December Newsletter

ACI 1 News Date: December 3rd - December 21st
Special Note: Dear parents, We just wrapped up Matsumura’s Ice Sculpture, during which our students became little artists of their own! They made murals as well as collages in class in order to learn how to express themselves and collaborate with others. In addition, we end our math unit on time, temperature, and money.  As mentioned in the letter sent last week, we will begin having monthly in-class presentations. I cannot stress to you enough to encourage your child to do his/her own work. Our goal is to teach your child to become an independent learner in our classroom. Thank you.	Science: Unit 4: Ecosystems Ecosystems are important aspects of the earth’s environment. They define entire areas and are essential for all living and non-living things! Week 1: Introduction * The students will learn what an ecosystem is, what it consists of, and why it is vital for plant and animals survival Week 2: Deserts, Tundra * We will be discussing desert and tundra ecosystems, the animals that live in these areas, and how they interact with their environment Week 3: Temperate, Rainforest * We will be discussing temperate and rainforests ecosystems, the animals that live in these areas, and how they interact with their environment
Math Unit 4: Exploring Addition and Subtraction This month we will be building the foundations for math by learning basic concepts of addition and subtraction. We will discuss number patterns as well as children learn how to add 10 to change the second digit in number. We will also be working on word problems and the students learn to turn math numbers into words to understand stories and problems in a mathematical way.	English Language Arts: Unit 4: Follow a River This month, we will be reading Follow a River, a look into what makes a river, where a river goes, and how it affects the earth and life around it.   Week 1: Introduction Topic: We will begin the book with a walk in order to get a clear understanding of the basic concepts covered Week 2: Famous Rivers Topic: We will discuss some famous rivers in the world and their importance Week 3: Presentation Topic: We will be working on our in-class presentations, creating research and writing our speeches