Newsletter September 26-30

I remembered to send your child's poetry folder home.  In fact, I am placing it on their desks after I finish this post!  Please read these poems with your child nightly and return the folder on Friday for our poetry performances.  I mentioned last week that all of the children with the same poem will perform together as a group.  Please encourage reading with expression.  Memorizing the poem is optional, but those that memorize it can choose to perform it on their own after the group performances.     

Next week, October 3-7 is SEP week.  I can't believe that they are here already.  I included in your child's folder today a notice of when their conference is scheduled.  If you have a conflict with your scheduled time, please send me a note or e-mail and we can change it.

There are a couple of new items in your child's folder this week (besides the poetry journal).  One is a list of sight words.  Please practice these with your child and return the yellow slip of paper when they are ready to "pass off" the words in class.  They should be able to read these words automatically, without much hesitation, and without trying to sound them out.  I will send a new list, up to 11 lists, after you child passes one off.  We, as first grade teachers, will include on our first quarter report card lists one and two.  Practicing these sight words can be part of your 20 minutes of reading at night. Don't practice them for the whole 20 minutes though, just a few minutes each night. The other new item is the challenge words that are attached to the spelling list.  I will be including these every week.  I include them for all students because it's easier to load their folders that way, but if you feel that the regular spelling words are enough for your child, do not study these.  These spelling words are bonus and the children that attempt them will get extra credit on their spelling tests each Friday. 

Remember to have your child write their spelling words for homework and return the list along with the homework side of their math worksheet. 

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Fall weather!  Happy Reading!

Newsletter September 19-23

Today we are starting three new homework items. I have started sending home math homework. It is side B of their math worksheet.  Please check on the sidebar of this blog because some days we do not have math homework.  The homework side of the math is pretty much identical to what we have done in class (different numbers or scenarios of course).  Please help you child with this and return it the next day. I know we all get hectic and if for some reason you can't get the homework done, please send it in as soon as possible.  It will be worth 5 points on your child's math grade.  I have also included a spelling homework sheet.  Please have your child write the spelling words and return it by Friday.  Last week, the results of our spelling test were not as high as the previous three weeks, so I wanted to give some extra practice at home.  I have also sent home your child's poetry journal.  Please help your child read their poem (include this in their nightly reading) and return the folder on Friday for our Poetry Performances. Please encourage your child so read these poems with expression. I will have all of the students that have the same poem recite it together.  Then, I will have any children that have memorized their poem recite it.  Memorizing the poem is optional, but last year many of my students likes to the challenge of memorizing it and performing it on their own. I will send home this poetry journal every Monday, and it will be due every Friday.

Take-home books will now come home Monday-Friday.  Please remember to initial on the slip by the book.  I am excited that most of you are faithfully taking advantage of our take-home library books.

The fluoride rinse program will start this Wednesday morning.  If you did not send in a permission slip for this program your child will not be asked to "swish" the fluoride.  If you want your child to do this, please send in a permission note and I will let the SUU dental students know.

Remember that school pictures as this Wednesday, September 21.  I sent home an envelope last week.  If you don't choose to purchase a package your child's picture will still be taken.

Thanks for all of the help that you give your child at home.  Happy Reading!

Newsletter September 12-16

We started our first grade, "Walk to Read" groups today.  This will take a few days to sort out, as the students will be traveling to different teachers. PLEASE make sure that your child is on time for school.  It will be a big disruption if you child walks in late for reading groups and they will miss out on valuable instruction.  Let me know if you have any questions about this and if you want to know where you child will be during the Literacy  Block.  I will talk to at SEP conferences the first week in October, but if you want to know earlier I would be happy to give you any needed details. Thanks to those parents that are helping with our "Walk to Read" program.  If you would like to help out and haven't signed up, let me know.  I could also use parent volunteers in my classroom on Wednesday mornings.  That day we do not travel to read, we stay together in my classroom.

Last week, I mentioned that I would be sending home poems in your child's poetry journal this week.  With reading groups starting, I did not get to them like I planned.  I will definitely start sending home poems next Monday, September 19th.  This is the day that math homework will start also.

On Tuesday, September 13th our Take-Home library books will start coming home (books in a bag), I have a few of you that haven't signed the permission slip for this program.  I am including a new permission slip in your child's backpack today.  Please sign this and return it as soon as possible so that your child can participate in this program. 

New spellings words and decodeable books are in your child's backpack today.  Thanks for studying the spelling words with your child and for having your child read the decodeable books nightly.

Have a great week and Happy Reading!

Newsletter September 5-9

I hope you all enjoyed your  long weekend.  We are back to work.  I hope that you saw in your child's homework folder, their new list of spelling words, decodeable books, and a new Reading Record for September.  Please help your child study their spelling words at home, as this week of course is one day shorter. Remember too that August Reading Records are now due! 

I have had a couple of recurring questions.  One is about the decodeable books.  Those are yours to keep.  Please read those with your child nightly, as part of their 20 minutes of reading.  It helps to cement the spelling concept that we are working on.  This week is the short "i" sound. Another question is about the math homework.  I didn't want to over burden you or your child with homework right at the beginning of school so I decided to wait to send home the math homework side of the worksheet.  We have been doing both sides in class.  Starting Monday, September 19th, I will be sending home the homework side of the math worksheet.  This will be due the next day. Please refer to the sidebar on this blog and it will tell you about what we are learning in math as well as the homework schedule.  Sometimes the lesson does not have homework with it or we are having a test.  I try to, as much as possible schedule tests on Fridays so that your child will not have math homework over the weekend.

I was pleased again with the results of our second spelling test.  I have been giving my students the list in the order that is on the sheet I send home.  Starting this week, I will be giving the test words out of order and adding a dictation sentence.  The dictation sentence will be worth bonus points for the next few weeks.  I will let you know when I will make them part of the actual spelling test score and not just extra points.  I want my students to be able to transfer these newly learned spelling words into their writing.

We go to the library every Thursday.  First graders can check out two books.  Students are not permitted to check out books if the previous books are not returned.

We have enjoyed having a new student, Kason Bulloch! He has fit in nicely with our class.

Happy Reading!!  Remember that the Scholastic book orders are due, Tuesday September 6th.