Newsletter April 29 - May 3

I can't believe it will be May tomorrow!  Because of that I will be giving you  a lot of information as our year is winding down.

First, April reading records are due May 1!  Please return these by May 2nd at the latest, because that is the day that the SUU student will be picking them up.  The class  who reads the most minutes will receive a pizza party.  I will send home a May reading record on May 1st.  I will only require reading until Friday, May 17th.  May's reading record will be due then, May 17th!!

The last day to check out library books will be May 10th.  Those books will need to be returned by Friday, May 17th.  All students who return their books by May 17th will receive a free book to take home.  Please look for lost books or pay the fine associated with the lost book.  If your child returns the book after May 17th, they will not receive the free book incentive.  The Take-home library books will also stop the week of May 6 -10.  Please return those books too, or pay the $5.00 to replace the lost Take-home book.

On Monday, May 13th we will take our end of year reading test.  As I mentioned before, I am going to make pancakes for my students that morning before the test.  If you would like to donate a bottle of syrup or some apple juice please let me know.  Thanks to Cason's mom for already donating one bottle of syrup! Please have your child here that day, well-rested and ready to go!

We are going swimming on Wednesday, May 15th with all of the first grade classes.  The cost for this field trip is a $2.00 donation.  For this field trip to occur, we need 5 or 6 parent volunteers from each classroom.  So far, I have two fathers who are willing to come swimming with us (yes, that means put on a suit and get in the water).  I still need at least 3 more volunteers.  If you can help us out that morning from 9:45 to 11:30 please send me a note or e-mail.  Watch for a permission slip for this field trip on Thursday.

On Thursday, May 16th, the PTA is sponsoring a Walk-A-Thon.  It is a fundraiser for our school.  I will send home information for this fun fundraiser tomorrow.  All children will walk this day even if they do not collect pledges.

Our school field day will be Friday, May 17th.  The first grade classes have decided to walk up to Canyon Park and walk the canyon trail and then play on the playground equipment for field day.  We will leave the school that morning at 9:30 and return before lunch.  Lunch that day will be a BBQ.  We all get lunch and eat outside on the east fields.  If your child usually brings a home lunch, but would like to have a school lunch that day please make sure that they have money in their lunch account.

I will still have spelling tests for the next three weeks, and send home math homework most days until May 17th.  Please have all work turned in by Friday, May 17th so that I can get the final grades put in the computer and printed out. 

Phoenix's and McKenlee's Flat Stanley's have traveled to Lehi and Price Utah, respectively and they were excited to share their experiences with the class.  Remember that when your child's Flat Stanley returns send it  back with your child so that they can share his experiences with us.  My students love this activity!

We have three more students that have reached the 100-book milestone!  Congratulations to Reese, Mckenlee and Amilia!! This challenge will stop on Friday, May 17th  and those that reach it will have their picture submitted to the Iron County Today newspaper and will be able to release a balloon in celebration.  The best part though, is those that have participated in this challenge have become better readers!

Congratulations also to Kaden Stucki!  He is our April Catch-the-Vision winner.  He is an awesome student!

If you have any questions about anything that we will be doing during May, or any concerns about your child please don't hesitate to contact me.

Scroll down and enjoy some pictures from our recent Field Trip to Bard's Birthday Bash.

Happy Reading!!

Reese has read 100 books!

Congratulations McKenlee--100 books read!

Amilia has read 100 books too!

Newsletter April 22-25

We practiced for our little program today.  Remember that all of the first grade classes will perform this Wednesday, April 24th at 10:15 a.m. in the gym.  We are also performing at 9:15a.m., but the awards for the 1st graders are during the 10:15 time.

We had a great time at the Natural history museum last Thursday.  We had a tree tour,  looked at fascinating plants in the greenhouses, and the highlight, was being able to touch Screeching Cockroaches, a Bearded Dragon, an Iguana, and a Ball Python.  This Thursday is Bard's Birthday Bash.  We will be walking to SUU again.  We will leave here at 12:20p.m. and return before 3:00p.m.  A few of my students have not turned in their permission slips, please do so ASAP.  If any of you would like to accompany us on this field trip please let me know. 

Today I gave my kids a package of smarties supplied by the SUU student that is conducting a research project on reading.  I asked them if they were reading and filling out the calendar she provided .  I reminded them that the class that reads the most minutes will receive a pizza party.  Several of my students looked at me with blank faces.  I have mentioned several times in my blog that my reading record will be her calendar for this month.  I hope that you are reading and recording those minutes for her project and for your child's grade.  We still have about 3 1/2 weeks left for your child to complete the 100-book challenge.  The final day that I will accept book lists is Friday, May 17th.  Justin reached 80 books today, and Jacob and Kaden have both reached 85 books!  I can really tell who is doing this challenge their reading has improved tremendously!

Our DIBELS test (end of the year reading assessment) will be Monday, May 13th in the morning.  I thought it would be fun to make my students pancakes that morning before they are tested.  If any of you would like to donate a bottle of syrup let me know. Please make sure that you child is well rested the night before and continue to practice sight words, nonsense words, or repeated readings with your child.  

Tomorrow I am testing on Topic 12 in math and will also start Topic 13 which is a unit on time.  I will also have my high school helpers start testing all students that have not passed off Sight Word Lists #8 and #9 starting this Wednesday.

In science we are continuing to learn about plants, but will move to animal life cycles the first part of May.  We will learn about the frog life cycle, the butterfly life cycle, and the life cycle of a chicken.  We will even experience the life cycle of a chicken starting May 1st.  That is when our eggs and incubator arrives!

We have a classroom set of ipods now!  Thanks immensely to Kristy Terry for helping me organize and put all of my listening library onto iTunes.  I am excited that this class will be able to use these ipods for the remaining few weeks.  They will be using them especially during our literacy block, listening to books, and using educational apps that support their learning. 

Happy Reading!

Newsletter April 15-19

We had a great time watching the "Playmakers" production group perform the Wizard of Oz.  We have talented students here in Iron County.  I sent home two more field trip permission slips today.  One is this Thursday, April 18.  We will again be walking to SUU, but this time to the Natural History museum where we will participate in a Life Cycles demonstration.  The other field trip is next Thursday, April 25 at SUU and we will participate in Bard's Birthday Bash.  Please sign and return those field trip permission slips before Thursday, April 18th.  If any of you would like to accompany us to either of those field trips I would appreciate the help.  It's nice to have another adult in the middle of the line as we walk to SUU.  On May 15th, the first grade classes will go swimming at the Aquatic Center.  I am mentioning this now because in order for this to be possible we need 5 or 6 parent volunteers per class that are willing to come and swim with us.    If you would be willing to help us out please send me a note or e-mail.

I hope that you all saw the Flat Stanley assignment that I sent home last week.  If you have any questions about that assignment please send me an e-mail.  It is an optional assignment, but one that reinforces the concepts that we have learned in our map unit.  In the past, my students couldn't wait to show the travels that their Flat Stanley went on.

The time for our first grade performance has been changed slightly.  We will perform two songs next week Wednesday, April 24th during the AR awards assembly.  We will perform once at 9:15 for grades 3-5 and then again at 10:15 for grades K-2.  You are welcome to come and watch us sing.

This Friday, at 8:20 - 8:50 in the gym it's "Dads and Donuts" sponsored by our wonderful PTA.  Your child may bring their father, grandpa, uncle, or any other significant male figure in their lives to enjoy a doughnut before school.

I hope you are reading every night with your child and recording the minutes on the April calendar supplied by, Miss Osbourne, the SUU student conducting a research project.  The class that has the most recorded minutes will receive a pizza party.  That calendar will also be my reading record for April and will be due May 1st. 

One last thing, I sent home April Scholastic book orders today.  Those orders will be due this Friday, April 19th.  I will send home the May Scholastic book orders home early in the month so that the books will be here before school dismisses for the summer.  Congratulations to Reese--she has now read 85 books!  Raelee has now read 30 books towards the 100-book challenge.  You now have a little less than five weeks to complete that challenge.

Happy Reading!!

Newsletter April 8 - 12

I knew that the nice spring weather was too good to be true in Cedar City.  We are going to write about the characteristics of Spring tomorrow, and in Cedar City, anything goes!

If you have not sent back your child's permission slip yet for our walking field trip to SUU to watch The Wizard of Oz, please do so ASAP.  If you can donate $1.00 for the cost of the ticket please send that with the permission slip.  We have two more field trips coming up this month, both walking field trips to SUU.  I will send home permission slips for both of those upcoming field trips this Thursday.

On April 19th at 8:20 in the gym, the PTA is sponsoring "Dads and Doughnuts".  Dads you are welcome to bring you child to school that day and enjoy a doughnut for breakfast.

Teacher request forms for next year are in the office and will be due by May 1st.  Mr. Burton asked us to mention that requests are not encouraged, but will be considered if there are special circumstances with your child.

Remember that our April reading record is different this month.  I sent home a calendar on April 1st with an information sheet attached to it.  March reading records were due April 1st.  I will only give your child a certificate, pizza coupon, and treat, if their reading record is turned in by this Friday, April 12th.  We have so many students reading towards the 100-book challenge.  Today Kaden reached 75 books and Justin reached 60 books. I know we all have a bit of "spring fever", but please continue to read nightly with your child.  You will never regret  reading with your child!

I have had a couple of students ask me about our little performance this month at the AR assembly.  We will perform two songs on Wednesday, April 24th at 10:00 in the gym.  It is a short performance so if you want to come make sure that you get there on time.  We also perform again for the upper grades at 10:45.

Happy Reading!

Newsletter April 1 - 5

Welcome back after a glorious Spring break.  We had a nice time at our Easter Egg hunt and picnic.  Thanks for those who donated candy-filled eggs.  It was a nice way to end March in 1st grade.  

We only have eight weeks left in school.  We will continue to work hard up until the end in reading groups and in math.  I will assign new spelling words every week with the exception of the last week of school.  In science, we will start exploring life cycles.  

In April, we have several walking field trips to SUU.  The first one will be Thursday, April 11.  We will walk to the Randall Jones Theater to watch the play "The Wizard of Oz".  Then, we will again walk to SUU on April 18 to participate in a Plant Life Cycle presentation.  Lastly, we will attend Bard's Birthday bash on April 25.  I will send home separate permission slips for each of these Field Trips.  I will send home the "Wizard of Oz" permission slip on Wednesday.  Watch for it on yellow paper.

At the end of the month, on Wednesday, April 24, during our regular AR awards assembly, the first grade classes will be performing two songs.  You are welcome to come and watch us sing.  We will perform first at 10:00 and then again at  10:45.  The awards for first graders are given out at the 10:00 time slot.

I sent home a Talent Show information sheet before we left for the break.  The Talent Show will be this Friday, April 5.

Look for a Lion's Kite Flight for Reading and Sight flier in your child's backpack.  Our school receives money for each sheet that is filled out and returned to the event on April 27.  Do not turn it into me, but rather take it to the event.

Congratulations to Aiden, Alec and Cason.  Aiden is our "Catch the Vision" winner for March.  He is a superb student and friend.  Alec has conquered the 100 challenge milestone.  He was the first to read 100 books!  Cason was not far behind him and he too has finished reading 100 books!  Remember that I will conclude that challenge on Friday, May 17.  It is definitely still achievable!  

I go home nightly grateful for my opportunity to teach YOUR child.  Happy Reading!

Alec is the 1st to read 100 books!

Cason has also read 100 books and counting!

Finally cute Aiden.  Our March "Catch the Vision" winner.