Happy Birthday, Josefina!

Ms. Heineberg's Classroom Updates

Dear Parents,
This is just a reminder about upcoming dates. Some of these events we need your attendance or volunteers. Check it out below:

September: 29
1st grade Walk-A-Thon.

First Week of October Change in Days

Oct 2 - Day C
Oct 3 - Day D
Oct 4 - Day E
Oct 5 - Day F
Oct 6 - Day G

October: 3

Magnet Fair

October 9-11 and 16-18
Magnet Inventor's Workshop

October: 19
Report cards are online

October: 24, 25, 26
Student Led Conferences

Ms. Keane's Classroom Updates

Hey Parents,
This is just a reminder about upcoming dates. Some of these events we need your attendance or volunteers. Check it out below:

September: 29
1st grade Walk-A-Thon.

First Week of October Change in Days

Oct 2 - Day C
Oct 3 - Day D
Oct 4 - Day E
Oct 5 - Day F
Oct 6 - Day G

October: 6
Community D Assembly

Magnet Fair

October 9-11 and 16-18
Magnet Inventor's Workshop

October: 19
Report cards are online

October: 24, 25, 26
Student Led Conferences

Inventor's Workshop Coming Up Soon! We Need Your Help!

First graders continue their learning journey to become experts on magnets. Students have read many books, watched videos, experimented with magnets, visited a magnet fair and participated in a number of hands on activities to help reinforce concepts related to magnets. Now they are ready for the next step...

​ ​

the Final Challenge!

Students will invent a toy that uses the force of magnets to make something it move. They have already worked on a draft, and had feedback from their classmat

​es.  ​

Now they are ready to create their own invention! 

Would you like to support our innovators as they invent a toy or tool that shows their learning about magnetic force? 
We are looking for a number of volunteers to help, not just with our class, but all first graders.
Thank you for help!
Kind regards,
The First Grade Team

                                              

                     Link to Sign Up Document

Lower School Update - September 25, 2017

Learning Community Assemblies

Learning Community C will have their first assembly on Friday starting at 8:15 am in the auditorium. We hope you can join us!

The Eagle Way

By this time, you know that we have developed clear behavior expectations, “The Eagle Way”, at school.  You have probably also used the information and templates we provided to think more about the expectations in your own home.  As you begin to practice and reinforce those expectations, here are the “Top Ten Positive Behavior Tips” for parents from the Colorado School-wide Positive Behavioral Support:

1. Remember 4 positives to 1 negative	6. Be CONSISTENT! - “Yes means Yes and No means No”
2. Set the stage for success, reward the effort	7. Set the example – Actions speak louder than words
3. Give clear, specific directions	8. Proactively anticipate situations
4. Stay calm, use a calm voice - Nagging gets you nowhere!	9. Have patience – A little goes a long way
5. Set reasonable limits – Avoid using “always” or “never”	10. Have fun and enjoy the ride!

Family Movie Night

This Friday we will have our first Family Movie Night on the field! If you are interested in attending, please complete this form. Sign up will close on Wednesday, we will then select the movie that was most voted for and let all families know. If the weather is rainy, we will reschedule for another evening in October.

The Eagle’s Nest

Starting Monday, October 2, 2017 our lower school students and staff will be joining together in the lower school gym for the Eagle’s Nest. The Nest is an opportunity for our whole school to gather together to build community, hear common messaging around goals and expectations, and to celebrate all the good things happening at Graded in the lower school.  The NEST will be held every Monday from 8:05 till 8:20. Students have the opportunity to start their Monday’s on the playground beginning at 7:45 where staff will be supervising some free play time prior to the Nest. Since the focus of the Nest is to build relationships and community for students and staff we ask that parents do not attend this gathering.  Parents and families still have the opportunity to support student learning at the community learning assemblies.

Kindness Week

Kindness and Gratitude Week is returning to Graded. From October 2 through October 6 our whole school - PreK to 12 - will have the opportunity to participate in activities that highlight our core value of kindness.  Activities are being arranged in the lower school to have students learn about and practice kindness. On Tuesday, October 3 we ask that all students wear blue shirts to help “Stomp out Bullying” and promote inclusivity and kindness. At home we encourage you to ask your students about their kindness and gratitude activities and ask how they can continue the connection to their home life.

Teacher Appreciation Week

The PTA has planned a fantastic week of events, treats, surprises and prizes for our incredible faculty.

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

Volunteer: Come help at one of the events throughout the week. Please send us an e-mail at rodrig.garza@gmail.com and gabrielavieiraborges@gmail.com for more  details.

Make a donation: Please consider an amount of R$50 or more per child. All contributions will help pay for a week of festivities for teachers!

Thank You Note: Assist your child writing a note for each teacher describing how special they are. Please find attached a sample of the note.

Donations + Thank You Notes will be collected from Sept. 25th through October 10th. Please place them in the sealed envelope labeled "Teacher Appreciation" that is provided, drop it off at the booth located at the Student Center/ Cafeteria Hall, or send the envelope to the Lower School Office.

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O PTA está organizando uma semana fantástica com eventos, guloseimas, surpresas e prêmios para os nossos incríveis professores.  Venha participar conosco!

COMO PARTICIPAR

Voluntariado: Venha ajudar em um dos eventos ao longo da semana. Envie um e-mail para

rodrig.garza@gmail.com e gabrielavieiraborges@gmail.com para mais detalhes.

Faça uma doação: Por favor considere uma doação de R$ 50 ou mais por criança. Sua doação  irá ajudar  a oferecer  as atividades  para  os professores  durante  a semana.

Carta de Agradecimento: Incentive seu filho a escrever uma cartinha para cada professor, descrevendo suas qualidades  especiais. Use o modelo em anexo.

Doações e Cartas serão coletadas de 25 de Setembro a 10 de Outubro. Por favor coloque-as no envelope em anexo, endereçado a "Teacher Appreciation" e entregue na secretaria do Lower School ou no PTA booth do Student Center/ Cafeteria Hall.

Upcoming Important Dates

September 29	Community C Assembly 8:15 am (Auditorium) 1st Grade Walk-a-Thon 9:15 am (Field) LS Family Movie Night 5:00 pm (Field)
October 3	PTA Board Meeting 1:00 pm (Room E12)
October 6	Community D Assembly 8:15 am (Auditorium)
October 9-11	PTA Teacher Appreciation Week
October 12 & 13	Nossa Senhora Aparecida Holiday (no school for all students)
October 15	Daylight Savings Time Starts
October 17	Parent Coffee: Child Protection at Graded 8:15 am (Auditorium)
October 19	Half Day for Students 11:30 am Dismissal Innovate Conference Begins
October 20	No School For Students Innovate Conference
October 21	Innovate Conference

Around the Lower School

Please send recycled materials up to Oct. 9th!

Curriculum Update What's going on in First Grade

Literacy: Students are continuing to write about small moments. They now can write about their field trip to Dorina Nowill. During students are working on reading strategies such as cross checking; does it look right, sound right, and make sense?

Math: Students are now in unit two and have started learning about pennies and nickels, as well as telling time to the hour. Students are learning how to add up using different addition strategies.

Science: Students are learning how magnets can attract and repel. They will have opportunities to explore and experiment during a Magnet Fair. In a few more weeks, students will visit our maker space and have the opportunity to build a toy or invention that uses the properties of magnets.

Social Studies: Students are continuing to practice the eagle way and developing their communities in their classroom. They have been focused on learning to solve conflicts by using their words as well as how we can cooperate.

Portuguese: Utilizando a música A E I O U, do grupo Triii, como base, as crianças estão refletindo sobre os sons das vogais em Português e suas representações na escrita, comparando-os com os sons e as representações do inglês. Além disso, a partir das adivinhas da música, brincaremos de "O que é, o que é?" para praticar a leitura deste gênero.

Volunteers Needed

Hello Parents,

Next week on Thursday, October 5th, our class will be completing a magnet fair from approximately 8:45 until 10:15. We still need three adult volunteers to help our class by running stations (with a game or activity). If you are interested and able to attend please e-mail Ms. England as soon as possible (lisa.england@graded.br). Your help is greatly appreciated!

Warm regards,
Ms. England's Class

Dorina Nowill Field Trip

Our class had an absolutely incredible field trip on Friday! We just cannot put into words how amazing the Dorina Nowill was for our learning. We definitely learned a lot about overcoming adversity (challenges) and having empathy for others.

Transport and arrival:

Our first stop was to hear a story read by Edson. He is an awesome story teller! He uses really cool voices (definitely has practiced his fluency) and knows just how to make us feel while reading. Here he is reading to us: 

Everyone was completely fascinated by how Edson was able to read to us. After reading about Louise Braille, we knew that he had invented a system of dots and dashes on a page to allow people who are blind to read with their sense of feeling, but actually getting to see this in action was very special. We also saw that it did not matter that Edson can not see, he is still an amazing story teller. After he was finished reading, we all got a chance to look at a few books with Braille and ask Edson a few questions: 

                                

Following our time with Edson, we went up to the office Dorina Nowill's used before she passed away. We got to learn a little more about her life (like she started the institute because Brazil didn't have any books in Braille, and she was friends with Helen Keller), and then we were taught how Braille works. Here we are in Dorina Nowill's office learning about her life and about how to read and even write in Braille: 

                                

Following our lesson in Dorina Nowill's office, we had the opportunity to write our first initials on a Braille type writer and to explore Braille a little further. On the way to write our initial the director of Dorina Nowill stopped to have a little chat. We discussed Louise Braille and the importance of his work. It was very interesting and a lot of fun: 

We had such an outstanding field trip! Now we have a walk-a-thon to complete in order to raise money for this great organization. Please help us by asking friends and family to sponsor us for the walk-a-thon, and coming out to support us on the big day!