September 10
Dear Families:
What a glorious two days we’ve just had. The weather was perfect. We hope your family was able to enjoy the adventure and beauty of living in Kathmandu. There is no better way to begin another week of school.
Things in our classroom are humming along. We have established a number of routines, and students are working hard. We saw lots of new learning last week, which is the most exciting part of our jobs. We will be taking some time in the next two weeks to develop additional routines around working in small, collaborative groups.
On Friday, everyone selected a book for independent reading and discussion groups. We will provide discussion prompts for the students, but they will have their own conversations about their reading. We will be listening in for evidence of comprehension and thinking deeply enough about what they’ve read that a meaningful conversation occurs. Individual student-teacher conferences about reading and writing will start this week, as well as individualized word study. Don’t forget to check in on your child’s nightly reading. Making sure they have a comfortable and quiet place is key.
Our first unit assessment in math is on Tuesday. Everyone has been working so hard. We’ve seen such growth in their understanding and problem solving. One area that everyone is still working on is their understanding of the correct way to set up multiplication equations that match the story of the problem. For example, most understand the commutative property in multiplication—that two numbers can be multiplied in either order to get the same answer. (2 x 3 =6 and 3 x 2=6) However, 2 groups of 3 is not the same thing as 3 groups of 2. The set-up of the problem matters. This continued challenge signals that everyone is still developing their understanding of the concepts underlying multiplication and division. That is our work for the next math unit.
A number of students are planning to interview Nepali friends and family about a cultural component of Nepal. Please be aware that some interviews will take place at school, while others will take place outside of school. We will talk in class about securing parent permission before conducting the interview. Composition of our shared book will begin this week. We hope to share it with you soon.
Madeleine L’Engle, the author of A Wrinkle in Time said, “Stories make us more alive, more human, more courageous, more loving.” We will share stories at school this week. We hope that you will find stories to share at home.
Have a wonderful week.
Respectfully,
Ms. Rachel
Ms. Meenakshi
P.S. Everyone will be given materials to design and make their own game board using a manilla file folder. Materials and directions will be sent home on Tuesday. Game boards are due on Thursday.