SPMA May Newsletter

All of our classrooms were able to take our learning outside at Belwin Nature Center this month. This is a wonderful experince for our classrooms to work on a lot of different skills outside of the classroom. Our class was all about Spring and learning about what happens in the Spring. We spent our day walking and exploring the woods. We got to make bird nests, called for the ducks and used binoculurs to find them in the pond, used magnifine glasses to explore new plants growing, looked for pine cones and animals tracks as we explored the woods. This is always a favorite day for students and staff.

Pre-k is beginning to talk about cycles in our world. We will discuss the changes we see during spring as well as the cycle of butterflies. We will have a visit from the plant-mobile on May 9th where students will get to talk about the cycle of a plant and plant a seed. May 16th is Spring Family day from 12:30-1:30. Families are invited to play and learn new math games and activities as well as visit a Kindergarten classroom for a sneak peek into next year.

Kindergarten Kiddos are working hard on their Informational Writing- using the Writing Process and writing FACTS about different animals.

In first grade we have been busy learning vowel teams in phonics. In math we are learning 2D and 3D shapes. Our writing unit will be more research skills.

In May second grade is working hard to prepare for next year as we are getting closer and closer to becoming third graders! As we finish our year together, we are exploring geometry in math. Learning about the properties of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. In reading we are examining nonfiction texts and determining how the different text features in those books help build our comprehension of the text. Additionally, in writing we are finishing the year strong by writing our own nonfiction text about plants, which will connect to the field trip we took in April to the Como Zoo.

We have had a busy month preparing and taking the MCAs (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) in Reading and Math. We are very proud of how the third graders used their scratch paper to work our their math problems. They should be pleased with themselves. We look forward to a nice spring where we can earn the reward of going to play at Sylvan Park!

We are thrilled to be partnering with Bird by Bird again. We will have several in school visits to learn more about birds and even meet one in real life! We will get to go bird watching at Carpenter Nature Center in June!

Mrs. Abbey's class got to attend Mayor Carter's State of the City Address and visit the new North End Community Center!

All fifth-grade classes will attend the Bdote field trip in May, at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. We will study the significance of this site to the Dakota people.

Touch Math

Special Education instruction is based on individual student needs. Some of our math groups are learning to increase their calculation skills using Touch Math. Touch Math is a visual approach to calculation. It teaches students to become proficient without having to rely on memorization of math facts or counting on fingers. In Touch Math, numbers 1-9 are assigned Touch Points that correspond with the quantity of that number. Students are taught to draw or imagine touch points on digits. Students can use this system to add, subtract, multiply and/or divide.

All grade levels have been busy getting into their final units of the year. PreK students spent time learning about shadows. Kindergarten is learning about the weather and investigating how hot or cold the ground around the school is. First grade has been busy being animal reporters, learning about animal body parts, animal offspring and their parents, and reporting on elephants. Second grade started a unit about habitats and the organisms that grow and survive inside them. Third grade is learning about lifecycles and recently started studying the lifecycle of the painted lady butterfly. Fourth grade has been studying how landscapes change over time and used stream trays to investigate where river sediment goes. Finally, fifth grade is learning about water, how much the planet has, what is accessible, and why some places have more water than others.

In our last rotation of PE we are going to throw it back to parachutes & games!

We are so proud of our EL students in their English language development! They have made growth since the beginning of the school year in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Over the course of the school year, they've worked on their letter sounds, reading comprehension, expanding their vocabulary, and have crafted many different kinds of writing such as narratives, opinion, and research!

Hmong students in Grades 3-5 will be going on a field trip to the Minnesota State Capitol for Hmong American Day! Hmong American Day is a day of remembrance, celebration, and recognition of the Hmong people's journey and contributions to the United States during the U.S. Secret War in Laos.