Newsletter October 12 - 16

This Thursday, our class, along with Mrs. Vogel's class will be walking to SUU for a field trip to the Braithwaite Art Gallery and Frehner Museum of Natural History.  We will leave here right after lunch at approximately 12:40 pm and return just before the bell rings at 3:30 pm.  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather and for walking.  If you did not sign a field trip permission slip at the beginning of the year for your child I will send one home tomorrow.  We are not required to send a separate field trip permission slip home every time now, just one for the entire year.  But, you can always opt out of any field trip, just let me know. If any of you would like to walk with us to SUU, I'd love and appreciate the help.  Let me know if you want to go with us this Thursday. The math homework schedule will be off a day because of this field trip.  We will not complete Lesson 3.5 in class that day, but rather we will complete it on Friday. We will also not have our regular library day this Thursday, but you can still send your child's library books back with them.  Our regular library day will be next Thursday, after we resume from the Fall break.

This Friday is the PTA Walk-a-Thon.  This year it looks like a few "celebrities" will be joining us in our walk around the school.  This is a fundraiser for our school and will help to purchase a new mobile sound system.  I sent home an information packet yesterday.   Your child can collect pledges for each lap walked, or they can collect just a flat dollar amount.  Please encourage your child to help collect pledges (not door to door without an adult present), and return the envelope with the pledges by Friday, October 16.  Again like with the field trip, make sure that your child is dressed for the weather and the conditons.

I will place the Scholastic book order tomorrow.  You can still place an online order today if you haven't done that yet.

I started testing those that haven't passed off Sight Word List #1 today.  Please help your child with the sight word lists at night.  Even if you spend only a few minutes each night that will be so beneficial to your child's reading fluency.  They won't have to stop and think about every word they read if the sight words become fairly automatic.

Many students are NOT reading their take-home books each night.  Please make this a habit with your child.  I try to limit homework each night so that this can be accomplished.  I only ask that your child reads to you for 15 minutes each night.  If they read their leveled take-home book three times as I require then those 15 minutes will easily be reached every night.  I have some parent volunteers that help read take-home books with children that don't read them the night before, but I would rather have all students reading their take-home books at home and then having my wonderful parent reading volunteers helping with other reading activities (nonsense word practice, fluency work etc.). 

I hope that you are taking advantage of our new drop-off and pick up location on Center street (north parking lot by the flag pole).  This is the safest and most efficient place to pick up or drop of your child.  I will be happy to take your child there if this is not a normal pick up place until they are familiar with it.  Let me know if you'd like me to do that.

First quarter ends on Friday, October 23.  I will not accept any late work after that date.  I can't believe have fast this year is flying by.  I hope that you all have a wonderful Fall Break.

Don't forget to read with your child!!!