Rancho Vista Elementary

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O'Connor 3rd/4th/5th grade

Course Description

 

Posts

Introducing the Sonday System

I am excited to share that we will be introducing another great component to our SDC curriculum in the next few weeks!  The Sonday System offers a structured, systematic, multisensory reading intervention for all stages of reading.  I will be using the Sonday System 1 and the Sonday System 2 in our classroom.  The Sonday System 1 will address the needs of our students at the beginning reading level to the 2nd grade reading level.  The Sonday System 2 will address the needs of our students reading at the 3rd grade level to the 8th grade reading level.
 
The Sonday System covers the Big 5 essentials components of reading.  These include Phonemic Awareness, Alphabet Principle, Fluency with Text, Vocabulary, and Comprehension.  
 
Sonday System 1
  • reviews pre reading skills
  • phonics using vowels, vowel pairs and blends
  • consonant blends and diagraphs
  • spelling
  • rules of language structure
  • compound and non-phonetic words
  • reading and writing fluency
  • handwriting
  • vocabulary and comprehension
Sonday System 2
  • review of concepts in the Sonday System 1
  • syllable types and division 
  • roots
  • non-phonetic words
  • vocabulary and comprehension
The SDC teachers both at the elementary level and intermediate level have been trained on this program and we will all be using this as part of our curriculum.   
 
I will let you know as soon as I launch this great program in our classroom!
 
Please contact me with any questions or concerns!
 
 
 

9/25/2017

Hello!
 
I can officially say that we are 100% into the school year!  All students have their schedules and routines up and going.  DIS services are scheduled and so far no problems.  Norris Theater is here once a week to get us ready for the big performance.  Each grade level has practice every week for about an hour and we are fully involved.  We absolutely love learning these new songs and dances!  I will let you know when the big performance night is as soon as I get the information.
 
It's The Law! Or is it a Rule?
 
Last week, we spent a lot of our time learning about the difference between a rule and a law.  We discussed who enforces these laws and rules in the community, home, and  at school.  We made lists and wrote about these different laws and rules.  We also began to learn the process of how a law is made.  
 
Apples, Apples, and More Apples
 
September is all about apples.  We know pretty much know what an apple taste like, what colors they are, that they grow on trees, and what they taste like.  This week we looked into how apples get from the tree into the stores for us to buy.  We also talked about different yummy treats that are made from apples.  And of course, we each got to eat an apple!!
 
Cooking Class
 
Last Friday was Converse Shoes 100th anniversary.  We learned all about the shoe company and Chuck Taylor.  Three of us just happened to be wearing the shoes that day!  We made Shoestring Fries to celebrate the 100th year anniversary.  All of us enjoyed this cooking activity and sampling the fries in the end.  Don't worry I made sure to follow all dietary restrictions your child may have.  
 
Next Week...
 
We ran out of time last week to conduct our seat belt experiment.  We will hopefully fit it in this week!
 
We will also be learning about what happens in the fall and explore why some of these changes happen.  We will learn about a farm and what goes on there and exactly what a Farmer's job entails.   On Friday, we will be making Pumpkin Muffins.  I'll attach the recipe for you to look over.  If you have any ideas on how we can make this work for your child's dietary restrictions please let me know.
 
Have a wonderful week!
 
Ms. O'Connor

9/18/2017

Hi!
I wanted touch base with all of you about what we did last week and a preview of what we will be doing this week.
 
"What's the Matter?"
We spent all of last week learning about the different states of matter!  We participated in  different activities to engage all of our learners.  We started with visual representations of each state and how introducing different temperatures (hot and cold) can change the physical state.  For example, we put water in the freezer, ice in the sun, and water in a water heater.  We all made a guess (hypothesis) on what the outcome would be.  Our "scientists" enjoyed this experiment and recorded all of their observations in their Science Notebooks.   We also demonstrated our understanding of matter through worksheets and whole class discussions.  On Friday, we made whipped cream out of cream!  We loved watching how the cream slowly became fuller and stiffer!  When we finished, we added fruit slices and were able to sample our experiment.  Don't worry we made sure to follow any dietary restrictions!!
We also learned about Johnny Appleseed!  We learned where he came from, what his real name was, how he traveled without shoes and wore a sack for thousands of miles!    And of course, how he planted all those apple trees on the way!  
 
During all of that learning, we worked on reading fluency, comprehension, number sense, money, and time.  We were busy last week!!
 
This coming week, we will be focusing on the difference between laws and rules.  We will also learn how laws are made and why they are made.  We will be doing an experiment to teach us why its important to wear our seatbelt.  This involver a toy car, tape, and a raw egg... yikes!!!
 
Everyone should have your child's schedule at this time.  If you have any questions or concerns please let me know.  
 
Please sign up for our Shutterfly website.  This will give you access to pictures, sign up sheets for different activities, and a lot more  information to keep us all on the same page and in the loop as to what is going on in our classroom and around campus.  A big thank you goes out to Ivy's mom, Alexandra Stewart, for setting this up!!
 
Thank you for all of your continued support!  Working as a team is the key to a great year!!!
 
Ms. O'Connor
 
 

Student Schedules

Student Schedules will be sent home tomorrow via backpacks.  Remember these are drafts and I am sure there will be changes made in these first few weeks.  If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please contact me.

Book Fair!!

Hello!
I wanted to let you know to keep a look out for you child's wish list at the Book Fair.  We will be visiting tomorrow the fair tomorrow!!
Have a wonderful night!
Jill

2017-2018 Classroom Schedule

 Here is a copy of our daily classroom schedule.  This only includes what will be going on in room 12.  Your child's schedule will be emailed to you  when I receive schedules from their DIS providers.  All schedules are subject to change and I will inform you of any updates.
 
Enjoy your day!

First Day Of School = Success!

 

Hello!

We made it through our first day of school! I’m sure you were overwhelmed with many different emotions as you were getting your child ready for their first day. I was experiencing all of them as well as I was preparing for this day. When I saw all of their smiling faces the only emotion I was feeling was excitement!

After reflecting on today’s happenings, I feel that we have a great group of kids and adults in our classroom.   There are a lot of familiar faces, which makes the transition to a new teacher or to new peers much easier. It was nice to hear everyone interacting with each other sharing summer memories.

We will be having a Back To School Night next Thursday evening September 7th. During this time you will receive information regarding curriculum and important dates for the upcoming year. Some examples of what will be used in our classroom curriculum include, Touch Math, Touch Money, Unique Learning System, and district adopted curricular materials. I also incorporate different teaching approaches that include TEACCH, “Daily 5” Word Work, etc. 

Mainstreaming began first thing this morning! I am working with wonderful teachers this year that go the extra mile to include our students into their classrooms.

I am looking forward to a great year with you and your child!

Thank you in advance for all of your support!

Ms. Jill O’Connor

P.S.  I will be absent from school this coming Thursday and Friday for surgery on my knee.  If everything goes as planned, I will return to work on Tuesday.  Ms. Adler will be subbing for me.  She is very familiar with Rancho Vista and my program.  I am very lucky she is available to fill in for me!  

 

 

A Few Friendly Reminders

 

Pick up and Drop off

  • Drop off and pick up is at the entrance of the school. Staff will be waiting there to escort your child to our classroom.
  • After 8:30 please walk your child to the office and they will call for someone to come meet you and then escort your child to the classroom.
  • If you need to meet with me please let me know in advance and we will set up a time. I really need that time before and after school to prepare for the day.  Thank you in advance for giving me this time!

We want a healthy year!

  • If you think your child might be sick please make arrangements to keep him/her home. We are very “close” to each other and germs spread quickly.  
  • Please keep your child home for 24 hours after vomiting and/or a fever.
  • Please be considerate of our staff and your child’s peers, it’s better to have a couple of absences than an illness/infection to spread to everyone in our room.

Student Belongings

  • Please initial your child’s name on the tag of coats, jackets, sweaters, or anything else that can be taken off throughout the day. Please do the same for lunch boxes and backpacks. It can get a little confusing at the end of the day.
  • Please send in an extra set of clothing just in case!! Accidents happen!!
  • Please keep in mind that safety of our students is our first priority. In case of a “Lock Down” your child may need an extra set of clothing and something from home. Send this to school in a large Ziplock bag with your child’s name written on it and labeled “Just In Case”.

School Supplies

  • A list of school supplies can be found at brickbybrickfund.org.
  • Throughout the year I may be asking for additional supplies to help us get through the year.

Classroom Donations

  • Donations made to me will go directly to the classroom and are used to fund curriculum and materials used throughout the year. Your donations are greatly appreciated!