Newsletter March 21 - 25

It's officially Spring and we're almost "officially" finished with the third quarter of school.  The quarter ends this Friday, March 25.  Please turn in any late or missing assignments by that date.  I sent home grades a couple of weeks ago if you have any issues please contact me so that I can change them before Friday.

Here are this week's happenings:

• If you want to order from the March Scholastic magazines please order online by tomorrow, Tuesday, March 22 or send your check and order form by tomorrow (it's much easier online).
• Today we started Chapter 9 in math.  This unit covers measurement and time to the hour and half -hour.  I sent home the homework packet today with "color tiles" and paper clips.  These will be used for the homework assignments and need to be returned (at least the color tiles for sure) after the packet is complete.  The packet will be due on April 5.
• We are having fun learning about Astronomy.  Today we talked about constellations.  We learned that the ancient Greeks made  up myths to explain what they believed about the stars.  We started to create our own "Big Dipper" and "Little Dipper".  The students drew realistic stars (we know that they are round and either red or blue), and tomorrow we will assemble them into the familiar star groups. 
• This week we will conclude our Skills unit #5 (phonics and reading portion).  We have learned so many things.  We have learned about  adjectives, root words and endings and when to double the final consonant before adding an ending.  We have learned that there are multiple spellings for the /j/ sound ('j', 'g', 'ge').  We learned that 'g' is slightly more common than the 'j' spelling. We planned and wrote an opinion paper and have gone on adventures with "Kate and Max" from our reader, "Kate's Book".   We have two more Skills units to go until the end of the year.  This week we will not have spelling words, but will resume with spelling words next wek when we start into Unit #6. 
• I will be sending home the Kite For Flight reading calendars that I had you sign at SEP conferences.  I guess the Lion's Club is now requiring that the calendar be in the home and delivered to the event by the individual.  I will also send home your child's January and February reading calendars so that you can fill the Lion's Club calendar out.  I will let you know if  the PTA can return the calendars to the event, so hang onto them.
• Last but not least....  I hope that you saw the note about our First Grade Easter Egg hunt.  I will not go into detail here as the note clearly explains the event.  If you haven't seen it, it's on pink paper.  Thanks to those that have already sent 12, plastic, candy-filled eggs.  I need some help that day "hiding" the eggs.  If you can help at about 1:30 on Friday, March 25 please send me an e-mail or note. 
• Rieley has now joined Rebecca!!! They have both read 100 books and they haven't stopped!  We have a couple of students who are very close!  The deadline for this challenge is May 20.  

Have a nice Easter weekend!  "Hoppy" Reading :)