Reminder:

Curriculum Corner

This month our students are exploring:

Young 5s: We are continuing to work on good reading habits for Reader’s Workshop. We are learning that letters and words are different. We are also making sure the word matches the picture. The students are starting to write their classmates names and labeling pictures in Writer’s Workshop. We are also trying to add more details to our pictures. We are continuing to work on counting skills and number recognition. They have also been working with ten frames.

Kindergarten: This month, during math instruction, kindergarten students are learning about subtraction by taking away objects and finding how many are left. In reading, students are exploring the theme “Happy Healthy Me,” focusing on making healthy choices and understanding emotions. They are also building strong early literacy skills by learning to rhyme and by isolating, blending, and segmenting phonemes. In writing, students are learning to use complete sentences and to write facts, helping them clearly share what they know. Social Studies has us focusing on How Do I Solve Problems with Others, Being a Good Helper at School, and How Americans Celebrate.

1st Grade: In January, first-grade students will dive into a comprehensive curriculum that balances technical skills with character development. In math, the focus shifts to representing and interpreting data while extending counting sequences beyond 100 through skip counting by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s. The Language Arts program centers on the essential question, "Why is it important to do my best and get along with others?" and includes phonetic mastery of initial and final two-consonant blends and of open and closed syllables. Students will sharpen their reading comprehension by evaluating point of view and identifying central ideas, while their writing lessons will emphasize the drafting and editing of original stories. Grammar instruction will cover prepositions, proper nouns, capitalization, and the use of commands, all while the class honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a dedicated study of his history.

2nd Grade:

• Reading- students are working on tackling longer words and longer books with greater fluency.
• Writing- Students are starting to write opinion letters about books that are awesome.
• Math- Students are learning how to count coins and will begin adding and subtracting money.

3rd Grade: We are excited to share what our 3rd Grade students will be learning in the coming weeks! Please take a moment to review the highlights below and talk with your child about their learning.

• ✏️ Writing - In Writing, students will be working on Narrative Stories. They will learn how to plan, write, and revise stories that include a clear beginning, middle, and end, along with strong characters, setting, and descriptive details.
• � Reading - In Reading, students are learning about Stories on Stage. They will explore how stories are told through plays and scripts, focusing on characters, dialogue, and how stories are brought to life for an audience.
• ➗ Math - In Math, students are learning about Perimeter and Area. They will practice finding the perimeter and area of different shapes and learn how these skills apply to real-world situations.
• � Social Studies - In Social Studies, students are learning about Economics. They will explore basic economic concepts such as goods and services, producers and consumers, and making choices about money.
• � Science - In Science, students will be learning about Environmental Traits of Organisms and how organisms change over time. They will explore how traits help plants and animals survive in their environments.
   

4th Grade: 4th grade is starting the start of Trimester 2 with reading new stories about Heroes, Fairytales, and the heroic acts of MLK Jr. They are writing about people who have made a difference in their lives. Each week we are adding more vocabulary words to our glossary and adding more word study to our morphology wall. In math we are starting to do division after finishing our multiplication topics. In social studies we are moving on to the next regions in the United States starting with South East and in Science we are learning about renewable and nonrenewable resources.

DICE/Technology:

Classes in the DICE lab will continue to focus on coding during February. 2nd- 6th graders will learn to create more advanced algorithms using loops, events, conditionals & variables. Kindergarten & 1st graders will use Scratch Jr. to program their sprites (characters/objects) to do simple tasks like make a basketball bounce or a car drive across the road. All students will engage in STEM challenges focused on February events: Groundhogs Day, SuperBowl, Valentine's Day, President's Day. Vocabulary: debugging, loops, events, perseverance.

Art: Happy New Year! This month begins our clay season, which is one of our favorite projects! In college, clay was my concentration, so even though it’s a lot of work for me, it’s an effort I give with much joy and love. Students will learn where clay comes from, how it is processed, the steps we go through to make our project, and then they will glaze for the final finish. Each year is a building block for the next so the skills they learn will be used the following year to build on their clay experience. So, when you child(ren) tell you about their project ask them what all the steps are to make their masterpiece. I hope 2026 is full of love and joy for you and your family.

Gym: 1st – 4th grade is starting to learn about the Olympics. We are learning about different games in the Olympics and learning how to play them. Different games include Soccer, basketball, track & field, etc. Starting next week each class will be split up into 4 different countries and compete in these games.

Y5 & K are continuing to learn the importance of personal space and how we achieve it.

Our focus habit for the month of January is Habit 4: Think Win-Win. This habit teaches students that everyone can win, not just one person; it's about finding fair solutions where both you and others feel happy and successful, like sharing a toy or agreeing to play cards instead of fighting over TV. It's about being brave enough to ask for what you want (courage) and caring about what others want (consideration), working together to find great ideas (creative thinking) so nobody feels left out. Ms. Nenninger's and Ms. Mueller's classes will present this habit at our monthly Community of Leaders assembly at the end of the month.