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!