Hello everyone and happy Spring! We are so proud of all the growth that all of the kids have made so far this year. Please review classroom expectations at home with your child. It is important to maintain good behavior throughout the end of the year. We are looking forward to finishing the year off strong! 

Language Arts

What are we learning?

• We will be beginning our dramatic storytelling unit and read lots of new books with rich vocabulary and story elements. 
• We will be starting our persuasive writing unit. Students will write their own opinions and write why you should listen to their opinion. 

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your student:

•  After reading with your child at home, ask them, who were the main characters? What were the important events in the story? Where was the setting of the story?

Math

What are we learning?

• Determine the value of a collection of coins (pennies, nickels, or dimes) whose total value is 100 cents or less.
• Identify coins and their values. 
• Compare money amounts. Show multiple ways to represent the same value.
• Use given amounts to shop for real world objects.
• Tell time to the hour and half-hour, using analog and digital clocks.
• Read and interpret a calendar. 
• Use nonstandard units to measure and compare length, weight, and volume.

Home/School Connection

During the money unit, students need many experiences counting collections of like and unlike coins. Please provide experiences for your child. Consider using songs and poems about each coin to help build fluency with naming the coins.

Questions to ask your student:

• What does money do?
• Why do we need money?
• How many quarters make a dollar? Dimes? Pennies? Nickels?
• What is the value of different coins?
• What are ways to tell time?
• How does telling time help us everyday at school and in life?
• How are analog and digital clocks alike? Different?
• What are some things that we could use to measure the length of something?

Science

What are we learning?

• Demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices. 
• Investigate and understand that plants have basic life needs and functional parts that allow them to survive. 
• Investigate and understand that animals, including humans, have basic life needs that allow them to survive.
•  Investigate and understand that there is a relationship between the sun and Earth. 
• Investigate and understand that there are weather and seasonal changes. 
• Investigate and understand that natural resources can be used responsibly.

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your student:

• How can we describe changes in weather? 
• How can we describe seasonal changes and the effects on plants and animals, including humans? 
• How does sunlight change the temperature of the land, air, and water?
• How do observations of the sun’s patterns affect human behavior? 
• How can natural resources be protected and used wisely? 

Social Studies

What are we learning?

• The student will understand that the people of Virginia make contributions to their communities.
• The student will apply the traits of a good citizen, on and offline.
• The student will describe the stories of influential people and their contributions to Virginia, with emphasis on  Maggie L. Walker, Arthur R. Ashe, Jr., Lawrence Douglas Wilder, and John Mercer Langston.

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your student:

• What is the same and different about rules in our homes, our classroom, our school, online, and in our community?
• What makes a rule a “good rule”?
• How do our choices affect others?
• In what ways might people contribute to their home, their school, their community, to the world?
• How have some individuals changed the lives of Americans?
• How can ordinary people change the world?
• How does the past influence today?

Specials 

What are we learning? &  Home/School Connections:

• Library: 
• 1st grade students will use their questioning and database-searching skills to  research animals to create their own Pokemon cards based on real-life animals and their characteristics.
• PE: 
  • Families,
    The final quarter in PE includes learning units called “Fitness and Nutrition” and “Outdoor Pursuits & Recreational Activities.” We will also conduct a biking unit for students in grades 3-6. Athletes will participate in many relays soon (to prepare for Field Day), as well as stations (to keep their various skills practiced).
  • Forestdale students are invited to Lewis HS this Friday, 4/26 for FREE admission to the boys’ soccer game! Students can get a FREE shirt, too. Please see Talking Points for more information.
  • Family volunteers will eventually be contacted for Field Day. Adults will find that information in Thursday folders and Talking Points when the time comes.

  Thank you and talk soon!
Ms. Brod (@email)

Mr. Bergin (@email)

• Music: 

Music: Ms. Shaw:

• Ms. Shaw’s K & 1^st graders are working on Orff xylophone pieces, creating ensemble.

Mr. Sawasky’s Music Classes in May:

• All students will know how to create their own rhythms and work on creating melodies.
• We will practice singing our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” All students will express themselves through playing xylophones, frame drums and percussion instruments.

• K – 2^nd grade will be exploring rhythms through frame drumming and creating their own rhythm. We will also be learning the instruments of the orchestra

  Art: 

• The BIG ART news is the Pyramid Art Exhibit that was held at Key Middle school! 46 Forestdale students were represented in this huge annual event that included Lewis High School, Key Middle School and eight elementary schools, including Forestdale Elementary! The artwork from Forestdale was admired by hundreds of people, and the event was attended by over 50 Forestdale students and their families! Thanks to Ms. Judy Kelleher, Ms. Kenan Brod, Ms. Stacy Booth, and Ms. Annie Ormsby for their help in putting up this exhibit.
• In the Forestdale art program, the primary goal is to create an environment in which every student feels confident, safe, and supported by Ms. Barrett and by the other students. The goal is that each student will reach a level of technical mastery and self-confidence that allows them to take risks with their own artwork and create work that they value. In May,  all students will be finishing clay art projects! 
• 1st graders will create clay "Evergreen Plates" by pressing plastic evergreen branches into moist earthenware clay. After the clay pieces have dried for 2 weeks, Ms. Barrett will load them into the Kiln and fire them. A kiln firing lasts all day! After the pieces have been fired, students will glaze them with shiny green ceramic glaze.
•  All clay projects will last at least a hundred years if cared for carefully.
• All students’ ceramic pieces are delightful.
• Thank you to all families for returning the Parent Interview Forms for each art unit! Students in grades 1st - 6th continue to use their Art Planning and Reflection Books, increasing their literacy skill practice during art classes!
• As always, Ms. Barrett ([email protected]) is here for any questions or concerns regarding the art program.

AAP Corner 

What are we learning?

We are taking analogies to the next step. We will read Beach is to Fun: A Book about Relationships by Pat Brisson. This book asks students to examine a relationship and create their own. For example, if “little is to big, then car is to _____.” Students love to see patterns. We often think of patterns in math, but this is a fun way to see patterns in our words as well. 

Home/School Connection

Questions to ask your student:

• Brainstorm your own analogy relationships. If “hot is to cold”, what else has that same relationship?

ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages 

During the month of May, we are highlighting the language of cause and effect. Here are some questions you can ask your students and sentences you can use to help them practice identifying cause and effect relationships.

• What happened?
• What caused it to happen?
• Why do you think that happened?
• If __________, then __________.
• The effect of __________ is __________.
• One reason that __________ happened is __________.