February

Science
We are finishing our unit on amphibians this week by making habitats for them.
Next we will be starting a unit on planets and our solar system.
If there is time in February we will start our unit on ecosystems.


Math
3-5
We are still working on many concepts in small sessions. We will be doing this throughout the rest of the year. During the month of February the older students will be working on  the following:

• subtracting multi-digit numbers with borrowing
• fractions adding and subtracting
• multiplication
• word problems
• money
• place value
• toward the end of the month we will start division

1-2

• fractions
• word problems
• subtraction
• begin measurement
• place value

Writing

• We are working on the Gutheridge writing system with our what because why statements. We say what we are writing about and why and then complete at least one paragraph on the subject. Older students will begin a two paragraph essay this month, while the younger students will stay with the one paragraph essay.
• We are working on grammar and will continue to do so throughout the year.
• We are also sorting words by their rules for spelling and sounds.

Reading
K-2

• Students are continuing to sequence stories
• Read phonics readers
• Learn new sound and syllable combinations
• Following the SRA reading series

3-5

• Students are finding facts in passages
• Reading chapter books
• Following the SRA reading series
• Showing comprehension of short passages

P.E.

• For the months of February and March, we have hired a coach to teach basketball skills. The students will be practicing on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and getting nutrition and wellnes tips on Friday.

Social Studies

• Students are beginning to read Land In Motion which is a text book about Alaska, Canada and the United States (lower 48). This will fulfill their Alaska Studies requirements for the year. It will take the rest of the year to complete the book but there will be many engaging and interesting projects along the way as we learn about our beautiful and diverse state.

January

Reading:
We are working on reading fluency by chunking words into patterns. The students are currently sounding out every letter of every word. We are working on chunking endings of words such as
c all    b all  f all 
I want students to be able to memorize the sets of letters, so they can blend bigger sections of the word and read faster.
We are also looking at sequencing material they have read and comprehension.

Writing:
We are working on sentence expansion. We are starting out with basic sentences and then selecting descriptive words that will help expand the sentence and add details to it.
Exa:
My cat climbs.   
My yellow cat climbs.  
My yellow cat climbs the long drapes. 
My yellow cat climbs our long, brown drapes every morning.
My yellow cat climbs our long, brown drapes every morning and howls at me.
My yellow cat climbs our long, brown drapes every morning and howls at me until I get up.

Math:
We are working in small sessions on many concepts in math. This month we are learning:
subtraction with borrowing
multiplication
division
fractions
and calendar skills

P.E.
We are practicing basketball. We have our first game on the 3rd of February.

Science
We are learning about the Scientific Method of Inquiry with experiments and about amphibians.

The homework this month will be mad-minute addition. Time the students for three minutes. See how many they can do correctly in that much time.