Thank You For All The Help With Those Homework Journals

In science and math we are learning about different types of measurements including the area and perimeter of a rectangle.

I hope you had a wonder Valentine's Day and long weekend.  Here are the notes for the week.

Valentine's Day Exchange
The students really enjoyed exchanging their Valentine's cards last week.  I really appreciate all the help you provided to make sure each Room A-2 student had cards to give out to everyone.  Thank you.

Homework Journal Special Assignments
Thank you for helping your students with the Homework Journal writing assignments I have been sending home.  It has been nice reading them.  A new one went home this week.

Mr. Luxon Not At Silver Springs This Wednesday
This Wednesday I am attending a professional development conference and will not be at school.  A visiting teacher will be arranged in my absence

Pancakes for Breakfast This Friday
Our pancakes for breakfast celebration is this Friday.  If you agreed to send in something and have not yet delivered it please send it in with your child.  If you are volunteering to help, Mrs. Wesley will need you that day from 8:50 AM to 10:45 AM.

Fun Fair This Friday
Come join us this Friday at the Silver Springs Fun Fair!  There will be inflatables, face painting, games, prizes, food and more!  Pre-registration forms were due last week.  If you are still interested in attending, you can buy your tickets at the door for $15/child and $10/adult.  If you are available to volunteer the evening of the Fun Fair, we need you! We could use a few more parent volunteers for the 2nd shift, 6:45-8:00pm. Please contact Susan Marquardt at your earliest convenience at suzmarq@comcast.net

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In reading we have been using our inferring skills to better understand the characters in our fiction books.  Ask your students about Erandi from Erandi's Braids as well as Chester and Lily from Chester's Way.

Math - In math we have been comparing lengths and we saw how the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  This week we will be reviewing the perimeter of a rectangle and how to calculate distances using simple maps.

Writing - This week students will finish up their book reviews and begin writing reviews of movies and restaurants.

Science - Last week we completed our study of how to measure the length, width, perimeter, and area of a rectangle.  This week we will conduct an experiment where we use measurement of time to record how long it takes for different objects to roll down a ramp.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - Last week we continued to learn about the concepts of individual rights and the common good.  Students were able to write a letter stating their opinion to a problem we read in a book based on these vocabulary words.

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - New vocabulary words will be intro-duced this week. They are: Respect, Deny, Professional, mock & hero. These words come from the book: Roberto Clemente, Pride of the Pitts-burgh Pirates.  The old word sorts will come home in the Monday Envelope today. Please find some time to review the sort with your child.

Leadership - Habit 4 - Think Win-Win

Valentine's Day Card Exchange This Friday!

A Room A-2 student speaks during last week's Leadership Assembly.

Hello!  This Friday afternoon I am planning a low-key Valentine's Day card exchange with the students.  As I wrote last week, in preparation for this exchange I would like you to have your child prepare a Valentine's Day card for every student in class.  I sent home a list of students on red paper last Thursday.  Just to be sure I re-sent another copy of the list home today.  Stores like CVS, Target, and Busch's sell very inexpensive cards in sets specifically for school children.  You can use those cards or make something very simple.  If you have any questions please email me.  We will exchange our Valentine's Day cards this Friday so please have them completed by then.

Homework Journal Special Assignment
I sent home a new Homework Journal Special Assignment today.  This week it is on plain white paper rather than yellow.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In reading we are learning about and making inferences.  We are studying how a reader can infer something even when it is not directly stated in a text.  Ask your students about Erandi's Braids.

Math - The next two units will be on measurement, both metric measurement (meters centimeters, etc.) and standard or customary measurement (inches, feet, etc.)  This week we are learning how to compare two different lengths.

Writing - Last week we began writing a book review as class.  This week students are writing reviews of their favorite books on their own.

Science - With this unit we are examining what it means to measure and how scientists use measurement.  This week our focus will continue to be on understanding how to measure the length, width, perimeter, and area of a rectangle.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - Last week we learned about the three branches of local government; mayor, city council, and court.  We also learned about the difference between a government action and a private action.

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - As we continue to work with the new word sorts this week, and play review games with the prior 5 vocabulary words, we will also hear the story that our 5 new words will come from.

Leadership - We are setting new goals, look for a copy to come home with your student.

Another Room A-2 student M.C.'d last week's leadership assembly!

Welcome to February!

That's a lot of snow outside our classroom!

I hope you've been staying safe and warm.  I tried going out in the afternoon on Monday and found that the roads were still really rough.  I did see lots of kids out sledding however!  Here are some notes from me and Silver Springs:

Valentine's Day
Tomorrow I will send home a list of all the students in Room A-2.  In preparation for Valentine's Day I would like you to have your child prepare a valentine for every student in class.  Stores like CVS, Target, and Busch's sell very inexpensive valentines cards in sets specifically for school children.  You can use those cards or make something very simple.  If you have any questions please ask me.  We will exchange our Valentine Cards on the 13th of February.

Become a Love and Logic Parent: Classes Begin NEXT Week
The afternoon classes have been postponed to begin February 11th from 2:00-3:30 PM.  Silver Springs encourages all parents that have not attended a Love and Logic Parent Training to attend one of the four-session series being offered at Silver Springs Elementary.

Sharpen Your Saw at Bounce it Up: This Friday
Come Sharpen Your Saw at the Silver Springs Family Night at Bounce it Up this Friday, February 6th from 6:30-8:30 PM.  For $11 per child, you will enjoy two hours of unlimited bouncing, free coinless arcade video games, and two slices of pizza with a soft drink.  A portion of the fee will go to Silver Springs Elementary!  Registration forms and payment are due by Tuesday, February 3rd.  Bounce it Up is located at 30276 Plymouth Rd. in Livonia.  Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Box Tops and Labels for Education Contest
It's contest time! Help raise money for our school! We are holding a contest to see which classroom can send in the most Box Tops. The 3 classrooms with the most points will win a prize! Please send your box tops to school in a baggie or envelope with "Room A2 - Mr. Luxon" written on the outside. Teachers will place the baggies and envelopes in the collection bin outside of the main office at school. Box Tops must be turned in by February 13th to be counted.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In reading we are learning about and making inferences.  We are studying how a reader can infer something even when it is not directly stated in a text.  Ask your students about What Mary Jo Shared.

Math - The next two upcoming units will be on measurement, both metric measurement (meters centimeters, etc.) and standard or customary measurement (inches, feet, etc.)  I may send home less math homework for these units if I can't find work that is challenging enough.

Writing - Last week we began writing a book review as class.  This week students will have the opportunity to begin writing reviews on their own favorite books, movies, restaurants, and video games.

Science - Last week we began a new science unit on measurement that augments our math unit on measurement.  This week our focus will be on understanding how to measure the length, width, perimeter, and area of a rectangle.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - Last week we learned about the three branches of local government; mayor, city council, and court.  We also learned about the difference between a government action and a private action. 

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - Students will be receiving new word sorts this week.  Old sorts will come home in the Monday (Wednesday) Envelope.   We will continue with our current vocabulary words for one more week.

Leadership - Setting new goals, look for a copy to come home with your student.

Special Homework Journal Assignment This Week

Ms. Kerwin from Community Federal Credit Union conducts a Junior Achievement lesson on production and the assembly line.

Hello!  I hope you are well.  I've been really impressed with the work Room A-2 students have been doing in class.  I read through every student's writing over the weekend and was really excited by their stories.  Here is what's new this week:

Homework Journal Special Assignment
I did not send back student homework journals today because of some extra meetings I had today.  I will read them this evening and send them back tomorrow.  I will also send home a 'Home Journal Special Assignment' on bright yellow paper.  This paper explains two specific assignments for this week.  One involves using contractions, the other asks students to respond to a poem we read last week.  If you have any question or need any help please let me know.

Silver Springs Restaurant Night
Dine at Brann’s Steakhouse and Sports Grille this Thursday, January 29th.  Brann’s will be donating 15 percent of all sales back to our school!  Make sure you tell them you are from Silver Springs Elementary.  Brann’s is located at 39715 Six Mile Road in Northville.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In reading we are learning about and making inferences.  We studying how a reader can infer something even when it is not directly stated in a text.

Math - Students have been learning when to add and when to subtract in different real world situations.  We began an exam this morning.

Writing - This week we will continue two new writing projects.  We will be writing the words for a wordless picture book by Tomie DePaola titled Pancakes for Breakfast.  We will also begin a unit on opinion writing where students will have the opportunity to write reviews.

Science - Thank you for helping your students review with that Science Study guide last week.  Today we began a new science unit on measurement.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - Last week we reviewed why we need laws and also focused on how governments were organized. We will be learning about the three branches of local government; the mayor, city council, and court as well as the jobs of each one.  We began this week by learning about the job of a mayor.

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - This week we will work on sorting activities for the words that were introduced last week.  We will finish adding our new vocabulary words from Johnny Appleseed to our vocab journals then begin to play games & activities to reinforce and practice them.

Leadership - Getting ready for Leadership Day.  Applications went home today.

PTA Reflections Artists

Silver Springs celebrated student artists at the PTA Reflections award ceremony.  More photos are in the Photo Gallery linked to the right.

I hope you had a great three-day weekend.  In class this morning we discussed Martin Luther King Jr. and read a Time For Kids article about him and how he changed the United States.

Math Bar Model for Comparison Problems
Now that students have a pretty good grasp of how to use a bar model to solve basic addition and subtraction problems we are moving on to see how bar models can be used to help solve problems with comparisons.  An example of a comparison word problem might be: “In second grade there are a 54 boys and 78 girls.  How many more girls are there than boys?”  When using a bar model for a question like this you draw two bars, one to represent the number of boys and another to represent the number of girls.  Here is another online video to explain what it looks like.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In reading we are learning about and making inferences.  We studying how a reader can infer something even when it is not directly stated in a text.

Math - Students are learning when to add and when to subtract in different real world situations.  We are using bar models to understand addition and subtraction.  This week we are focusing on comparison problems and problems with multiple steps.  We will have an exam next Monday.

Writing - This week we will continue two new writing projects.  We will be writing the words for a wordless picture book by Tomie DePaola titled Pancakes for Breakfast.  We will also begin a unit on opinion writing.

Science - This week we are finishing our study of the different states of mater (solid, liquid, and gas) and the ways that water can take on those states of matter as ice, water, and water vapor or steam.  There will also be a science exam tomorrow, a study guide went home last Friday.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - Last week we reviewed why communities form governments and discussed why communities need laws. 

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - This week we will receive new word sorts.  We will continue to work with the vocabulary words first introduced last week.  Students will add them to their Vocabulary Journals along with synonyms, antonyms, a visual representation of the word as well as using it in a 7-up sentence which is a sentence that uses 7 or more words.

Leadership - Using Habit 3 - Put First Things First.  We are trying to do our best in library so we can earn a double plus from Ms. Meisel.

In science we learned about the three states of matter.

Math Bar Model Video

A Room A-2 student browses books in the Silver Springs library.

Math Bar Model Addition and Subtraction Unit
The current math unit is really focused on helping students understand when to use addition or subtraction to solve real world problems.  One thing we discuss in class is really reading the questions carefully to understand what is being asked.  If you need more clarification on how a basic bar model works this video clip is pretty helpful.

NWEA Testing
I wrote you all an email early Saturday explaining that one of our NWEA testing days changed because of last week's snow day.  Our days for NWEA winter testing are now scheduled as follows.  Today, January 8th we will be taking the English Language Arts portion of the exam.  Thursday, January 15th we will be taking the Math portion of the exam.  Please make sure that your students get a good night’s rest this Wednesday night!

Family Bowling Night
The next Silver Springs Family Bowling Night is this Friday, January 16th from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.  I will be attending and can't wait to check out Novi Bowl.  If you want to join me a pre-registration form went home with students last week.  The pre-registration form is due by Tuesday, January 13th.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In reading we are stopping to ask questions and think thoughtfully about the books we read.  When a question comes up in a non-fiction book we see if we can answer it by reading further in the text or if we need to reference another source for clarification.

Math - We are starting a new unit that reviews addition and subtraction.  Students will learn when to add and when to subtract in different real world situations.  We will also be using a bar model to understand addition and subtraction.

Writing - This week we will start two new writing projects.  We will be writing the words for a wordless picture book by Tomie DePaola titled Pancakes for Breakfast.  We will also begin a unit on opinion writing.

Science - This week we are studying the water cycle and the different states of mater that water can take: ice, water, and water vapor (steam).

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - We have learned that communities have diversity in the food we eat, traditions, religions, and languages spoken.  We are also learning about why communities form governments; to keep people safe, form laws, help people solve problems, and provide services people need.

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - This week students will be completing the writing sort for the new word sort words.  The sort will come home in the Monday Envelope next week.  Students will also be introduced to the 5 new vocabulary words that come from a Steven Kellogg book about Johnny Appleseed.  The words are: exaggerate, urged, recollect, tranquil, surrounding.

Leadership - Using Habit 3 - Put First Things First.

Welcome Back

Students warm up with Ms. Phillips today at the beginning of gym class.

Welcome back!  From what I have heard so far your students had a relaxing break.  They also seem to be excited to see their friends and get back to school here at Silver Springs.

Thank You
Thank you all so much for your gifts, cards, and overall classroom gift.  I truly, truly appreciate it.

NWEA Testing
Our days for NWEA winter testing are as follows.  This Thursday, January 8th we will be taking the English Language Arts portion of the exam.  Next Thursday, January 15th we will be taking the Math portion of the exam.  Please make sure that your students get a good night’s rest this Wednesday night and next Wednesday night!

Family Bowling Night
The next Silver Springs Family Bowling Night is Friday, January 16th from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.  I will be attending and can't wait to check out Novi Bowl.  If you want to join me a pre-registration form will go home in student folders tomorrow.  The pre-registration form is due by January 13th.

Home Writing Journal
Now that break is over and we are back in the swing of things please make sure to have your child write in their Homework Journals at least twice this week.  As always have students bring them to me next Monday.

Curriculum Overview
Literacy - In reading we are stopping to ask questions and think thoughtfully about the books we read.

Math - We are starting new unit that reviews addition and subtraction.  Students will learn when to add and when to subtract in different real world problems.  We will also be using a bar model to understand addition and subtraction.

Writing - We are studying and emulating the style of one of our favorite authors, Jonathan London.

Science - Our objective for this week is to understand that groundwater is water below earth's surface that fills up the cracks and small holes between rocks and sand.  We will also begin studying the water cycle.

Social Studies with Mrs. Heron - We are learning how our community of Northville belongs to bigger regions such as our state, country, continent, and the world. 

Word Study with Mrs. Sepich - We will be introduced to the new words for our word sorts and work with them on different activities for two weeks.  This round of words will come home in 2 weeks.  Please review when they come home.  We will also begin working with Vocabulary Words again.  We will spend this week reviewing the last set of words.  5 new words will be introduced next week.

Leadership - Using Habit 3 - Put First Things First.