Literacy- Students have begun their opinion writing units by ranking personal collections and writing their reasons for their favorite items. They will focus on adding details and convincing their readers of their opinions. In reading, as students independence has grown, they have been promoted to the “bosses of their own reading”! This means they are taking charge of figuring out words they do not know and understanding their texts.
Math- Students are beginning a new math unit on measurement. They are comparing lengths using indirect comparison by finding objects longer than, shorter than, and equal in length. They will also use centimeter cubes to measure.
Science- Students have visited the Innovation Studio for the launch of our new NGSS Science Unit: Light and Sound. They are exploring how light enables us to see the world around us. They also have begun studying natural light versus artificial light.
Portuguese- Students are learning about author Eva Furnari, and studying rhymes based on her books.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Monday, January 27, 2020
Lower School Update - January 27, 2020
Access Control
Thank you for your patience as we work through the implementation of the access control system. As there has been limited success with fingerprint recognition, students in fourth and fifth grade will receive ID cards to enter the turnstiles. We expect the system to be fully functional for use on Thursday.
Please make sure all students keep the badges connected to their backpacks and backpacks are brought every day. Students who forget their badge will need to check in at reception in the parking garage to secure a temporary pass for the day.
Metacognition
We often ask students to think about their thinking especially when explaining their solutions to problems. Studies show that students who use metacognition strategies are more successful both in and out of school. Here’s a great article to help you understand more and how you can help your child use this powerful tool.
Upcoming Important Dates
Around the Lower School
ATuesday, January 21, 2020
Welcome Back to First Grade!!
(Ms. Emily not pictured)
We are all excited to welcome back all out students! We also would like to welcome three new first grade students (Ms. England's, Ms. Heineberg's and Ms. Wilker's classes)!
We are excited to begin 2020 with a bang!!
Monday, January 20, 2020
Lower School Update - January 20, 2020
Returning to School
We hope your family had a fantastic break and we are excited to see students on Tuesday! We know it’s often hard for students to return to school when they’ve enjoyed sleeping late, lots of fun activities and spending time with family and friends. Here is an article to help smooth the transition with tips for a successful start to the second semester.
Access Control
Students in pre-primary to Grade 3 will receive their access control badges at school on Tuesday, January 21. It’s important to make sure that it stays connected to your child’s backpack to easily allow entrance to our campus every day. We will have teachers in the Student Center ready to walk our youngest students to class.
Please expect full implementation of the access control system on Wednesday, January 22.
Swimming
Just a reminder that swimming for some classes starts tomorrow! Please check communication from your child’s teacher.
Library News
Welcome Back to Your Library!
We are looking forward to seeing you and your children in the library. Please stop by to welcome our new library assistant, Isabela Martins. She is excited to meet everyone, and her passion for books is contagious! New parents, stop by to have Isabela set up a parent account for you to check out books, too!
Please bookmark the LS Library website at home to access the wonderful resources we have available! Look for print and eBooks in our library catalog. Check out Tumblebooks to access over 1000 online books (including read-alongs) at all different levels. Look up country information in Culturegrams. Read encyclopedia articles and play learning games through World Book. Watch short educational cartoons, take quizzes, and play games through BrainPOP. Read encyclopedia articles in Portuguese through Britannica Escola. Watch for new information about our latest database, PebbleGo, for excellent nonfiction books online.
AND access magazines and newspapers for yourself! If you haven't had a chance to look at Flipster yet, it's on the Teacher Resource page of the library site, and gives you free access to all issues of numerous popular magazines.
Usernames and passwords for our resources are included on the site.
If you have questions, please contact Heather Purcell (heather.purcell@graded.br).
Upcoming Important Dates
Monday, December 9, 2019
Lower School Update - December 9, 2019
LS Holiday Concert
Students in pre-primary and Grade 1 will perform on December 11 at 8:45 am. Our students have been working hard to prepare a wonderful show for you and we look forward to seeing you there. There are still a few seats left if your family hasn’t reserved them yet. Be sure to check your email for instructions.
Library News
Access Your Library Wherever You Are!
Reading during the vacation is a critical way to keep up the progress students have made! We invite families to check out books for vacation, but also to take advantage of our online resources! Our LS Library website makes it easy to read digital books, research using reliable sources, and get book recommendations. Please bookmark this site at home to access the wonderful resources we have available! Check out Tumblebooks to access over 1000 online books (including read-alongs) at all different levels. Look up country information in Culturegrams. Read encyclopedia articles and play learning games through World Book. Watch short educational cartoons, take quizzes, and play games through BrainPOP. Read encyclopedia articles in Portuguese through Britannica Escola.
AND access magazines and newspapers for yourself! If you haven't had a chance to look at Flipster yet, it's on the Teacher Resource page of the library site, and gives you free access to all issues of magazines like National Geographic, Real Simple, Rolling Stone, Yoga Journal, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Time, Photoshop Creative, Cooking Light, and many more. You'll also find links for our subscriptions to The Economist and The New York Times.
Usernames and passwords for our resources are included on the site.
Dona Emilia Week
We will be celebrating Dona Emilia’s 45 years of service to the Graded community during our last week of school, Dec 9-13. As she is retiring, we have special activities planned for the week to show her how much we love and appreciate her.
Last Day of School
The last day of school for students is December 12, 2019. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 am. Please make arrangements for transportation for your child. Busses will leave at 11:45 am. We look forward to seeing everyone on January 21, 2020 at 8:00 am.
Upcoming Important Dates
Around the Lower School
Monday, December 2, 2019
Lower School Update - December 2, 2019
LS Holiday Concert
We have great news! Due to popular demand, we have added an additional Holiday Concert for students in Grades 2-5. On December 6, our first concert will take place at 8:45 and the second concert will be at 9:45. Students in pre-primary and Grade 1 will still perform one show on December 11 at 8:45 am. Our students have been working hard to prepare a wonderful show for you and we look forward to seeing you there. Be sure to check your email for instructions on choosing your seats.
Library News
This is the last cycle for regular checkout before break. Please help your child to return any overdue books. Next cycle, returning students who have everything in will be able to check out 10 items per family for vacation. We will reschedule checkout times for classes who have library time during concerts or on days G or H, so please look out for notices from your child’s teacher. The libraries will not be open during the vacation this year.
Last Day of School
The last day of school for students is December 12, 2019. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 am. Please make arrangements for transportation for your child. Busses will leave at 11:45 am. We look forward to seeing everyone on January 21, 2020.
Dona Emilia Week
We will be celebrating Dona Emilia’s 45 years of service to the Graded community during our last week of school, Dec 9-13. As she is retiring, we have special activities planned for the week to show her how much we love and appreciate her.
Upcoming Important Dates
Around the Lower School
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