We have been in reading groups for two weeks now. They are going well. I would love to have parent helpers during those reading groups. If you would like to help from 9:45-10:30 any day I would appreciate it. I can and will also need helpers with our Sight Word Soldiers program especially after Miss Montoya leaves us in mid-October. She has been handling that now and I won't be able to manage that without volunteers to help my students pass off sight word lists.
Along with reading we are going to start more writing in our classroom. I would like each child to have a one-subject spiral bound notebook to use for our writing notebooks. If you could help by supplying a notebook for your child I would appreciate it. Just a simple wide-ruled spiral notebook will do. You can send those as soon as you have one for you child. THANKS!!
I sent home a note about the Grandparents breakfast on Wednesday, October 5 from 8:00-8:40. Please send back the order form so that the kitchen will be prepared with enough food that morning. This is during SEP week and the Book fair will be open that morning also.
If you haven't returned your child's SEP note back please do so ASAP so that I can finalize my schedule. I will be happy to switch you time to a more convenient one. If you need to change your time please make note of it and I will e-mail you. I look forward to meeting with each of you.
Tomorrow we will be taking our Unit 2 math test on subtraction concepts. We will then move onto addition and subtraction concepts within 20. We will be learning and using different strategies for addition and subtraction.
We are continuing our study of the human body. Today we wrapped up the circulatory system (our "superhighway") and tomorrow we will learn about the nervous system (our control center). This unit will wrap up as we learn about the healthy eating the the food pyramid and learn about famous medical advances such as vaccinations and pasteurization.
Thanks for all that you do!!
Happy Reading!
Monday, September 26, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
Newsletter September 19 - September 23
We have completed one week with take-home books and one week of "Sight Word Soldiers". I have had several students pass off several sight word lists already. I love that many of my students are wearing a sight word soldier necklace everyday! Thanks for helping them at home with this! Thank you also for "reading" the take-home book with your child every night, three times (they should be reading it, hence the "reading"). I have just a few that are not returning this book daily! Please start the habit of reading every night with your child if you haven't yet. This is their homework and also helps so much with their reading acquisition. If you have any questions about their books, their level, or the importance of reading at home please don't hesitate to contact me.
We are almost finished with September! Crazy! SEP (parent teacher conferences) are the first week of October. I will send home an assigned time next week. Watch for it on Monday. We try to coordinate appointments with siblings in the school so that you only have to come once during the week. School will dismiss everyday that week at 2:30 including Wednesday. I look forward to visiting with you about your child.
Today we (Miss Montoya taught us) about the muscular system. We made a model of a hand, representing the bones, tendons, and muscles working together to create movement. The kids loved the project. I hope that they showed it to you when they got home from school. A few students need to make some repairs on their "hand" and they'll bring the project home tomorrow. I love our reading program! It assumes that first graders can digest complex information. Today we not only learned about the muscular system but we also learned about "voluntary" and "involuntary" muscles, how many muscles our body has, and what the biggest muscle in our body is (ask your child :)).
Congratulations to my readers that have already started to earn their PTA Eagle awards! Logan, Emma, Owen, Nakoa, and Jay (I hope I've remembered right, I'm at home and don't have my records right in front of me), have all started towards the Gold Eagle award! If I've missed somebody I'll congratulate them next week!
I hope that you read the letter from our PE teacher, Mrs. Turek. We are still working on our behavior and I will support her if students are not following her rules in PE. They will stay in my classroom and work (write an apology letter among other things), or they will go to Skills and do that. Remember that we have PE/Computers every Tuesday and Friday. Please make sure that your child wears proper shoes for PE.
I'm still working on the problem on the Scholastic website so that I can send home book orders. I may not get them out this month. It is the weirdest thing--I've used that site successfully for years.
If you haven't sent back your "Starving Student card" please do so ASAP! The cards either need to be paid for or money needs to be sent back to pay for it. I have most back, but a few of you haven't returned your card. The company will call those that haven't returned their cards.
Lastly, please let me know if you are not receiving e-mails from Mr. Moyle. He sends a newsletter, announcements from school, and the PTA also sends a newsletter using his e-mail list. You can message me privately, and I will get him the corrected e-mail address if necessary.
Happy Reading!
We are almost finished with September! Crazy! SEP (parent teacher conferences) are the first week of October. I will send home an assigned time next week. Watch for it on Monday. We try to coordinate appointments with siblings in the school so that you only have to come once during the week. School will dismiss everyday that week at 2:30 including Wednesday. I look forward to visiting with you about your child.
Today we (Miss Montoya taught us) about the muscular system. We made a model of a hand, representing the bones, tendons, and muscles working together to create movement. The kids loved the project. I hope that they showed it to you when they got home from school. A few students need to make some repairs on their "hand" and they'll bring the project home tomorrow. I love our reading program! It assumes that first graders can digest complex information. Today we not only learned about the muscular system but we also learned about "voluntary" and "involuntary" muscles, how many muscles our body has, and what the biggest muscle in our body is (ask your child :)).
Congratulations to my readers that have already started to earn their PTA Eagle awards! Logan, Emma, Owen, Nakoa, and Jay (I hope I've remembered right, I'm at home and don't have my records right in front of me), have all started towards the Gold Eagle award! If I've missed somebody I'll congratulate them next week!
I hope that you read the letter from our PE teacher, Mrs. Turek. We are still working on our behavior and I will support her if students are not following her rules in PE. They will stay in my classroom and work (write an apology letter among other things), or they will go to Skills and do that. Remember that we have PE/Computers every Tuesday and Friday. Please make sure that your child wears proper shoes for PE.
I'm still working on the problem on the Scholastic website so that I can send home book orders. I may not get them out this month. It is the weirdest thing--I've used that site successfully for years.
If you haven't sent back your "Starving Student card" please do so ASAP! The cards either need to be paid for or money needs to be sent back to pay for it. I have most back, but a few of you haven't returned your card. The company will call those that haven't returned their cards.
Lastly, please let me know if you are not receiving e-mails from Mr. Moyle. He sends a newsletter, announcements from school, and the PTA also sends a newsletter using his e-mail list. You can message me privately, and I will get him the corrected e-mail address if necessary.
Happy Reading!
Monday, September 12, 2016
Newsletter September 12 - September 16
Our take-home library books started today! I sent a note home in the bag about the procedure for these books. Remember that reading these books will count for 5 points each day! I also sent home a note about our "Sight Word Soldiers" program and the sight word list that your child can work on. If you have any questions about either of these two "new" things please don't hesitate to contact me.
We have run out of September snacks. I only had about half of you sign up for snacks. It's still helpful through September to have a little snack in the morning as we continue to acclimate to a full-day of school. If you would like to help by bringing a snack, if you haven't already (or forgot), or if you would like to help by sending another snack, please contact me privately and I will give you a date. Thanks!!!
Today we started a new Unit on the Human Body. We will learn about the different body systems (circulatory, nervous, muscular, skeletal, and digestive) that keep us "alive and healthy". Miss Montoya our student teacher has also begun teaching our unit on Subtraction concepts. I will send home the results of our first Math Test (addition concepts) tomorrow. Sorry about all of the different "scores". I had a helper correct them and I wasn't clear with my instructions.
Tomorrow we will start reading groups. I sent an e-mail to inform you if your child will be attending a reading intervention group. This year we are lucky, as many of my students go to these small group interventions because of our lower class size. We will also start switching with Mrs. Rieff during our literacy block. We mix up the students to better meet their needs as we read the books that accompany our literacy program (CKLA). The reading intervention groups or "special groups" as I call them are from 9:45-10:30 everyday except on Wednesday. We will switch around with Mrs. Rieff from 10:30-11:10 everyday and then take a break a little bit later than usual. Our morning is full of rich literacy activities.
The PTA reading minutes bookmark is due whenever your child fills it up. They will return it for another one. I will start keeping one for them here in class too so that they can earn the highest "Eagle award" if they desire. Remember to earn that highest award students would have to read 25 minutes daily all year. If you read with your child for 10 minutes a night, I will supplement that with 15 minutes in school.
Happy Reading!!
We have run out of September snacks. I only had about half of you sign up for snacks. It's still helpful through September to have a little snack in the morning as we continue to acclimate to a full-day of school. If you would like to help by bringing a snack, if you haven't already (or forgot), or if you would like to help by sending another snack, please contact me privately and I will give you a date. Thanks!!!
Today we started a new Unit on the Human Body. We will learn about the different body systems (circulatory, nervous, muscular, skeletal, and digestive) that keep us "alive and healthy". Miss Montoya our student teacher has also begun teaching our unit on Subtraction concepts. I will send home the results of our first Math Test (addition concepts) tomorrow. Sorry about all of the different "scores". I had a helper correct them and I wasn't clear with my instructions.
Tomorrow we will start reading groups. I sent an e-mail to inform you if your child will be attending a reading intervention group. This year we are lucky, as many of my students go to these small group interventions because of our lower class size. We will also start switching with Mrs. Rieff during our literacy block. We mix up the students to better meet their needs as we read the books that accompany our literacy program (CKLA). The reading intervention groups or "special groups" as I call them are from 9:45-10:30 everyday except on Wednesday. We will switch around with Mrs. Rieff from 10:30-11:10 everyday and then take a break a little bit later than usual. Our morning is full of rich literacy activities.
The PTA reading minutes bookmark is due whenever your child fills it up. They will return it for another one. I will start keeping one for them here in class too so that they can earn the highest "Eagle award" if they desire. Remember to earn that highest award students would have to read 25 minutes daily all year. If you read with your child for 10 minutes a night, I will supplement that with 15 minutes in school.
Happy Reading!!
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Newsletter September 6 - September 9
I hope that you all had a nice Labor Day Holiday. We got back to work today. Today we completed our last lesson in math (vertical addition) and read the Folktale "Peter Rabbit". Ask your children to retell the story to you and the lesson learned from this well-known tale.
Tomorrow I will send home the first Scholastic book order. These are of course are optional, but a great way to fill your home with inexpensive books. There are always quality titles for $1.00. These will be due Tuesday, September 13. The easiest way to order is to set up an account and use the online code provided, but you can also send a check with the order form (you only need to make out one check).
We have finished our reading tests and will place students in reading groups based on their level. Some students will participate in our reading intervention program. This is where qualified reading aides will tutor your child in a small group setting using a research-based program called Early Steps. These students will leave my classroom for 45 minutes each day, except Wednesday. I will let you know if you child will be going to a reading intervention group. The other students will remain in my classroom and participate in "reading groups" in our class based on their reading level.
Next week we will start two "new" programs. One is the take-home library. Your child will come home with a book everyday on their independent reading level. They need to read the book three times each night (there's 10 minutes of reading) and return the book daily. This will be worth 5 points per day. We will also start our "Sight Word" soldiers program. Right now my student teacher is assessing my students to get them on the appropriate sight word list. I will send home a detailed note about how this will work. Watch for that note and watch for take-home books (book in a bag) next Monday.
Please continue to talk with your children about their behavior in class. Ask them if their card stayed "green" all day. We are still working on being "respectful, helpful first graders", and doing what is asked rather than doing the opposite.
Thanks for reading with you child. I hope that it is becoming a positive nightly habit!
Tomorrow I will send home the first Scholastic book order. These are of course are optional, but a great way to fill your home with inexpensive books. There are always quality titles for $1.00. These will be due Tuesday, September 13. The easiest way to order is to set up an account and use the online code provided, but you can also send a check with the order form (you only need to make out one check).
We have finished our reading tests and will place students in reading groups based on their level. Some students will participate in our reading intervention program. This is where qualified reading aides will tutor your child in a small group setting using a research-based program called Early Steps. These students will leave my classroom for 45 minutes each day, except Wednesday. I will let you know if you child will be going to a reading intervention group. The other students will remain in my classroom and participate in "reading groups" in our class based on their reading level.
Next week we will start two "new" programs. One is the take-home library. Your child will come home with a book everyday on their independent reading level. They need to read the book three times each night (there's 10 minutes of reading) and return the book daily. This will be worth 5 points per day. We will also start our "Sight Word" soldiers program. Right now my student teacher is assessing my students to get them on the appropriate sight word list. I will send home a detailed note about how this will work. Watch for that note and watch for take-home books (book in a bag) next Monday.
Please continue to talk with your children about their behavior in class. Ask them if their card stayed "green" all day. We are still working on being "respectful, helpful first graders", and doing what is asked rather than doing the opposite.
Thanks for reading with you child. I hope that it is becoming a positive nightly habit!
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