We are sure having a great time learning about our body systems. So far we have learned about our skeletal, muscular, digestive, and circulatory systems. On Wednesday we will learn about our Nervous system. It's amazing what my little first graders can absorb and learn. I hope that they are sharing with you some of the things we are learning about our bodies.
I hope that your child is working on their Math Chapter 2 homework packet. That will be due on Monday, October 5. October 5 is the day I will administer the test for Chapter 2.
Mrs. Vogel and I work closely together and we have decided that for a portion of our reading block we are going to combine students into groups that will be more beneficial for their learning. Some of my students will go over to Mrs. Vogel's classroom and some of her students will come over here. We will do this daily from 10:30-11:00. They will be reading from the text from our reading program at a pace that is at each child's level. We feel this will be a benefit to all of our students. These groups will be fluid, that is, we will change students when the need arises to best meet all of our students' needs.
To encourage more with sight word practice, I will test on Sight Word List #1 on October 12. Please practice the sight words and phrases with your child every night for a few minutes so every student can pass of Sight Word List #1 by October 12. You can pass off these lists quicker than I outline, but I want to encourage all of my students to pass off all 11 lists before they leave first grade.
We will be doing a Halloween art project and each child needs an apple for that project. Could you please send an apple with your child by Monday, October 5. It can be any kind, or color, the bigger the apple the better :)
Thank you for making time to visit with me this week. I look forward to this week. Please continue to contact me anytime with questions or concerns.
Happy Reading!
Monday, September 28, 2015
Monday, September 21, 2015
Newsletter September 21 - 25
Next week is SEP week (parent teacher conferences). I sent home an appointment time today. It is on green paper. Please let me know if you will be able to make your appointed time ASAP (tomorrow would be great). If you can't make the time please put another time or day that will work and I will try and accommodate that for you. The best way to reschedule is through e-mail, but I will or course take a phone call or note to reschedule. I look forward to meeting with all of you next week. School will dismiss everyday next day at 2:30 p.m. including Wednesday.
Our first math test last was week. Most of my students did very well. If you child misses any problems I will have my daughter, Miss Katelyn, help with test corrections. If your child's test is scored below 100% and it looks like they got every question correct, that is because Katelyn helped them figure out why they missed the answer and then they will correct it on the test sheet. I do not change their score for the test.
Most of you are reading your take-home books with your child every night three times. Thank you so much for that extra effort. If a child doesn't read their book I try to have a reading aide listen to them read the book the following day , but some days I do not have an extra set of hands so your child will possibly miss recess to read it (or another similar book on their level). If I cannot get to it your child will miss their 5 points for the day. That will add up, but most importantly your child will not be getting the extra reading they need in order to become a more fluent reader. I appreciate your help with this, I know it takes effort and sometimes prodding. Just last night my son who is much older than a first grader said, "I hate the person that invented reading!" So, I understand how sometimes reading every night can be difficult, but I so appreciate your help and consistency. It will pay off!!
I have had a couple of students turn in their yellow slips in order to "pass off" their sight words. Please practice the sight word lists I sent home every night with your child also. You don't have to spend more than a couple of minutes practicing the sight words, but making them automatic is helpful, even if it's just a couple of words a night. When your child is ready to pass off a particular list of words, just send back the yellow slip signed and I will send them another list.
I just received our school pictures in my box. I will send those home tomorrow. If you would like your child's picture retaken, that date will be October 9.
Happy Reading!!
Our first math test last was week. Most of my students did very well. If you child misses any problems I will have my daughter, Miss Katelyn, help with test corrections. If your child's test is scored below 100% and it looks like they got every question correct, that is because Katelyn helped them figure out why they missed the answer and then they will correct it on the test sheet. I do not change their score for the test.
Most of you are reading your take-home books with your child every night three times. Thank you so much for that extra effort. If a child doesn't read their book I try to have a reading aide listen to them read the book the following day , but some days I do not have an extra set of hands so your child will possibly miss recess to read it (or another similar book on their level). If I cannot get to it your child will miss their 5 points for the day. That will add up, but most importantly your child will not be getting the extra reading they need in order to become a more fluent reader. I appreciate your help with this, I know it takes effort and sometimes prodding. Just last night my son who is much older than a first grader said, "I hate the person that invented reading!" So, I understand how sometimes reading every night can be difficult, but I so appreciate your help and consistency. It will pay off!!
I have had a couple of students turn in their yellow slips in order to "pass off" their sight words. Please practice the sight word lists I sent home every night with your child also. You don't have to spend more than a couple of minutes practicing the sight words, but making them automatic is helpful, even if it's just a couple of words a night. When your child is ready to pass off a particular list of words, just send back the yellow slip signed and I will send them another list.
I just received our school pictures in my box. I will send those home tomorrow. If you would like your child's picture retaken, that date will be October 9.
Happy Reading!!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Newsletter September 14 - 18
Today we started with the Take-Home library books. This year I am going to require that the take-home book be read every night three times. In the bag today I sent a detailed note explaining how I would like you to help out with this opportunity to read with your child. If you have any questions please send me an e-mail and I will be happy to help answer any questions or concerns.
I also sent home sight words and phrases today in your child's homework folder. I didn't get a chance to explain to my students about these words, but I did also include a note along with the words and phrases explaining it to you. I will explain it to the kids tomorrow. Include sight word practice in your 15 minutes of nightly reading time. This helps with your child's accuracy and speed in reading immensely.
Today the homework packet for Math Chapter 1 was due. If you didn't help your child remember to turn it in today, please help them remember and get it turned in ASAP. I will be sending home a packet for Chapter 2 this Thursday along with a schedule of the lessons and a due date.
The Scholastic book order that I sent home last week is due tomorrow, September 15. You can order online or send in the order with one check made out to Scholastic.
The PTA reminded us at our last assembly that the end of the quarter is coming up. We are about half-way through. They are having a contest for Box Tops. The class that collects the most Box Tops by the end of the quarter will receive a root beer float party. You can find "box tops" on a variety of food items (cereal, granola bars, Gogurts etc.)--just cut them out and return them to our classroom to help our school.
With the end of the quarter around the corner, I wanted to give you a heads up about SEP conferences. Those conferences will be held the last week of September--September 28 - October 2. I will schedule 15 minute conferences and will accommodate siblings so that you will not have to come to the school more than one day. Watch for a note to come home in the next week or two with your scheduled appointment time. School that week will dismiss at 2:30 everyday including Wednesday.
Tomorrow we will start reading groups and reading intervention groups. I have tried to inform you by e-mail if your child will be attending a reading intervention group along with the reading instruction that occurs in our classroom. Thank you to those that have volunteered to help with reading in our classroom. If you would like to help and didn't sign up and Back to School night you are more than welcome to start helping. Just let me know and we can figure the best day and time for you to help out.
Happy Reading!!
I also sent home sight words and phrases today in your child's homework folder. I didn't get a chance to explain to my students about these words, but I did also include a note along with the words and phrases explaining it to you. I will explain it to the kids tomorrow. Include sight word practice in your 15 minutes of nightly reading time. This helps with your child's accuracy and speed in reading immensely.
Today the homework packet for Math Chapter 1 was due. If you didn't help your child remember to turn it in today, please help them remember and get it turned in ASAP. I will be sending home a packet for Chapter 2 this Thursday along with a schedule of the lessons and a due date.
The Scholastic book order that I sent home last week is due tomorrow, September 15. You can order online or send in the order with one check made out to Scholastic.
The PTA reminded us at our last assembly that the end of the quarter is coming up. We are about half-way through. They are having a contest for Box Tops. The class that collects the most Box Tops by the end of the quarter will receive a root beer float party. You can find "box tops" on a variety of food items (cereal, granola bars, Gogurts etc.)--just cut them out and return them to our classroom to help our school.
With the end of the quarter around the corner, I wanted to give you a heads up about SEP conferences. Those conferences will be held the last week of September--September 28 - October 2. I will schedule 15 minute conferences and will accommodate siblings so that you will not have to come to the school more than one day. Watch for a note to come home in the next week or two with your scheduled appointment time. School that week will dismiss at 2:30 everyday including Wednesday.
Tomorrow we will start reading groups and reading intervention groups. I have tried to inform you by e-mail if your child will be attending a reading intervention group along with the reading instruction that occurs in our classroom. Thank you to those that have volunteered to help with reading in our classroom. If you would like to help and didn't sign up and Back to School night you are more than welcome to start helping. Just let me know and we can figure the best day and time for you to help out.
Happy Reading!!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Newsletter September 8 - 11
I hope that you all had a nice three day weekend. I heard many stories of visits to the Iron County Fair this weekend.
Today I sent home several papers from the reading practice book. Many of these papers are short stories that would be perfect to use for reading at home with your child. Remember that you were given a pink reading calendar on September 1st and I now expect that you read with your child each night for about 15 minutes. If you choose to read these stories have your child reread them until they become fluent. That means that they shouldn't be sounding out every word. It is beneficial to reread the same text. You will also find a worksheet labeled 11.3. Please complete this with your child, it does not have to be returned, but you can count it as part of all of the nightly reading. I sent home also a paper marked 7b-1. This is a note about what we will be discussing and learning about in the "Listening and Learning" section of the reading program. We have already listened to "The Little Half-Chick" and the "Noisy Crowded House" and discussed the lessons learned through these folktales. Last week we took a quiz on the fables we have learned about and most of my students got every fable correct. That quiz is in your child's folder today.
Speaking of folders, please send your homework folder back with your child everyday. Most of you are doing that. I appreciate it. Some days there won't be anything in them, but like today there are several papers, that need to go home. Using the folder as you know keeps those important papers together.
Today please look for the Scholastic Reading fliers. I sent the September book orders home along with a note. Those orders will be due, on Tuesday, September 15. The easiest way to order books is to use our class code that I provided on the note, but you can also send back the order with a check made out to Scholastic. You do not need to send more than one check even if you place an order from the two different catalogs. You can also find the code on the right sidebar of this blog (it will be permanently posted there). Of course, ordering books through Scholastic is an optional thing, but it's a great way to get wonderful titles in your home. Most of the time there are books for just $1.00. Ordering books too gets us more titles for our classroom.
We finished our beginning of the year reading assessments today. I am hoping that we can start differentiated reading groups next Monday, September 14. That will depend on if the reading specialist and her wonderful aides, are able to meet with us (the first grade teachers) and we can place all students in an appropriate group. If your child will benefit from a reading intervention group, I will inform you of that action. I had several volunteers sign up for reading help. If the reading groups are set up next week, which I think they will be, then I would like you to start next week. I will e-mail you privately and remind you of the day and the time that you signed up to help. This will help me greatly! If you didn't sign up at Back-to-School night and would like to now help please let me know. I will need help everyday from 9:45-10:30.
We are a lesson behind schedule in math. On the schedule stapled to your child's folder, it states that homework for tonight will be 1.7. We completed 1.6 today in class. You can just back up one day on that schedule. The packets will still be due, on Monday, September 14. We will test on Wednesday, September 16.
If you haven't returned the Take-home library permission slip please do that ASAP. If you need another one let me know and I will send it with your child (it is on bright orange paper). I want to start that this next Monday, September 14. I will include more detailed instructions on how that works in next week's newsletter.
We are happy that Kollen will return to our class tomorrow. He attended the first day, but then after a short "move" has returned to East Elementary. We now have 23 students in our class. Thanks again for sending morning snacks and for helping your child succeed in school.
Today I sent home several papers from the reading practice book. Many of these papers are short stories that would be perfect to use for reading at home with your child. Remember that you were given a pink reading calendar on September 1st and I now expect that you read with your child each night for about 15 minutes. If you choose to read these stories have your child reread them until they become fluent. That means that they shouldn't be sounding out every word. It is beneficial to reread the same text. You will also find a worksheet labeled 11.3. Please complete this with your child, it does not have to be returned, but you can count it as part of all of the nightly reading. I sent home also a paper marked 7b-1. This is a note about what we will be discussing and learning about in the "Listening and Learning" section of the reading program. We have already listened to "The Little Half-Chick" and the "Noisy Crowded House" and discussed the lessons learned through these folktales. Last week we took a quiz on the fables we have learned about and most of my students got every fable correct. That quiz is in your child's folder today.
Speaking of folders, please send your homework folder back with your child everyday. Most of you are doing that. I appreciate it. Some days there won't be anything in them, but like today there are several papers, that need to go home. Using the folder as you know keeps those important papers together.
Today please look for the Scholastic Reading fliers. I sent the September book orders home along with a note. Those orders will be due, on Tuesday, September 15. The easiest way to order books is to use our class code that I provided on the note, but you can also send back the order with a check made out to Scholastic. You do not need to send more than one check even if you place an order from the two different catalogs. You can also find the code on the right sidebar of this blog (it will be permanently posted there). Of course, ordering books through Scholastic is an optional thing, but it's a great way to get wonderful titles in your home. Most of the time there are books for just $1.00. Ordering books too gets us more titles for our classroom.
We finished our beginning of the year reading assessments today. I am hoping that we can start differentiated reading groups next Monday, September 14. That will depend on if the reading specialist and her wonderful aides, are able to meet with us (the first grade teachers) and we can place all students in an appropriate group. If your child will benefit from a reading intervention group, I will inform you of that action. I had several volunteers sign up for reading help. If the reading groups are set up next week, which I think they will be, then I would like you to start next week. I will e-mail you privately and remind you of the day and the time that you signed up to help. This will help me greatly! If you didn't sign up at Back-to-School night and would like to now help please let me know. I will need help everyday from 9:45-10:30.
We are a lesson behind schedule in math. On the schedule stapled to your child's folder, it states that homework for tonight will be 1.7. We completed 1.6 today in class. You can just back up one day on that schedule. The packets will still be due, on Monday, September 14. We will test on Wednesday, September 16.
If you haven't returned the Take-home library permission slip please do that ASAP. If you need another one let me know and I will send it with your child (it is on bright orange paper). I want to start that this next Monday, September 14. I will include more detailed instructions on how that works in next week's newsletter.
We are happy that Kollen will return to our class tomorrow. He attended the first day, but then after a short "move" has returned to East Elementary. We now have 23 students in our class. Thanks again for sending morning snacks and for helping your child succeed in school.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Newsletter August 31- September 4
This is and will continue to be a week full of assessments. We are assessing using our new reading program to accurately place students in the program. The reading aides are also testing the students using two tests, DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) and ERI (Early Reading Inventory). These assessments will help to place students in reading groups that are appropriate for every child's level. I will send the results of these tests home after we have taken them all. We take the ERI this Thursday, and the DIBELS next Tuesday. I am assessing all students in my classroom using the assessments provided with our new reading program.
Today I sent home the first Reading calendar. It is pink and it will count for our classroom home reading minutes as well as for PTA incentives. I would ask that you read with your child for 15 minutes 5 times per week. Please record the minutes read on the calendar and return on October 1. I will count home reading as part of your child's grade. It will count as 100 points per month (5 pts. each day read). Our take-home library should be starting in a couple of weeks, until then please choose books that you have at home or visit the public library for books to read.
You should be working on math practice sheets with your child most nights. We usually get through on lesson a day except for Wednesdays. Today we worked on lesson 1.4 (which is pretty tricky). It's a hard concept for most first graders to understand the "missing part". The homework packet will be due on September 14. I would recommend that you don't go ahead if possible because you and your child may be frustrated as the concepts haven't been taught in class yet, and also don't get behind so that you are rushing through the assignments the day before they are due.
Most of the literacy "homework" pages do not need to be returned, but I really hope you are taking advantage of those activities. You can count those activities as part of your child's 15 minutes of reading if you are helping them (sight words, building words etc.).
I am working on getting all of your e-mails to Mr. Moyle. That is the way he contacts parents for school-wide information. If you are not receiving information from the school through Mr. Moyle please let me know and I will make sure he has your correct e-mail address.
School pictures are this Friday, September 4. All students will get their pictures taken, but you do not need to pay for a package. If you would like prints you can send the envelope back with a check made out to Lifetouch, or as I mentioned before pay online using the code found on the brochure.
If you haven't signed up for text notifications please do that soon (now would be great). I sent home a note today (on yellow paper) with the information you will need to sign up for text notifications.
I appreciate all that you do to help your child as he or she progresses through first grade. I hope that they are telling you about what they are learning. Maybe ask them about the fables they have heard recently and the lessons we have learned from them.
It was nice to see some of you at the PTA luau last night. We have a great school environment, wonderful teachers and students. Thank you for sending snacks for our morning recess. I have a few open slots so if you haven't sent a snack or want to send another one let me know and I can give you another date or you can just send another snack with your child and that can fill in on a date that hasn't been taken yet. Have a wonderful week!
Today I sent home the first Reading calendar. It is pink and it will count for our classroom home reading minutes as well as for PTA incentives. I would ask that you read with your child for 15 minutes 5 times per week. Please record the minutes read on the calendar and return on October 1. I will count home reading as part of your child's grade. It will count as 100 points per month (5 pts. each day read). Our take-home library should be starting in a couple of weeks, until then please choose books that you have at home or visit the public library for books to read.
You should be working on math practice sheets with your child most nights. We usually get through on lesson a day except for Wednesdays. Today we worked on lesson 1.4 (which is pretty tricky). It's a hard concept for most first graders to understand the "missing part". The homework packet will be due on September 14. I would recommend that you don't go ahead if possible because you and your child may be frustrated as the concepts haven't been taught in class yet, and also don't get behind so that you are rushing through the assignments the day before they are due.
Most of the literacy "homework" pages do not need to be returned, but I really hope you are taking advantage of those activities. You can count those activities as part of your child's 15 minutes of reading if you are helping them (sight words, building words etc.).
I am working on getting all of your e-mails to Mr. Moyle. That is the way he contacts parents for school-wide information. If you are not receiving information from the school through Mr. Moyle please let me know and I will make sure he has your correct e-mail address.
School pictures are this Friday, September 4. All students will get their pictures taken, but you do not need to pay for a package. If you would like prints you can send the envelope back with a check made out to Lifetouch, or as I mentioned before pay online using the code found on the brochure.
If you haven't signed up for text notifications please do that soon (now would be great). I sent home a note today (on yellow paper) with the information you will need to sign up for text notifications.
I appreciate all that you do to help your child as he or she progresses through first grade. I hope that they are telling you about what they are learning. Maybe ask them about the fables they have heard recently and the lessons we have learned from them.
It was nice to see some of you at the PTA luau last night. We have a great school environment, wonderful teachers and students. Thank you for sending snacks for our morning recess. I have a few open slots so if you haven't sent a snack or want to send another one let me know and I can give you another date or you can just send another snack with your child and that can fill in on a date that hasn't been taken yet. Have a wonderful week!
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