STEAM Expo Coming Up!

Room K-3 students enjoyed the Thanksgiving assembly.

I hope you had a relaxing and rejuvenating Thanksgiving!

Indoor Shoes
If your child wears snow boots or rain boots to school send them with a set of regular shoes in their backpack that they can wear in class.

STEAM Expo Save the Date
Our Steam EXPO is set for the evening December 13th, 2018.  More details and presentation times to come.  Our students will be teaching visitors about the STEAM community.

Jump with Jill Assembly
This Wednesday, Jump with Jill will visit out school for an assembly on exercise and nutrition.

Curriculum Overview
STEAM Project - We currently are in the middle of a project attempting to answer these driving questions: "What is a community?" and, "How can we teach visitors about the A2STEAM community?"  This week students will begin interviewing and photographing different community members here at STEAM. 

Reading - We will be reading some non-fiction books describing the roles of different community members.

Writing - Last week students created posters about themselves and wrote about things they like and do well.  This week we will begin writing about either the Ann Arbor Community or our school community here at A2STEAM.

Math - This week will comparing numbers to determine more and less.

Word Study - This week we will continue to match letters to their sounds.

Happy Thanksgiving

Students enjoyed the snow!

Spirit Days
We have two Spirit Days this week.  Monday is wear some sort of clothing that has sports team or logo.  Tuesday is fashion disaster day-wear strange clothes or unusual color combinations.

Report Cards
Report cards go home on Tuesday.  They go home in a manilla envelope.  Please sign the envelope and send it back to me next Monday.  Just send back the envelope, you keep the report card.


Indoor Shoes
If your child wears boots to school send them with a set if shoes in their backpack.

Mr. Luxon Out of the Classroom On Monday Afternoon
I will be out of the classroom for a meeting Monday afternoon.  There is a possibility that I won't be there for dismissal.  I will prepare the students and the visiting teacher to make sure everyone knows where they are going.

Curriculum Overview
STEAM Project - We currently are in the middle of a project attempting to answer these driving questions: "What is a community?" and, "How can we teach visitors about the A2STEAM community?"  Students saw that they are part of a community and thought about the different roles they have (brother, student, friend) within the community.  This week they will create a poster describing themselves for the school.

Reading - This week we will read books about Thanksgiving and gratitude.

Writing - Students have been seeing that they are members of a community and writing their community roles.

Math - We will build numbers as well as solve and act out simple addition and subtraction problems.

Word Study - This week we will match letters to their sounds.

We met members of the community at the famers' market.

Field Trip This Wednesday-Dress Warm

On Friday, to celebrate the first snow, we learned about how snowflakes are formed and made our own snowflakes out of paper.

Field Trip
On Wednesday of this week we will be taking a field trip to the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market.  Once there students will go on a scavenger hunt, led by parents, where they think about different people in the community and their different roles.  Students will also be given a dollar with which they can buy a snack.  We will be outside for about 45 minutes for the trip, so please send your child with warm clothes on Wednesday.

A2STEAM Book Fair
Ms. Reader is hosting a book fair this week to raise money for the library and school.  To help support the school you can purchase books at the book fair or online.  Ms. Reader's website has all the important details.  On Tuesday students will preview the book fair with Ms. Reader.  They will take photographs of three books they are interested in and send them to you over Seesaw.  I have already made it clear to students that taking a photograph does mean they get to purchase that book, they are just suggesting it to you as a book they are interested in.  You can often find similar books at the public library too that way.  Tuesday and Wednesday are book fair 'preview' days--just for looking.  Thursday and Friday are purchase days.  If you want to send in money to purchase a book for your child please send it by Friday morning and include tax.

Winter Clothes
Wow, that snow surprised me last week!  I want you to know that unless the temperature or windchill is below zero degrees Fahrenheit, we go out for recess at least twice each day.  Please send in a full compliment of winter clothes with your child: Gloves, hats, snow pants, boots, and winter jackets.  I have some extra items if you need them.  If you would prefer to leave certain items in the classroom that is fine.  In addition to the winter gear students also need a pair of regular shoes in their backpack that they can wear in the classroom.  They need the regular shoes to give their boots a chance to dry out, and so they can participate in gym class.  I know as a parent that this is a lot, but all of these things really help your students stay happy, dry, and ready to learn all day long.

Snowflakes
Last week we took some time to learn about how snow and snowflakes form from water vapor that freezes.  We watched some videos of snowflakes forming and another where a scientist explained the process to a group of kids.  In the new year we will begin a unit on weather officially but the lesson on snow seemed apt to cover now.

Curriculum Overview
STEAM Project - We currently are in the middle of a project attempting to answer these driving questions: "What is a community?" and, "How can we teach visitors about the A2STEAM community?"  Students saw that they are part of a community and thought about the different roles they have (brother, student, friend) within the community.  This week they will create a poster describing themselves for the school.

Reading - Students are identifying the setting in fiction books.  We are also using sight words like 'the', 'here' and 'see' to help us read books on our own.

Writing - Students have been seeing that they are members of a community and writing their community roles.

Math - We will build numbers as well as solve and act out simple addition and subtraction problems.

Word Study - This week we will match letters to their sounds.

Field Trip Next Wednesday, November 14th

The Fall Family Reading Party was a success!  I have posted additional pictures on Seesaw.

No School this Tuesday
Because our campus is used as an election site there is no school for students this Tuesday, November 6th.  Ann Arbor Public Schools and A2STEAM encourages everyone in the school community to vote in this election.

Field Trip
Kindergarten will be taking it's first field trip to the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market on Wednesday, November 14th.  We are going to the market to see how resources from all around the community can come together in one place.  I put a lot of important information about the trip in the email I sent out Sunday night.  Please review the email.

Curriculum Overview
STEAM Project - We currently are in the middle of a project attempting to answer these driving questions: "What is a community? and, How can we teach visitors about the A2STEAM community?"  Students saw that they are part of a community and thought about the characteristics that make them unique.  This week we will learn about the different roles community members have.

Reading - Students are identifying the characters in fiction books.  We are also using sight words like 'the', 'here' and 'see' to help us read books on our own.

Writing - Students have been seeing that they are members of a community and writing about the characteristics that make them unique.

Math - We are examining the different ways numbers can be broken up.  For example 5 can be broken up into 2 and 3, 1 and 4, 3 and 2, or 4 and 1. 

Word Study - This week we will examine fonts again and see the different ways in which the letters 'b' and 'd' are written in books.

The Fall Family Reading Party was a success!  I have posted additional pictures on Seesaw.