December Classroom News
Mrs. Rotterman, Room 109
Throughout the month of December, we will be focusing on Advent and the birth
of Jesus. We will be saying Advent prayers and reading from the Old Testament
as we place a symbol on our classroom Jesse tree which tells the story of
Jesus’ birth. In language arts, we continue to read and respond to a variety
of literature. Students are working hard on writing complete telling and
asking sentences. We are also beginning a free writing journal this month in
which students will be encouraged to write about topics of their choice. We
will be practicing concepts such as compare and contrast, setting, drawing
conclusions, and analyzing characters. We will also be learning more about
adjectives, nouns, and verbs. We continue to work on blend sounds and apply
them to reading material.
To reinforce reading fluency and expression, we are working on the reader’s
theatre “Arthur’s Christmas.” The children seem to thoroughly enjoy
practicing this interactive reading activity. I have been pleased with the
amount of effort they have put in to their parts. We will be presenting this
for parents in our room on Thursday, December 10th at 9:00 a.m. I hope you
can make it!
In math, we have finished our unit on solid shapes. Your child should be able
to identify the names of the shapes and even draw most of them. We will now
be covering geometry elements, spatial sense, symmetry, patterns, fractions,
and probability in the upcoming lessons. At home, please practice addition
and subtraction facts as well as coin identification. We will practicing with
money starting in January.
We continue to discuss jobs, wants, needs, goods, and services in social
studies. We have been studying many animals in science as well as their
different habitats. We are also learning about food chains and practicing
fun, corresponding science songs. Earth science will be our focus after
Christmas break. Topics will include our Earth’s resources, how we should
care for the Earth, and what weather does to the Earth’s land.
Students are practicing for the school Christmas program during December. You
may have heard your child singing the tunes. The program is scheduled for
1:15 pm. and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 17th. Please have your child
come to the classroom at 6:45 p.m. as we will process down together. Also,
keep their coats because they will be dismissed from the gym after the program.
I would like students to give their 8th grade buddy a small treat/present for
Christmas. Please have your child bring something in for his/her buddy by
Monday, December 14th. Please keep it around five dollars or less. In class,
we will be making them cards.
Thank you for your support and time working with your child at home. The
students are becoming much more confident readers and writers. Thank you for
encouraging your child to bring in canned goods before Thanksgiving. We are
still collecting donations for the missions.
Please see the red December calendar for other important dates.
Mrs. Rotterman
Friday, December 4th
Spelling Test #13
chin together
when now
wink eat
chick too
sink think
Friday, December 11th
Spelling Test #14
snake know
made where
lake under
came why
shade name
Friday, December 18th
Spelling Test #15
sticks try
sun old
twigs eat
fire under
snow mud
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS/ NO SCHOOL -DEC. 21-JAN.1
SCHOOL RESUMES Monday, January 4th
