Next week happenings!

Parents!

We had a great week! Many of your kids know their opposites vocabulary very well! They are very smart kids! Thanks for your hard work in reviewing with them (at home) Also, for their 1-30, many can write them very well! I am so proud of them.

Business...Please  help me talk about it at home...so that we can make the classroom and school a safer and fun place for all students.
 
1. SEP CONFERENCE!! REMEMBER TO SCHEDULE ASAP
Early out all week of SEP CONFERENCE ( treat every day of this week- Nov 11-15 like a Friday schedule)

AM CLASS---8:50am-10:50am
PM CLASS--11:25pm-1:25pm

*there is no English class during the week of SEP and there is NO lunch (because of half day schedules)
 
* please be on time in picking up and dropping off your child

2. Every Tuesday---We have recess rocks! A cool idea organized by our awesome vice principal and our great PTA has spend a lot of HARD WORK putting this idea together and organizing it. Random students (4 students each week, per class) is selected to go to recess rocks. There are many fun games they get to play. They learn about different rules, teamwork etc--many good qualities. I know some students can get sad or upset that they don't get chosen for that week, help me explain to them (At home) that will all get a turn eventually.
3. Every Thursday--We have walk the track! That means, all students are encouraged to walk the track, (as many laps as possible) This is promote healthy lifestyles, after all we are a GOLD MEDAL SCHOOL. Please make sure your child WALK and NOT run, there are so many students out walking out there!
 running = accidents! Also, they cannot walk on the grass, they have to walk on the path.
 
4.BOX TOPS---We are doing great collecting! Keep collecting! yay! also, when you bring the box top papers, please write your child name-- I have some 'nameless' slips of box tops sheets, I asked all students to claim the nameless sheets, but everyone claim it was theirs, so I don't know.

5. I need family pictures, if possible a RECENT one please? We are learning about family members soon. A medium size one would be best, wallet size is a little small, bigger than wallet size please? Please put pictures in Ziploc bags (to protect pictures) Don't worry, I will return the pictures back to you.

6. Some students struggle with rubber bands. What I mean is, when we tie rubber bands around our ice cream sticks (for maths) some students get frustrated with trying to tie rubber bands to bundle up the sticks. Please practice with them at home, that would help me sOoooo much.

7. If you can bring something winter related as we are going to learn about winter soon. Please DO NOT bring snow,  live/dead bugs/animals or food
Some ideas: snowflakes, snowman ornament, Christmas ornament, wreaths-mini or small ones, pines, snow globe ( plastic ones!) scarf, gloves,  etc. Be as creative as you can.
If possible, put items in zip lock bags with your child name, so that way, we know which student bought which item.

*if you want the item returned, please write PLEASE RETURN!

8. If you have extra foam soap at home, if you can so kindly donate a bottle that would be great( this is for our health lessons on how to wash hands better) We will also use the soap to wash our hands in the classroom

9. A lot of kids want to be the first in any tasks/assignments given, as a result of that, they rush through their work and they end up with careless mistakes or do a sloppy job, I have emphasize this MANY TIMES in the classroom. If you can help me talk to them at home, being 1st is not important, doing their best in their work and CHECKING their work is more important. Also, while they are rushing to be first, they tend to shove/push/run and injuries occur, please help me tell them to walk and NOT run and to keep their hands to themselves.

Agenda......lots to learn/do
 
1. CHINESE---:):):) We are still learning more opposite vocabularies.
TALL/SHORT (height wise)------INSIDE/OUTSIDE---

Then we will start our family vocabulary!
GRANDFATHER/GRANDMOTHER----MOTHER/FATHER--

2. MATHS---We will continue to learn about 21-30
Most can write it really well, but some struggle after 20, a few students write this (after 20) ,11,12,13,14 (which is wrong) it should be 21,22,23,24 etc. Please help me practice. I see reversals appearing.

*As for the ice cream sticks, and the concept of place value, we are still learning how to tie rubber bands around the ice cream sticks, many can do it. Even after demonstrating how to tie rubber bands around ice cream sticks, some students still cannot tie. Please practice with them at home on how to tie rubber bands around sticks or things.

* we are starting to count dots in 10 frames ( up to 30) I will send home a practice sheet next week on how it looks like. On one side, they must learn to count the dots ( in the 10 frames) on the other side, they have to put the right amount of dots to match the amount  I write.

For example on one side:
they have to count the right amount and write 23

J	J	J	J	J
J	J	J	J	J

 

J	J	J	J	J
J	J	J	J	J

 

J	J	J

 On the other side:
it will be blank like this, with (for example) a number like 25

 

 

 

then they have to draw the right amount of dots like this

J	J	J	J	J
J	J	J	J	J

 

J	J	J	J	J
J	J	J	J	J

 

J	J	J	J	J

 * I use smiley faces instead of dots but please make sure they use DOTS
 Hopefully this makes sense. They need to know to match amount and numbers together.

3. SCIENCE: All of you should have receive your fall items back, if you have labeled return on your item or on the zip lock.  We will start learning about winter, so bring something winter related.

4. HEALTH: We are still learning about good hygiene practices. ESPECIALLY how to wash hands carefully and better.

5. CHINESE TEST---on opposites vocabulary. Please revise with them at home, refer to my blog on the pronunciation.  The test can be any day of the week, be prepared. It wont be on a Monday. FYI

Have an AMAZING 3 DAY WEEKEND!

 ps, thanks for all your great help and support in and outside the classroom! I really appreciate it. :) :) :)

Recordings for 21-30 (counting!)

Parents,
Here is the recordings for 21-30 counting
enjoy!

THIS WEEK NEWS...OCT 28-NOV 1

GOOD MORNING PARENTS!

I already uploaded the audio recordings for this week vocabulary! Hope it  helps!

BUSINESS...If you can help me emphasize this at home...that would be great...then we can on the same page! :)

1. SEP CONFERENCE- (11 NOV--13 NOV)----Parent/student/teacher conference! YAY! Please sign up as soon as possible. Sign up is open today, online! One child per time slot please! Also, just on MONDAY only, Mrs Christensen and I will be available from 8am onwards. SEP is for our class is from Monday-Wednesday :)

EARLY OUT all week (11 NOV- 15 NOV) for SEP conference! Please make sure you are ON TIME in dropping your child off and picking them up!

AM CLASS----8:50am-10:50am
PM CLASS--- 11:25pm-1:25pm

2. BOX TOPS! Yahoo! I think our class is the leading the school on box tops! I should check with the PTA! Thanks for all your diligence and hard work in collecting box tops! Keep collecting!

3. 2nd Grade Halloween Program on 30th Oct, Wed @ 2:30pm for parents to watch! They are so cute!

4. Halloween parties in classrooms on 31th Oct, 2013, Thursday! (HAPPY HALLOWEEN!)  Please make sure your child DOES NOT dress up in costumes/masks etc for school that day.
AM CLASS will be in Mrs Christensen room and PM class will be in my room.

5. FRIDAY---1st NOV.....NO SCHOOL! Rest! Enjoy a 3 day weekend!

6. STAR WEEK POSTERS!!! Please make sure you refer to the list that our awesome Co room parent put together (From the AM class). Make sure you bring the poster the Monday of your child star week. Come that Friday to present the poster! Try to remember to make a poster and come and present our kids look forward and are so happy when their parent/s/guardians come and present!

AM class--- Come @10:30am
PM class----Come @ 1:05pm

*ideas to include in the poster: family pictures, silly pictures, Halloween costumes pictures, vacation pictures, favorite things/food/candies/color/cartoon

7. PROPER SHOES FOR PE!!!! Our gym floor is very smooth and it will be slippery on some shoes. Please make sure every TUESDAY!!!!!! your child wears appropriate shoes.

 GYM/RUNNING/TENNIS SHOES PLEASE!! Pretty please! CROCS/BOOTS/SANDALS/FLIPFLOPS are NOT ALLOWED as they are very slippery on the gym floor and causes injuries.

*if there is snow---your child can wear boots BUT make sure they bring tennis/running shoes to change (in their backpack) every Tuesday!

8. OCTOBER 31th is also the END OF 1st TERM!!! YEAH!
AGENDA....Yupper!

1. CHINESE---We are continuing the opposites vocabulary! I teach hand motions along with the vocabulary, I know it has helped many students. :) This week vocabulary are: HOT/COLD------FRONT/BACK------LONG/SHORT (length wise)----HEAVY/LIGHT-----
We will always constantly review last week vocabularies and this week ones (so they will always remember)

2. MATHS....I think it is safe to start 21-30 this week! Yay! Which means we will learn to write/count/say/know 1-30. I think most of the students can do it.

 Please work with them on one to one number recognition, I notice a lot of students are great are number line memorization/writing, but have no concept of what 4 or 14 is, to them, they mean the same thing.

We are going to start something NEW this week. Teaching them the concept of place value. For example 5 is very different from 15 because, it has 10 LESS than 15. We will use ice cream sticks to aid us. FOR EXAMPLE--- We will learn about 28--- how to bundle up 10 sticks (in a bundle) , so there will be 2 bundles 2 (tens) and the ones which will be 8 left will be loose. You can create this game at home too!

3. SCIENCE---We will start our fall tree( depending on time) and learn to write the Chinese word for fall season. We might start learning about winter--depending on time!

4. Health---We will learn about GOOD HYGIENCE practices. For example, how to wash hands properly, how to cough and sneeze properly etc.


We are going to have a S-U-P-E-R and F-U-N week!

Last but never least! You can always come and talk to me about anything school related or questions and concerns about your child! I check my email (like crazy!) or if you want to meet me in person to talk about questions/concerns, please email me first and we could set up a time!

Audio for Opposities part 2

Hi Parents,

These are the vocab we are learning this week, somehow, more and a few (which was learnt last week is also added onto this!) opps!

Enjoy!

DONT FORGET!!!

Parents,
Don't forget to schedule SEP (parent teacher conference). It should be up on Encore.
So they will have early out all week from NOV 11-15 which means new times which they come:

AM CLASS- 8:50am-10:50am
PM CLASS-11-25am-1:25pm

PLEASE TAKE NOTE!!!! Be sure to drop them and pick them up on time!!!


You can start scheduling SEP beginning Monday, OCTOBER 28

*There is NO English class at all during SEP week

* Please take note, just on Monday, Mrs Christensen and I will be available from 8am onwards for SEP. My aide will take over my classes just on Monday only.


Make sure to go online asap to get the times that suit you the best.

Thanks!

Fridays! and next week schedule

你好! ( pronounced as Knee How) Parents!

This week went by quick, 1st term is almost up! Your kids are learning sooo much each day! They have taught me many qualities :)

Business....Please NOTE:

1. RECESS----We still have some kids coming in late, please help me emphasize this at home. During recess, the kids have to listen to the bell and watch for the ground duty sign, when their bell rings, the ground duty will put a red sign with a black letter K, that means all kindergarten will line up. I also tell them to watch their class, if they suddenly see NONE of their classmates in the play area, that means it is time to line up.

2. LOST ITEMS: Everyday in the classroom, there are items left behind, boots, shoes, water bottles, jackets, even school bag, etc. I will put them in the lost and found box by the custodian office.

3. LINING UP-- There have been some issues, while the kids are lining up, they tend to SHOVE and PUSH resulting in injury or the other kids falling. I told them if other kids took their spot, let them, and move to another spot.

4. KEEPING HANDS TO THEMSELVES--- Sometimes the students get a little active or too excited that they start hitting, pushing, slapping etc others, I don't they don't hit intentionally! I always tell them ( on a daily basics as a class) that keeping their hands to themselves is great and being kind.

*If someone purposely hit them or bully them, it is also important
 NOT TO HIT OR BULLY BACK but to find a teacher, staff or adult to report to immediately

5. TEST FOR CHINESE---WAS so GREAT! Almost every child got perfect scores or only one mistake, there were only a little amount of students that got more than 2 mistakes. THANK YOU for your hard work in revising with them at home.

6. TEST FOR MATHS---WENT REALLY WELL! LESS and LESS Reversals and NEATER and NICER handwriting. Most kids did really well, only a small handful still need the extra help.
Thanks for practicing with them at home.

Parental support is important to me. Thank you!  You all are great, you know your child best on whether they need extra help:)

Agenda for OCT 28---NOV 1, 2013

1. Chinese---We are still learning about opposites:
HOT/COLD---FRONT/BACK---LONG/SHORT (length wise)---HEAVY/LIGHT

Stay tuned for the audio recordings

* there are some confusion with up and down, up is shang and down is xia (which sounds alittle similar) so I taught them hand motions with it and for the word up, to emphasize SHANG (which is a little higher pitch) xia which is down is lower pitch ( this helped many students and they are able to remember better)

* also, for the word small Xiǎo and for a few/less Shǎo....they sound kinda of the same, so I taught them hand motions to go along with that so they will not be confused.

*also for the long and short vocabulary this is for length wise, for example, long and short stick. Because the next next week we would learn tall and short ( that is height wise) like tall and short dog
so hopefully the kids will not get confused ( I will teach them hand motions with that)

2. MATHS----Yay! Less and less reversals, I know there are still some struggles with the number  6,8 and 9. We will start 21-30! which we will write 1-30. Also, we will count items in the ten frames.
Keep practicing with them the number search at home to look for different numbers from 1-100.

3. Science, We will still learn about Fall and clothes worn during fall. We might start working on our fall tree.

4. Health--We will be learning about good hygiene practices. How to wash hands properly, how to cover your mouth when you cough etc.

5. FRIDAY ---NOV 1...No SCHOOL!
ENJOY a 3 day weekend!

Thanks for all you do! Thanks for coming to help in the classroom or at home.

Have a super weekend!

MOnday business...OCT 21-25 , 2013

Good Morning Parents!!!

I hope you all had an AMAZING 4 day weekend! I did! =D

Business...if you can help me emphasize them at home with your child, it will make the classroom/school a better and safer place

1. This week is RED RIBBON WEEK. Which means we SAY NO TO DRUGS! I am so glad. Everyday this week, there is a theme going on.

2. JACKETS PRETTY PLEASE! Cold week ahead. If your child has asthma/difficulty breathing in the cold, please write me a note or email me and let me know if they have to stay indoors.

3. KINDNESS.. It has been getting better. Sometimes, there are still mean words said in class ( among students). Also, hands are not kept to themselves, that result in hitting, pushing, shoving etc others. Also, I notice some kids being left out sometimes, or some kids do not want to partner up with some kids or hold hands with them (when we are in a circle/playing games etc). Please help me emphasize this at home, to say kind words and keeping their hands to themselves. Also, to include everyone in their games, groups etc., not to exclude anyone.

4.PTA-  (parent teacher association), Please join them! They really do soooo much for the school and for us-teachers (which we are soooo grateful) :)

5. BOX TOPS! We still need as much as we can! Pretty please! Awards will given (every term) to the student with the highest amount collected for box tops.

6/ RECESS---there are some kids that are consistently coming in late from recess, I always tell them to watch their class. If they are unsure of which bell to line up, they can always look at whether their classmates are lining up. The ground duty ladies always have a red sign up too that says the big letter K (which means all kindergarten will line up now)

7. WASHING HANDS--- Little hands always get dirty, Please help me teach them how to wash hands properly, I teach them at school how to wash hands ( when they use the restroom), a lot of them come out from the restroom still with dirty hands or soapy hands, so I have to send them back again to re-wash their hands.
 Clean hands= less germs=less sickness=healthy kids :)

Agenda for this week...OCT 21- OCt 25

1. CHINESE---We will start out opposites unit, to prepare for science, math etc. This week we will be learning LEFT RIGHT---UP, DOWN---BIG, MEDIUM, SMALL---MORE, A FEW---
(audio recordings are on my blog already, also, I tagged all the audio recordings into a file, scroll to the bottom of my blog, the brown part, where is says: recordings...audio in bright green) click it and it should say all audio postings..even today NEW ONE

2. MATH--Probably still doing 1-20 this week...! There are lesser and lesser reversals! yippieeee! thank you for your hard work. There are some which needs extra help in their motor skills and numeral writing, I or my helpers will be pulling them out (on the side) and working with them individually or with another student on that. We are also learning to count 1-20 backwards, I know they can count 1-20 perfectly, but it gets tricky to count backwards.

*also, please work with them on numeral recognition, a lot of them can recognize their numerals if they write 1-20 in sequence but quite a handful cannot recognize individual numerals. (between 1-20) Please work with them at home

*another note, hopefully you all find the 100 chart useful, please help me work with them at home on finding different numerals. For example, the number 76, find the 7 area first( which means the 70-s row, then find 6 after)

3. SCIENCE---We are still learning about FALL. This week, we will learn about the different clothes we wear during fall and re-look at the items donated!

4. TEST FOR CHINESE---All their shapes that we learnt so far, refer to my blog for audio recordings.  This test will be given verbally.

* A lot of them get confused with rectangle and square, so remember to tell them to drag the word changggggg fang xin ( for rectangle) I also, taught them a hand motion that goes along with the word rectangle.

* for triangle, I taught them to count the sides, since there are 3 sides, the Chinese word for 3 is SAN, so its san Jiao xin ( which means 3 sided shape)

* for hexagon which has 6 sides, I taught them to count the sides, 6 is liu, so is called liu bian xin which means 6 sided shape)

5. TEST FOR MATH- writing 1-20...probably towards the end of the week. Remember to keep working with them on no reversals/backwards numerals and legible handwriting.


谢谢! (xie xie) for being on top of things and for all your hard work!!
We are going to have an EPIC WEEK! =D

Ps, also do my poll on the top left part (after the picture) on what is helpful on the blog! Thanks!

AUDIO for OPPOSITES ...part 1

Parents,
These are the audio recordings for the opposites we are learning this week! Please review with them this week!
Mahalo~ =D

NEXT WEEK AGENDA...

Dear parents...........

The week ended...we had a short week...and a 4 day weekend! :) :)

Business...YahOoooo!

1. Please keep collecting BOX TOPS!! Our 2 classes are doing so great in collecting box tops! Thank you thank you!

2. There are a lot of lost items left in the classrooms and hallway, there are usually no names on these items ( like jackets, lunchbox, waterbottles etc) I will ask all the students whose item is this? Usually nobody owns up to it. I will put it in the lost and found  box (by the custodian office) Please label their items, so it makes it easier.

3. Coughing, there seems to be quite a lot of children coughing (cold weather), please help me teach them to cover their mouth, with their arm (where it bends). A lot of children cough without covering their mouth and their germs/salvia flies everywhere. I was a recipient of such 'luck' A child coughed without covering and I was close by and got all their 'blessing' all over my face :(

4.School/home lunch! The lunch lady told me that a lot of children are not eating their lunch, they get their school lunch or home lunch and they only eat 1 or 2 items and throw away the rest. Please help me talk to them about eating all their food for lunch otherwise they will get hungry.


Agenda for next week.....yesyesyes...

1. CHINESE---We will start learning opposite vocabularies ( to prepare for math and science). We will learn LEFT,RIGHT-----UP,DOWN-----BIG, MEDIUM, SMALL( I know this is not really opposite but it one of the math vocabulary)------MORE, A FEW-----
*Stay tuned for the audio posting on my blog on the pronunciation

2. MATHS-- We will keep writing 1-20 and keep working on reversals, there are less and less reversals ( yay! and thank you for all your hard work). All of the students except 1 or 2 know how to count 1-20. YAY!  Help me keep practicing with them!

*Interesting note, when I asked some to start counting from a different number other than 1 they cannot count till 20. For example, I ask them to start from 7 , they don't know what is next, even though they can count from 1 to 20. 
Also, I started giving them blank number lines and they have been writing very well, some still need extra practice.

*another interesting note, if I asked them to write individual numbers (From 1- 20), some have to always start counting from 1 to know what the number is. For example, I ask them to write, 12, they have to start counting 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 ahhh..then they know how to write 12. Most of them will know how to write their numbers without counting from 1.

 You know your child best. Help me practice with them at home on recognizing/counting different random numbers ( not in sequence)

3. Science--Fall items, we are still going to be looking at more fall related items! and learn about the different clothes/activities we wear/do for fall weather.

4. CHINESE TEST on shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond, trapezoid, hexagon) next week, please review with them at home. (test will be given verbally) It will be one of ANY days next week...be prepared...

5. MATH TEST next week....on 1-20 (test will be a written)..*hint hint...probably the end of the week. Reversals and backward numbers are considered wrong.

funny conversation for the week:

student' lin lao shi, come to my birthday party!'
me: 'are you sure you want me there? why?'
student' cause we are both the same age! we can celebrate together!'
I burst out laughing!

-_____- ' ' '
 I guess to them I am their age too. :) Your kids are great!

I appreciate all the faithful parents who come and help in my class all the time. Thank you! Thank you! Also, thanks for being patient with me.

Have a F-U-N weekend!