Newsletter 11/30

What is being taught this week in English/Chinese?

English literacy: starting a new unit this week.

• Story: "Dear Juno" Unit 3 Week 2
• Question of the week: "In what creative ways do we communicate?"
• Spelling words: 
• bowl
• toad
• slow
• most
• told
• open
• show
• hold
• ago
• toast
• float
• goat
• school
• answer
• Bonus:
• transport
• postage

• Amazing words (words introduced but not tested on):
• correspond
• postage
• transport
• cove
• footprint
• deaf
• imitate
• sign language

Chinese literacy: We will continue Chapter 13 from Singapore website. Test is Tuesday December 4. After that, we will begin Chapter 14.

• Unit 14- about numbers and classifiers for objects (quite a bit of review).
• Vocabulary we will be learning to write:
•  两 liǎng - two, pair
• 支 zhī - classifier for long, skinny objects (pens)
• 毛 máo- fur, feathers
• 笔 bǐ - writing utensil, pen, stroke
• 石shí - stone, rock
• 块 kuài- piece, lump, or dollar (measurement word)
• 百bǎi - hundreds, many
• 千qiān - thousands

• Vocabulary we will be learning to read/listen to/say: 

•  ALL pulled from the stories/songs you can listen to on the Singapore website (unit 14). See earlier blog posts for information on how to access this site.

Math:

• Unit 6: Adding 2-digit numbers using mental math

* There was a mistake for the math units - we will not be learning regrouping/adding or subtracting money amounts until after Christmas. There was a confusion about the curriculum order. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Homework Expectations:

In both English and Chinese classes, homework will now be given Monday-Thursday.

English: daily practice of spelling and vocabulary from weekly story. 
Math: English worksheet reinforcing concepts taught in Chinese class daily.
Chinese: homework will consist of character practice, character worksheets, or reading.



Reminder of Upcoming Events:

• Tues Dec 4 - Chapter 13 Test for Chinese (writing, listening, reading)
• Thurs Dec 6 - Vocabulary Comprehension Test in computer lab (English)
• Fri Dec 7 OR Mon Dec 10 - Math Unit 6 Test 
• Fri Dec 7 - Spelling Test
• Wed Dec 12 - Holiday Program for Parents 10:15 am (time uncertain?)

Unit 13 youtube video and voiceover

Here is a powerpoint of the vocab we will be learning/reviewing from Lesson 13. Please review it with your kids!

Newsletter 11/16

What is being taught this week in English/Chinese?

English literacy: Monday Nov 19 will be a review day of the skills that were learned over the last several weeks. Tuesday Nov 20 is a short day and we will begin the following unit Mon Nov 26.

• Story: Pearl and Wagner Unit 3 Week 1
• Question of the week: "When does support from others help with a creative idea?"
• Spelling words: 
• read 
• feet
• easy
• deep
• seat
• party
• wheel
• leave
• windy
• sleep 
• teeth
• team
• guess
• shoe
• Bonus words:
• contraption
• construct 

• Amazing words (words introduced but not tested on):
• construct
• sidekick
• unique
• contraption
• foolproof
• daydream
• project
• scrap

Chinese literacy: We will be doing review Monday Nov 19, Tues 20. The next unit (Unit 13) will begin Nov 26, post-Thanksgiving break. Here is info about that next unit since we will not be doing a newsletter during Thanksgiving:

• Unit 13- about coloring and "giving color" to different things (mixing colors, etc)
• Vocabulary we will be learning to write:
• 送 sòng -to deliver, carry, give
• 给 gěi- to, for, for the benefit of, to give
• 红 hóng- red
• 色 sè- color
• 土 tǔ- earth, dust, clay, local
• 地 dì - earth, ground, field, place, land
• 什 shén- what
• 么 me - question word in "what?"

• Vocabulary we will be learning to read/listen to/say: 

•  ALL pulled from the stories/songs you can listen to on the Singapore website (unit 11). See earlier blog posts for information on how to access this site.

Math:

• Unit 14- Adding, Subtracting, Estimating Sums will begin Monday, Nov 19 and continue the following week after Thanksgiving.

Homework Expectations:

In both English and Chinese classes, homework will now be given Monday-Thursday.

English: daily practice of spelling and vocabulary from weekly story. 
Math: English worksheet reinforcing concepts taught in Chinese class daily.
Chinese: homework will consist of character practice, character worksheets, or reading.



Reminder of Upcoming Events:

• Tues Nov 20- Early-out Day
• Nov 21-23 Thanksgiving Break
• Nov 26 Switch Morning/Afternoon Classes

Newsletter 11/12/12

What is being taught this week in English/Chinese?

English literacy:

• Story: Unit 2, Week 5 "One Good Turn Deserves Another"
• Question of the Week: "How can we help together to solve problems?"
  
• Spelling list: (Test Friday 11/16)
• main
• wait
• say
• away
• play
• raise
• brain
• paint
• stay
• today
• tray
• tail
• everybody
• sorry
• Bonus:
• armadillo
• deserve 

* Don't forget to read every day and keep up with your reading log!

Chinese literacy:

• Unit 11- about hygiene (showering, brushing your teeth) (Test Thurs 11/15)
• Vocabulary we will be learning to write:
• 下-xià - go down/under/to fall
• 妈-mā - mother
• 雨-yǔ - rain
• 到-dào - to arrive/go
• 少-shǎo - few, lack, be missing
• 可-kě - can, but
• 早-zǎo - morning, early
• 是-shì - to be, right, yes

• Vocabulary we will be learning to read/listen to/say: 

•  ALL pulled from the stories/songs you can listen to on the Singapore website (unit 11). See earlier blog posts for information on how to access this site.

Math:

• Unit 13- Counting Money UNIT TEST Wednesday, Nov 14 then begin Unit 14 - Money (Adding, Subtracting, Estimating Sums)

Homework Expectations:

In both English and Chinese classes, homework will now be given Monday-Thursday.

English: daily practice of spelling and vocabulary from weekly story. 
Math: English worksheet reinforcing concepts taught in Chinese class daily.
Chinese: homework will consist of character practice, character worksheets, or reading.

**We will be sending Chinese "readers" home with the students (which you have probably already seen by now). They will have CD's that go with them. Please have the students listen to the audio and read the book (they are numbered and correlate to the track number on the CD). If they don't know what the character is, the audio will help them figure it out! 


Reminder of Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday, Nov 14 Unit 13 Math Test
• Thursday, Nov 15 Unit 11 Chinese Quiz (writing, listening) 
• Friday, Nov 16 English Spelling Test, Vocabulary Comprehension Test
• Nov 20 Early Out day
• Nov 21-23 Thanksgiving break/recess

Speaking Chinese practice

 I have just learned about a great new learning tool to help your kids start getting more individual feedback with their speaking. It is through a website called "lingt." Teachers can post assignments and students can record their responses. I can then give them feedback (that will be sent to the email you provide). This is a great way for your students to practice what we learn in class, and also to become more comfortable with speaking. Here is a link to the first assignment (reviewing what we just learned in Unit 10):

Make sure the student first specifies which class they below to (yellow or blue). I'm excited about this new tool, so make sure to give me feedback or let me know if you have any questions.

Here's the link:

lingtlanguage.com/lhatch

Some useful learning tools/websites

Writing Characters:

The following website is a great Chinese-English dictionary and even shows you HOW to write each character with the right stroke order! This is a great tool for helping your children learn to write correctly ( and know what they are writing). You can also hear each character pronounced.

http://www.nciku.com/

Counting Money:

The following website is great for making worksheets for your child to practice counting money:

http://aplusmath.com/Worksheets/OnlineMoney.html

And to have FUN playing games to count money:

http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/money/moneycounting.html

http://www.mathplayground.com/count_the_money.html

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/matching/memoryMath_coins_level1.htm

Newsletter November 2

What is being taught this week in English/Chinese?

English literacy:

• Unit 2, Week 4:
• Story: "The Bremen Town Musicians"
• Question of the week: "Why is it a good idea to work together?"
• Spelling List:
• baby
• lunch
• notes
• stories
• tunes
• babies
• story
• switches
• tune
• note
• lunches
• switch
• people
• scared

Chinese literacy:

• Unit 11- about hygiene (showering, brushing your teeth).
• Vocabulary we will be learning to write:
• 下-xià - go down/under/to fall
• 妈-mā - mother
• 雨-yǔ - rain
• 到-dào - to arrive/go
• 少-shǎo - few, lack, be missing
• 可-kě - can, but
• 早-zǎo - morning, early
• 是-shì - to be, right, yes

• Vocabulary we will be learning to read/listen to/say: 

•  ALL pulled from the stories/songs you can listen to on the Singapore website (unit 11). See earlier blog posts for information on how to access this site. Also check blog for a youtube video posted by Ms. Hatch with a voice over of pronunciation.

Math:

• Unit 13- Counting Money 

Homework Expectations:

In both English and Chinese classes, homework will now be given Monday-Thursday.

English: daily practice of spelling and vocabulary from weekly story. 
Math: English worksheet reinforcing concepts taught in Chinese class daily.
Chinese: homework will consist of character practice, character worksheets, or reading.

**We will be sending Chinese "readers" home with the students (which you have probably already seen by now). They will have CD's that go with them. Please have the students listen to the audio and read the book (they are numbered and correlate to the track number on the CD). If they don't know what the character is, the audio will help them figure it out! 


Reminder of Upcoming Events:

• November 7, 8 -Grandparents and Goodies in the gym 7:45 am
• Parent-teacher conferences November 8-9
• Spelling, Vocab & Comprehension test November 9- ENGLISH
• Math Unit 13 Test Monday November 12
•