Readers’ Worksop
In November, first grade readers were learning tools to help them figure out how to read tricky words. Some of the tools they learned were using the illustrations to help with an unknown word, sounding out the beginning or ending of a word, and stretching the word out. When readers have tried all of their tools they are encouraged to ask for help. Next readers began to explore reading with expression and fluency. First they look at the cover, title, and illustrations to think of what mood they will use to read the story. For example, a Halloween story would be read in a spooky tone, while a story about a boy who lost his dog would be read in a sad tone. We also learned how to use punctuation marks to help us read with expression. To help us read with fluency readers, try to chunk text together instead of reading each word one at a time. For example we don’t read “peanut-butter-and-jelly” as four separate words, instead we “chunk” the words together and read it as “peanutbutterandjelly” because when we say those words in everyday life, we chunk them together. Finally, in December first grade readers learned how to discuss literature with partners and in a whole group setting. Good readers make text to text and/or text to self connections when reading and discuss these connections with their peers. However, while we are discussing connections with partners we also have to remember to stay focused on the story and not sway too far off topic. In January, first grade readers will “Meet the Characters in Our Books”. We will pay attention to the things characters do, what kinds of people they are, and how their feelings change across the story.

Writers’ Workshop
For the month of November, first grade writers continued to build a strong relationship with their writing partners and discovered how to sketch each other’s stories as a tool to add more details. Writers learned how to gather all of their seed stories and choose one to grow and publish. We found out what a published piece looks like and all of the materials needed such as a cover page, title page, dedication page to make our pieces complete. First graders celebrated their published pieces by sharing with other accomplished writers, giving
“put ups, “and suggestions to their peers. As soon as December was upon us, we were ready to find new strategies to raise the quality of our personal narratives. One fantastic strategy is to tell our small moments across our fingers. This helped writers build a sequence of events and keep our ideas focused. Writers revisited the importance of being a good writing partner with active listening, asking questions, and what it sounds like to be a strong storyteller. First graders discovered that sometimes their small moments can get off track, so just like photographers, writers need to implement ways to zoom in on the heart of their story and stretch it long. Writers are excited to publish a stronger more focused small moment In January writers will gather more experiences from their lives and use authors as mentors. Students will learn that we can write stories, poems, and books like authors of the authors we admire. Cheers to a new year of continuing to grow as writers!

Math
During the months of November and December, our first graders have developed their knowledge of number sense, and have been learning all about grouping strategies, skip counting, and tens and ones. Our mathematicians have explored grouping by pondering this guiding question: “How can grouping objects help us count quickly?” Instead of simply providing an answer to this question, such as, “we can group objects and count by 2’s, 5’s or 10’s,” we let the students explore different ways of grouping and counting various objects on their own. For example, one lesson consisted of dumping a large pile of small cubes in front of our mathematicians, and in teams, they needed to figure out how to count the cubes in the most efficient way. The goal was for students to organize the quantities into groups and to identify the total value, rather than counting by ones. This activity led to wonderful class discussions about grouping, and how grouping is connected to skip counting, which is a quick way to count objects. Several lessons on grouping led to lessons on tens and ones. Our mathematicians explored tens and ones by pondering this other guiding question: “How do we group ones together to make a ten?” Students played several math games, using manipulatives to uncover base-10 concepts. One particularly favorite game, the “Tens and Ones Trading Game,” provided students with an understanding that a ten is equal to a group of ten ones. In January, students will continue to explore base-ten concepts, as they relate to addition and subtraction.

Word Study/Guided Reading
Our first graders have been focusing on a word family each week. We get them involved with different activities using the word family each week which strengthens their reading and writing skills. In November, they continued to master long vowels using the “bossy e” which we also related to theater! See if your children remember “bossy e’s” part in the script. We then moved into different blends such “sh”, “th” and “ch”. Your child/children have been learning how to read and write words using these different word families.
This is a way to differentiate instruction in literacy and meet the needs of all students. The students are in small groups according to their reading level and rotate through different stations weekly that challenge them and help them with skills that will strengthen their literacy skills to become strong readers and writers.

Handwriting
First graders are continuing to implement their neat capital and lower case letters in their writing. Students discovered that using double lines help them to form correct letter size, placement, and closeness. Not only are 1st graders practicing the letters they have learned, but are learning ways to write sentences, when to use a capital letter, and how to use punctuation marks. The letters we learned for November and December are: g, u, i, e, l, k, and y. Some ways to help your child practice their handwriting include writing rhyming words such as dew and two, bat and cat, coat and goat, in addition you can use sand or flour to trace the letters and numbers on a cookie sheet!

Once we have completed the design phase, all K-6 students will have an opportunity to be part of building the mosaic mural using ceramic tiles and recycled objects. In addition, this project will allow us to explore connections to other subjects of study, from science to geography, from L.A. history to community sustainability.

We are all extremely excited about the project and all the learning opportunities it will offer in the short and long term. That, plus our students will get to follow on the footsteps of Simon Rodia and Antoni Gaudi… that’s how we roll at LFCSA!

In order to get this project off the ground we want to invite you to contribute items for use in the making of the mural. Here is a list with the types of items we need for our mosaic mural:  amulets, arrowheads, badges, beach glass, beads, bones, bottles, broken china, broken porcelain, broken crockery, brooches, buckles, buttons, cameos, charms, coins, dice, dog tags, dominoes, earrings, figurines, gems, glass fragments, jewelry, kaolin clay pipes, marbles, medallions, memorial pins, metal pieces, milagros, miniature jugs, teacups, mirrors, necklaces, pebbles, pins, porcelain dolls, rings, rocks, shells, spoons, stones, talismans, teacup handles, teeth, thimbles, tiles of all colors, tokens, small tools, watches, war medals.

Bring your chotchkies, small treasures, and broken china (and tiles!) to the Art Studio. There will be a box right outside the Art Studio entrance throughout the month of January where you can leave your donations. Thank you in advance for helping us make this dream happen, piece by loving piece.

Please contact Evelyn Serrano if you have any questions. In the meantime, check out Jolino’s artwork at www.jolinoarchitecturalmosaics.com, and explore with your kids a remarkable web resource about the L.A. River http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/lariver/.

Español
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Muy pronto comenzaremos a trabajar en un projecto de arte muy grande y ambicioso con los estudiantes de LFCSA y la comunidad local. Los estudiantes de tercer grado comenzaran pronto a trabajar con un artista local Jolino Becerra (nuestro nuevo artista de residencia) y LFCSA Especialista del arte visual Evelyn Serrano en el diseño de un mural de mosaico que celebra nuestro valioso Rio de Los Angeles.

Una vez completada la fase de diseño, todos nuestros estudiantes, desde pre-escolar a 6to grado, tendran la oportunidad participar en la creacion del mosaico usando lozas de ceramica y objectos reciclados. Ademas, este proyecto nos posibilitara explorar connecciones con otras materias como son la ciencia, la geografia, la historia de Los Angeles y temas comunitarios.

Estamos muy contentos con este proyecto y con las oportunidades de enseñanza que nos brindara a corto y largo plazo. Y ademas, nuestros estudiantes podran seguir los pasos de grades artistas de mosaico como Antoni Gaudi y Simon Rodia… asi es como hacemos las coas en LFCSA!

Para poder comenzar este proyecto queremos invitarlos a que contribuyan objectos que se convertiran parte de nuestro mural de mosaico. A continuacion, una lista de alguno de los objetos que necesitamos: amuletos, puntas de flecha, vidrio de playa, cuentas, huesos. botellas de vidrio, vajilla de ceramica, broches, botones, monedas, dados, fichas de domino, aretes, figuras de adorno de ceramica o porcelana, gemas, fragmentos de vidrio, joyeria, cañerias de ceramica caolin, canicas, medallones, milagros, tazas de te o cafe, espejos, collares, piedras, muñecas de porcelana, anillos, conchas de mar, talismanes, dientes, dedales, lozas de ceramica de todos colores, tokens, herramientas pequeñas, relojes y medallas.

Por favor traingan sus donaciones, sus pequeños tesoros, platos rotos y lozas al Estudio de Arte en la escuela. Usted encontrara una caja afuera de la entrada del estudio durante todo el mes de Enero, donde usted podra depositar sus donaciones. Desde ahora muchas gracias por ayudarnos a convertir esta idea en una realidad, pieza por pieza.

Por favor contactenme si tiene alguna pregunta. Entre tanto, los invito a chequear la obra artistica de Jolino Becerra en  www.jolinoarchitecturalmosaics.com, y a explorar con sus hijos un valioso recurso digital acerca del Rio de Los Angeles aqui:  http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/lariver

The build committee will be working over the coming months with the administration to coordinate a possible location, landlord approval and anything else required to hopefully allow us to install it at the school.

Thank you to the volunteers and committee members who helped with this major undertaking!

Yo quiero tomar un momento para introducirme a ustedes. Soy la nueva Directora de Currículo y Instrucción de Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts (LFCSA).  Es un gran honor para mí que la comunidad y la Junta Directiva de LFCSA me seleccionara para dirigir esta organización. En las próximas dos semanas me gustaría conocer a todos los alumnos, maestros, empleados, familias y miembros de la comunidad. Hay dos eventos que se acercan para conocernos:  un “Town Hall Meet & Greet” el Martes 13 de Diciembre a los 9:00 de la mañana, y una reunión del PTA el Jueves 15 de diciembre a los 6:00 de la noche. Usted está invitado a venir a uno o ambos de estos eventos.  Los dos serán una oportunidad buena para conocer el nuevo equipo administrativo de LFCSA. El director asistente, Brian Swanson, y yo estaremos disponibles para hablar con todos durante los dos eventos.

Yo creo que LFCSA es un modelo muy impresionante para escuelas de integración de las artes e instrucción rigurosa. El éxito de LFCSA viene como resultado de la colaboración entre familias, educadores  y miembros de la comunidad que contribuyen una diversidad de experiencias y talentos. Quiero desarrollar una relación profesional muy unida con la facultad, Junta Directiva, equipo administrativo, familias y comunidad en beneficio de los alumnos. Siento que es mi responsabilidad para asegurar que su(s) hijo(s) reciba(n) la mejor calidad de educación con integración de las artes dentro de un ambiente seguro y respetuoso. Yo creo en la importancia de una conexión fuerte entre la escuela y la familia. Espero que todos se sienta cómodos en contactarme por correo electrónico o llamada con algunos asuntos y/o preguntas, o para conocernos He visto la dedicación de la facultad y las familias de LFCSA, y me gustaría trabajar juntos para mejorar la experiencia educacional de su(s) hijo(s).

Antes de venir a LFCSA, yo trabajaba en la reforma escolar como un líder de maestros, administradora educacional  y coordinadora de currículo al nivel de condado en el sur de California. En mi carrera, he seguido reformas que resultaron en el aprendizaje avanzado con un enfoque en la planificación de desarrollo profesional, iniciativas de alfabetización y programas para los estudiantes de ELL. Durante los últimos 4 años, trabajé como administradora educacional en la Oficina de Educación para el condado de Ventura. Allí yo diseñé, implementé y evalué programas de desarrollo profesional para líderes de escuelas y distritos en más que 20 distritos escolares. Antes de juntar la Oficina de Educación en Ventura, fui maestra de una escuela primaria en el distrito de Santa Monica- Malibu. También fui una maestra de una escuela secundaria en el distrito de Castaic Union. Mientras enseñanaba, recibí mi certificación nacional para enseñar (National Board Certified Teacher). Con ésta, continué apoyando maestros de todos niveles a mejorar sus prácticas educativas.

Las metas educativas de LFCSA corresponden perfectamente con mis propias creencias de la mejor instrucción para todos alumnos. Creo  en el poder transformativo que poseen las artes para optimizar la educación completa para un niño. Tengo una pasión profunda para integrar las artes visuales y teatrales dentro del aprendizaje basado en proyectos (“project-based learning”). Apoyo el método constructivista  para atraer e influenciar la creatividad en todos alumnos. También fomento la integración de alfabetización y escritura en todos los currículos. Utilizo métodos de “Teacher’s College Readers and Writers Workshop Project” para hacer el aprendizaje riguroso mientras inspirando jóvenes escritores a desarrollar su propia voz en la escritura.

Mi iniciativa más importante es trabajar en colaboración con Brian Swanson, el director asistente, para hacer a LFCSA crecer y prosperar como un modelo de educación de charter con integración de las artes. Yo planeo proveer un liderazgo que apoyará a la visión educativa de Karin Newlin y Karolynne Gee. Trabajaré con ellas durante mi transición a la posición de Directora. Creo en sostener y dirigir una escuela que es rigurosa, emocionante y estimulante. Todos los padres, maestros, empleados y administración tienen un papel para animar a nuestros alumnos a ser estudiantes activos. Yo espero con anticipación proveer mi liderazgo, experiencia y habilidades a LFCSA. Estoy muy entusiasmada de estar aquí, trabajar y servir a todos los alumnos, facultades, y familias de LFCSA.

Atentamente,

Dr. Staci Block, Ed.D.

Directora de Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts

Here’s a little bit about them:  “Our aim is to bake our favorite types of bread for the people of the city we love, to capture our region’s unique flavors, to keep our prices reasonable while still using wholesome and natural ingredients (choosing organic and sourcing locally whenever we can), to actively participate in our community, and to be a true family business – by a family, for other families.”

Go to their website to learn more and to order loaves.  Order by 5 p.m. on any Monday to have your loaves delivered on Thursday.  Bread orders will be distributed from 2-6 p.m. (same time as the CSA) every Thursday.  You do not have to subscribe to the CSA to order bread.

Varieties change weekly so go to their website or to the LosFelizCSA Facebook page for updates.

Students may submit works of art in any of the following categories: dance choreography, film production, literature musical composition, photography and visual arts. This year’s theme is, “Diversity Means…”

The submission period is the entire month November with all entries due to the school by November 29. Plan to attend the art reception on Friday, December 9 from 5 – 7 p.m.

Visit the Official PTA website for more submission guidelines or do download student entry forms: http://www.ptareflections.org/cs/about_reflections or pick up one from the office. If you’re having difficulty downloading forms, you can visit our blog at http://lfcsaptareflections.wordpress.com/art-submission-requirements/ for truncated versions of these requirements.

For more information, visit our website at http://lfcsaptareflections.wordpress.com/ or email Candace Metzger.

“The first and perhaps most important aspect of physical education is the direct bearing it has on children’s physical, mental, and social well-being. The child who is well educated physically is likely to become a healthy adult who is motivated to remain healthy. The healthy, physically active child is also more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful.”

“A common mistake is to emphasize competition too much while children are still quite young. Children are able to create their own competition in normal play. Only at about the age of ten or eleven are they ready physiologically, socially, and emotionally to participate in competitive activities. The goal of the physical educator should be not to identify winners but to make winners of ordinary students. Every Student is a Winner. Students should be helped to discover what they can do and appreciate their own uniqueness and that of others.”

This means we are running. We are running every time after we finish the warm-up exercises and the stretches. We are running for five minutes non stop. Slowly…at a speed where we can comfortably talk to a running friend without running out of air. Everybody runs at their own pace and that is okay. But everybody runs. Walking is not allowed. After the five minute warm-up run, we are doing speed laps. Now I want the students to run fast: Full speed at the end. Two laps. The third lap is the “race.” Two (or three) students with about the same speed run together. This is not about winning, but about doing their best. Mostly it motivates them even a bit more and I want them to feel the difference between running with somebody compared to running by themselves. All of them get put-ups from me, when I catch them doing their best!

Memory of the Month: “The Flaming Mustaches” (Ms. Fernandez’s 5th grade class) being absolutely focused and respectfully quiet during their PE time, which is not only a pleasure for me, but also saves time and allows us to do more PE! GOOD JOB!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mr. Wenger

 Visit the website to vote online, RIGHT NOW!

Text “clorox3905″ to the phone number 44144 to vote by text message, RIGHT NOW!

For more instructions on how to register to vote online or how to vote by text, please scroll down.

INSTRUCTIONS ON VOTING How to register for online voting: The site will encourage you to register to vote by linking your Facebook information.  We would encourage you to use Facebook, too, because then you can link our voting page to your FB and get your FB Friends engaged in the process, too! Over the summer David Landau met and spent time with two of last year’s winning schools in Washington State and North Carolina. In both cases social networking was a big winning factor. Pulling in votes from beyond our school made the difference. So please, consider this option. However, if you’re still uncomfortable with signing up via Facebook (and have more creative ways to get your community involved!) then here are the directions for registering with an email address only: Click this link to go to the Los Feliz page of the Clorox site. Click on Register, in the top right corner. On the registration form at the top it says Name and Public Information. If your computer is signed in to Facebook, the registration form will want to automatically fill your FB info. In that section that’s auto filled – to the right there’s an “x” Click on the “x” and you get an option to “Clear Form” Click on “clear form” and fill in the info manually. DO NOT LET AUTOFILL FILL IN ANY INFO! To keep it easy, stay logged in if you can. Make sure you write your password down so you don’t forget it. Here’s the link for online voting. Pass it on: http://www.powerabrightfuture.com/gallery/detail/?nid=1172 How to vote by text: In your cell phone contact list, add a new contact named Clorox and list the phone number as 44144 (saving the contact makes it easier to send daily texts!) Write a new text message that says clorox3905 Send it to the contact in your phone named Clorox, or type in the phone number as 44144 You will get a response saying something akin to ”Thanks for your vote! Be sure to text your vote again tomorrow.” If you have an iPhone, here are some pics to illustrate the directions above:   How the contact should be saved:                            How the text message should look:   If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact David Landau through email: DavidmLandau@aol.com

The students were thrilled to walk out of the school boundaries this week and explore the school neighborhood. They had the chance to see where people live and work and they ended the outing at Rio de Los Angeles Park, where people play. The students will continue their research of the neighborhood by asking more “wonderful questions” and finding out where to go to find the answers.

During the month of November students will be learning how to become researchers in order to find the answers to their questions. At home, you can model for your child how you find an answer to your questions. Show your child what you use to find a restaurant or a vet or what the weather will be like. Help your child come up with questions that you can help them research.

Readers’ Workshop

During October, first grade readers were continuing to learn how to build good reading habits. Readers learned how to find their “just right” books by using the Goldilocks Rule. Readers find a “just right” book by finding a book that is not too easy (they’ve read it too many times, they can read almost every word, they read it smoothly) or not to difficult (too many tricky words on each page, they don’t understand what is going on in the story, lots of stops when reading). Readers also began to choose “just right” books from the leveled library weekly based on their interests and reading level. The students learned how to care for books by treating them carefully and putting them back in the correct baskets when they’re finished with books. Students also began to make connections to literature. Text to self connections are when students compare or contrast elements of literature to their own life. Text to text connections are when students compare or contrast two different books. In November, students are going to discover different strategies to read with a buddy in order to think about and discuss literature with others.

Math

In October, our first graders have been learning all about addition and the various materials and strategies, or “tools” they can use to solve addition problems. Our mathematicians have explored addition by using adding “tools” such as linking cubes and counters, a ten frame, a hundreds chart, and a number line. They have also practiced adding by “counting on” in their own head. This past week, we have introduced story problems to our little mathematicians, and they have practiced using a highlighter to “zoom in” on important words by highlighting numbers and vocabulary words like “more,” “altogether,” and “in all.” Another adding strategy our learners explored was sketching pictures to help them solve story problems. After having ample time to sample and practice using these various adding strategies, or “tools,” our learners did an art project and made a beautiful chart for their classroom, which illustrated each adding tool:
cubes and counters
ten frame
hundreds chart
number line
counting on in your head
zooming in on important numbers and words
sketching a picture

In the upcoming weeks, our mathematicians will focus on being great problem solvers, and they will be able to select which “tool” to use in order to help them solve story problems. The beautiful chart displaying the adding tools, listed above, will guide the students in selecting the adding tool that works best for them. Furthermore, our mathematicians will have a choice in how they want to solve a problem, and our classrooms will be stocked with the materials necessary for supporting our mathematicians in working through a problem. We will focus on “how” problems are solved, and our students will be explaining the process and thinking that goes into solving an addition problem. Furthermore, our first graders will be writing story problems themselves!

At home, you can turn a daily activity, such as setting the dinner table, into an addition story problem. For example: “Michael places 2 plates on the table. Then, Michael places 2 ‘more’ plates on the table. How many plates are on the table ‘altogether?’” Lastly, please continue to count to 100 daily with your child, and we encourage you to count objects by 2′s, 5′s, and 10′s.

Writing

In the month of October, first grade writers explored the idea of personal narratives
through small moments. Students learned the difference between a big memory
(watermelon story) vs. the seeds (small moments). Writers are beginning to understand
how to brainstorm true moments from their lives by listing many seed ideas, then
choosing one seed idea to grow and write about. Students used several strategies to
stretch their small moments across many pages which include zooming in with precise
detail. To zoom in on one small moment, writers added the Who, What, When,Why, and
Where of their story, included sequence of events by using their five senses, and added
dialogue. For the month of November, writers will continue to discover strategies to
make their small moments stronger with writing partners and learning basic peer editing
skills.

Handwriting

First graders are continuing to understand the proper ways of forming letters. This month
students finished learning the rest of their capital letters and now know that all capital
letters start at the top! Students were eager to learn their lower case letters and were
introduced to a very special character named the “Magic c Bunny.” The Magic Bunny
is special because he turns the letter c into other letters like O,Q,G, and a,d,g, and o.
Students also learned where letters need to placed on our lined paper. The top line is
called the “sky,” the middle line is the “fence “and the bottom line is the “grass/ground.”
This will help us write our letters neatly and with the correct size. In addition to letters,
First graders are learning how to write their numbers, using the right starting corner, and
correcting our number reversals.

Tips: Help your child practice forming the letters and numbers below by using beans,
pennies, or any other counters. You can also use sand or flour to trace the letters and
numbers on a cookie sheet!
October letters:
Capital: X,Y,C,O,Q,G,S,A,I,J,T,J
lower case: c,o,s,v,w,t,a,d
Numbers: 1-10