Well, I’m sure if you would have asked any of us, we would never in a million years have imagined we would be in this crazy situation! It has been a challenge for all, but somehow we are managing! We are so very proud of our families and we applaud every single effort you have made to continue learning at home! From hikes, to cooking , to video lessons, it looks like everyone is doing their very best! Here’s a peak at some of our student’s in their home environments..we miss you all very much and look forward to the day when we can see you at school!

 

  So, we are well into our transition to Elearning and wanted to provide parents with some basic
suggestions on helping to maintain your child’s progress and overall communication while school  is not able to be in session.  This month's suggestion is how to get the most out of reading with your child.

READING BOOKS together is one of the best ways to build language and vocabulary!  
*  Choose a picture book to read together .  You can find your books from home or from online sources.  Read the words, but also talk about the pictures.  You can read books more than once! 
*  Ask about Author, Illustrator, Setting, Fiction/Nonfiction, etc."
*  Discuss the main character?  Ask what they look like (tall/short, skinny, long hair, etc.).  Talk about what problem the characters face.   Talk about how they solve the problem.
*  Ask "Who", "What", "When", "Where", "Why" and "How" questions.  
* Point out details you notice, and try to guess together what might happen next (ex: “Look, she has a raincoat and rain boots. What kind of weather do you think it is outside? What season is it?”).
*  Connect details from the book to your life (ex: “Look, they are going to the zoo! Remember when you went to the zoo with your class?   What were your favorite animals?”).
* Talk about how the characters might be feeling (ex: “Oh, she lost her favorite toy! How would you feel?")  Talk about what clues  there are to let them know how someone feels? (ex. Raised eyebrows might tell us that the person is surprised.)
*  HAVE FUN!!!!!

We take turns sharing the Dice Dude when we play games together. Shake, shake, shake it up! 

      K22 journeyed to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago!!!   We investigated fossils, plants, mammals and shells.  Students toured many exhibits, while learning about Africa, Ancient Egypt, Dinosaurs and the Evolution of our Planet. 

Fulton 104 spent the morning celebrating Valentine’s Day with our 3rd grade reading buddies! Every Friday our buddies join us for a fun filled reading activity! We read everything from books to poems to instructional materials and make art projects together! It is the highlight of our week! In honor of Valentine’s Day, we read a poem and made cards and photo frames with pictures of the kiddos with their buddies! It was a wonderful way to celebrate friendship:)

From movement, to classwork, to community outings, we're always learning as we go!

Braun room 12 had a great time at their community outing to the bowling alley! The students worked on communication, turn taking, and waiting.

We did it! We successfully and smoothly moved classrooms and schools mid year! Everyone has settled in nicely and we are LOVING our new friends at Fulton! We couldn’t have had a warmer welcome:) From students to staff, the Fulton team has helped us feel so comfortable...we are happy to be Fulton Flames! Check out the surprise visit we had from some staff and friends, including Mrs Megan, our principal..our kiddos really loved the posters and cards:). Thank you Fulton!

We made handprint calendars for those special people in our lives. Each month of 2020 had something fun we had to create using our hands: bunnies, suns, apples, turkeys, spiders, you name it! All sorts of colors and all sorts of smiles. Everyone's turned out so uniquely because we're all different from one another. 

K18 learned some winter vocabulary words this month, one being "reindeer"! We had fun putting on our reindeer antlers and feeling how soft they were in our hands! We have some happy reindeer in our classroom!

K9 has had a very busy week! With our winter performance and trip to Navy Pier, we are officially pooped! The kids worked so hard practicing their “Dinosaur Stomp!” They stomped and danced their little hearts out! We are so proud:) Next, was our big outing to Navy Pier Winter Wonderfest! WOW...lots of fun things to do! Giant snowman jump house, indoor carnival rides and lunch...we had so much fun! We will all be ready for our upcoming winter break!

K22 enjoyed a day of fun and learning at the Museum of Science and Industry!  We explored, created and viewed the many sights and sounds of the museum during this festive season!  

B12 is working on following directions. The students are making a "melted snowman."

Kerkstra room 7 was so excited for Mrs Melissa to come back after her maternity leave. Everyone made her a card to show their appreciation. Our veteran students made "welcome back" cards and our new students made "can't wait to meet you" cards! Each student had an opportunity to read aloud their messages and show off their artwork. 

K22 visited the Tinley Park Public Library!!! We listened to the librarian read 2 stories and participated in fun activities!  We loved how our students followed the 3 B's of CD in the community.