CLNL+November+2011

**Olga Iris Guzmán - Principal**  **-**
 * = **Public School 228 Queens**
 * Early Childhood Magnet School of the Arts**
 * 32-65 93rd Street**
 * East Elmhurst, N.Y. 11369**
 * (718) 899-5799 • Fax (718) 899-7323**


 * “The Little School with a Heart”**

= = ||
 * Diana Rodriguez –Assistant Principal I.A.**


 * Parent Curriculum Newsletter **
 * ** November 2011 ISSUE ** ||  ||


 * == **PreK** == || **//__ READING __//****// : //** **The PreK children will be exploring the world around them by using their five senses! We will be reading big books and poems, singing songs and chanting rhymes all related to seeing, hearing, tasting, and touching. We will also have daily read aloud with favorite books.**
 * //__ WRITING __//****// : //****We are continuing to sign in everyday when we come to school. We also draw pictures with crayons and markers and write letters and numbers. We use ABC magnets and play ABC Bingo and ABC matching games.**
 * //__ music: __// In Pre-K, we have begun to use different instruments such as tambourines and bells to make music. We march and play games to music.**
 * //__ MATH __//**** : ****Patterns are all around us. In PreK, we line up in a boy/girl pattern, do clap/jump patterns and create colored construction paper patterns such as red, blue, red, blue…**
 * //__ TECHNOLOGY: __//Our favorite website is Starfall.com. This website introduces young children to letters, letter sounds, nursery rhymes and short stories. Please log on at home and let us know what you think!**
 * //__ Social studies: __// With Thanksgiving just around the corner we will be talking about family traditions and customs. What special foods does your family like to eat? Do you help set the table when it is meal time? Do you help clear the table after you eat?**
 * //__ SCIENCE: __//****The five senses fits perfectly into our science curriculum. We will be making touch and feel boxes, create musical instruments, taste lemons, smell popcorn popping and look through colored lenses. November will be great in PreK!**
 * //__ PHYSICAL ED. & HEALTH __//****// : // We learned about fire safety at school and at home. All the Pre-K children have been remembering to cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze and the importance of washing our hands.** ||


 * == **Kindergarten** == || **//__ READING __//****// : // Unit : Reading for Information-Learning About Ourselves and Our World. – We will discover more about our world through the reading of nonfiction information books.**
 * //__ WRITING __//****// : // Unit 3- - Looking Closely: Observing and Writing Like Scientists. – During this month, we will observe interesting things around us. We will write about them by drawing many details, labeling by writing letters and the sounds we hear, and writing all we observe, just like scientists.**
 * //__ MATH __//**** : ** **We will continue to practice number recognition, writing and counting through 20. We will also learn about estimating measuring, reading and interpreting graphs, as well as addition and subtraction..**
 * //__ SCIENCE __//****// : //** **What parts of plants do we eat? How do animals use plants? How do worms help plants?**
 * //__ SOCIAL STUDIES __//**** : We are learning about ourselves, as members of families and a community.**
 * //__ LIBRARY: __//****Kindergarten is learning basic computer skills through the use of laptops. Skills introduced: start up a computer; identify computer parts; demonstrate basis mouse skills; identify important icons for K login use; identify the letters and numbers on the keyboard.**
 * //__ MUSIC: __//** **We will sing songs about the fall season. The composer of the month is Stephen Foster. We will learn and sing “Oh, Susanna”. We will explore different rhythms using a variety of instruments. Listen and move activities will incorporate movement and enhance listening skills.**
 * //__ TECHNOLOGY __//****: We are learning how to work more independently by practicing logging into educational websites such as Starfall.com. We are also learning how to use our individual passwords to log into Razkids and read books at our levels, online.**
 * //__ PHYSYCAL ED. & HEALTH __//****__ : __** **We will learn to participate in exercises to develop coordination. We will review parts of our bodies and learn good habits to keep us healthy during the fall months.** ||


 * == **First Grade** == || **//__ READING: __// Good readers read Non-Fiction books differently than Fiction books. We read these Informational Books to learn about the World through reading about animals and people.**
 * //__ WRITING: __// Good writers write Informational Books about Frogs. We learn how to research information through the use of books and videos to write books All About Frogs.**
 * //__ LIBRARY: __//****First Grade is building upon their K skills through the use of laptops. Scaffolding skills: start up and shut down the computer properly; login to Microsoft Word; use toolbox options to resize fonts, choose new fonts, change font colors, align titles; use the shift, enter, delete keys and spacebar; ttype using the keyboard.**
 * //__ MUSIC: __//** **We will sing songs about the fall season. The composer of the month is Stephen Foster. We will learn and sing “Oh, Susanna”. We will explore different rhythms using a variety of instruments. Listen and move activities will incorporate movement and enhance listening skills.**
 * //__ MATH __//**//__ : __// **We learn about visual patterns, counting patterns and counting pennies and nickels.**
 * //__ SCIENCE: __// How do animal body parts help them live? Compare different animals beaks, mouths, tongues, legs and arms.**
 * //__ SOCIAL STUDIES: __// We learn about families and how families grow and change over time. We incorporate this learning to the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving and how we share with our families now the way pilgrims shared with their families in the past.**
 * //__ TECHNOLOGY: __// We begin to practice as a whole class how to type on the laptop computers using Microsoft Word.**
 * //__ PHYSYCAL ED. & HEALTH: __// We learn how to perform basic motor and manipulative skills, participating in games and sports.** ||


 * == **Second Grade** == || **//__***For the month of November our students will be working on a Nonfiction Reading and Informational Writing Performance Assessment:__//**
 * //The task included in the reading and writing units asks each student to write an informational text about a subject of which he or she has already developed expertise (but continues to research and read about more in preparation for this writing).//**
 * //__ READING __//****// : //**** Unit 4: Non-fiction (Informational Text) – In this unit, our children will read a wide variety of books on topics of interest. They will sort and categorize information in reading clubs, as well as compare and contrast information across these categories. This unit will also help children tackle new vocabulary, and read with fluency and intonation. **
 * //__ WRITING __//****// : //**** Unit 4: Non-fiction (Expert Projects) – In this unit, our students will write about a topic they are experts on and they will also research to learn more about that topic. First the children will choose a topic, they will write everything they know about the topic, they will learn research skills to learn more about their topic, they will bring objects, pictures or artifacts from home related to their topic to write more, and finally they will present their work to the class using their teaching voices. **
 * //__ LIBRARY: __//**** Second Grade is demonstrating prior computer knowledge to create Word Documents: type using the keyboard; save and open work in progress to the desktop; locate and continue working on a document; print a document. **
 * //__ MUSIC: __//**** We will sing songs about the fall season. The composer of the month is Stephen Foster. We will learn and sing “Oh, Susanna”. We will explore different rhythms using a variety of instruments. Listen and move activities will incorporate movement and enhance listening skills. **
 * //__ MATH __//****// : //**** Unit 3 Objectives: Placing value of 2 digit and 3 digit numbers; finding coin combinations to buy items; making change and word problems using money; telling time and gathering data; entering data in a table and drawing a bar graph. Also, frame and arrows having two values. **
 * //__ SCIENCE __//****// : //**** How can we classify and sort the rocks found in the Earth? Compare rocks by size, color, texture, shine, hardness and weight. **
 * //__ SOCIAL STUDIES __//****// : //**** Unit 1: Where We Live – Part III. – Students will continue working in our unit in our community. We will learn about other children of the world and obtain information from visual sources: photographs and maps. We will also discuss the following topics this month: Election Day, Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving Day. **
 * //__ TechnolOGY __//****// : //**** Students will start practicing their reading skills by using the interactive website Raz-kids.com at home and in school. Students will also practice math skills by playing the Everyday Math games in our classroom computers. **
 * //__ PHYSICAL ED. & HEALTH __//****// : //**** Students will demonstrate mastery of fundamental motor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills, and understand fundamental principles of movement and they will develop physical fitness skills through regular practice, effort, and perseverance. ** ||


 * WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE SUCCESS OF ALL OUR CHILDREN. **


 * Please note that you may find the Parent Curriculum Newsletter at ps__228q.wikispaces.com__ every month.**