April 20th - April 23rd

 Looking back on learning..........

Phonics:

This week in our phonics learning, students focused on how to change singular nouns into plural forms by adding -s and -es. We reviewed that most nouns become plural simply by adding -s, but when a word ends in a “hissing” sound—such as ch, sh, z, x, or s—we add -es instead. Students practiced identifying these sounds and applying the correct ending through reading and writing activities. This helped strengthen their understanding of spelling patterns and supported their growing confidence in using plurals correctly.

Additionally, we began exploring contractions in our phonics learning. Students learned that contractions are shortened forms of two words put together, and that an apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter or letters.

Science:

This week in our science learning, we continued exploring different life cycles. Students compared the stages of various life cycles, identifying similarities and differences between them. We also learned about metamorphosis and how some animals undergo significant changes as they grow. In addition, students began learning how to classify animals by identifying the characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and amphibians.

We also completed our final egg candling sessions this week. It was incredible to observe the developing chicks inside the eggs. We could see them moving, along with their feet, bones, and even their beaks! The eggs have now gone into “lockdown” as we prepare for hatching. Their expected hatch date is Sunday/Monday, and we are very excited and hopeful to welcome new baby chicks on Monday.

Writing:

This week in our storytelling learning, students have mastered identifying key story elements through read-alouds and shared reading. Building on this understanding, we spent time brainstorming the types of stories we enjoy most. Students then selected a genre they are excited to explore and began planning their own story ideas, including important details and elements. We are looking forward to beginning the writing process next week!

Earth Day:

This week, we celebrated Earth Day with meaningful learning and creativity. Students discovered how Earth Day began, who started it, and how it is now recognized by countries all around the world. We also explored the ways our planet is becoming polluted and discussed small, everyday actions we can take to help care for the Earth.

To connect our learning with art, students created their own Earth using the technique of pointillism. This artistic style involves using small dots of color placed closely together to create an image. Students carefully applied dots to show land and water, experimenting with color and patience to bring their artwork to life.