The BobcatBulletinFebruary 2025
Dear Manor Families,
Welcome to our monthly newsletter! We are thrilled to share this month’s updates, upcoming events, and highlights from our school community. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in creating a nurturing learning environment for our students! Here's what's going on this month:
ImportantDates/EventstoRemember:
FamilyVolunteerOpportunities
CurriculumCorner
This month our students are exploring:
Young 5s: Y5 students will be using a lot of rhymes and songs to help continue the development of their knowledge of sounds and language. We will also be learning new vocabulary through these poems and songs. The students will also be adding drawings to match the characters and objects in the poems and songs.
Kindergarten: This month our Leader in Me focus will be on habit 5: Seek first to Understand, Then be understood. We will learn about listening skills. We will discuss how we can listen with our eyes, ears, body, and heart.
In math we will be working on counting to 20. This includes writing our numbers and comparing numbers. We are excited to celebrate the 100th ay of school.
In reading we are continuing to be Super Readers. We will continue to gain new powers. So far, we have pointer power, slider power, snap word power, think power and fix it power. We will learn more about reread power and continue to use these powers to help us read. Phonics we continue to learn our letter sounds and identify the beginning, middle and end of words.
In writing, we are learning to add 'turn the page words' into our writing and "words to start a story.'
In science, we will learn about how force changes motion with us focusing on different pushes and pulls.
1st Grade: This month we are gearing up for some fun! On February 12th we will celebrate the 100th day of school by dressing up as a 100-year-old man or woman. In addition to that we will be participating in some fun math and language arts activities. Then on the 14th of February, we will be celebrating Valentine’s Day. This celebration will also include math and language arts activities. The best part is the STEM activities we will be doing and the delicious food we will be eating while reading our Valentine cards from our friends. Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! The end of the trimester is right around the corner, that means report cards and conferences. Please be on the lookout for conference information and sign-ups from your child’s teacher.
2nd Grade: Reading- students are working on tackling longer words and longer books with greater fluency. Writing- Students are starting to write opinion letters about books that are awesome.
Math- Students are learning how to count coins and will begin adding and subtracting money.
3rd Grade: We are excited to share what our 3rd-grade students will be learning in the upcoming weeks. Below is an overview of the topics for each subject:
Reading: Character Studies In reading, students will dive into character studies. They will learn how to analyze and understand characters in stories by focusing on their actions, motivations, and feelings. This helps build strong reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.
Writing: Literary Essay In writing, students will work on crafting literary essays. They will learn how to organize their ideas, develop a thesis, and support their opinions with evidence from the text. This will strengthen both their writing structure and their ability to express thoughts clearly.
Math: Data and Addition/Subtraction We will finish up our unit on data, where students have been practicing reading and interpreting graphs and charts. Next, we will begin working with addition and subtraction of four-digit numbers, helping students build fluency and confidence with larger numbers.
Science: Earth Science In science, our focus will shift to Earth Science. Students will explore different aspects of Earth, including its layers, rocks, and natural processes. Through hands-on activities, they will develop a better understanding of how Earth’s systems interact.
Social Studies: Michigan’s History Our social studies unit will explore what makes Michigan’s history special. Students will learn about the state’s rich cultural heritage, its role in the development of the United States, and key historical events that shaped the region.
4th Grade: Our 4th graders are busy with exciting learning in February! In math, we’re exploring factors, multiples, and fractions as we build a strong foundation in number sense. In social studies, we’re traveling to the Southwest region of the United States to learn about its geography, history, and culture. In science, we’re investigating different forms of energy and how they impact our world. In reading, we’re diving into the history of the Underground Railroad, learning about the brave individuals who sought freedom. Finally, in writing, students are working on informational booklets, about topics of interest. It’s a great time for learning and discovery!
5th Grade: This month, our 5th graders are reporters who are learning how to report on news going on in our school/community. We are diving into the world of fantasy for reading- learning about the different settings, character development, and more. Students will continue to grow our knowledge with fractions- from adding and subtracting to multiplying and dividing. In science, we are finishing our unit about Earths Systems Interactions and how our four spheres interact. We will be begin learning about Earths water sources- where most of our water comes from and how it is used or cycled. In social studies, students are traveling down the road to the Revolutionary War. They are learning about the different acts and decisions that caused tension with the colonies and many of the people who were involved.
6th Grade: The sixth graders will start their social issues book clubs, exploring how the power of reading can change our perspectives and inspire kindness, connection, and standing up for what is right. For Writing, the students will embark on writing Literary Essays, where they will analyze a story, develop a thesis, and support their claims with text evidence. In Math, students will focus on solving problems related to ratios and rates. The Social Studies curriculum will introduce students to life in Africa and explore various cultures. In Science, students will continue their exploration of cell anatomy.
Art: Classes have been working so hard for me and their work is amazing! The 1st and 2nd graders are working on their clay project this month. They are glazing right now and very excited about this experience. All classes 1st-6th grade will work on a clay project this year. I know this is their favorite project and I truly enjoy watching them create.
Technology/ D.I.C.E: Classes in the DICE lab will continue to focus on coding during February. 2nd- 6th graders will learn to create more advanced algorithms using loops, events, conditionals & variables. Kindergarten & 1st graders will use Scratch Jr. to program their sprites (characters/objects) to do simple tasks like make a basketball bounce or a car drive across the road. All students will engage in STEM challenges focused on February events: Groundhogs Day, SuperBowl, Valentine's Day, President's Day. Vocabulary: debugging, loops, events, perseverance
Gym: In 3rd - 6th PE we continue to work on our basketball skills. Specifically, shooting form, passing, and dribbling! We also have continued to learn how stretching can be beneficial to us and the importance of it. Y5- 2nd PE we continue to work on playing games with different locomotor skills playing the same game different ways!
Music: We are off to great start this second half of the year in music. In Young Fives we are exploring our voices, learning to keep the steady beat and finding different ways we can do that, through movement and instruments. In Kindergarten we are learning the difference between beat and rhythm and learning how we use our voice in four different ways. First graders are reviewing the four different voice we use, learning about ostinato and learning how our voice produces sound. Second graders are beginning to prepare for their concert which will be held March 17th at 2:00 PM in the gym. Third graders are learning about meter, ostinato and the four different singing voices (soprano, alto, tenor and bass). Fourth graders are learning to read the line and space notes of the treble clef to prepare them for playing the recorder. Fifth graders have been reviewing more complicated rhythms including syncopation and dotted note rhythms. Sixth graders are reviewing treble and bass clef notes and rhythms. They are also listening to and comparing different arrangements of a song and then will create their own arrangement to share in class.
AttendanceMatters!
Hey Bobcats! It's so important that you come to school everyday and on time. If your student will be absent please call the attendance line at 734-265-4799. Love, Mrs. Shankleton
LeaderinMeSpotlight
Our focus habit for the month of February is Habit 5: Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood. This habit encourages everyone to listen first before speaking and trying to see things from others' perspectives. Mrs. Volpi and Mrs. Putnam's class will present this habit at our monthly Community of Leaders assembly on February 28th!
TryHabit5atHome!
HealthandWellness
With all the sickness going around let’s do what we can to stay healthy! Covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. As a reminder if your child does get sick, they must stay home for 24 hours if they have a fever, vomiting or diarrhea.
Love, Mrs. Paige
MonthlyBreakfastandLunchMenus
Nutrislice Menus
Thank you for being part of our Manor family! Together, we make a difference.
Warm regards,
Mrs. Brittney Tylenda
Manor Elementary Principal