Newsletter February 6 - February 10

Thank you to all of you for coming to SEP conferences last week.  Every student had a parent or parents come and visit with me.  I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to make time for that.  If you have any further concerns or questions please don't hesitate to ask. 

Here are this week's happenings:

• We won the classroom party for the most BoxTops!!! Yay!!! I think you might have heard the cheers from our class this morning around 9:00 a.m. :)  Thanks for sending those in.  The PTA representative said she didn't even tell the school by how much we won because it was so much more than any other class and didn't want others to feel badly.  We will have our root beer float party tomorrow at 3:00. 
• Our 100-book challenge is in full swing.  Caim, Deni, Khloe, Mary, Mia, Owen and Tenley are already on the board!  Remember that reading the take-home books count and it's easy to achieve if you read those every night with your child!  The challenge will end May 17.
• Spelling words will come home tomorrow and the next spelling test will be Monday, February 13.  
• We are finishing up with Chapter 8 in math and will have the test this Thursday.  Chapter 9 deals with time to the hour and half hour.  
• In reading we are also in a new Unit--we have learned about doubling consonants before adding suffixes (stop becomes stopping), have learned about statements vs. questions, have learned the "tch" spelling for the /ch/ sound and have started a new reader about Kate and her adventures with her Nan.  This unit will delve into more alternative spellings for sounds especially the double consonant sounds and we will finish up with opinion paragraphs.  
• Today we learned about the Aztec Chinampas or Floating Gardens.  We will move onto Aztec leaders and then conclude this unit learning about the Incas.  
• Lately we have been having"kindness moments" in our classroom--trying to think of others before ourselves.  I  remind my kids almost everyday that the most important thing (my opinion) in life is to "be nice".  Since it is Valentines Day soon, we will be talking about and writing about "What Fills our Hearts" and continue with the kindness theme.  I will send home a Valentine's Day note tomorrow, Tuesday, February 7.   It will outline my plans for that day--making bags in class, Valentine cards, and a little "party" in class.  Watch for that tomorrow.
• Please help your child remember to turn in their January reading calendar.  Tomorrow will be the last day that I give a treat and certificate for January's calendar.  I will still give credit for those after that date, but it will not include a treat and certificate. I sent home the February Reading calendar last week.  
• This week we have a couple of different learning activities.  Tomorrow the Orchestra of Southern Utah and the SUU Chemistry department will come and present an assembly and on Thursday, we will have a dental health presentation by our wonderful nurse Mrs. Baumgartner. That should be a nice little change of pace.  

Thanks for all you do and Happy Reading!!