|WATCH| Week of January 6-9, 2015

Enjoy of the video of three students working together to figure out where the correct order of the poem. It is important the students are building their word recognition skills regularly. You may hear them converse in English, and this is totally normal for dual language immersion students.


Happy New Year! Can NOT believe we are well on our way into the second semester of Kindergarten. The shadow of perspective parents touring in the school hallways is surreal. On Tuesday, January 6, 2015, our students began the 50/50 same day rotation. It went very smoothly and after four days of our new schedule, I am confident the students have already benefited from the consistency and their growth over the next few months will be exciting to see!

What was very exciting for the teachers? We are so fortunate to have Mrs. Marie Bouteillon at GLOBE! Mrs. Bouteillon is a native French speaker who also speaks English, Spanish, and Mandarin. She helped open several French immersion schools in New York City and is currently a consultant for schools across the US. I have started implementing word study centers during the language block and good dual language immersion practice throughout the day. Mrs. Bouteillon will be visiting us four times between now and May.

What are we studying?

Math
Students are learning to measure with different measuring attributes, measuring from the tip point, and comparing length and weight.
Some ideas to try at home...
1) Compare the height between two family members.
2) Measure the family pet with dog biscuit, a ruler, or a piece of yarn.
3) Compare the weight of two objects. For example, an empty water bottle versus a metal cup.

Science
Students will use senses to observe and group rocks by physical attributes such as large/small, heavy/light, smooth/rough, dark/light.
Some ideas to try at home...
1) Compare two rocks found in the backyard and discuss their attributes
2) Research natural landscapes made up of rocks
3) Discuss the difference between rocks and soils and their uses

Mandarin
Students continue to familiarize with their birthdays as well as others' by reading the month and day. We are having lots of fun playing Fruit Stand. The students are learning to recognize words by sight through poem and songs through Morning Meeting.

                                                                   Word Building

                                                     
                                                             Matching Body Part Words

Additionally, my Amazon wish list has been updated - http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3MKQG5OQDHEL3/ref=cm_wl_rlist_go_o?

What's Ahead and Week in Review!

Ms. Cristi Elliot-Earby sent out an important letter regarding 50/50 Language Immersion Model. Please read carefully and let me know if you have any questions. I am excited about the change because our children will be immersed in the language every day! The students will learn English Language Arts and Social Studies in Ms. Salzillo's room, and Mandarin Language Arts, Math, and Science in Ms. Liu's. This is the model most immersion programs follow in the United States, and Kindergarten will be the first grade to pilot. Remember it is key to consistently read and write with your child at home as well as practice Mandarin on Better Chinese frequently to ensure meeting your child's foremost potential.

Next Week...
- Uniform Free! Wear whatever you want, but please wear sneakers for PE.
- 12/15 Kindergarten Lunch Mini Concert (Parents are not invited to this, sorry!)
- 12/18 Kindergarten Mandarin Mid-Year Performance (K Mandarin Parents ARE invited!!) 
- 12/19 Polar Express and Dress in your Pajama Day!

Mid- Year Performance
Your child has been busy getting ready to show off! They are so excited about this opportunity to perform in front of their loved ones. Show starts at 12:15 in the Village Plaza, a craft activity to follow.

Pete the Cat Field Trip
Don't forget to turn in your permission slip and money for Pete the Cat field trip in January!

Better Chinese Online Subscription
Sign in using the log-in ID and password emailed to you last week. This is a very interactive program that will keep your child busy while learning during the break.


Mandarin Buddies
So this is not new that Mandarin 1st and K have been doing buddy convo practices for three months now. Now not only we are able to greet and ask for basic personal information, we are also buying and selling fruits (and veggies, not really popular, yet! ;)) The children never seize to amaze me everyday with their growth and desire to learn. The video shows the 1st grader buying and the kindergartener selling. How many fruit names can you pick up? Leave a comment!

More Fruit Stand Pictures!

 First Field Trip on the Yellow Bus for newbies!! 

|WATCH| 耶誕快樂

At GLOBE we celebrate all cultures and holidays. Due to time constraint, each class won't be able to perform a song for each holiday. Here is a song our class will be performing during the mini concert on Monday, 12/15. Please have your child practice over the next few days!

Better Chinese Online Learning System

An email regarding the Better Chinese Online Subscription has been sent out to all parents. Please contact me if you did not receive one.  

Follow these easy steps to get your child set up:

1. Go to: online.betterchinese.com   

2. Select "School Account" tab   

3. Class ID: GLOBELIU 

4. Enter User Name/Password

When logging in for the first time, go straight to SETTINGS on the upper right hand corner and enter your child's first/last name and your email address. 

|WATCH| 我要謝謝...

|WATCH| 小皮球兒 The Little Ball

|Homework| Week of November 11-14, 2014

Starting in December, we will be starting four speaking centers that focus on (1) Ordering food in a Chinese restaurant (2) Having some tea with friends (3) How to make (ordering) a sandwich (4) In the doctor's office. I NEED your help!!! I grabbed these photos on Amazon, but if you are able to grab similar items at local yard sale that'd be great. In addition, I would love four shoe size clear boxes to store these in. Please email me and let me know if you are able to help and with which center so we won't have duplicates. 

In language, we will be learning how to say our birthday in Mandarin. Please review your child's birthday in English prior to Monday, 11/17. For Thanksgiving break, your child will be completing a home project that will involve teaching a non Mandarin speaker how to say their birthday in Mandarin. More details coming...

The sheet below is coming home in your child's folder this week. Fill out the birthday in English, and find the month and day in the chart by circling them. Once you find the month and day, fill them in the blanks. 月(yue) is Month, and 日(ri) is day.
Complete and return on 11/17(Liu Homeroom) or 11/18(Salzillo Homeroom).

In Math we are learning directionally words (上shang, 下xia, 左zuo, 右you). The students are identifying where objects are located by listening to the directions. Next week we will allow students to give directions to each other to reinforce the skills. 

More Mandarin recourses have been update, go here-----> 

Forecast is looking brrrrr... We are quickly dipping into the 20's in the coming days. Please make sure your child is dressed in layers and always has a heavy jacket/ coat for outdoor recess. 

And don't forget those water bottles! 

Some of the highlights of the week...

Counting and matching quantities to Mandarin Numerical Numbers

                              Mandarin Buddies Day - We played the Carrot Squat Game 蘿蔔蹲

Matching the words to the nursery rhymes, Putting them in order, and Reading them! 

Students practicing their Positional Words skills

One friend is blind folded while the other one gives directions on whether to go forward, backward, left, or right.