ACI 1 Newsletter Date: June 24th - July 19th

Special Note:

Dear Parents, Summer is most definitely here! I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and heat. Thank you for continuing to support your child’s learning throughout this past term.

This unit marks the return of individual presentations. Your child will make a product that will make life easier and sell it to their classmates. Students will learn how to use their writing to convince others that their product is a good buy. 

Science:

Unit 11: Extreme Weather

In science, we will be learning about Extreme Weather. We will learn about different forms of extreme weather like tornadoes,  hurricanes, and floods. Students will learn about meteorologists and the technology they use to predict weather.

Math

Unit 11: Mass and Capacity

July’s math unit is another measuring unit called Mass and Capacity. We will be estimating, comparing, and measuring various containers and materials. We will also use this knowledge to solve everyday problems about mass and capacity. 

English Language Arts:

Unit 11: "Coconut: Seed or Fruit?"

This month’s ELA unit is called “Coconut: Seed or Fruit?”. We will initially learn about the different forms and uses of coconuts. Your child will use graphic organizers to plan and create a comic strip. We will then learn how to compare and contrast two different objects. Using this knowledge, your child will write a persuasive writing piece, convincing classmates to buy a product that will make their lives easier. They will also learn how to create a brochure that will advertise their own tropical vacation spot.

June Newsletter

ACI 1 News

Date: May 27th - June 21st

Special Note:

Dear parents,

Thank you for your support through this term so far. The students enjoyed learning about shadows and performing their puppet shows for their peers. It was nice to see them working together and enjoying each other’s presentations. This month, students will be learning about mapping, following directions, and creative writing as they imagine their life as a pirate. 

Science:

Unit 10: Plate Tectonics

This month’s science focus is Plate Tectonics. Students will learn about the layers of the Earth, how plates move and will discover how tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes form. Students will learn through interactive activities that the Earth is always changing.

Math

Unit 10: Multiplication, Division, and Fractions

This month we will be learning about Multiplication, Division, and Fractions. Your child will build number patterns with tangible materials to develop these concepts. Learning goals for this unit are to learn how to count groups of objects, to understand that addition, skip counting and multiplication are the same, to understand the meaning of halves, thirds and fourths, and to connect these concepts with daily experiences. 

English Language Arts:

Unit 10: Crossing the Atlantic

This month’s ELA Unit is Crossing the Atlantic. This non-fiction text will introduce students to a family who decided to live on a boat and travel across the Atlantic Ocean together. The focus of this unit will be teaching students how to navigate maps, and writing their own stories called “My life as a Pirate”. Students will write about their lives as pirates and discuss where they live, what their ship looks like, the places they visit, and who their pirate enemy is. For the final presentation, students will do a book reading for the class. They will focus on changing their volume,  intonation, and mannerisms to engage their classmates. This presentation will also include a “wanted poster” for their pirate enemy. Students will be given templates to work with. 

May Newsletter

ACI 1 News Date: April 29th - May 24th
Special Note: Dear parents, It looks like spring weather is finally coming and just in time to start learning about shadows. I'm also very happy to have 4 new students joining the class! Last month, the students did a great job of making and sharing their "All About Me" books. There won't be any individual presentations for the month of May, but the students will work in groups making stories about shadows.	Science: Unit 8: Measurement This month’s unit is Light. We will learn about its properties and usages, and discuss and write about how we use light in different areas of our lives. We will also be learning about how we can make light using alternative energy sources through hands-on experiments and discussions.
Math Unit 9: 2D Geometry This month we will be exploring 2D Geometry. We will be looking at the properties of different shapes. By comparing and contrasting 2D shapes through discussions and activities, we will be able to practice and become confident during this math unit.	English Language Arts: Unit 9: Fun with Shadows This month’s ELA Unit is Fun with Shadows. This instruction text will show students how to create props for their own shadow puppet story. Students will read and discuss how they can create stories. They will be learning about different creative writing strategies to assist them in the writing process. At the end of the month, though we will not have individual presentations, groups will work together to present their shadow puppet stories.

All About Me Books!

Here are the final results of the "All About Me" books we made this past unit. 

They turned out really great and the students were able to show off their artistic skills, too!

April Newsletter

ACI 1 News Date: April 1st - April 26th
Special Note: Dear parents, Both ACI classes did an amazing job during the unit on Clouds.  They learned a lot of useful vocabulary about weather and learned how to identify how clouds are made and what each type can tell us about the weather. Their final Weather Report presentations turned out great and really showed off the knowledge they've gained. We also finished our math unit on adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. They learned how to solve problems using place value mats and the standard algorithm. In science, we learned about different types of structures and were able to identify how and where structures are used in the real world.	Science: Unit 8: Measurement Our next science unit of the year is focused on learning how to record different types of measurements. Week 1: Length, Height, and Distance * The students will become familiar standard and non-standard units and different measuring tools used to measure length, height, and distance. Week 2: Air and Weight * We will conduct an experiments to show how air takes of space and find if it has weight. Week 3: Temperature & Thermometers * We will learn about Celsius and Fahrenheit and how to use a thermometer to measure temperature. Week 4: Review Week * Our final week will be used to review this month's concepts through education games and activities.
Math Unit 8: Linear Measurement, Area, and Perimeter Our next unit in math will be focused on developing an understanding of linear measurement and area. They will estimate, measure, and compare lengths and perimeters using standard and non-standard units. They will also investigate area measurement by used non-standard units to cover a surface.	English Language Arts: Unit 8: All About Me The month of April will be spent reading All About Me, an instructional book about making an "All About Me" book. Week 1: Introduction Topic: Students will learn about different personalities and making personal profiles. Week 2: Planning and Book-Making Topic: Students will learn what an autobiography is and start making their own "All About Me" books. Week 3: More Book-Making Topic: Students will continue to work on different pages for their books and also learn how to make timelines of their lives. Week 4: Finishing Touches and Presentations Topic: The students will finish their books and present their books to the class.

Maple Bear News Weather Reports Part Two!

Hello Families!

        We practiced our presentations at home and in class and we're happy to show you our weather reports!

 Michelle's Weather Report!

 Susan's Weather Report!

 

Luke's Weather Report! 

Jenny's Weather Report!

 Joanna's Weather Report!

Stay tuned for more updates!  
Thank you for watching!

Maple Bear News Weather Reports

This past month, we've spent a lot of time learning about weather and weather terminology. As a wrap-up, groups of two made skits with an anchor and weather reporter. Each group chose their own location and made weather maps to use. They memorized their scripts and also had fun making a music video clip at the end! kkk!!!

Eileen and Esther

Leo and Sara

Julie and Benjamin

Sophia and Jared

Maple Bear News!

Recipe Presentations

The class did a really wonderful job on their recipe presentations and continue to improve their speaking skills. You guys are FANTASTIC! ^^

Sophia- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQm-btu-3TA&feature=youtu.be

Eileen- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEvD1XDEBkk&feature=youtu.be

Jared- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_oXlqxZgSk&feature=youtu.be

Sara- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KUg9ErQZfs&feature=youtu.be

Julie- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZMfqk4imAA&feature=youtu.be

Esther- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbIIi8wnizc&feature=youtu.be

Leo- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvLo8vCBN4o&feature=youtu.be

Benjamin- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA1sM01CjW0&feature=youtu.be

Magnificent March!

     Is it March already? = )  

  Time flies by when we're having fun!

ACI 1 Newsletter March 4th to March 29th, 2013
Hello Families!       We had a fantastic time in February! We had a great time learning about all the new and exciting units about inventions, 3D geometry and simple machines.       The students had a challenging and fun time building their catapults and testing them out was a great experience for them.           The students were surprised to discover all the different 3D shapes and simple machines they see in their everyday lives in their homes, shopping malls, schools and just walking outside.            This month we will begin learning about clouds. We will explore and learn about different types of weather and clouds, rainbows, day and night and conclude the month with a weather forecast presentation.      We look forward to a magnificent month of March!	ELA: Did you know that clouds appear white because they reflect the suns light? Week 1 – What are Clouds?      This week students will learn about different names and types of clouds, fun and interesting facts about them and an introduction to weather terminology. Week 2 – What’s the Weather?      This week students will learn about types of weather, what they see and feel in different seasons and about weather in different countries. Week 3 – Rainbows!      This week students will learn about rainbows,   conduct a rainbow experiment and learn about primary and secondary colours. Week 4 – Presentations      This week students will be able put the final touches on their presentations and present them during the week. During this week we will also have our  Weather Forecast Presentations!
Math       In math this month, we will be learning about addition and subtraction to 100.        The students will focus on adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, solving a variety of word and numbers problems and using different mathematical manipulatives to help them throughout the unit.	Science       Building on our knowledge of simple machines from last month, we will focus our attention on strong structures.  Week 1 – What are Strong Structures?    Students will learn about what a strong structure is, where they see them in their everyday lives and their various functions. Week 2 – Materials and Durability      Students will learn about the different types of materials used to make strong structures, how they are different in quality and how some materials are more durable than others. Week 3 – Strong Shapes      Students will learn about the different properties of 2D and 3D shapes and how they can affect the strength of structures. Week 4 – Arches and Domes       Students will learn about arches and domes and how they are unique and help support structures to be stronger and look more beautiful.