Newsletter December 14 - 18

Take-home books did not get switched today.  Please take some time to read other texts or practice sight words tonight.  Your child should be ready to pass off List #4 this week if they haven't already.  Speaking of "books", I will not send home take-home books this Friday and on Thursday please help your child to remember to return both of their library books.  They will not check out new books that day, but please return their books.  With a two week break, many books get lost so I wanted to try and avoid that by not sending home new take-home books or library books.  If you can find the time over the break  continue to read with your child.  We will have our second DIBELS testing on Friday, January 15.

One more thing about take-home books.  I guess for the last few days the "blue slips" have not been included in the bag.  Thank you for continuing to reread these texts three times with or without a "blue slip".  If that happens though, if you just initial the pink paper enclosed that will be good enough.  Thank you!!

Here is our schedule for this last week of school in 2015:

• Gingerbread houses will be assembled on Thursday, December 17 starting at 12:45.  If you haven't sent the item I asked for please send it by Wednesday, December 16 so I will know if we have what we need.  If you would like to help, please send me an e-mail.  I would love to have helpers.
• The morning of our Gingerbread houses all students will be attending a Christmas movie showing in the gym.  First grade will go at 9:30.  
• I will also squeeze in a math test on Thursday.  The math homework packet for Chapter 5 is due then too!
• On Friday, December 18, Mrs. Vogel and I will join forces for Pancakes and Polar Express.  We will make pancakes for our kids in the morning and watch Polar Express snippets throughout the day.  At 2:20 on Friday, the entire school will join in a rousing Christmas Sing.  We will still squeeze in a bit of learning about Ancient Egypt and having regular reading groups everyday except for Thursday :) I will send home our "fragile, secret gift" with your child on Friday.  They have had fun making these.  Thank you to those who helped by sending 50 cents with your child.  

Have a wonderful holiday break!  Be safe with your loved ones!  We'll be back ready to learn and teach in 2016! 

Newsletter December 7 - 11

We are busy working through Chapter 5 in math.  Today we completed Lesson 5.5  I didn't send home a schedule this time.  The packet will be due by Thursday, December 17, the same day we will have our test for that chapter. 

December 17 will be a fun, busy day.  I have decided to change the Gingerbread house activity to Thursday, December 17 at 12:45 pm.  That way I can set up at lunchtime.  I will send home a note tomorrow asking for specific donations.  If you find anything that you think would be a fabulous addition for gingerbread house decorating you are welcome to send that also.  Thank you so much for making this activity possible.  I can use any volunteers that would like to help that day.  Let me know if you can come and help.  The more the merrier!

Thank you to those that have sent in 50 cents for our "secret gift".  We will start those this week and they will come home with your child next week.  Thank you too if you helped your child find a job to do to earn the money. 

In reading,  we are now learning the spellings for vowel combinations.  Two letters that work together to create one sound.  Today we learned about the /aw/ (sound) as in paw and how to spell it.  We have also learned about both sounds for the spelling "oo", and the /ou/ sound and spelling like in shout.  These sounds and spellings are reinforced through reading and writing, and the students read from a student reader everyday using those "newly" learned skills.  I am excited about the progress I am witnessing.  Please help your child with the spelling lists that I send home.  Today we took Spelling Test #3.  Some students struggled a bit, some due to absences, but others just need extra practice at home. 

In the listening portion of our reading program, we are continuing our study of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.  Today we learned about hieroglyphics and papyrus and why writing was important for the Ancient Egyptians as well as for us today.  I love that my little 6/7 year-olds are learning such high- level vocabulary and information about the world around us.

This time of year is so fun and magical in first grade.  I just love it. 

Happy Reading!