Mustang Adventures

Summer Reading

2010-06-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have some information for you regarding the Summer Reading Program at the Public Library. The program this year is called - "Make a Splash - READ!" Sign ups begin on Tuesday, June 8. You can sign up at the downtown library, West Salem branch or online. Students sign up, receive a booklet and keep track of their reading. Each hour read earns either a prize drawing ticket or book bucks to spend at the Club Store at the end of the summer. This is a fantastic way to keep your child reading all summer long!

Check out the website for more information:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/Departments/Library/EventsAndPrograms/children/Pages/childrensactivities.aspx
Additionally there are activities happening at the West Salem Branch of the Library. On selected Monday at 2 PM the library will have special events ranging from the Reptile Man to making a sand castle to a juggler. The first event is on Monday, June 21st. Space is limited and you must pre-register 2 weeks before each program. Call Call 503-588-6301 for additional information and registration.
Happy Reading!

Champoeg Field Trip

2010-03-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

Just a quick reminder that our field trip to Champoeg is this Thursday, March 11.

Here are some important details to remember:

1) We will be gone from 9am-2pm

2) If your child brings a lunch from home make sure it is in a paper bag and that the contents can be thrown away after eating. Also, please put your child's name on the bag

3) Dress your child in layers (part of the field trip is outdoors)

4) You child needs to wear tennis shoes - we will be outside rain or shine.

5) ALL parents volunteering need to carpool because we do not have room for everyone on the bus. If you are volunteering please be at Myers by 8:50am

Thank you!! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Grandparent Lunch Update

2010-02-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that the flyers that came home about Grandparents Lunch had the wrong time.

Here is the correct info:
Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 11:30-12:00
Classrooms included: Kahler, Haaheim, Berry, Brenner, Matthews, & Bradford
Price: $3.00/adult & $1.75/child

Tickets must be purchased in advance at the main office.
Please contact the office 503.399.3175 with any questions.

Valentine's Party

2010-01-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

On Friday, February 12, we will be having our Valentine's Day Party. We will be celebrating at 2:15. Students are welcomed to bring in Valentines, but please make sure they bring one for everyone. They may begin bringing in Valentine cards on Wednesday, February 10th.

A class list is included on the February letter/calendar going home in Friday folders this week (1/29).

We will be having ice cream sundaes as a part of our celebration. A sign up sheet for this will be posted outside our classroom door. Please contact Mrs. Kahler if you are interested in volunteering at the party or helping with supplies for the sundaes. Thank you!!

Planetarium

2010-01-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, January 21, our class went to the Chemeketa Planetarium. We had a wonderful time watching the night sky. It was really neat to see what we have been learning about come to life right before our eyes! Be sure to ask your child about what he/she learned and his/her favorite parts.

Thanks to the volunteers that came to help make the trip possible!

The Planetarium has shows on Friday nights at 7:30 PM. From Jan. 8 - March 12 the show title is Islands in the Sky. Adult tickets are $4.00 and children's tickets are $3.00. Tickets gone on sale for that night's performance at 7:15 PM.

For more information check out their website: http://www.chemek.cc.or.us/collegelife/planetarium
or call the information line 503.399.5200

Homework & Classroom Needs

2010-01-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to clear up one thing related to homework. Occasionally on the School-Home Links pages the instructions will say something like "read a nonfiction book sent home by your teacher" or something related to a book sent home by me. In all these cases please use a book you already have at home - I will not be sending books home specifically to be used with homework. Your child may use a library book or any other book from home.
As always if you have questions regarding homework please don't hesitate to email or call me. Thanks!

As for classroom needs, several parents have checked in and asked if we need anything for our class and I have not been able to think of anything. Today I had a brainstorm and have listed a few of the items in this email.

1) Wipes --we use these to clean our hands before snack. We had a Costco pack and that worked wonderfully, but any amount will help.

2) Snack - thanks to those of you that have sent it in regularly. If everyone sends in snack about once a month we should be fine. You may send it in at anytime. Please plan for 25 students.

The final item is more of a wish list item.

3) Walkmans - we listen to books on tape during literacy time and the students use Walkmans to do this. I had to have several but they have gotten worn out with years of use. A couple have bit the dust in the last few weeks.

I used to be able to buy them at Walmart for around $5.00 but they have been difficult to find lately. Anyway - I did look online to see if Walmart had them and they do have them for around $9.00, but I believe they are available only online. I will even take used walkmans if you happen to have any you are not using that haven't been donated to Goodwill yet. :-)

I don't need anything fancy - just the simple old walkman that plays cassette tapes and takes AA batteries. If you are able to find one and can help in that way - thank you!!

Thanks so much!!

Space

2010-01-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

We are well into our science unit on space. The students have been enjoying reading books about the planets, learning new space vocabulary, and chants related to space facts.

The two words we have been working on lately are orbit, the path of an object around another, and astronomer, a person who studies stars, planets, moons, asteroids, comets and all other heavenly bodies.

As we learn about the planets in our solar system we have discussed how Pluto is now considered a "dwarf planet", so we have had to adjust some of our songs and chants to reflect eight planets instead of nine. We have also discussed how it is important to learn about Pluto even if it isn't a planet since it is an object in our solar system.

Here is the text of one of our chants - ask your child to read/chant it to you:

Planets Here, Planets There

Planets here, planets there
Nine (eight) planets everywhere!

Close planet - speeding (Mercury)
Bright planet - steaming (Venus)
Watery planet - living (Earth)

Still more planets don't you know!

Red planet - rusting (Mars)
Stormy planet - swirling (Jupiter)
Ringed planet - spinning (Saturn)

There are more planets yet to go!

Green planet - tilting (Uranus)
Blue planet - icing (Neptune)
Tiny planet - freezing (Pluto)

Planets in our Solar System
Planets in the Milky Way
Planets in the Galaxy
Planets in the Universe
Planets here, planets there,

Nine (eight) planets everywhere!
Planets! Planets! Planets!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a very fun, restful, and relaxing break! I enjoyed my time off and I feel excited to be getting back into the swing of things.

The students have come back to school motivated and I have been very impressed with how quickly they have settled back into a routine. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm for learning!

I apologize that you do not already have the January newsletter - those last few weeks before break snuck up on me quickly. I am just finishing up the newsletter/calendar and it will be coming home this Friday, Jan.8.

Last Day Before Break

2009-12-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

What a fun day! The students did a great job following directions on such a packed day! We started our day with hot chocolate and watching the Polar Express.

Then we made jingle bell necklaces. After lunch we finished up the movie and completed a Venn Diagram about how the movie and the book were alike and different.

Finally we ended our day creating gingerbread houses. Thanks to the many parents that came to help set up, create, and clean up. And thank you to everyone that sent in items - the students had a blast!

Have a restful, relaxing, and fun winter break. See you all in 2010!

Simple Machines

2009-12-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

I apologize for having such a long time in between blog posts. I have been too busy and I need to make more time to blog.

So...here is a quick update on our study of Simple Machines:

We have been focusing on learning about 3 simple machines: lever, incline plane, and pulley. Some of the ways we have been studying include:

reading books about these simple machines
writing in our simple machine journals about what we are learning
watching videos illustrating how simple machines working
performing experiments in the class using each simple machine

One of our favorite ways to learn has been singing our simple machine song. I have included the lyrics here so your child can sing it to you.
CHORUS:
Simple machines are all around us,
And they help to get work done.
Reducing the force to life and move things
Let's sing a verse about each one.

Had a lever, with a fulcrum
And I pushed down on one end
Dug some dirt up with my shovel
Rode a seasaw with a friend.

CHORUS

Had a pulley with a grooved wheel
And a rope went round and round
Lifted cars up on a tow truck
Pulled a flag up from the ground.

CHORUS

Had a ramp that slanted upward,
And I called it an incline plane
Rode an escalator to the top floor
Rode a slide with my friend Jane.

CHORUS

Here are a couple of good websites to visit that have games and other activities relating to simple machines. Enjoy!
http://edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/index.htm
http://www.mos.org/sln/leonardo/inventorstoolbox.html

Reading Day

2009-11-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

Our annual Reading Day was Friday, October 30th. We had a terrific day celebrating reading!

We started out the day by coming in and admiring each other's fantastic costumes. Students were invited to dress up as a favorite book character. The students were so creative we had a butterfly, Beavers coach Mike Riley, a shadow ninja, Harry Potter, Little Red Riding Hood, and a princess just to name a few. Check us out!

After that we had some time for buddy reading. The students set out their blankets and pillows and selected a comfortable spot to read.

Next we had an assembly given by famous children's author Helen Ketteman. She read a couple of her books to us and shared how she crafts her stories. The students were inspired to be authors themselves.

After lunch we had a visit from Snow White. She came and read her story to us. How fun!!

Our next assembly was a visit from Walker Middle School's advanced drama class. They shared poetry with us in dramatic form! The students absolutely enjoyed their presentation. It is especially neat that Madison's brother was in the group.

After the assembly we spent some time creating our own bookmarks and doing some more buddy reading.

What a delightful day! Thanks to everyone that made it possible. Thanks to Mrs. Hamler-Dupras and Mrs. O'rand for organizing reading day and securing Helen Ketteman to visit. Thank you to Myer PTO for funding the author visit. Thank you to Helen Ketteman for visiting our school and sharing your books with us. Thank you to Walker Drama for sharing your humor and talent with us. Thank you to Snow White for stopping by. And thank you to the parents for supporting this day by encouraging your children to dress up and celebrate reading. THANKS!!

Pumpkin Fun Run

2009-11-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

Our fabulous PE teacher, Mrs. Herbert organized and expertly hosted the 2nd Annual Pumpkin Fun Run for the first graders.

On Monday, October 19, the first graders in our class participated in this awesome event. A parent in our room, Kristin Persson, took some pictures and graciously shared them with us and I have posted them. I especially enjoyed seeing them since I was out that day and unable to see the students run.

Also, thanks to the second graders for understanding they got to do this last year and now it was the first graders turn.

Thank you Mrs. Herbert and all the volunteers!! What a blast!!

Family Friendly "Ghost Stories"

2009-10-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hi fabulous families of Room 108!

I am passing along some info I got from Mrs. H-D about an opportunity to enjoy some Family Friendly "Ghost Stories" with children's author, Helen Ketteman.

Details
Date: Thursday, Oct. 29
Location: Tea Party Bookshop
Time: 6-8PM
Special Guest: Helen Ketteman http://www.helenketteman.com/

For further questions, contact:

JoAnne Kohler
Owner of the Tea Party Bookshop (across from the Salem Convention Center & the Phoenix Grand Hotel)
420 Ferry St SE, Salem, OR 97301
503-990-6471

Time For Kids ~ Bullies Beware!

2009-10-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

As many of you probably noticed we got our first issue of Time for Kids last week. Thanks to those of you that sent in the money for it and to those of you that were able to send in extra money for a scholarship subscription.

We enjoyed learning about National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week (Oct. 4-10) while reading our Time for Kids. After reading, each issue will be sent home with students to share with family.

As an extension of this lesson we have been checking our the Stop Bullying Now website: stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov This website has webisodes that follow a group of students at school dealing with bullies. We have been watching these at lunch time and then taking the quiz together as a class. It is a great website to visit with your child and talk about bullying. This issue of Time for Kids has given us lots of opportunities to have great discussions about bullying and how to stop/prevent it.

Homework

2009-10-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

The first homework assignment was sent home on Friday (Oct. 2). It is due the following Friday, but in this case it will be due Thursday, Oct. 8, since we don't have school Friday. Homework assignments will be sent home on Fridays and are due the following Friday. Please call or email if you have any questions.

Literacy Block

2009-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

I am working on posting a blog entry about each of the major sections of our day to help parents and other family members to get a sense of what our schedule is like. So, this post will be about literacy.

Our literacy block is two hours in length. It is broken down into three rotations with three mini-lessons (short whole group lessons) in between each rotation. The basic schedule is:

mini-lesson 1
rotation 1
mini-lesson 2
rotation 2
mini-lesson 3
rotation 3

The mini-lessons are generally 15 minutes in length and each rotation is 25 minutes in length.

That may sound rather confusing, but it actually works quite well. The students follow the board in the picture (see left) to figure out where they are headed for each rotation. Each student is in a group and follows a specific schedule. The blue columns show where mini-lessons take place.

The mini-lessons focus on teaching strategies that make students better readers. Our lessons fall into 4 categories: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expand Vocabulary. These make up our CAFE menu. Each time we learn a new strategy we add it to the board.

During the roations students have specific jobs depending on what group they are in. During a week each student will do each job at least once, usually twice. The jobs are: reading group with Mrs. Kahler, Word Work, Daily Choices, and Classroom Library. A brief explanation of each follows:

Reading Group with Mrs. Kahler

These groups are based on student need and ability. Students are working on developing reading skills to advance reading level, improve comprehension, fluency and vocabulary. Groups are small, no more that six students. Each group meets with Mrs. Kahler at least twice a week. At this time we have six different groups.

Word Work

This is time for students to practice writing and spelling specific words that we are working on. Ways to practice these words include: writing the words on white boards, spelling the words with stamps, making the words with magnetic letters, and creating a "crossword" with the words using Scabble tiles.

Daily Choices
At this point Daily Choices involves three things that students may choose from. These three things are: read to self, read to someone, and listen to reading.

For Read to Self, students may choose to read independently, but they must choose a book from the book box (books in book box have been read in reading group or have been selected because they are "good fit" books - at students independent reading level).

As for Read to Someone, students may buddy read with another student, again selecting books from his/her book box. Students take turns reading books.

And finally, Listen to Reading, involves listening to a book on tape. This choice was just introduced today and the students did a great job with it!

For each of these choices students select a quiet space to work where they will not be distracted by others or distract others. Students may sit at a table or sit on the floor.

Classroom Library

This job is as simple as it sounds. Students choose a book from the classroom library and read it to themselves during this time. Classroom Library is an independent job and does not involve buddy reading. Students may also choose to read books they have checked out from the library at this time.

That is our literacy block in a nutshell. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or set up a time to come and see it in action.

BBQ Fun

2009-09-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a fantastic time we had at the annual beginning of the year Hawaiian BBQ!

Many students came dressed up in their Hawaiian gear ready to celebrate. Thank you to the families that we able to come and join us for the BBQ and picnic lunch.
The weather was perfect for relaxing, eating, and chatting with friends. It was great fun to see everyone!

Reading Buddies & Art

2009-09-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

Some highlights from today.

Reading Buddies

Today we met with our 5th grade reading buddies for the first time. Throughout this year, once a week, we will be meeting with our buddies, from Mrs. Thompson's fifth grade class, to work on our reading.

Each week we switch classrooms, today we went to Mrs. Thompson's room and the 5th graders read to us. Next week the 5th graders will come to our classroom and we will read to them. There are many benefits to this practice, when the 5th graders read to us we have the model of a fluent reader and when we read to 5th graders we get to develop our own fluency. Plus - it is fun. Check out some of the pictures from our time with reading buddies today.

Art

For art time today we studied the art of Victor Vasarely, particularly his piece: Zebegen. As we looked at this piece we discussed the artists use of contrasting colors and the way he carefully arranged the shapes to create an optical illusion. Our art words today were: contrast, shape, abstract, and optical illusion.

After checking out even more of his art of his website http://www.vasarely.com/ , we made some of our own abstract art using oil pastels and black paper. We used geometric shapes and colored them using contrasting colors.

Come and check it out - it will be posted outside of our classroom.

All School Hawaiian BBQ

2009-09-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Please join us for a Myers tradition

Our fall Hawaiian BBQ Lunch

Date: Friday, Sept. 25

Time: Student Lunch: 11:30-12:00

Location: Myers - meet your student in our classroom, room 108
Menu:      Hamburgers, hotdogs, & chicken patties w/all the fixins
Tickets:   Tickets may be purchased in advance through the office
Cost:       $3.00/adult     $1.75/child (students may use lunch card)

Remember - meet your child in our classroom
Bring a blanket to sit on, we will be eating outside
You and your child are invited to dress for a Hawaiian beach party (Hawaiian shirts, flip flops, etc.)

Open House

2009-09-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

It was so great to see so many of the families last night at Open House! The students had a terrific time showing their guests all the neat parts of our classroom and the school.

Thank you to those of you that took an item from our classroom wishlist to purchase! And, thank you to those of you that purchased books for our class from the book fair! Those items and books will be well used & loved this year :-)

The students especially enjoyed the slide show of pictures from our experiences so far this year, so I have added some of those pictures to this post.

Thanks again for coming last night!

Welcome!

2009-09-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Room 108! I am so excited to be teaching the 1st - 2nd blend this year. It was wonderful to get to meet all of the students and many of the parents on the first day of school last week. I am really looking forward to getting to know you all better and working together this year.

I hope to see all of you at our Open House this Thursday, September 17, 6:30 - 7:30PM. Come on over to see the school and check out your child's classroom.

See you soon! =)