Parents’ Update August 4-8, 2008

Since our current website layout only allows us up to six pictures every week (but do watch out for the forthcoming new Raya website), Teacher Toni has started a multiply site for you. You may now log on to www.rayaschool.multiply.com. We shall start putting folders for each event as well as pictures of the kids doing their daily activities. 

Actually, we don’t really take pictures merely on a whim. Taking pictures everyday is part of our effort to document your children’s development and progress in Raya. Through the pictures you’ll see how much fun they have in the classroom, the playroom and outside Raya, during our frequent field trips.  By reflecting on the pictures, the faculty actually realizes what kind of teaching devices and techniques worked with the children, and what activities really got 100% from the Rayans.  At the end of the trimester, you shall also see a set of pictures that the teachers will choose from dozens, that clearly show your children’s Raya learning experience.

I know for a fact that some parents are avid photographers—do let me know if you’d like to upload your photos of the Rayans as well. We would be happy to see them on our multiply site.

By the way, I’d like to thank Louie and Angel Laparan for welcoming Prep Kabunyian to their home last week, as well as three Nursery moms for being our special guests at class last week: Gigie Cruz, Rachel Bautista and Christine Turno.  Your involvement made such a difference last week!

TEACHER ANI
P.S. We are postponing the earthquake and fire drills upon the advice of Mrs. Angie Montes, one of our nursery parents who works for PHIVOLCS. Angie has wisely advised us to do the said drills when we’ve already moved to Scout Torillo. Thanks, Angie : )

Nursery Tutubi, Pawikan and Pipit

First and foremost, we would like to thank our resource parents for this week—Tita Gigie of Pipit, Tita Rachel of Tutubi and Tita Christine of Pawikan! We really appreciate the time you took off your busy days to spend time and share your family life with the class. It’s a day all of us, specially your own kids will remember.  Again, thanks!

Moving on this week, our stories Ako at Si Kuya (Adarna House) and Whose Mouse Are You? (Alladin Paperbacks) will help us answer the question “What do I like about my family?” -- we are getting into a deeper understanding of how families are different (yet the same). Our lessons on the senses, positional terms and rational counting will be intertwined with skill building exercises in cutting, pasting as well as observing and making inferences. We will be making dolls made of recycled plastic cups as well as learn self help skills in buttoning and unbuttoning clothes. Our letter this week is C and our number symbol is 4.

Please have your kids get ready for our Occupations activity on Friday—measuring ingredients! We might ask them to bring measuring tools from home (like cups or spoons) for us to facilitate the activity.

Thanks!

TEACHER RUTH

Kinder Adlaw and Bulan

Do your kids love going to school? What stories do they tell you when they come home? This week, we’ll find out the things we like in Raya and why we love waking up for school everyday! We’ll start with our springboard stories Curious George’s First Day of School and Unang Unggoy. We’ll talk about the things we use in school, what we felt during our first day and the things we like in our classroom. We’ll even be interviewing someone from grade 1 and grade 2 to tell us about their experiences in Raya and why it makes them want to study here. Not only that, this week we’ll also look for names in sentences; provide the missing numbers in a number sequence; identify, write and sound the letter Hh; talk about the sources of light; and enrich our Filipino vocabulary with things that are seen inside the classroom.

As the Pista sa Raya is fast approaching, practices continue in both Kinder classes. We will also have a talk on the different Fiestas (Festivals) held in the different parts of our country to enlighten us on why we celebrate Pista sa Raya every year.

Thank you very much for continuing practicing the songs we’ll be singing on August 16!
           

TEACHER ISBEL

Prep Bathala and Kabunyian

 It was so nice to hear the Prep kids cite the things that they like most about school. It gives us great joy that they treasure their time spent in Raya. They also sure had a lot of fun doing a treasure hunt using a map of the school.

We are still talking about school next week. We will use the literary pieces Si Paula Oink Oink and Three Cheers for Tacky to help us discuss friendship in school. Also, we will talk about the activities we do with our friends like playing Filipino games and making cards or short letters to show how much we appreciate them. On Friday, we will make friendship bracelets and do a show-and-tell of a special object we’d like to give our friend in school. In Math, bar graphs and pictograph will be discussed while Proper and Common nouns plus Demonstrative Pronouns (These are and Those are) will be tackled in Language.

TEACHER JEANNE

Grade 1 Matapat

We have traveled oceans and forests last week. This week will be as cold as ice and as hot as the sun as we take an adventure to the antartic and desert.

Our springboard pieces this week are: Si Ivik Ang Batang Eskimo and Journey Across the Desert. In Science, we will talk about the remaining animal habitats, desert and the antartic. In C&I, we will talk about our own home and community as we answer the question: Who are the people in my community? In Math, we will review skip counting and start working on our ordinal numbers. In Integrated Language Arts, we will practice the consonant blends ph, th, and wh. We will also cover pang-uri and adjectives. In Art and Crafts, we will make the props that they suggested in preparation for the upcoming pista.

Thank you for your help Matapat parents!

TEACHER TONI

Grade 2 Marangal

Our lessons for this week will circle on the questions, How do humans and animals grow? and  Bakit mahalaga ang mga pambansang sagisag?

In Science we will talk about and observe the life cycle of different animals. In Math, we will learn the importance of money and solve word problems involving money. In Citizenship and Identity, we will study the different national symbols understand their importance. In Language Arts, we will learn the future tense of verbs. In Art, we will talk about space and texture.

Our springboard pieces for this week are Aba! May Baby sa Tiyan ni Mommy and The Spectacular Tree.

P.S.
Joaquin is celebrating his 8th birthday on Wednesday, Aug.6. Happy birthday Joaquin!:)

TEACHER MICHELLE