
Children will show their Wacky Hair in class. Feel free to come with a funny hairdo!

Sunday, June 3
X - X-change autographs
Children will exchange autographs in class.

Monday, June 4
Y - Yeah!
KG Fun Day!

Tuesday, June 5
Z - Zoom Out Day
Last day of school!



We will link this information to our blog for you to have access to it easily. We’re looking forward to this! Please, let us know if you have any questions.

A Message from Mr. Greene and Mr. Mark

On Sunday, April 29th/18 students in KG - Grade 5 will begin swimming in PE in their 1 hour lesson, each week, for the remainder of the school year. Could you please ensure that your child is fully prepared for swimming by making sure they have what is listed below.

For swimming each child should have, in a separate swim bag:
  • An appropriate swimsuit
  • OWN pair of properly fitted goggled (not shared with siblings)
  • Suitably sized towel
  • Long hair tied back off the face or a swim cap (girls and boys)
  • No jewelry, including rubber and string bands and watches
  • Easy to take on and off clothes and shoes (crocs are ideal)

As a reminder each classes swimming days are:
Sunday - 5J, 3H, 1C and 2R
Monday - 5G, 3C, 1S and 4D
Tuesday - KGC, KGB and 4M
Wednesday - 3W, 5K, 2K and 4F
Thursday - 1M, 5O, KGS, 3D and 2S

Students will need to wear their full PE uniform in all 30 minute classes for the remainder of the year, including shorts, t-shirt, and sneakers.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your support,

Mr. Phil Greene - pgreene@cacegypt.org
Mr. Mark Mayfield - mmayfield@cacegypt.org



Learning This Week

Reading Workshop

This week, we begin a new reading unit! “Becoming Avid Readers” is all about reading books from different genres and enjoying a variety of books. From fiction to nonfiction to poetry, students will explore books from different genres on a daily basis. We begin by asking “ What is an avid reader?” and “How can we react to books?” We will then move on to learn how to capture our thinking about books. 

Writing Workshop


This week, we will be doing On Demand assessments by asking writers to write a story, and informational book and an opinion piece. They will write one genre each day. We tell students that this is an opportunities for them to show teachers what they have learned and can do as independent writers! 

Next week we will have the last four sessions of this unit and celebrate! We’re eager to see their published stories!

Math

This week, we will be having mid-module assessments and students will be working at various math centers while their teacher pulls them out to work with them individually. Next week, students will begin work on Topic D “ Extending the Say Ten and regular count sequence to 100”.

Science



Have you ever wondered how magnets work? Kindergarten scientists do! This week we will explore magnetism and materials that attract and repel magnets. We will have a variety of materials for students to get their hands on in order to make new discoveries. 

Later in the week, students will test their materials know-how by blindfolding themselves and using only their sense of touch to try and find out what kind of material they’re touching. Without seeing, how can you discern stone from metal? Plastic from rubber? Students will try their best!

Circle

This week, kindergarten students will be discussing the CAC core value of courage. During circles, we will be exploring what it means to be courageous in different situations, such as trying  to do something that we’ve never tried before, feeling afraid but knowing what to do to feel better, or speak in front of others even if we feel shy.


Thanks for reading!
Ms. Ana, Ms. Paola, and Mr. Balazs

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Week 32. April 15 - 19

Welcome to week 32, 7 more weeks to go!


Students enjoyed the Book Parade last week!

During Trimester 3, we have been looking at handwriting readiness and letter formation. These skills are always being taught in class and reinforced during Writing Workshop and Literacy Stations by reminding students of the steps to form each lowercase letter. Some students may need extra practice at home and for that reason we will send a workbook for them to practice writing certain letters.


  • Each page of this workbook has the steps to form the letter and spaces for students to practice. Your role at home is to support your child by reminding them of the following:
  • Make sure your body is ready to write. Posture is very important when writing, as well as paper placement (see the picture for reference)
  • Start your letters at the top
  • Say the steps as you form each letter
  • If you make a mistake, try again!

In class we teach for transfer by having students practice letters in isolation and then using that letter in their writing. For example, if a student needs to practice how to form letter b, they work on forming the letter many times and then they are asked to write words that begin with that letter. Once they have a list of 4 or 5 words they write sentences using those words.

This home practice should last 8 to 10 minutes including the workbook page and the writing activity. As this is a differentiated activity, your child will be working on letters we have noticed they need to practice more. We will add the date to the page we’re asking them to work on each day.

If you have any questions or comments about this home practice, please send us an email!

Egypt Culture!

Egypt Festival is this Thursday, April 19th. Please click here to see a letter with all the information for that day. These suggestions are for kindergarten families:


  • If your child chooses to wear a special outfit on this day, please make sure they also have a change of clothes. In our experience, students may feel uncomfortable wearing clothes other than their usual active clothes. (KGS has PE on that day, so don’t forget to send PE uniforms as well, please!)
  • The food offered at lunch is always delicious! However, we may have picky eaters. You know your child best! Consider sending a packed lunch from home just in case they refuse to eat most of the food offered.
  • We have signed up to visit the vendors at 10:40 (KGB and KGC) and 11:40 (KGS). Parents are welcome to join the classes if they want to buy items with their children. If you are unable to do so, you can look at the other available times on the schedule shared.
  • Dismissal will be from our classrooms. If you choose to attend the closing ceremony, we ask that you walk back to the classrooms with us to help us ensure the safety of all students.


A message from the Library

Used Book Sale, May 8 to 10

We are getting ready for our annual used book sale, this year from May 8 to 10. We welcome donations of used books for all ages in saleable condition. This is a good time for departing families to dispose of books before packing. We will soon have a donation box at the front gate.


Learning This Week


Reading Workshop


This week is the last week of our fantastic reading unit called Readers Read, Think, and Talk About Books! Our young readers are becoming skilled at making connections, retelling, sharing ideas with partners, and more. This week, students will push their thinking further by giving partnerships agency in what they read, how they read it, and what to do after reading. We will also return to snap words and discuss how to read inflected endings to build automaticity. Last, we’ll have a low-key celebration to complete this fun unit of study.

Writing Workshop


Writers are working hard as they revise their stories in this second bend. This week, they will elaborate by adding fancy words that refer to setting, feelings, actions and sounds. They will do this by practicing storytelling with their partners and noticing the words that make their partners go “wow!”, these fancy words also make for powerful endings. Writers will learn how to create a great ending with words and pictures.

As students write their stories, we continue to meet with them one-on-one to support their growth and set goals. In this unit we are raising the expectations in terms of writing conventions and punctuation. Many of our mid-workshop teaching points are about how to end a sentence with punctuation, writing lowercase letters unless capitals are needed and adding spaces between words.

Math

This week mathematicians will start working on Topic C by building a Rekenrek to 20, which they use to count and model numbers for the balance of the year. They will deepen their understanding of the composition and decomposition of teen numbers as 10 ones and some more ones by showing, counting, and writing the numbers 11 to 20 using a variety of configurations: vertical towers, linear, array, and circular configurations. In each configuration, students count to answer “how many?” questions and realize that whatever the configuration, a teen number can be decomposed into 10 ones and some ones.





Science



This week in science, we will read more about solid materials and explore their properties by adding words like “flexible,” “absorbent,” “transparent,” and “rigid” to our vocabulary.

Students will get their hands on these amazing materials and create posters with the material itself, properties of the material, pictures of the material, and what the material could be used for. These kids are becoming materials experts!

Please continue to send materials to school. We have lots of paper/cardboard and could use more glass, wood, plastic, metal and rubber. Thank you!

Circles

This week, students will building community during circles by discussing and investigating the CAC core value of courage. They will be exploring what courage means to them and what implications this core value has on their learning and their relationships.  For example will be completing stem sentences such as “I am courageous when…”

I try to do something that I’ve never tried before
I feel afraid but I know what to do to feel better
I speak in front of others even if I feel shy


We appreciate the time you take to read our newsletters and stay informed of what’s happening in our grade!

Ms. Ana, Mr. Balazs and Ms. Paola

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Week 31. April 10 - 12

Welcome back!

We hope you had a wonderful break with family and/or friends. This will be a short week, so it will be easy to get back on track.

A Message from KG Scientists

We need your help! Please send us any recycled materials you have at home to support our science unit. The more materials our students have to explore and choose for their projects, the more meaningful their learning experience will be!


Egypt Festival!

Mark your calendar for our annual Egypt Festival on Thursday, April 19. We will celebrate our host country, Egypt through music, dancing, food and grade level activities connected to themes. To add to the spirit of the day we invite you to wear a galabeya or perhaps clothes that reflect Egypt.
Come sample a variety of Egyptian dishes. Freshly baked baladi bread (from our very own mud brick oven) will be on sale for ES students during their recess and for MS & HS. Our Egyptian Food Festival is free for all elementary students, parents, teachers, and staff. Students will have an activity related to their Egyptian Culture curriculum. Looking forward to a great cultural experience.
We need your help!
Parents are an important part of our Egypt Festival. We would love your help if you're available at either lunchtime or the bread selling booth. Please sign up to help us if you can by clicking in this link.

The Arabic and Egyptian Culture Department

Learning This Week

Reading Workshop


Even though we have a short week of school, we have a lot of learning to do in Reading Workshop! Students will learn how readers can tell others about the stories they read by building on the “read-cover-remember-retell” method.

Readers will also make text-to-self connections by reading stories and noticing what the story reminds them of. These are connections readers make to characters, settings or problems that happen in stories.

Writing Workshop


Writers continue to write stories about things they have done, moments they have felt a strong feeling or places they have gone to! This time, we’re encouraging writers to turn their big stories into small moments:


Here are some teaching points we’ll have to invite students to find ways to make their stories better:

  • Powerful beginnings: writers think of ways to hook their readers on the very first page by writing interesting words or adding sounds!
  • Zooming in: writers take a picture in your head of one small moment in time, “zoom in” on that moment and write about a small moment on each page.
  • Adding to the writing: grownup writers sketch differently to spend more time adding words. They remember that later on there will be a time to add details to the pictures!

Math

This week we will cover Topic B in Module 5.In this topic mathematicians will advance to a more abstract level, representing the decomposition of teen numbers first with Hide Zero ( place value) cards  and with number bonds. They will then work from the abstract to the concrete and pictorial as they are directed to “show me this many cubes”.








Science


This week students will continue exploring matter in our second science unit. They will use their observation experience to explore different kinds of solids using measurement  tools like balance scales. Students will also compare and contrast the properties of different solids. We will invite students to use nonfiction books about glass, wood, plastic, paper, rubber and other solids to learn and discover about these important materials.

Thank you for your support!

Ms. Ana, Ms. Paola, and Mr. Balazs