Please see emails sent this afternoon regarding tomorrow’s field trip!!!

Save the DATE!!!  Mission Estancia Open House is scheduled for next Thursday!  Classrooms will be open for viewing of all the hard work the children are putting in during M.A.R.E.

Also… Our EEF will be hosting a Casino Night Fundraiser on Sat. 4/28 at the Encinitas Community Center.  This event is held to raise a large portion of the funds necessary to pay for our wonderful Art, Music, Science, P.E., and Technology consultants!  The event will include casino games, dinner, drinks, music, and a wonderful auction.

Many of the details of this night are already in the works and we would love to hear how you would like to support this event.  We need help in the following areas:
-  Finding sponsors for the event
-  Organizing Class Baskets
-  Acquiring and Organizing Silent Auction Items
-  Volunteer at the event (Set up or Monitoring an area, selling drink tix, etc.)
We’ll meet at the lunch tables, Wed. 2/1 at 1 p.m. until school lets out.

If we do not have the volunteers to put on this fundraiser, our students may not have the opportunity to have Art, Music, Science, PE or Technology next year!  Please do whatever you can to attend the meeting and/or see what you can do to help out!!

Hello!

I hope you all enjoyed the 3-day weekend!  Today we officially begin our school-wide M.A.R.E. unit.  For those of you who are new our school this year & thus new to M.A.R.E., it was developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science @ Berkeley University.  M.A.R.E. stands for Marine Activities, Resources & Education.  It is a program where our entire school takes approx. 2-3 weeks to learn about the ocean together!  The program is designed where each grade level studies a different zone/aspect of marine life.  If your child participates in M.A.R.E. from K-6th, they will have learned about every part of the ocean!  First grade gets to experience an in-depth study of the Rocky Seashore Environment, referred to by many as the Tide Pool zone whether or not there are literal tide pools.  We will study,learn about, and artistically represent many animals living in the tide pool environment while focusing on  the essential question, “How do adaptations help animals survive in the Rocky Seashore environment?”

More M.A.R.E. news…  Another volunteer position is available!  I need 1-2 adults to help next Monday for a M.A.R.E. art project from 10:30-11:45am.  If you can help, please email me to let me know. Spelling/HW for this week & next will be M.A.R.E. themed.  This means there are no Challenge/Enrichment spelling words included in HW packets.  Our reading groups will continue as regularly but we will be reading & learning about animals in the Rocky Seashore environment.  Last Thursday, I sent home a request for supplies for a project where students will create their own sea animal adaptive to the tide-pool environment.  If you have items to donate for our Project-based Learning on Friday, Feb. 3rd, please send them in at any time.  If you are able to help out on that Friday, please email & let me know.  Thank you!

Tidepool Animal Reports are DUE ON FRIDAY.  It is very important they are turned in on time as we will be using these reports as our sharing next week, but also as a resource for PowerPoint slides the students will make in the Technology Lab next week.

Field Trip news… Field Trip drivers have been notified via email.  Thank you all so much for all of your wonderful support of our class!  I am overwhelmed every time a plea for volunteers goes out.  Thank you for supporting your child’s learning on such a consistent basis!

** VERY IMPORTANT: A new law was set in effect on Jan. 1st stating that any child under the age of 8 years must be in a protective seat when riding in the car.  This means that every one of our students will need to be in a booster/car seat for our field trip.  Please send your booster w/ your child the morning of Jan. 24th.  If we do not have a booster for your child, we (for legal reasons) cannot take them on the field trip.

Math… Finishing up our unit on Geometry, this week’s sharing has to do with geometric solids and their properties.  We plan to test on this topic on Friday.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Elliott

Field Trip News…  I apologize for any miscommunications about the field trip regarding payment.  We have written a grant for the field trip so the students’ cost should be covered.  We will only need payment for adult chaperones.  While our last field trip allowed for an unlimited number of adult chaperones, Sea World limits the number of adults we may bring along.  Basically, they don’t want to let a ton of people into the park for only $6 when they can make up to $60-70 per person.  Since I can only bring a limited number of adults along with us, I have to choose drivers based on the following criteria… driver/insurance paperwork complete in office, previous field trips attended so everyone gets a chance, number of available seats so I have room for every student with the limited number of cars, and finally the order permission slips are returned.  So, after all of that, I have begun a tentative list of who I can bring.  However, if other classes are short on drivers we can help them out by driving students from other classes which will allow more of our parents to attend.  We will not know if this is the case until all classes’ permission slips are in.  Thanks so much for understanding my limitations & for so many of you being willing to help out with our field trips! Â

Unfortunately… all 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade teachers must attend an all day inservice on Wednesday, January 11th.  So bummed to be missing out on a day with the kids, but should be receiving great information we can use in the classroom!

In other news… In Language Arts this week we’re studying the short ‘u’ vowel sound as well as triple clusters such as ’str-’ and ’scr-’ forming words like ’strikeout’ and ’scroll’.  We are also working on descriptive writing learning how to use adjectives to describe nouns.  In the world of Math we have hopped on into Geometry.   We will continue working on this topic until our test on January 20th.  In Social Studies we are studying the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King leading up to our holiday (aka NO SCHOOL!!) next Monday.

This Friday is our School-wide Awards assembly.  Students will be recognized for the Character Trait of Responsibility and for recent success using the First in Math and Accelerated Reader programs.  See you on the blacktop at 8:15 if you plan to attend!

Have a great week!!

Mrs. Elliott

We made it!!  Well, I lost it a little there last week.  Thank you all for being so supportive in my having to ditch the field trip and then miss the next two days of school.  I had a not-so-glorious 4 days bed-ridden due to being terribly sick with strep throat.  I was on 5 different medications & spent 4 days doing nothing but sleeping.  Thank goodness it’s gone & we get to enjoy this final week together before the holidays & our two week break!!

This week we will conclude our study of holidays around the world & delve into some really fun seasonal activities!!  As we will be working hard on some special gifts & cards this week that should stay a surprise, we do not need our parent volunteers.  Please do join us for our Holiday Party on Friday!! Also, don’t forget to bring in Secret Santa gifts by Wednesday!

Just to give you all a heads up… I will be absent on January 3rd, our 1st day back after the break as I will be mid-air on our way back from Northern Idaho where my husband & I will be heading on Christmas morning.  My husband has not been able to spend Christmas day with his family for a few years now so we are blessed to be able to make the trip… yay for rewards points after spending all our money on a wedding this year!  In order to maximize both time & money, we had to fly back on the 3rd.  Thanks for understanding!

I wish you all the happiest of holidays & a very blessed New Year!  See you in 2012!!!

Only 9 days left before you get your children back for some family fun!

Thank you all so very much for all of the wonderful & generous donations for our Adopt-a-Family.  I know they will be greatly blessed during their holiday celebration!  Thank you for being a part of their blessing!!

This week…    Tuesday:  Book Fair!  We will attend the Book Fair as a class on Tuesday morning.  Students who bring money may purchase books, but this is also a time for them to simply make a “Wish List” for you.

Wednesday:  OLD TOWN Field Trip!  Please send your child with comfortable walking shoes, a sweatshirt & a SACK LUNCH.  SCHOOL HOT LUNCH WILL NOT BE AN OPTION THIS DAY.

* If you are driving/chaperoning on our Field Trip, please plan to be in the  classroom at the start of the school day.  We will be leaving as soon as attendance it taken & necessities are taken care of.  If you are planning to drive (many of you).  I need you to be absolutely, positively sure all of your paperwork is correct in the office.  There have been some problems with people thinking everything is correct but it is not.  You must have the “good driver discount” noted on your policy as well as copies of your license & policy that are updated (some turned in previously have now expired).

Thursday:  Next week’s homework will be coming home on Thursday this week to give you a little bit of time to take care of it.  As a holiday gift to you, regular homework will not be sent home next week.  The only homework will be for your child to write clues describing themselves to a “Secret Santa”.  All details of the activity will be included in the letter coming home this Thursday.  If you have any questions, please contact me.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family & friends!  We have only 3 weeks left until we’re off again for the holidays!!  Here’s some info to keep you up to speed with us this week…

Gifts for others… BIG REMINDER!!!!  Our Adopt-a-family project ends this week.  All gifts & non-perishable donations are due ON FRIDAY!!!  At this point, we have only 2 gifts turned in.  Please, please, please be sure you get them in as soon as possible.  Let me know if you have any questions about this and thanks so much for involving your child with this very worthwhile project.  Here again are the requests for gift donations….

Table 1 (& Emma and Jake):   Evan is 8 years old. He wears a small in boys shirts and a size 10 in pants. He could also use socks, pajamas, and would love movies!!

Table 2 (& Jordan and Tommy):   Diego is 14 years old.He wears size medium in boys shirts and size 32 in pants.Socks, or sweatshirt would be a nice gift also.

Table 3 (& Gabi and Ryan):  Silvia is 45 years old. She wears size medium in Womens and a size 27 in pants. Socks, pajamas, or sweatshirts would also be nice.

Table 4:  (has been divided among the other tables)

Gifts for you… Today our class visited the Holiday shoppe to purchase gifts for family members.  The shoppe will be open during recess, lunch, and after school on Wednesday.  This is the students’ chance to purchase holiday gifts for parents, grandparents, & siblings all on their own! Â

Book Fair… Books make great holiday gifts for your child while encouraging their reading development!!!  The Book Fair will be on campus next week.  We attend on Tuesday morning as a class.  Here students can make wish lists for you or purchase books.

In Language Arts this week we’re studying the short ‘i’ vowel sound with the “-ill” and “-ick” word families.  We will also be studying beginning clusters with ‘r’ such as tree, train, drill, grass, etc.   We are finishing up Topic 6 this week in Math with some extra review of addition strategies.  Over the next 3 weeks in Social studies, get ready for something BIG….  Grab your passport & hop aboard!  We will travel through Sweden, Israel, Mexico, and Germany as we study how cultures around the world celebrate the holidays!  So, sit back & buckle up for this exciting journey around the world!

On Friday, December 16th, we will have a holiday party in the classroom.  Stay tuned for details from our Fabulous Room Moms about how you can help!

Have a great week!!

      Mrs. Elliott

As the holidays quickly approach we get drawn into all the cheer with cooking more food than we can ever eat and shopping for things that none of us really needs. Of course it is fun to celebrate and throw our whims into the wind for a change, but there are families that can barely afford to buy coats to stay warm or put simple dinners on the table. With our economy in such a downturn, even families in Carlsbad have been hit very hard. Our class, along with our 3rd Grade Buddy class, has adopted a family of six with four children. I am assigning each table a family member or items to donate. If your child is assigned a family member, we ask that each student bring in a wrapped gift with nametag for that family member. The family can also use sundry items like toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent and nonperishable foods (no glass.) These do not need to be wrapped.  Although family member needs are divided among table groups, all are welcome to donate food and/or sundry items. Our deadline is Friday December 2^nd but you may begin bringing items in as early as you please. Â

Table/Family assignments are as follows:

Table 1 (& Emma and Jake):   Evan is 8 years old. He wears a small in boys shirts and a size 10 in pants. He could also use socks, pajamas, and would love movies!!

Table 2 (& Jordan and Tommy):   Diego is 14 years old. He wears size medium in boys shirts and size 32 in pants. Socks, or sweatshirt would be a nice gift also.

Table 3 (& Gabi and Ryan):  Silvia is 45 years old. She wears size medium in Womens and a size 27 in pants. Socks, pajamas, or sweatshirts would also be nice.

Table 4:  (has been divided among the other tables)

Let me know if you have any questions about this and thanks so much for involving your child with this very worthwhile project.

This week…

Our rotations this week have been changed to Tuesday due to our field trip on Thursday.  IF YOU ARE DRIVING ON THE FIELD TRIP, PLEASE BE IN OUR CLASSROOM BY 8:15 ON THURSDAY MORNING & please send in the $5 for your ticket to the performance as well. Thank you!

Don’t forget to come to the FALL FESTIVAL on Saturday!!  Mr. Elliott & I will be around in the mid-afternoon, hope to see you there!

Language Arts:  Review of short ‘i’, suffixes -ed & -ing

Math:  Topic 6- Addition to 12

Social Studies:  Thanksgiving!!  …tying into our Then & Now study.

Have a great week!