Teacher Andy's Aliens

Earthquake!!!!

2010-03-05T13:52:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

We studied changes in the Earth this week in science class. They learned about how the Earth changes slowly, from erosion, and quickly, from earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes. It's kind of funny that the day after we studied earthquakes, Taiwan had a big earthquake near Kaohsiung. Maybe I should be more careful about what I teach to the students? They really enjoyed learning about these things and already have a good idea of what earthquakes are about. We will have a science test next week on this chapter about the weather and changes in the Earth.

For grammar the Aliens studied linking verbs (to be) and helping verbs. They also learned how to read charts and find out what information is on them.

The students took a vocabulary test today on the week 1 words and had some grammar questions too. They were given a new vocabulary list to write into their books for weekend homework.

Also for homework they are to do their Student Journals. We read the story 'Thomas Adams Invents Chewing Gum' about an inventor who first made the kind of chewing gum we still chew today. They are to read the story to parents, answer the questions, draw and color a picture about the story, and bring them back on Monday. I enjoy the creative pictures that students come up with.

Lasertag was fun as always last week. The kids really enjoy this outing. I was proud of Frank because he was really scared at first of playing, but I went in with him and he ended up having a terrific time! This Friday we will begin our elective classes. I will be teaching music class with Mr. B.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Welcome Back!!!

2010-02-26T13:42:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I really hope everyone had a nice, safe, and relaxing holiday break. I traveled to Taidong, Kenting, and Xiao Liou Chou island, just south of Kaohsiung. We took time on the first day back for everyone to share what they did during the holiday, which was a great chance for the students to practice speaking in the past tense. Thanks to Irene, Phil, and Albert for bringing snacks to share with the class. Yummy!

Thanks also to the students who have been helping Carson get around the school. He hurt his foot early this week and seems to be getting better. I even had to pick him up a few times and carry him around.

The students learned about weather and the water cycle in science class. They also learned about extreme weather, like floods, hurricanes, typhoons, droughts, and tornadoes.

We read a story called "Charlie Anderson" about two sisters who take care of a cat that appears out of the woods at their house. They feed the cat, it spends the night there, and leaves for the forest each morning. The sisters later learn that the cat has another home with a family that lives on the other side of the woods. The cat, Charlie Anderson, gets the joy of now having two families that love and take care of him. The sisters' parents are divorced and the father lives in the city with the stepmother while the kids live with their parents during the week in the country. I helped the students understand that even if the parents are divorced, it doesn't mean that anything is wrong with the kids.

Students were given new vocabulary to write in their book for homework this weekend. They also have to do their Student Journals. We read the story "An International Food Fair" together in class.

Today for Fun Day we will do one of the students' favorite activities - Lazertag!

I'm glad to have all the students back and ready to have another great semester together in Alien Class. Have a great weekend.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

End Of The Semester!

2010-02-04T17:10:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

The Alien class just finished its first semester together and now it it time for a nice Chinese New Year Holiday. Although I see some students were lucky and got to begin their vacations early! In our last week of the semester, the students learned about salt water habitats and how to take care of our Earth. I feel it is very important for these young students to be aware of how they can be very helpful in protecting our Earth. If they learn and practice this now, hopefully they will turn into wonderful and caring adults.

The students got to watch another "Planet Earth" DVD produced by the BBC about the shallow and deep seas. They really enjoy watching these amazing videos and learning more this way about topics we covered in class. We enjoyed some healthy snacks and orange juice while we watched the DVD too, yummy!

They also took a Unit Test and Mid-Term reading test. This covers the grammar and reading skills they have been developing throughout our first semester. Students who missed a lot of questions got to go back and find the answers on their own.

For Fun Day the students went to one of their favorite outings: ice skating! I hope no one is still hurting from that.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Chinese New Year holiday. This is a great time for everyone to relax some. See you in a few weeks, ready to begin a new semester together!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Change for the Quarter

2010-01-22T16:36:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read a story about American money, in particular, the quarter. "Change for the Quarter" talks about new designs that were printed on the 'tails' side of the coin. The new designs honor each of the 50 states. I showed them some of the special designs on quarters that I brought from USA. The students then had a chance to pick a quarter and then find the state on the map. I also showed them a one dollar bill, dime, nickel, and penny.

We talked about fresh water and salt water habitats in science. Each water habitat has it's own plants and animals that live there. On Friday we watched the BBC's "Planet Earth" DVD on fresh water habitats.

For grammar the students learned when to use the verbs have, has, and had.

The students will have a vocabulary test next week on week 20 vocabulary words, grammar, science (water habitats), and a reading test. It's the end of the semester so we have to wrap up our testing. We will do something fun for the last day of the semester too!

Thanks to the parents that returned the Progress Reports this week.

All the best and have a wonderful weekend!

Teacher Andy

New Classroom!!!

2010-01-15T13:52:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

After weeks of loud noises and moving around tables and books, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Our Alien class has moved into our new classroom as part of the school's total makeover. We hope this will help make Tree House a more enjoyable learning environment for the students. Some of the students helped moved books and chairs to the new classroom and are excited to be in there.

This week we did lots of science! They have just finished learning about habitats so I showed them a wonderful educational video made by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) called "Planet Earth". The video is amazing and gives closer looks into the plants and animals that live in different habitats. Students who have been performing well in class and with vocabulary got to spend 2 classes watching this while others who have not been so good had to work more on vocabulary.

We also studied past tense verbs in grammar.

HOMEWORK THIS WEEKEND:

1) Student Journal- We read "Insect or Arachnid" in class together. Students are to read the book to parents, then answer the questions in their Student Journal in complete sentences, and draw a creative picture from the story.

2) Vocabulary- Students were given new words for Week 20. They are to write them in their vocabulary book.

3)Progress Reports- These were given to the students to take home and show their parents. Please sign your name and write any comments or feedback you would like to share. This is a great opportunity for us to all help the Aliens have a better learning experience here at Tree House. Have the students bring these back to me on Monday.

ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE ON MONDAY!

For Fun Day we will go to a night market. The weather is much warmer than earlier this week and I hope the students enjoy it.

Have a great weekend and all the best,

Teacher Andy

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-08T13:47:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

I'm back from USA and had a wonderful time there! I feel well rested and relaxed after the break and was happy to see all of The Aliens again. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's! Teacher Jan said he enjoyed the class very much. Students sometimes have difficulty getting used to a new teacher and their way of teaching but I hope they enjoyed meeting Teacher Jan and having him for their teacher.

This week we read a folk tale from Laos called "Nine-in-One, Grr! Grr!" about a lonely tiger that goes to visit a wise god to find out how many cubs she will have. Tiger learns that she will have 9 cubs every year and all she has to do is remember that. She makes up a chant to help her remember and sings it as she walks. A clever black bird hears Tiger singing then distracts her so Tiger will forget. Bird then tells Tiger she was singing "One-in-Nine, Grr! Grr!" Bird was much smaller than Tiger, but because bird was so clever, she was able to help her and other animals stay safe from to many tigers.

In science we continued to learn about habitats. They learned about the arctic and what kind of plants and animals live there. We will watch a video next week about different habitats that I'm sure the students will enjoy and help them better understand life in different habitats.

We also reviewed the vocabulary they learned while I was away. We will take a vocabulary test on weeks 17 and 18 on Monday, so they are to study for that this weekend.

The school is getting a make-over and adding new classrooms to make a nicer learning environment for the students. Things have been pretty crazy and unusual for the kids with all of the work going on now, but the work is almost finished and we'll be in a new classroom very soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time as class arrangements and work may be unusual.

For Fun Day we will make New Year's resolutions. The new year is a good chance to start over, make a new beginning, and make changes for the better for the new year.

Detailed progress reports will go home with the students next week.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Good Bye Tree House

2009-12-31T18:54:00.001+08:00

Dear parents,

First of all I hope you had a great Christmas!!

Personally, I didn’t have the Christmas feeling that strong as at home in The Netherlands where it is a large celebration of two days, by a cold temperature of -15. For the first time since 1981 The Netherlands had official a “White Christmas” with 30 cm of snow.

So this was unfortunately my final week at the Tree House Academy, the two weeks has gone so fast, it’s been a great experience!
Teacher Andy will be back at the academy within the next a few days and take over his classes as usual.

Both classes did more less the same home work this week, on Monday we started with the story of “Best Wishes Ed” which was about a Penguin on the North Pole. Tuesday we did all the questions related to yesterday’s story of Ed the Penguin, plus we reviewed the vocabulary for the Thursday. Wednesday we did the grammar about “commas and present Tense Verbs”. On my last day of class on Thursday we did “Science Desert” we learned more about the desert, animals and plants. We did another story of Student Journal “Mina’s Day” the students were given three questions related to the story to be answered at home.

I would like to thank, The Tree House for this amazing teaching experience, all the children and other teachers for making me feel “at home” at the academy.

Wishing you all the best for 2010! with a lot and happiness and luck in the year of the tiger..

My first week at the Tree House..

2009-12-24T19:00:00.003+08:00

First of all Merry Christmas to all of you,

Best parents,

This was my first week at the Tree House Academy, taking over from teacher Andie, who is on a well deserved holiday in the USA.

It has been a great experience, the children have been great! Getting to know then, was very nice..
Back in the Netherlands I can not remember if have seen such a nice academy as the Tree House and they are making it even nicer..Before I came to the Tree House I wasn't in the Christmas mood, seeing hardly any Christmas decoration. However, everything changed since this week. The place looks great with trees, ginger bread man even Christmas balls.

So this week both classes did more less the same, including there weekly grammar, they do know what "Silent letters" are and why we actually have them. We did two lessons of "Science" and learned more about the rain forest and the animals that live there, also we spoke about the Woodland Forest, all the questions related to those two topics were made.
Another "Student Journal story of Dotty's Dot's" was done, I received some great drawings with the right answers.

On Friday we did a vocabulary test, which we practiced before. Students did very well.

Today, Thursday I gave the students homework the story named "Bears stay up" this to be read to the parents, maybe during the Christmas. Another vocabulary paper was handed out "Best Wishes, Ed" most students wrote them in their vocabulary book already. Yet another vocabulary test will take place on Thursday on the 31/12. (Wk. 16/17)

This time, I am not pointing out any students in particular, since I do think that each one of them has worked very well and has made me feel very welcome here.

I have to say that I really enjoyed my first week at the Tree House, even-though its a whole new experience for me, since day one I feel at home and guess I will be very sad to leave by next Thursday.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Regards,

Teacher Jan

Sharks!

2009-12-11T16:37:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read a story about sharks and the students learned that sharks have more to be afraid of from us than we do of them. People kill about 100,000,000 sharks a year! Compare this to only about 10 people deaths by sharks a year and you can see why. Sharks usually attack people only because they're hungry and confuse people for food. If we continue to kill this many sharks, some of them will be dead forever.

On Sunday I founds 2 beautiful 2-month-old girl puppies that some awful person left in a box on the side of the road. I took them home so they would not be left on the street but I must find a home for them VERY soon. Please let us know if you or anyone you know would be interested in helping to take care of these poor puppies.

This weekend the students do not have new vocabulary or student journal. They will take a vocabulary test on all the words from week 9 (Lemonade For Sale) to week 14 (Sharks) next week. They will also have another reading test next week.

On Wednesday I will go back to USA for 2 weeks for Christmas. I have been teaching in Taiwan for 5 years and this will be the first time I will get to celebrate Christmas in the USA. I will leave lesson plans and instructions with the substitute to follow while I'm gone.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas holiday and a Happy New Year!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Jamaica Tag-Along

2009-12-04T16:26:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week the Aliens read a story called 'Jamaica Tag-Along' about a young girl that wants to play basketball with her older brother, Ossie. Ossie says Jamaica is too young to play with him and his friends and that upsets her. Jamaica then goes to a playground but gets bothered when a little boy tries to play with her. She then realizes that she is doing the same thing her brother does so she lets the little boy play. This story helps the students understand not to be mean to people just because they're younger or smaller. The early class got to go to the park to read this story on a sunny, lovely Wednesday afternoon!

In grammar we studied singular and plural nouns, proper nouns, and how to make nouns possessive. This is something that is quite tough for students to understand so we will spend some time on this.

We started a new chapter in science about land habitats. Different plants and animals live in different places depending on their needs. The students really enjoyed this lesson in science.

Today for Fun Day we will play pool.

This weekend the students must write the new vocabulary words into their vocabulary books. We read the take-home reader 'Jun and Pepper Grow Up' together in class. They are to finish the student journal and bring it back to class on Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Teacher Andy

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-27T16:29:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

Today we will celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving at Tree House by having a traditional feast. We have read about how this tradition started and why we still celebrate it today. This is a time when families come together from far away - except for the teachers living in Taiwan - to share time together and things they are thankful for.

While the food is getting ready, the students will watch a classic Thanksgiving show I watched many times when I was a kid called "Happy Thanksgiving Charlie Brown".

This week we finished up our chapter about animals in science class. We reviewed a lot and took a test.

The Aliens had a lot of vocabulary this week. We reviewed the words and made sentences with the words.

THIS WEEKEND'S HOMEWORK:
1 - Read 'The Busy, Lively, Sleepy, and Quiet Pond' and finish the questions in the student journal.

2 - Study week 12 vocabulary words for 'The BF Club'. They will test on these words on Monday.

3 - Write the new vocabulary words for week 13 into their vocabulary books. They will test on these words next Friday NOT on the Monday test.

I hope everyone will have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

The BF Club

2009-11-20T16:19:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

We read a story this week called 'The Best Friends Club' about 2 best friends, Lizzie and Harold. They start a club together but things start to become less fun when Lizzie gets jealous about Harold having other friends. She later realizes that having more friends is more fun than no friends and being selfish. This story is a good lesson to show the students not to be selfish and to share with others.

In science we studied how living things grow and change in different ways. We learned about bears and how caterpillars become butterflies.

The first class took their week 11 vocabulary test on Friday. The second class will take their test on Monday. No new vocabulary to take home this weekend! But they will still have to do student journals. We read 'Giving Thanks Around the World' together in class. This story tells how different countries have harvest celebrations. Next week is Thanksgiving and this story makes good comparisons between the American celebration of Thanksgiving and Full Moon Festival held in Taiwan and China.

Since the rain is spoiling our Fun Day at Da An Park, we will go watch a movie today!

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

A Letter to Amy

2009-11-13T16:32:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read a story called 'A Letter to Amy' about a boy who was nervous about inviting a girl to his birthday party. She would be the only girl there and he was worried about what the boys would think. I told the students they should not worry about what other people think about them and to be confident to do what they feel.

In science we studied how animals get the things they need to stay alive. They need to find shelter to stay safe from other animals.

We read the story 'Warm and Fuzzy' for the take-home readers. In the story 3 sheep help a giraffe stay warm by cutting off their wool. The students are to finish the student journals and bring them back on Monday. The students were given new vocabulary words to write in their vocabulary books. We read the words together in class.

Our song this week was a reggae song by Bob Marley called 'Judge Not'. This song talks about not judging other people because they can judge you too. It's not fair to judge people if you don't know about their situation.

This week was PTA week and I want to thank everyone who came to speak with me about their child. Progress Reports were sent home this week with each student for you to know how your child is doing in the class.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Lemonade For Sale!!!

2009-11-06T18:40:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read a story called "Lemonade For Sale" about a group of kids that sell lemonade to fix their clubhouse. I taught them how to identify problems and solutions. We also got to make and drink lemonade and all the kids had a wonderful time doing this.

We learned about different animal groups in science class: amphibian, bird, fish, insect, mammal, and reptile. The Aliens learned special features for each group.

Students are to do their take-home readers and student journals for homework. They also have new vocabulary words to write into their vocabulary books. These should be brought back to class on Monday.

We will do science experiments for Fun Day. Most students get really interested in science so I hope they will enjoy this too!

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T16:31:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This is one of our most exciting times of the year for the students: HALLOWEEN! The teachers have been working very hard to turn the school into a haunted tree house. Halloween was one of my favorite times as a kid so I hope our Aliens enjoy it too.

We welcomed Estella into our class this week and are happy to have her with us!

The Aliens reviewed vocabulary and took a test on all the vocabulary words they've had so far this year. There were 100 words on the test and many did a good job considering! I gave them back their reading tests and reviewed the questions that were missed. I like to take the time to do that so they understand why they missed the questions and how to take the test better next time. This test is very difficult for any student to get 100 because the tests come from an American textbook and not easy for 2nd language students.

Some of the classes did a Halloween crossword puzzle, a true-false Halloween quiz, made Trick-or-Treat bags, carved pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns, read the words and watched the music video of Michael Jackson's spooky song called "Thriller".

All the Tree House students went to neighborhood shops and went Trick-or Treating. It was nice to see the students dressed up and having fun.

The students do not have vocabulary or student journals this weekend but next week Halloween will be behind us and we can get back to reading more stories. Have a spooky and safe weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Benson: Really improved from last week on his vocabulary scored very high on his big test! Keep it up and please make tine to study with Eliza so you can help each other.

Eason: Scored 97 on his reading test! Very impressive for this grade level. Does really well with vocabulary too.

Fisher: Did well on her tests and seems to really enjoy the Halloween activities.

Frank: Got a little scared when we watched "Astro Boy" last week, but he sat with me for the rest of the movie. Hope he enjoys Halloween!

Jerry: Did a really great job on his reading test!

Justin: Glad to see him back at school and feeling much better after the last week! Scored 100 on his vocabulary test. Needs to make up his reading test on Monday.

Phil: Scored a 100 on his vocabulary mid-term! Fantastic job!

Serena: Scored 98 on her vocabulary mid-term! Really getting better at studying, keep it up!

Stephanie: Likes to participate in class, did well on her vocabulary test.

Albert: Scored 93 on his reading test, which is a impressive score for his age! Keep up the good work!

Andrew: Had lots of smiles in class this week reviewing and doing Halloween activities!

Carson: Really gets excited about Halloween and had a great time this week!

Eliza: Try studying vocabulary with Benson, test was not as good as some of the other times.

Estella: Glad to have her join our grade 2 class! Seems very attentive in class.

Henry: Is having a difficult time learning the new vocabulary words. He really enjoyed the Halloween activities.

Irene: Very attentive in class, scored a 93 on her reading test. Fantastic job!

Tricia: Nice to see her back in class, really enjoyed Halloween. Scored 93 on her reading test! Great work and keep it up!

BBQ and Cowboys

2009-10-16T13:54:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week the Alien class read a story called 'Roundup At Rio Ranch' about a boy named Jose who is going on his first cattle roundup with his father, grandfather, and brother. He is very excited to do this because he has heard so many stories from his grandfather about cowboys doing these roundups. At first Jose is not very good at using his lariat to catch cows, but he keeps practicing and is able to do it. I told the students how important it is to keep practicing, even when things seem very difficult at first and I shared with them how I have to keep practicing my trombone if I want to get better. This story continued the theme of traditions, like from our last story, 'Luka's Quilt'. The first class got to make a lariat and

This week we reviewed and tested on the plants chapter in science. The students also took a vocabulary test on the Week 6 words after lots of review activities. I gave them a new vocabulary word list to write in their books for homework this weekend.

For the take-home readers we read a story called 'The Bear Man' about a family of Indians that help a bear cub in the woods. They are to read the story to their parents, answer the questions in complete sentences, draw a picture about the story, and bring them back to class on Monday.

Today for Fun Day we will have a BBQ! Yummy!

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Tighten Up!

2009-10-09T13:53:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week the Alien class continued to learn about plants and how people use plants for so many things. From plants we get paper and wood products, medicine, clothes, lots of food and, most importantly, oxygen. I also stressed to them how they can make the world they live in cleaner and better if they use less products like to-go cups and food containers. I feel it is important for people to learn these values early so they can begin to practice them and show others how they can make a difference.

We did a song this week called "Do the Tighten Up". There are not many words to this song because it is mostly an instrumental, but it is good to let students hear and be able to identify different musical instruments and their sounds. "Tighten up" means a band should play together in-time to sound good.

The students were given a new vocabulary list to write in their vocabulary book and bring back on Monday. We will have a test at the end of next week so please help your child study and be prepared.

Instead of doing the take-home readers and student journals we read the famous children's story 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. Many students know this story but Tree House wants them to know about INTEGRITY, or doing the right thing and not telling lies. There are a few new words in the story that they might not know, but we read and discussed the story in class. They are to read this story to their parents' for homework and talk about integrity. Please sign your name on the paper after they have read it to you and have them bring it back to class on Monday.

For Fun Day we will go back to the sports center to do archery and table tennis. The kids really enjoyed this last week and it gives them a chance to learn new activities that they may be interested in.

Happy National Day weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Benson: Bright student who works very hard in class! Great job!

Eason: Sometimes talks when it is another student's turn. Please be more considerate of others. Great job on vocabulary test!

Fisher: Very respectful student, needs to speak louder in class. She read a story on Wednesday to the kindergarten class, thank you!

Frank: Needs to work more diligently in class so that he can complete the assignments on time.

Jerry: Really likes to participate in class and ask questions.

Justin: Doing very well with vocabulary and has improved his class performance. Great job!

Phil: Always works very diligently and learns new material very well. Keep it up!

Serena: Seems to be more comfortable in class and loves to participate.

Stephanie: Understands new material well and works hard during classtime. Thanks so much for the moon cake last week, yummy!

Albert: Very enthusiastic in class and loves to participate. Please be considerate of others when it is their turn to speak.

Andrew: Really enjoys asking questions and contributing to class discussions.

Carson: Did poorly on his last vocabulary test. Please study the week 4 and 5 words and try to improve on your vocabulary test on Monday.

Eliza: Feels very comfortable now in class but sometimes shy about answering questions.

Irene: Works super hard in class and always finishes her work in a timely manner. Excellent job!

Henry: Did poorly on his last vocabulary test. Please study the week 4 and 5 words and try to improve on your vocabulary test on Monday.

Tricia: Wonderful and thoughtful student that enjoys participating in class. Keep it up!

Marble and a Trombone

2009-10-02T16:28:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week I had a few surprises for the Aliens! The early class got to go to a nearby park to read this week's story, which was "Luka's Quilt". This was a great story that taught the students about respecting their parents, grandparents and traditions.

I brought my trombone to school a few times recently. I played Happy Birthday for Jerry and some other famous songs. The late class got to try to make sounds on the trombone and some got some strong notes to come out.

I also let the children meet my new dog from the animal shelter named MARBLE! I taught the kids to be very careful when they see a new dog and to approach it carefully. They got to feed him treats and pet him.

I enjoyed meeting so many of you at the Open House last Friday! Thanks to all that came out.

The students will have a vocabulary test on the week 4 and 5 words on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Please start studying this weekend.

Have a safe and Happy Moon Festival weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Open Tree House!

2009-09-25T13:05:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

We will have our Open House today, which will be a chance for us to meet each other and learn about what we will do this school year. Teachers will talk about what materials we will cover in class, how the class runs, and what you can do to help make your child's experience here a positive and educational one. I look forward to seeing you tonight.

This week the students learned how plants make seeds and new plants. I did a demonstration using powder to represent the pollen found in flowers. Pollen gets carried by insects from plant to plant, mixes together and then makes seeds.

The students learned about commands and exclamations in grammar. They also practiced using a table of contents and long vowel sounds.

They took a vocabulary test this week from the week 2 vocabulary words. Many students are getting much better about studying and learning new words. Great job!

The class read a story called 'Let's Camp At Crescent Lake' for their take-home readers in class.
The story is about a family that decides to go on a camping trip. The students need to read the story to their parents, answer the questions in complete sentences, draw and color a picture in their Student Journal, and bring them back on Monday. I also gave the students a list of vocabulary words to copy into their vocabulary book.

Last week all the Tree House kids had a wonderful time playing group games in Da An Park. I think the potato sack race was a hit with them.

Hope to see many of you this evening for the Open House.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Bette Must Come!

2009-09-18T14:07:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

We had a great week this week in class. We continued listening to music and reading song lyrics. The students listened to a reggae song called 'Better Must Come' by Delroy Wilson. It's a very positive song about working hard to overcome rough times. I tell them to always try and not let things get them down.

They read a story called 'Henry and Mudge', a popular kids' story about a boy who gets a dog because he is lonely. The dog ends up growing to become HUGE and Henry feels more confident and safer that he has a wonderful big friend.

The students learned about the different plant parts in science, which are the leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, stem, and root. They also learned what each part does for the plant.

For the take-home readers and student journals, we read a story called 'Space Walk', which is about astronauts going to and working in space. Students should read the story to their parents, answer the questions in their student journals in complete sentences and draw and color a picture. Please bring them back on Monday. They should also study the week 2 vocabulary words, we will have a test next week.

It is important for your child's progress that they study and bring their books back completed when they are asked to. They need to be responsible for bringing the books and pencil box to class. Please encourage them and support them.

We will go to Da An Park today for group games. This will be a fun activity for them to play outside and work together as a team.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Let The Good Times Roll!

2009-09-11T13:57:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we continued to let the students ease into the school year and had lots of fun in-class activities! The students will learn a new song each week and this week they heard 'Let The Good Times Roll', performed by Ray Charles. Ray Charles was a famous blind piano player and singer from USA. I told the students that even though people might not be able to do things the same way as others, they can still do great things. I believe that letting the students become familiar with English songs is an excellent way for them to enjoy learning new things.

We talked this week about statements, questions, and incomplete sentences. We also reviewed the science lesson about plants.

The students took a vocabulary test this week from the new words they learned in week 1. We played some review games to help them prepare for their test.

This weekend for homework the students were given a new vocabulary list with meanings. They are to copy the words into their vocabulary books and bring the completed books back on Monday. They also have to do their take-home readers and Student Journals for homework. For this, the students have a short reading book that they are to read to parents. Next they are to answer in complete sentences the questions I gave them in class. Then they should draw and color a picture from the story. The Student Journal should also be brought to class on Monday.

We don't give much homework in this class but when it is assigned, the students are expected to complete the assignment and return it on time. Please encourage your child to put forth the effort to study and complete their homework. Children who do not keep up usually fall behind the others in class.

The students had fun last week at the batting cage for Fun Day. Today we are going to the Miniature Museum!

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

First Week!

2009-09-04T16:37:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

My name is Teacher Andy and I've had a great first week with the Egyptian class! I'm pleased to get to know my new students and continue to develop a relationship with them as the year goes on.

We spent some time on the first day talking freely and getting to know each other. I asked the students to tell me things they did this summer, what they like to eat, and what they like to do when they're not at school.

The students read a story called "Ann's First Day" about a girl who is very nervous to start at her new school in a new town. They also learned about parts of a book, such as table of contents, chapters, author, title, and illustrator.

We also did a science lesson called "Plants Are Living Things". They learned what plants need to stay alive and how to tell the difference between a living and nonliving thing.

For homework this weekend, each student must copy the new vocabulary words, parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective), and meanings into their vocabulary book and bring them back to school on Monday. They will have a test on these words on Thursday or Friday next week so please help them study.

Grade 2 is a lot more work than some of the students might be used to so I ask that we all be patient and work hard with the children so that they have an enjoyable time in our class together. Looking forward to a great year together!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Test Week!

2009-07-10T13:46:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week was our last week of class for the semester so that can mean only one thing, TESTS! This week the students took reading, science, and vocabulary tests. They will bring home their test books and workbooks that they have used through the school year.

The reading test workbooks are the same ones used in American classes so they are more challenging for non-native students. 90% is about the highest that students at this grade level usually get so that's why some of the scores may seem lower that expected.

Today for Fun Day we will go do one of the kids' favorite activities, Laser Tag. Last week at roller blading was lots of fun. The students shouldn't fall down as much for this activity.

I've had a great time teaching and getting to know you child. It's been a joy to see them learn and grow through the year and I look forward to seeing them develop their personality more in the future. Have a wonderful, fun, and safe summer! I hope your child will find fun and rewarding ways to continue practicing English throughout the summer.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Skating

2009-07-03T13:55:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

The semester is winding down here for the Egyptian class. We have been trying to finish our last few lessons and stories before our test week next week.

We read a story about plants that are in danger. The students learned plants become endangered because the land gets cleared and people pick them. They also learned that there are conservation groups that help keep these plants and flowers from becoming extinct.

In science the students learned about magnets! They got to use magnets to see which objects are attracted to magnets and which are not.

The students had lots of new vocabulary words this week. Instead of having a test this week, we will take one on Monday! Also next week we will take our year-end tests in science, reading, as well as ALL the vocabulary words they have been given this semester (weeks 1 - 21). Please make sure your child studies for this!

Today we will go roller skating for Fun Day! Many kids enjoy doing this so I hope they have a wonderful time today!

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

P.S. Progress reports will go home with students next week.

Swim and Splash and Music

2009-06-26T13:36:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

We had a fun and entertaining time on Yan Ming Mountain last weekend. It was very hot and the mosquitoes decided to join us but I hope the students enjoyed the trip.

This week we did something different, we read words to songs and then listened to recordings of the song. I think music is a great way for kids to learn and speak English in ways outside of their regular reading books. I also played different styles of music for them to learn the English names. We will try to do more of this before the end of the semester.

This week the students reviewed the unit on simple machines and force in science and took a test

We read a story in our reading books called 'Swimmy' about a speedy black fish that has to go out into the big, deep sea after a large tuna swallows his friends in one huge gulp. His fear soon goes away once he begins to see all the wonderful new things that there are to see. Swimmy finds a school of fish hiding away that was a lot like the friends he knew before. They are scared to go out because they're afraid of the big fish. Swimmy shows them how to work together and be brave so they can go out.

The students took a vocabulary test this week. They will have another test on Thursday or Friday of next week.

For the take-home readers we read a excellent story called 'You Can Make A Difference' about taking care of the Earth. It went into great detail about recycling, reusing, and reducing and also told about a group of students that worked in their free time to plant trees, make bird feeders, and pick up trash. It also told about one schools waste-free lunch program that encouraged using reusable containers instead of plastic bags that just create more waste. Please read this story with your kids and help them understand that they CAN make a difference in protecting the environment. Student Journals are due on Monday.

Today for Fun Day we will go to the water park! It has been very hot and I hope the rain stays away. Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Albert - seemingly showed very little or no effort studying vocabulary!

Allen - getting much better, studying more

Arvin - great all week! working hard

Chanel - had a great time camping

Chloe - I'm VERY upset that you didn't bring me with you to Bali! Hope you had a great time.

Joshua - was disappointed to hear he didn't do well on his math test.

Happy Campers!

2009-06-19T16:43:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week for Fun Day we will take the kids camping in Yan Ming Mountain! I really enjoy camping and hope the kids will enjoy getting away from busy Taipei City. This may be many of the students' first time so I hope they enjoy it. Since the kids will be away for most of the weekend, they will not have to do their Student Journals.

We will have a vocabulary test on Monday on the week 19 words. Please study for this! Some students did not do so well on the last test and had trouble finding adjectives, so I hope they will improve this time.

This week we read a long story called "Princess Pooh" about a girl who gets very jealous of her handicapped sister. This story was very important for the students to understand that handicapped people should be treated with respect and need friends just like people that aren't handicapped.

I hope you have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Ramps and Levers

2009-06-12T13:34:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we had a really fun time doing experiments in science class! The Egyptians learned about ramps and levers and that they are both simple machines that make moving things much easier than lifting them. We did experiments using a book, a stick, and a water bottle to make a lever. We also used a tray, lots of books, and a load attached to rubber bands to make a ramp. With the books, we changed the height and steepness of the tray to let the students determine which way was easier to lift the load. I like doing experiments with the students so they can see how science works and not just from the book.

The students learned long 'e' and long 'i' sounds in their practice book and using capital letters for proper nouns.

For their take-home readers we read a story called "Hubert and Frankie" about a family that gets a new puppy, Hubert, that has a hard time listening. Frankie, the older dog, decides to teach Hubert to listen and be a good dog. The students should bring their Student Journals back to Tree House on Monday with the questions answered and colored drawing about the story.

The students will take a vocabulary test on Monday on the Week 18 words. Please be sure to study and be ready! Most students have been doing quite well learning the new vocabulary words, keep it up!

This week for Fun Day, each teacher will show off a science experiment they have prepared. The students will get a chance to go around to each teacher's classroom for the experiments. I hope none of the students blow up the school!

Progress Reports for each student went home on Monday, June 8. You may return the reports with comments to the office or with your child.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Short Week, Long Week

2009-06-07T22:44:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

Our normal schedule has been shaken up a bit here lately with the Dragon Boat holiday but next week will be back to normal.

This week we read a story called "Officer Buckle and Gloria" about a police officer who gets help with his safety speeches from his K-9 partner. The students learned that working together makes most jobs easier and to stick with your partner. This story was very funny and appreciated by the students.

We learned about force and friction in science class. Friction is a kind of force that happens when 2 things rub together and cause moving things to slow down.

For the take-home reader we read a story about animal shelters and how different animals have different shelters. The students should read the stories to parents, answer questions in complete sentences, make a drawing, and bring them back to school on Monday.

This week the students got to be carpenters-in-training, or rather, we put together water mill wood kits. This required lots of punching out of small pieces and fitting them together, kind of like a jig-saw puzzle, but the kids seemed to enjoy the final product.

We took a vocabulary test on Saturday and they will be graded and returned on Monday. Also on Monday I will send progress reports home with each student which will contain comments on how each student is coming along in the class.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Eco Park

2009-05-22T16:38:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week the Egyptian class spent lots of time reviewing for our Mid-Term tests. The students took tests in science and reading. I decided to let them have another weekend to prepare for their vocabulary test, they will take it on Monday. They will not have to do Student Journals this week so that they can focus on vocabulary. All the tests will be graded soon so that students can see how they did.

Today for Fun Day we will go to an ecological park! The weather is getting warmer and should be a wonderful day for a walk in nature. I really enjoy being outside and giving the students a chance to learn in other ways outside of the classroom.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Teacher Andy

Sounds

2009-05-15T13:41:00.005+08:00

Dear Egyptian Parents,

First I would like to say thanks so much to all of you who made it out to our Mother's Day show last Friday. The Egyptians spent lots of time practicing last week and they did a wonderful show when it came time to do it!

On Monday I rewarded the students with some snacks. I brought dried beans, nuts, dark chocolate, dried mangoes, orange juice and grape juice for them to enjoy for all the hard work they have done so far this year and for the Mother's Day show. I think it was a great way to start off the week.

We studied sounds in science class so I brought a guitar and trombone to class to help them understand pitch. Each student got to play the strings on the guitar and make different pitches. They really enjoyed this approach to learning about sound.

We read a story about a young archaeologist who began digging for fossils at the age of 8. The class finds fossils to be very interesting.

The class will be doing Student Journals starting again this weekend. This week's story is called 'Who Can Help?' where they read about emergency workers and how important their jobs are. Students are to bring in them back on Monday.

We will also take a vocabulary test on the Week 14 words on Monday. Next week is our test week so we will review a lot and take tests in science, reading and more vocabulary.

Since it is getting warm, we will go to the night market for Fun Day to eat shaved ice! Yummy! Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Albert: has great story comprehension but really needs to try harder to focus on his work in order to do well in the class.

Allen: Mr. Bad Breath did fantastic in the show! He is very outgoing and cheery that it was a treat to see him enjoy doing that so much. Got 100 on his last vocabulary test!

Arvin: very charismatic and entertaining in the show, wonderful!

Chanel: very enjoyable to work with her in the show and watch her compete for 'Brad' with Chloe.

Chloe: a little difficult to work with her because of her ticklish shoulder, ha just kidding. Great job!

Joshua: too bad he has been feeling sick. Nice work for the play and big improvement with vocabulary.

Sam: very entertaining and 'cool' in the show! The ladies like him a lot.

Austin: one of the craziest doctors I've ever seen, great movements in the show.

Harris: really enjoys doing drama class and did great in the show!

Lauren: great to see her enjoying herself while working on the show, nice job!

Lily: spoke very loudly and clearly during the show, learned her lines very easily.

Samson: excellent job as a fat man for the show, really loved his junk food! Great movements.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

2009-05-08T13:31:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

We have spent just about every minute of class time, and more, working on our Mother's Day show. It has been a lot of fun doing something different with the students and seeing them express themselves in other ways. I hope the students enjoyed doing this.

We did take a vocabulary test on the week 12 words. Most students did a great job and I'm happy with how hard students are working to learn the new words.

The students will get another break this weekend from their Student Journals but we will start again with those next weekend.

I hope to see most of you tonight. Happy Mother's Day!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Energy

2009-04-30T16:50:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

We were lucky enough to have a short week this week thanks to the Labor Day holiday on Friday! I hope many of you also get to have an extra day off. Since we had one less day of school the students will not have to do their Student Journals this weekend. We will have a vocabulary test at the beginning of the week on the Week 12 words.

We had a fantastically fun science week where the students learned about two kinds of energy: heat and light. We did some experiments where the students saw what happens to chocolate, butter, and ice cubes when they are left in the sun..... then they got to eat chocolate! I also showed how glass and water can bend light to make objects look bigger.

In grammar the students reviewed pronoun - verb agreement, which simply means putting the right verb with the subject.

The students in the first class welcomed a new student, Albert! We hope he is willing and able to work hard to catch up to the other students in the class.

The students spent some time practicing for their Mother's Day show next week. I hope to see many of you there next Friday.

Enjoy your weekend and the warm weather that's coming!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Fossil Fun!

2009-04-24T13:42:00.004+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read a story called "Fossils Tell of Long Ago" in which the students learned how fossils are formed over many years. They are made by minerals getting inside the bone and later turning to stone or imprints get filled in with sand and turn into sandstone. Fossils help scientist learn what the land was like from that time also. The students really enjoyed this story and it combined a reading lesson and science lesson together. They also learned an interesting way to remember the word 'imprint', you should ask them to show you.

The Egyptians learned about sequence of events, which is putting different happenings in the proper order.

We read their take-home reader "Watch Out!", which talked about different instruments used to measure the weather.

The students will have a vocabulary test on Monday from the Week 11 words. Please encourage your child to study.

We spent a lot of time preparing for our upcoming Mother's Day Show. The 2 classes will each do a short play for the show. It's been great working with the kids in a kind of environment that lets them be very creative and expressive. We still have a lot of work to do but they are having a great time!

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Changes

2009-04-17T16:43:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we talked about the difference between chemical and physical changes in matter. A physical change is when matter looks different but the mass is the same, like cutting, bending, folding. A chemical change is when the matter's mass changes, like burning, baking, rusting, or drying out. The students took a test this week on the chapter on matter.

The students learned possessive pronouns in grammar this week. My, your, his, her, its, our, and their are examples of possessive pronouns.

The students read the story "Moving Day" for their take-home reader. They are to read the story to parents, answer the questions in their student journal, draw a picture from the story, and return them on Monday.

Today for Fun Day we will begin practicing for our upcoming Mother's Day performance. We will also have a birthday party for all of the students with birthdays in April. Happy Birthday!

Progress reports for each student will be sent home today. I enjoyed meeting many of you this week and having a chance to speak face-to-face about your child.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Rock On!

2009-04-13T16:15:00.001+08:00

Dear Parents,

I had to make a quick and unexpected trip back home to U.S.A. for a family emergency so I have been away for a short time. Thanks to Teachers Annie and Connie for helping out with Egyptian class while I was away. It was nice to visit home again. The students were excited when I returned.

The class got to go rock climbing on Friday. This was a little hard for some of the students, and their teacher, but lots of fun for the little monkeys!

We read a story this week called "The Wednesday Surprise" about a young girl that teaches her grandmother how to read as a birthday present for Dad. The grandmother felt really bad that she waited so long to learn how to read. I wanted the students to understand that you are never too old to learn, but things are usually much easier to learn at a younger age.

The students learned about the states of matter and their properties in science. Solid, liquid, and gas are the 3 states of matter.

This week is PTA week. There is a sign up sheet in the office for meeting times. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress in the class then this is a great time to meet face-to-face and discuss them. I hope to get a chance to meet with as many of you as possible.

The students will have a vocabulary and grammar quiz at the end of this week.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Weekly Progress - by Teacher Connie

2009-04-03T16:12:00.004+08:00

Hello parents, this is Teacher Connie and I was the substitute for Teacher's Andy's classes this week!

CLASS 1: (2-4pm)

This week we read 2 new stories : ' Our Soccer League' and 'It's Alive'. We focused on pronouns in grammar and introduced many new vocabularies. At the beginning of each class I tried to practice the students' speaking skills by asking several questions in which they had to stand up and answer to the class. I randomly did pop quizzes during the week to see if the students memorized their vocabulary words.

CLASS 2: (5-7pm)

This week we read 3 new stories: 'Our Soccer League', 'The Wednesday Surprise' and 'It's Alive!'. I introduced many new vocabularies this week and in grammar we focused on pronouns. We also had a vocabulary review and was conducted through a game of BINGO! The students also practiced their speaking skills when I spent some time asking them questions orally.

INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS:
CLASS 1:

Arvin - Does work quietly. Needs to pay attention to small details and participate more in class. Listens well and a pleasure to teach!

Allen- Several times this week Allen did work the slowest. He needs to pay attention and read carefully. He often makes small mistakes such as forgetting the capital letters and periods. Allen can do well if he concentrates!

Chanel - Well behaved as usual! Nice reading and writing skills. Good progress and a lovely, polite girl!

Chloe - Won a prize for doing work the fastest and most correctly. Very well behaved. Excellent reader!

Joshua - Can do work well when he's not distracted. Tends to like to get up from his seat and walk around. Needs to pay attention to details when doing his work. Very cute kid, just needs to concentrate!

Sam - Excellent and smart! Fastest worker in the class and loves to participate! Sam won a prize for completing work the fastest in class! Progressing really well and it was such a pleasure having him in the class.

CLASS 2:

Lily - Very, very smart girl. Loves to participate and keen on learning new vocabulary. Creative and an excellent reader.

Lauren - Excellent reader! Pays attention and asks questions. Lauren is a sweet girl and was great having her in the class!

Austin - Talks out loud too much. He is very smart but needs to concentrate more and not be making jokes all the time!

Harris - Very smart and a pleasure to teach. Great reader and good work habits. He asks many questions and is keen on learning. Sometimes he can get distracted by other students in the class. Harris won a prize for completing his work the fastest in class!

Samson - Needs to concentrate more and sit still. Very smart - got 100% on his vocabulary test! Samson just needs to pay more attention in class.

Review Week

2009-03-27T16:07:00.002+08:00

This week to prepare for our Science test and Vocabulary test, the classes worked on review sections in their Practice Books and Grammar Books. Almost every day we would review some of the vocabulary from Weeks 1-6 and the students either tested each other or we played vocabulary games on the board.

The Science test was given mid-week and the students were able to finish quite quickly. The test included materials from chapters such as , Planets, Moons, and Stars. The students have a good understanding and interest in Science materials.

The vocabulary test was given on Thursday and Friday. The test didn't take as long as expected which means students know most of the vocabulary. The scores so far look promising.

This week we've also read a new story called "The Bremen Town Musicians". It's about donkey and his animal friends, who are being abandoned by their owners because they are too old. They then make a journey together to Bremen Town in hopes of being in a band. However, on the way they find a house with robbers in it. They scare away the robbers and make the house their home. This story touches on certain morals about how to treat animals and "old age". The students had fun learning about the different sounds that animals make (Ex. Cock-a-doodle-do!).

On Thursday and Friday, we also had their Reading Unit Test. It fwas focused on reading comprehension and listening. The students had to read 2 stories and answer questions, as well as listen to a story read by me and answer the questions for that. Overall, hard-working week for everyone. Three tests completed (Science, Reading, Vocabulary) with results coming in next week. Good job everyone!

Class 1:

Austin- Understands certain materials/questions better than other students.

Lily- Needs to put up her hand when wanting to speak. Sometimes disrupts the class with random opinions.

Lauren- Well behaved; can practice voice projection when reading.

Samson- Only one in the class with a perfect score on his vocabulary test! Good stuff!

Harris- Focused; not affected by other kids speaking out.

Class 2:

Arvin- Never loses his concentration; focused.

Chanel- Sentence structures are stronger than expected.

Chloe- Remembers past materials taught, more-so than others (Ex. what quotation marks are)

Sam- Understands instructions and questions well on his own.

Joshua- Often able to finish work before others, however, sometimes needs to be told to settle down.

Allen- Needs to try and focus more; easily distracted. Read instructions first before asking teacher.

Wow, time flies ! Have a good weekend and see you all next week!
Teacher Annie~

Into the Cosmos...

2009-03-20T16:14:00.005+08:00

Dear Parents,

Howdy! Let me start by introducing myself! I'm Teacher Annie and I am substituting for Teacher Andy this week and the week after.

On Wednesday it was great meeting the kids and I noticed how well they could understand directions and the materials being studied. Even though at first, some of the students tried to push the envelope a bit by behaving in a way they don't usually behave, it was great to see that after some discipline and serious talk, they were able to get back into learning and studying productively.

This week in "Science" we finished both the "Stars" lesson, as well as the "Planets" lesson. They learned that a 'star' is a hot ball of gases and that 'constellations' are patterns or pictures in space made of stars. They seemed to be able to remember the word "telescope" quite well and enjoyed looking at the pictures of different constellations such as "Big Dipper" and "Little Dipper".

Some new vocabulary that might be confusing for some of the students, taken from the "Planets" lesson may be 'orbit' and 'rotate'. It both means to spin or go around, but orbit means to go around the sun while rotate means the planets spinning on its 'axis'. We've done plenty of practice in their work books so they should be able to see the difference between the two words. Perhaps parents can go randomly test them to see if they understand the difference.

For their Student Journals this week, we read "Quilting Memories" which is about the different ways of 'preserving' memories and things from the past. Some of the students finished their in-class work early on Friday and so had a head-start on their Journals homework.

Class 1:

Chloe: Always very concentrated on her work and often finishes ahead of her classmates.

Chanel: Very neat and detailed when doing work. This is good to develop a habit of being organized.

Sam: Willing to share with his classmates (when a classmate forgot their book he offered to lend his to them). Good understanding of materials.

Joshua: In class on Friday, he seemed to be distracted and had to be reminded several times to
focus on his work. It was good to see though he is very willing to ask questions and double checks his directions and answers.

Arvin: Always very attentive and does his work quietly. Always first to be in class and ready to
learn.

Allen: Sometimes he is very easily distracted and needs to be told to re-focus. I find for some of
the questions, he does know the answer, but does not take the time to read over the question carefully before answering.

Class 2:

Lily: Sometimes in class she will speak out randomly which could be distracting to other
students. However, it is clear that she has a good understanding of the materials studied.

Lauren: Quiet and reserved but takes her time to make sure her work is done neat and properly.

Harris: Great reader and well composed most of the time. Am able to remember vocabulary
learned from the past.

Samson: Always a smile on his face; may need more time when reading.

Austin: Attentive and concentrates on his work to get it done correctly on time.

Great to meet all of the students this week! I am happy to see the friendships they have built here and am very impressed with their ability to understand what is taught in class (all of them take action to ask questions if they dont' understand, which is so important when learning new materials).

I look forward to another week with them! Have a good weekend everyone!

Annie~

How High The Moon....

2009-03-13T13:42:00.004+08:00

Dear Parents,

We had a very fun and productive week this week in the Egyptian class. In science we continued talking about the Sun and it's family and learned about the different phases of the Moon, like New Moon and Full Moon. They learned that it takes about 28 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth.

We read a Time, for Kids article in our reading books about bats. This story talked more about how conservation groups help protect bats. They also teach people that bats are actually helpful mammals who kill insects that hurt crops. If bats kill insects that hurt crops then farmers won't have to use as many poisons on the crops.

The early class (2:00 to 4:00) went outside to the park on Friday to the park to read the take-home readers. It was a beautiful day but the mosquitoes made us come back early. Too bad there were no bats around to help. The take-home reader this week is called "Thomas Adams Invents Chewing Gum". Students learned that gum used to be made from wax.

Today we are going to a batting cage for Fun Day. Baseball has become very popular here in Taiwan so I'm expecting the kids to have a wonderful time today!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

-Allen: brought up his science test score a lot when he re-took his test. Good improvement but study harder the first time and you won't have to take it twice.

-Arvin: brought up his science test score a lot when he re-took his test. Good improvement but study harder the first time and you won't have to take it twice.

-Chanel: needs to remember to always bring her vocabulary book so she can copy the new words and begin learning them when the other students do.

-Chloe: seemed to really enjoy reading and learning about bats.

-Joshua: is super helpful to all the other students in class.

-Sam: is always very attentive in class.

-Austin: was really interested in learning about bats.

-Harris: has gotten very careless when doing class assignments and taking tests and gets lots of questions wrong as a result. please encourage him to focus more.

-Lauren: has gotten much better with her handwriting. I'm pleased to hear that she takes such an interest in the class and the stories.

-Lily: I'm pleased to hear that she takes such an interest in the class and the stories. That's great that she likes to read at home too!

-Samson: really good at learning new vocabulary!

Going Batty!

2009-03-06T16:25:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read a story called "Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats" that did a great job of teaching the students that people don't need to be scared of bats. Bats have a special way of hearing called echolocation, in which bats make high-pitched beeps that echo off objects. This is how bats know what their surroundings are and how they are able to fly very well. We spent a lot of time talking about echoes, pitches, and sounds. Bats help reduce the number of insects because that is what they eat. And bats don't really turn into vampires!

We learned about irregular verbs that have special forms in the past tense, such as go/went, do/did, see/saw, say/said, sing/sang, give/gave.

The students took their chapter test on the Earth in science class this week. Some students were confused between orbit around the Sun and the Earth's rotation, which causes day and night. We began learning about the moon this week too.

The take-home reader for this weekend is called "An International Food Fair" about a family that learns about different foods from different countries.

The students will take a vocabulary test on Monday on the words from week 4. Please help and encourage them to study!

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

-Allen: Did not do so well on his science test. He needs to study and re-take the test on Monday.

-Arvin: Seemed to confuse "rotation" and "orbit" in science and so didn't do so well.

-Chanel: G0t very involved in our class about the moon.

-Chloe: Have a great time in Hong Kong! I'm a little upset you didn't take me with you.

-Joshua: Continues to be up-and-down when it comes to paying attention.

-Sam: Scored 100 on his science test! Only one in the class to do that, terrific!

-Austin: Scored 100 on his science test! Great job!

-Harris: Performed very beneath his ability on 2 science tests! Needs to focus and stop being careless.

-Lauren: Has been wonderfully attentive all week, showing improvement in getting class assignments done.

-Lily: Shows lots of interest in the stories we read in class, lots of enthusiasm.

-Samson: Beginning to get more comfortable with the Grade 2 workload. Remember to bring your glasses!

Seasons

2009-02-27T16:15:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

Last Friday's Fun Day trip to play dodge Frisbee was much enjoyed by the students. They had big smiles on their faces as they ran around and learned a new game. This week we are going out to a puppet show.

In science we learned that the Earth's orbit and the tilting of the Earth are what causes changes in the seasons. When the Earth tilts towards the sun it is getting more light and heat, so it will be summer. Places near the equator do not have very different seasons and is always hot. The class will take a chapter test in science on Monday. We spent a lot of time reviewing as well.

The students took a vocabulary test this week on the vocabulary words from weeks 2 and 3. Most students are getting better at learning vocabulary and are scoring better on tests. Please encourage you child to study when they bring their vocabulary books home. I have been given the graded tests to the students to bring home so they can show the parents how they did on their tests. Please sign your name on the test and have them bring it back to school the next day

The students reviewed the different forms of the verb to be for the past and present tenses and how to use them as helping verbs that help show action when used with other verbs.

We read the take home readers together in class called "Insect or Arachnid?". This book shows how to tell the difference between the 2 kinds of bugs. Please have your child read the story to you, then they are to complete the questions and draw a picture in their student journals and bring it back on Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

-Allen: Scored 100 on his vocabulary test today! I'm super proud of him, please keep up the good work!

-Arvin: Is always very attentive in class and has a great attitude towards learning.

-Chanel: Recently has shown to be more active in class. Scored 100 on her test!

-Chloe: Has a very pleasant personality and learning attitude.

-Joshua: Makes improved effort to participate and answer questions during class time.

-Sam: Had a little difficulty remembering the different forms of the verb to be in grammar.

-Austin: Super impressive memory when it comes to remembering vocabulary!

-Harris: Did really well in grammar this week. Good participation this week!

-Lauren: Remember to ask for help when having trouble answering questions so not to spend too much time on one part.

-Lily: Thank you for the reply you wrote on the test. I'm very happy to hear that she stays interested in the class.

-Samson: Remember to wear eye glasses when copying off the board.

Rolling Across the USA

2009-02-20T16:14:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read a story called "The Best Vacation Ever" about a family that takes a road trip across the USA. They stop in several different states to check out tourist stops. We took a long time to read this story because this story gives a lot of information about famous places in America, like the Grand Canyon, the Alamo, the Grand Ole Opry, Carlsbad Caverns, and the Wright Brothers Memorial for the first airplane flight ever, which is in my home state of North Carolina. In the story Amanda writes letters to her friend telling about each stop along the way. I used a USA map to show the kids where the family went as we read and later played a review game to see who could remember where these places were.

In science the students learned about what causes day and night. They learned about Earth's rotation and how long it takes.

The students took a vocabulary test on the week 1 words. They also are to do their Student Journals this weekend on the story "Mina's Day", about a girl's life in Seoul, South Korea.

This Friday Fun Day we are going to play Frisbee! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

-Allen: Has difficulty focusing sometimes in class, please be sure to start off working hard this semester.

-Arvin: Starting off well this semester. Seems excited to do Student Journals again. Arvin makes sure to ask questions if he doesn't understand something.

-Chanel: Seems very enthusiastic so far in the school year and has been doing well in the class.

-Chloe: Really payed lots of attention to our story and enjoyed learning about different places in USA.

-Joshua: Showing much more focus and enthusiasm during class activities and review, but not as much when doing individual class work.

-Sam: Was very active during our discussions about the story and traveling in USA.

-Austin: Great participation so far, be sure to be prepared for class.

-Harris: Did great in our grammar lessons about the verb 'to be'.

-Lauren: Be careful with not making your spaces too big when you write. Good participation so far!

-Lily: Very attentive in class and works hard to finish assignments.

-Samson: Glad to have him in our class. Make sure to bring and wear eyeglasses everyday, he has some difficulty reading the whiteboard even when he's in the front.

Welcome Back!!!

2009-02-16T13:41:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year and I hope that everyone enjoyed their New Year's holiday! I traveled to Cambodia and Vietnam during the break. The first day back at class I had each student share with the class what they did while on break. They looked very rested and ready to start a new semester in Egyptian class. I brought some pictures I took while in Cambodia and Vietnam to share with the students. I enjoy sharing things from different parts of the world with them.

This semester Samson has joined our class from Teacher Peter's kindergarten class. We are all happy to welcome him with us.

This short week we read a story called "Charlie Anderson" in which a grey cat comes out of the woods and begins living with two sisters. They keep the cat but find out later that when the cat goes to the woods every day, he is actually returning to his owners house. The girls want to take the cat with them when they visit their father and step-mother in the city but Mom explains that Charlie, the cat, is a country cat and wouldn't like to be away from the woods. The story was useful to let students know that, like Charlie, the sisters had two houses full of love - Mom's house and the house of Dad and Step-Mother.

The students started back with their Student Journals as their weekend assignment. They are to be brought back to class on Monday.

For Friday Fun Day we made Valentine's Day cards. I explained that Valentine's Day was created as a special day to tell someone that they love them but stressed that you can tell someone you love them ANY day they want and don't need to have a holiday.

I'm looking forward to the new semester with the Egyptian class!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Test Week!

2009-01-22T13:59:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week the Egyptian Class took their end of the semester finals. The students took their chapter test in science. We spent time reviewing the material the students learned on the water habitats and taking care of the Earth. The vocabulary test was chosen from all of the words the students learned throughout the semester. The class did a number of review games to help them remember all their words. The reading test evaluated how well students understood readings, listening comprehension, cause and effect, phonetic sounds, and differentiating between fantasy and reality.

Progress reports for each student will be sent home on Friday, January 23 which will give you an idea of how your child is performing in the class, problem areas, and ways to make improvements for the upcoming semester.

Last Friday for Fun Day we went ice skating at the Taipei Arena. The kids and teachers had a fantastic time! I was great to see the students starting off with lots of falls and then being able to stay up later.

After-school classes will resume on Wednesday, February 11. I'm going on vacation to Cambodia and Vietnam. I hope you all have a safe and wonderful New Year Holiday and all the best in the New Year!

Teacher Andy

Water Habitats

2009-01-15T16:54:00.004+08:00

Dear Parents,

It is yet another long work week this week so we had time to do a lot of things this week in Egyptian class.

We read a story called "Nine-In-One, Grr! Grr!", a traditional folk tale from the country of Laos. I showed the students on a map that Laos shares a border with China, so it is a lot closer to Taiwan than America. In the story Tiger wonders how many cubs she will have so she travels up to the sky to see the great god Shao to ask. Shao tells Tiger she will have nine cubs every year only if she can remember that number. Tiger makes up a song to help her remember but a clever black bird hears the happy tiger singing. Bird learns from Shao that Tiger will have nine cubs each year. Bird finds Tiger, makes Tiger forget the song, then Bird tells Tiger her song was "One-In-Nine, Grr! Grr!" That's why tigers have so few cubs!

The students really enjoyed this story and the detail in the descriptions. I wanted the students to understand that the small Bird was able to beat the big Tiger by being smarter than the Tiger, not by being bigger or faster. I hope that they can begin to realize how important it is to learn and be intelligent people.

In science we studied fresh water and salt water habitats. Fresh water habitats are bodies of water with very little or no salt. Salmon live in fresh water and swim against the stream's flow to lay eggs. The ocean covers 3/4 of Earth and many living things live here. Coral is found in the ocean also. We studied a lesson about taking care of habitats and the Earth. This is something that I feel is very important for the students to understand and learn at a young age.

The students learned about synonyms, words that mean the same or almost the same as other words. Large, big, and huge are all synonyms. We also studied present tense verbs and how they must agree with the subject in a sentence.

Next week will be our test week so I want the students to spend lots of time this weekend studying ALL the vocabulary words they have learned in my class this year, from week 1 to week 20. The students will also take a science test and a reading test next week but we will spend lots of time reviewing also. Then it will be Chinese New Year vacation!

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Austin: Works very hard on assignments. Trying to get him to speak a bit slower so he pronounces words better.

Harris: Having some difficulty following directions when assignments are given. Listen carefully when instructions are given.

Lauren: Gets stuck when she doesn't understand assignments, try not to waste a lot of time and ask for help.

Lily: Participated a lot when we learned about taking care of habitats.

Allen: Showing lots of improvement in learning vocabulary. Still gets distracted easily at times but proud of his progress.

Arvin: Enjoyed reading our story "Nine-In-One Grr! Grr!" a lot. Great class attitude.

Chanel: Didn't do so well on her last vocabulary test. Be sure to spend time studying for our big test next week.

Chloe: Seemed to really enjoy learning about salt water habitats and the living things that live there.

Evie: Becoming much more comfortable in class lately! She speaks louder and tries super hard to figure out how to say new words.

Jade: Puts lots of effort into doing her assignments well!

Joshua: Got distracted quite a bit this week, try to focus more in class.

Sam: Great job of making up the work he missed from being out last Saturday.

Welcome 2009!!!

2009-01-08T16:35:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone enjoyed their long New Year's weekend and did not get hit by any fireworks. Now we have a long school week.

This week we took a test in science on habitats. We reviewed a lot so the students would be ready.

The students had lots of vocabulary to write along wtih example sentences to help them use the words in a sentence properly. As a review activity they students made up an original creative story using the words. The students will take a test on the week 18 vocabulary words this Saturday.

We talked about action verbs in grammar. Action verbs tell what the subject in a sentence is doing. We went over silent letters also.

This weekend the students will do their TOPS books instead of Student Journals.

For Fun Day this week we will dazzle the students with a magic show. I hope these little Harry Potters can learn some new tricks from their secret magician teachers.

I hope you can still get some enjoyment out of your short weekend.

All the best,

Teacher Andy

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2008-12-31T18:23:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

We have had a super short week this week because of the New Year Holiday so not a lot of time to cover a lot of material.

We did read a story called "Arthur Writes a Story". Arthur is an aardvark that some kids recognized from story books or cartoons. In the story Arthur's teacher tells the class to write an interesting story. Arthur immediately decides to write about how he got his dog, Pal. Every time he reads his story to someone he changes his mind and his story. Arthur becomes more worried each time he changes his story and by the end, his story makes no sense. His teacher asks him to tell his original story about his dog. Everyone likes this story much more than his silly one. This story helps the students understand that they should do things they believe in and not worry about what others think. This was a long story with lots of new vocabulary so it took a while to get through it.

Due to the short week the students do not have to do their student journals this weekend. We will continue with them next weekend.

We also talked about New Year's Day and what students will do for the holiday. I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend and a wonderful New Year!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Progress reports were sent home today (12/31) with detailed comments about your child.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-26T16:36:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

I hope that all the students enjoyed having Christmas Day off from Tree House! I surely did. A lot of students are unfamiliar with the origin and traditions of Christmas, so we spent some time this week learning about Christmas in a fun way. We did a Christmas word search and the kids learned some new Christmas vocabulary. We read a traditional Christmas poem called "The Night Before Christmas". Many American families read this story together the night before Christmas to get ready for Santa's arrival. The evening class got to watch "The Simpson's Christmas Special"

We continued to learn about habitats in science class. Deserts are a hot and dry habitat that get very little rainfall. To get the water their bodies need, many animals are able to get water from the food they eat. The arctic is a super cold habitat that has snow on the ground for most of the year. Plants can only grow in the summer. Some animals' fur changes color in the winter to help protect them from predators. We will review the chapter on habitats and test next week.

This weekend the students will have to do their student journals for homework. We read the story "Giving Thanks Around the World" together in class. As usual, they are to read the story to parents first, answer the questions with complete sentences in their student journals, draw and color a picture from the story, and bring them back to school on Monday.

Last week the students took mid-term tests in vocabulary and reading. I am very proud to announce that EVERY student improved their reading test scores from the first test! I still took the time to go over the tests after grading them so that the students will understand the mistakes they made on the test.

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

(Since some students were absent and had to make up tests, the progress reports with detailed comments will go home with the students early next week. Apologies for the delay.)

Test Week

2008-12-18T18:15:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week the Egyptians reviewed and took their vocabulary and reading tests. We found some interactive and fun ways for the students to review. We played vocabulary review basketball outside on nice days. They really enjoyed doing Mad Libs, short stories with some words left out that the students have to fill in with words from their vocabulary book. The tests will be graded very soon and progress reports will be sent home next week.

The Egyptians learned about rain forests in science class. Rain forests are habitats that get rain almost every day and many plants and animals live there.

After lots of reviewing and testing, I am giving the students a break from their student journals for this weekend. We will start back with those next weekend.

Christmas is coming up soon so we will do some fun Christmas reading activities next week! Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Austin: Was really good at vocabulary basketball! Great job of finishing work on time.

Harris: Try to speak louder and more clearly in class. Be sure to listen carefully when work instructions are given.

James: We miss you!

Lauren: Sometimes does not understand workbook instructions clearly.

Lily: Needs to find her vocabulary book!

Allen: Has been getting easily distracted this week and not paying a lot of attention. Was great at basketball.

Arvin: Doing a great job in the class.

Chanel: Missed some class time because of Drama Club but worked hard to make up the work. Great!

Chloe: Was not our tallest basketball player but had fun playing basketball.

Jade: Seems very prepared for her vocabulary test. Great job!

Joshua: Has been getting easily distracted this week and not paying a lot of attention, especially during review time.

Sam: Seems very prepared for his vocabulary test. Super Duper!

Shark Attack!

2008-12-11T16:22:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we read an article about sharks. The students really enjoyed learning about sharks and found out that sharks have more to fear from people than people fear from sharks. They learned many interesting facts about sharks, such as they have no bones and about 100,000,000 sharks are killed by people every year. Some sharks are in danger of dieing out, which would mess up the food chain. This was a short story so we had lots of time for students to talk about how people can help save sharks and their habitat.

We also talked about bar graphs and how to read them.

While the other students at Tree House took their tests this week, we spent some time reviewing instead. Next week my class will take their reading test and a vocabulary test on the words from weeks 9 - 15. We will test just the week 15 words on Monday. The students do not have to do Student Journals this weekend so that they can have more time to study their vocabulary for their big test. I hope the students use this time wisely so they will be prepared for the test. Detailed progress reports will be sent home after next week.

All the best!

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Arvin: Participates a lot in class and is handwriting is becoming much better.

Allen: Scored 100 on his vocabulary test! I'm super pleased about how well he works to learn vocabulary now.

Chanel: Scored 100 on her vocabulary test. Seems to have a much improved attitude in class.

Chloe: Scored 100 on her vocabulary test. Follows instructions well in class.

Jade: Always very alert and attentive in class.

Joshua: Scored 100 on his vocabulary test. Great job! Gets very distracted when doing classwork so takes too long to finish work.

Sam: Scored 100 on his vocabulary test. Continues to do a fantastic job in class.

Austin: Scored 100 on his vocabulary test! Class attitude has been great lately!

James: Showing improvement with vocabulary. Please be sure to study for the big vocabulary test next week.

Harris: Scored 100 on his vocabulary test! Really enjoyed the lesson about sharks.

Lauren: Doing well in class. Still gets shy at times but seems happy the rest of the time.

Lily: Scored 100 on her vocabulary test! Sometimes speaks when others are speaking so please be more considerate of others.

December Is Here!

2008-12-04T16:23:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

Thanks to everyone who came to share our Thanksgiving Dinner on Friday. We hoped you enjoyed the traditional food.

This week we read a story called "Jamaica Tag-Along" about a girl named Jamaica who wants to play basketball with her brother's friends. Her brother, Ossie, says she can't play because she is not old enough. Jamaica is playing in a sandbox when a young boy comes over and begins bothering her. She gets angry at the boy for trying to play but soon realizes that she is acting the same way her brother does to her. Jamaica lets the boy play and decides to be nicer to others.

For grammar, the students learned how to make singular and plural nouns possessive by using an apostrophe ( ' ).

We studied 2 science lessons this week. The students learned that habitats are places where animals live and meet their needs. Woodland forest is one habitat that gets lots of rain and sunlight so the plants and trees grow lots of leaves. Animals use plants for shelter and food.

We read the take-home reader together in class called "June and Pepper Grow Up". Please have your child read the story to you, answer the questions with complete sentences in their Student Journal, color a picture, and bring the books back on Monday.

The students will have a vocabulary test on Monday on the words from weeks 13 and 14. Please help study with your child over the weekend so they will feel confident and ready to take the test.

We will have a BBQ for Friday Fun Day. Yummy!!!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Austin: Has participated a lot this week. Great Job!

Harris: Did great job of reading and understanding our story.

James: Made 100 on his science test and did well on vocabulary too! I'm very proud of him, keep it up!

Lauren: Still shy sometimes in class but did very well on her tests!

Lily: Read and understood the story really well. Be sure to listen carefully during class time.

Allen: Has been trying super hard in class and has a wonderful attitude.

Arvin: Getting better at getting his work done on time. Raises his hand often.

Chanel: Participates a lot in class and attitude has improved a lot.

Chloe: Enjoyed our story and read really well.

Jade: Understands stories very well and is able to remember details well.

Joshua: Needs to be more confident when doing work and listen carefully to directions.

Sam: has been super! Works hard in class!

Happy Turkey Day

2008-11-27T13:46:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we spent time talking about the American holiday of Thanksgiving. The students learned that 102 Pilgrims left England in 1620 to live in America so they could prey the way they wanted to. The first year for the Pilgrims was very hard and almost half of them died. They met Indians who taught them how to grow vegetables and survive in the wilderness. They had a big dinner to celebrate everything they were thankful for. I asked the children to tell things that they were thankful for in their lives. They also really enjoyed doing a Thanksgiving word search.

In science we reviewed our chapter about animals. In this chapter the students learned about different groups of animals, how they get what they need to survive, and how they grow and change. The students will take the chapter test at the end of the week.

We also spent a lot of time studying grammar. They learned that singular nouns name 1 person, place, or thing while plural nouns name 2 or more people, places, or things. Also proper nouns are nouns that name a special person, place, or thing.

We read their take home story together in class, called "The Busy, Lively, Sleepy, Quiet Pond". This story tells about many animals that live in and near ponds. The students must read the story to the parents, answer the questions in their student journals in complete sentences, and draw a picture about the story.

For Friday Fun Day we will have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at school. Traditional dinners include turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and many more. If we could just watch American football then it would almost feel like I'm back in U.S.A.

Thanks to all of the parents that made it out to the art showing on Friday night. The students seemed to have a wonderful time there. It was great to let the kids try something different than just doing book work. Maybe there are some future artists in our school?

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Austin: Seems to become distracted in class at times. Did much better on his make up vocabulary test. Great job!

Harris: Try to use class time better so that assignments can be completed on time.

James: Still puts very little effort into studying vocabulary. Please spend more time getting familiar with vocabulary.

Lauren: Sometimes becomes shy and does not speak out very loudly. She seems to be more aware of her handwriting.

Lily: Remembers stories very well and likes to participate in class.

Allen: Showing lots of improvement and is very enthusiastic about doing well.

Arvin: Often answers questions and participates in class.

Chanel: Class attitude has gotten much better lately, keep it up!

Chloe: Enjoys participating in class and completes assignments on time.

Jade: Very attentive in class and has a wonderful learning attitude.

Joshua: Gets careless when doing work and taking tests. Be sure to check carefully.

Sam: Very enthusiastic in class and gets work done on time.

Art Showing

2008-11-20T13:43:00.010+08:00

Dear Parents,

The past two Fridays for Fun Day the students made drawings of traditional Chinese houses using oil pastels on black sandpaper. They seemed to enjoy making these and we make them available for everyone to see this Friday night. I hope that you will be able to come and see what the students have been making. I hope this was a fun opportunity for the students to try something different.

In the classroom this week we read a story called "The Best Friends Club". In the story Harold and Lizzie are best friends that do everything together and decide to start a club with them being the only members. Lizzie becomes jealous of Harold because he was invited to a birthday party and she cannot go. Lizzie begins to make other rules that will not allow Harold to play with his other friends and classmates. Harold finally gets tired of all the rules and decides to quit the club. Lizzie realizes that it's more fun to be in a club with friends than by herself and starts playing with other kids. The story helps students understand that good things come from sharing and not from being selfish.

In the story the Lizzie and Harold make a cat's cradle, which is a game played with a loop of string. After reading the story, I showed the students how to make a cat's cradle.

For science this week we learned about how animals grow up. They studied the life cycles of a black bear and butterfly. Each has a different life cycle. They learned how butterflies change from an egg to a caterpillar to a pupa to the adult stage of a butterfly.

For take-home readers, we read a story called "Warm and Fuzzy" together in class. As usual, the students are to read the story to their parents, answer the questions in the student journals, and color a picture.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Austin: Did very poorly on his last vocabulary test. He has lots of free time before class and should use it more wisely to study.

Harris: Did well on vocabulary test, remember to stay focused in class.

James: Did very poorly on his last vocabulary test! Needs to try much harder.

Lauren: Made 100 on vocabulary test! Great job!

Lily: Made 100 on vocabulary test! Great job!

Arvin: Getting him to concentrate more on improving handwriting.

Allen: Scored 100 on his vocabulary test! I'm super proud of the progress he has made since the beginning of the year. Keep it up!

Chanel: Hope she gets back on track with studying.

Chloe: Doing a great job in class. Very attentive in class.

Jade: Works hard in class and is very careful with her work.

Joshua: Sometimes catch him not paying attention in class.

Sam: Continues to do a great job with vocabulary, keep it up!

Turning Cold

2008-11-13T13:05:00.005+08:00

Dear Parents,

It looks like the sunny days are beginning to go away as winter gets closer. I hope the students stay healthy and not get sick.

This week we read a story called "A Letter to Amy" about a boy named Peter who is having a birthday party. He writes a letter to Amy to invite her but later worries what his friends will think when they only see one girl at the party. As he is taking his letter to the mailbox in the rain, he bumps into Amy, knocks her down, and she runs off crying. He feels there is no way she will come to the party now. It helps the students' understanding of the stories if you can ask them to talk about the stories and explain what happened.

We will take a break from the student journals this week. Instead the students will use their TOPS book. This weekend they are to do Unit 2 in the TOPS book. We will also have a vocabulary test on Monday so please help your child study vocabulary.

We will do more art this week for Fun Day.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Lemonade For Sale!

2008-11-06T13:33:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a scary time at our Haunted Tree House last weekend! It was nice to have a chance to talk to some of you. This week it was back to hitting the books hard after enjoying Halloween activities last week.

We read a story called "Lemonade For Sale" and in it, 4 kids and their parrot decide to sell lemonade to fix up their club house that is falling apart. Sales are going well until one day a new kid in the neighborhood starts juggling and taking most of the people away from the lemonade stand. The kids in the club ask him to juggle next to their stand and sales go over the top! They invite Jed the Juggler to join their club. I told the students that working together makes things easier for everyone. Since the story was called "Lemonade For Sale" we made lemonade during class time. The students poured in the ingredients, mixed them together, and enjoyed lemonade. Ahhh!

Chanel's birthday was Saturday, so on Monday I played "Happy Birthday" on trombone for her.

The students had lots of new vocabulary words that we will test on Monday. Please help your child study so they can learn the words.

The take-home reader this week is called "What to Do in an Emergency". We read the story together in class and discussed it. They are to read the story to parents at home, answer the questions and draw a picture in their student journals, and bring them back on Monday.

We reviewed the material in science class about different kinds of animals and what they need to meet their needs.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Austin: Continues to do well with vocabulary. Working hard in class

Harris: Often forgets to bring back vocabulary book and student journal. Please don't forget in the future so you can do your work at the right time.

James: Showing lots more effort to read better. Keep working hard!

Lauren: Hope you had a great vacation! Take me with you next time.

Lily: Doing a great job of adjusting to the Grade 2 level! Work on writing faster.

Allen: Needs to pay better attention when instructions are given in class.

Arvin: Writing is still messy but works really hard in class.

Chanel: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Doing a fantastic job in class.

Chloe: Often participates and raises her hand in class.

Jade: Writing is getting faster. Has wonderful attitude in class.

Joshua: Is very helpful and considerate of others in class.

Sam: Understands new stories very well and gets work done quickly.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-30T13:43:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

The Egyptian class now has two new students in the second class (5:00 - 7:00) from the kindergarten, Lily and Lauren. I'm happy to have them join us!

This is one of our busiest times of the school year, when we turn the Tree House into a Haunted House. The teachers have been making the school scarier for the students. We hope that you and your child can come to our Haunted Tree House some time over the weekend. We will go Trick-or-Treat in the neighborhood tomorrow. Today we will watch some Halloween videos and finish decorating the candy bags.

Last week was test week for our class. Since this level is higher and probably more difficult than in years past, some of the test scores might not be as high as you expected. This week we went over the reading test scores and reviewed the answers together. I want the students to understand why they missed questions so that they understand how to take tests better in the future.

Since we have lots of activities for Halloween this week, we will take a break from doing the Student Journals this week. We will start back with them next week.

In Science we talked about the 6 different groups of animals: Amphibian, reptile, insect, mammal, bird, and fish. Students learned about the different characteristics for each group.

Hope to see you sometime at the Haunted Tree House this weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Student's report cards will be sent home today with detailed comments about each student and their test scores.

It's Getting Scary Around Here!

2008-10-23T18:31:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

The teachers have spent lots of time over the past week turning Tree House into a haunted house! We will do lots of Halloween activities in the following week.

Meanwhile, this week we spent lots of time reviewing and taking tests. The students took a vocabulary test on all of the words they have learned so far this semester. They also took their reading test. The tests will be graded very soon and I will let you know how your child did on their tests.

We read a story called "The Bear Man" in class for their take-home reader and student journal. This story is an American Indian Folk Tale about an Indian that was very kind to a lost bear cub. Most of the students are becoming more familiar and better with doing these at home.

We will have our Haunted Tree House next week so the children should start thinking about what scary things they want to be for Halloween.

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Austin: Should use his free time more wisely, like studying vocabulary.

James: Made 100 on his make up vocabulary test last week!!! I was very, very proud of him, keep it up!

Harris: Remembered lots of vocabulary when we reviewed. Keep trying to improve your writing speed.

Allen: Spent lots of time studying vocabulary this week. Showing some improvement in class!

Arvin: Great attitude in class. Needs to speak louder in class.

Chanel: Knew lots of words when we reviewed vocabulary. Seems like she has studied a lot.

Chloe: Gets a little shy to speak in class when asked questions. Reads loudly though.

Jade: Has lovely handwriting but still needs to try to do it faster.

Joshua: Super considerate and helpful in class.

Sam: Great personality and class attitude.

Roundup!

2008-10-16T13:37:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend! This week we reviewed and tested on the first unit in science, which was about plants. The students reviewed vocabulary and took a test on the words from week 6.

This week the students read a story called "Roundup at Rio Ranch" about a boy that wants to learn to become a cowboy just like the other men in his family. Jose finds it hard to rope the cows at first, but his family encourages him to keep trying. At one point when Jose is alone, he finds a young cow trapped in the bushes. He tries to rope the calf and finally gets it after a few tries. Jose's grandfather later told him how only a true cowboy could have saved the calf.

Next week the students will take tests in reading and vocabulary from everything they have learned so far this semester. The vocabulary test will include ALL the words from week 1 until now so it is very important that students begin studying now. They will have to re-write all of the words that they miss and take the test again if they do poorly. I find that some students do not study enough and as a result do not do very well on their tests. Please encourage your child to study and help them at home.

For the take-home readers, the students read a story called "A Walk in the Mountains". As usual they are to read the story at home to you, answer the questions in complete sentences in their student journals, draw a picture from the story, and bring the books back with them to school on Monday. They seem to be getting more comfortable with doing their student journals.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Austin: Scored 95 on his science test and 100 on vocabulary! Doing a wonderful job in class.

Harris: Scored 90 on his science test. Sometimes loses focus in class so be sure to pay attention.

James: Scored 100 on his science test! Great job! I was very proud of him. Seems to really enjoy science class.

Allen: Scored 95 on his science test. Way to go! Sometimes does not pay attention in class.

Arvin: Scored 100 on his science test. Does a great job when we read stories together in class. Made 100 on vocabulary test!

Chanel: Scored 90 on her science test. Sometimes loses focus when reading stories in class.

Chloe: Scored 100 on science and vocabulary tests! Fantastic! Often raises her hand to answer questions in class.

Jade: Scored 100 on science and vocabulary tests! Very proud of her improvement!

Joshua: Scored 100 on science and vocabulary tests! Still has some difficulty paying attention during reading time.

Sam: Scored 100 on science and vocabulary tests! Enjoys raising his hand and participating during class time.

Double Ten

2008-10-09T13:39:00.004+08:00

Dear Parents,

This was another short week because of the 10/10 National Day Holiday on Friday. This week we had a vocabulary test for the words from weeks 4 and 5. Most students did pretty well on the test. It is important for them to study vocabulary for a little bit each day so they will feel prepared and confident when it comes time to take the test.

We talked about parts of a sentence in grammar. In a sentence, the subject tells who or what is doing something in a sentence. If the sentence does not have a subject then it is an incomplete sentence.

In science the students learned about the different ways people use plants. We use the cotton plant for clothes, aloe for medicine, and pine trees for lumber, paper, and furniture. We eat different parts of plants also, like roots, leaves, fruit, seeds, flowers, and stems. We also get herbs and spices from plants that we use to flavor food. I made toast with cinnamon for the students at the end of the lesson.

For this week's take-home reader the students read "Camp at Crescent Lake" about going on a camping trip. We read the story in class together. Students are asked to first read the story at home to the parents, use complete sentences to answer the questions in their student journal, draw and color a picture about the story, and bring them back to school on Monday.

I hope everyone has a nice and enjoyable 3 day weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Austin: Great behavior in class and uses his time wisely.

James: Seemed to feel better when he did not have to go to Chinese school. Needs to really spend time working on vocabulary. Be sure to do Student Journal at home on the weekend.

Harris: Seems to really enjoy science class. Needs to improve writing and study vocabulary more.

Allen: Made a huge improvement with his vocabulary! Very proud of him. Reading is beginning to show improvement.

Arvin: Made 100 on vocabulary test again! Works really hard in class.

Chanel: I do not think she understood the vocabulary test, but did way better when she retook it! Great job!

Chloe: Made 100 on vocabulary test again! Loves to raise her hand and participate in class.

Jade: Has wonderful handwriting. Always pays attention and listens in class.

Joshua: Made a huge improvement on his vocabulary test, made 100! Very proud of how much he improved.

Sam: Made 100 on vocabulary test again! Very impressive! Has a wonderful class attitude.

The Sound of Music!

2008-10-02T16:33:00.004+08:00

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone enjoyed having a long weekend from the typhoon and was safe! Twice this week i brought my trombone to class to show the students what it sounds like. I even gave them a chance to play it. Some of them did pretty well. I think Jade and Allen were the loudest. Maybe some of them will want to play instruments soon or when they get older?

We had a short week because of the typhoon so we didn't get to cover as many things as usual. We finished reading the story "Luka's Quilt". This story was kind of long but the students seemed to really enjoy it. They also learned about a glossary and how it is used. A glossary is a small dictionary that is found in the back of books. It uses guide words at the top of each page to show the first and last entries on that page. Like a dictionary, the words are arranged in alphabetical order.

The students were assigned their take-home readers and student journals for homework this weekend. We read the story "Space Walk" in class together. Please have your child read the story to you, then they are to answer the questions in their student journal and draw a picture from the story. Bring them in on Monday. We will also have a vocabulary test on words from weeks 4 and 5 on Monday. Please help your child study the words so they will feel confident and do well on the test.

We had fun last Friday taking pictures for Fun Day. This week we will take the class bowling. We'll see how many strikes they can get.

Have a fantastic weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Austin: Doing a wonderful job in class and learning the material! Great job!

Harris: Showing lots of improvement with writing in class. Seems like he is finishing faster than before.

James: Seems to feel more comfortable reading. Keep trying hard!

Allen: Sometimes does not listen well to directions. Be sure to pay attention in class so you will do better at reading and taking tests.

Arvin: Handwriting is a little messy so slow down a little and try to make it look nicer.

Chanel: Understands the material quite well and does a great job of remembering the stories we read.

Chloe: Great job with her homework! Feels really comfortable in class now and seems to enjoy it a lot.

Jade: Always pays attention and listens in class. Feels very comfortable speaking also.

Joshua: Sometimes catch him not paying attention in class. Very kind and helpful to the teacher and his classmates.

Sam: Always pays attention and enjoys participating in class.

Plants and Quilts

2008-09-25T13:33:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week the Egyptian class read more about plants in science class. They learned how plants make new plants and how insects help with this process. Flowers have a powder inside them called pollen that will stick to insects, like bees. As they go t0 other flowers, the pollen mixes to make seeds. They also learned that a life cycle shows how living things grow, live, and die.

The Egyptians worked in their TOPS book this week. This may seem much easier than their class reading, but it really helps them build proper sentence patterns and increases their confidence in reading independently. They will bring home their TOPS workbook for homework this weekend. Please have your child show it to you and read to you. They are to finish Unit 1 for homework.

We also read a story called Luka's Quilt. This is about a girl named Luka who learns to make a traditional quilt from her grandmother. Luka wants to make it the way she wants but doesn't realize grandmother wants to teach Luka about family customs and tradition. They get upset with each other but later Luka understands what her grandmother is trying to show her. This story makes students aware that they can learn a lot from their parents and grandparents.

For Friday Fun Day we will wander around the Tree House neighborhood and take some creative class and individual photographs. This will be a great chance for the Egyptians to show off their silly and creative selves.

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

Arvin: Writes a little slow but understands class material really well.

Allen: Made a HUGE improvement on his vocabulary! I'm very proud of him and hope this will motivate him to study harder.

Chanel: Scored 100 on her vocabulary test! Fantastic!

Chloe: Scored 100 on her vocabulary test! Excellent job!

Jade: Did well on her vocabulary this week. Writing needs to get faster.

Joshua: Showed lots of improvement on his test. Way to go!!!

Sam: Studies very hard and got 100 on his test again! Keep up the great work.

Austin: Gives lots of effort to learn material in class. Excellent job on vocabulary test.

Harris: Pays attention to details in class and is an excellent reader.

James: Really enjoyed doing TOPS in class. Hope that will improve his reading confidence!

Henry and Mudge

2008-09-18T16:51:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

Thanks to all of you that were able to come to our Pot Luck Dinner and Open House last Friday! It was nice to meet you and give you an idea about what we will do in the Egyptian class.

This week we read a story called "Henry and Mudge" about a lonely boy that asks his parents for a pet dog. The dog he gets grows up to be HUGE! Henry feels much safer with a big dog to walk around and play with. The children learned that having friends or pets often makes people feel better about themselves and can give them confidence.

The students learned about long vowel sounds as we worked in their reading practice book.

Most students did pretty well with their Student Journals. It was their first time doing this so it's no problem if they made some mistakes. The story they read "The New Kid" took place on the island of Bali. I went to Bali for vacation last year, so I shared the pictures that I took there with the students. I went scuba diving when i was there. This week we will take a break from the Student Journals and take-home readers and focus on their TOPS book. We will use the TOPS book to help the students build good sentence patterns.

We studied parts of the plants in science class. Plants have leaves, flowers, a stem, roots, fruit, and seeds.

For Friday Fun Day we will have a Life Education activity. The students will have cooking class with Teacher Peter. Yummy!

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

-Allen: Spent some extra time studying vocabulary this week. Seems to really want to improve!

-Arvin: Works really hard to finish his work on time.

-Chanel: Did great on her vocabulary test last week! Keep it up. Glad she was able to make up the work she missed.

-Chloe: Really strong reader. Have a great time in Macao!

-Jade: Needs to improve her writing speed. Often raises her hand in class to answer questions and loves to participate.

-Joshua: Sometimes reads too quietly.

-Sam: Did great on his vocabulary test last week. Handwriting is a little messy.

-Austin: Reads loud and with lots of confidence. Isn't afraid to try and make mistakes.

-Harris: Great attitude in class. Likes to raise his hand to answer questions.

-James: Needs to spend more time on vocabulary. Enjoys and understands science very well!

Pot Luck Dinner

2008-09-11T16:33:00.003+08:00

Dear Parents,

This week we spent a lot of time going over vocabulary. We will spend a lot of time through out the year learning and writing vocabulary so the students will develop a large base of words to draw from. They will take their first vocabulary test this week. The students also worked in their science workbooks. They will do their science workbooks after each science lesson to help them understand the topics.

For grammar, the students learned to distinguish between complete and incomplete sentences. They also learned that statements are sentences that tell something, while questions are sentences that ask something.

I have found that from the first two weeks of school that many students have to adjust to the amount of work required for Grade 2. I am spending time with them to make sure they understand the proper way their work should be done in my class. Please encourage your child to work hard in class. Once they learn how to do their work the right way, everything will become much easier for them.

For our student journals and take-home readers, we read a story called "The New Kid". We will read the take-home readers together in class. The students will take them home over the weekend and read them to parents. They will be assigned questions in their student journal to answer at home.

Last week the weather made us change our plans for Friday Fun Day, so we went to play laser tag! This was a fun activity and made the students work together as a team to beat the other teams. Tomorrow we will have an open house and pot luck dinner. I have met some parents already, but look forward to meeting more tomorrow. I will talk about my class and let everyone know about what we will do this school year. I hope to see you tomorrow!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual Comments:

-Allen: Struggles some with understanding directions. Has a great attitude and desire to do well, so he will ask questions so that he can improve.

-Arvin: A little soft-spoken, but seems to feel more comfortable in the new class.

-Chanel: Showing improvement with completing assignments on time.

-Chloe: Studies really hard to learn vocabulary. Doesn't cry from being homesick as much anymore!

-Jade: Has a wonderful class attitude. Needs to remember to bring vocabulary book to school each time.

-Joshua: Remembers vocabulary quite well. Good reading ability.

-Sam: Seems to know vocabulary pretty well. Knew a lot of vocabulary when we reviewed.

-Austin: Seems to do well with vocabulary. Has a good class attitude.

-James: Trying hard to improve his reading skills. Realizes that he needs to improve and seems eager to get better!

-Harris: Good reading ability. Needs to be more independent so he will feel better while in class.

A New Beginning.......

2008-09-04T16:22:00.002+08:00

Dear Parents,

I am very happy to welcome all of the students to the Egyptian class! I look forward to working with and getting to know each student as the year goes on. The students will have more assignments and writing than what they are probably used to so it will take a little bit of time for them to become comfortable with their new environment. This takes time and patience for parents, students, and the teacher. I have told the students from the first day that if they work hard then they will be rewarded with breaks and fun activities.

We spent some time talking about what the students did during the summer, then we began to ease into our schoolwork. We read a story from our reading books called "Ann's First Day" about a girl's first day at a new school. She was very nervous and shy. Her pet rabbit, Robbie, followed her to school and the other students immediately took a liking to Robbie. It was a great way for Ann to open up to her new classmates.

We went over the soft vowel sounds in the reading practice book. They also learned about title pages and table of contents.

In science we read about plants and how plants, like people are living things. They can grow, change, and make new living things like themselves.

Tomorrow for Friday Fun Day, we are going to the water park! I had a great time there last year and hope the students will enjoy our trip. Let's hope the weather will be nice to us tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Teacher Andy

Individual comments:

-Allen: Speaks very freely and has lots of enthusiasm. Needs to improve putting phonic sounds together so he can read better.

- Arvin: Seems a bit shy at first. Works hard to finish assignments.

-Chanel: Great reader. Needs to concentrate on improving her writing speed so she can handle the work in class.

-Chloe: Seemed a little homesick today. Understands the reading very well.

-Jade: Shows lots of enthusiasm in class. Often raises her hand and participates in class.

-Joshua: Works hard to complete class assignments on time. Is not shy at all about speaking in class.

-Sam: Enjoys raising his hand and participating in class!

-Austin: Sometimes looks around and seems to not pay attention but when I catch him, he will pay attention.

-James: Great class attitude. Needs to focus on improving his reading a bit.

-Harris: Writing is a little slow but maybe due to him adjusting to the increased work load. Great personality!