Newsletter March 27 - March 31

Happy Monday!  I hope you are enjoying this "spring weather".  We have been working on crafting our spring paragraphs and so far the weather (except the rain of course) hasn't fully cooperated with our "signs of spring" discussions and writings. THANK YOU FOR THE TEACHER APPRECIATION GIFTS THAT I RECEIVED THIS MORNING.  What a nice pleasant surprise--it brought tears to my eyes!

Here are this week's happenings:

• Our next spelling test is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 28.  I sent home the words last week (tests are every five lessons so do not always fall on a consistent day).  If you have lost the list they are also on the sidebar of this blog.  They are a bit tricky with the 'sk' and 'scr' spellings and knowing when to use 'c' or 'k'.  Last week we made a graphic showing the 'c' and 'k' spellings.  If the /k/ (sound) is heard and is followed by vowels with "lines" (i and e) then the /k/ sound is usually spelling with an 'k' (kit, Kent etc.) and if the /k/ (sound) is followed by a "curvy" vowel sound (o, u, and a) then it's usually spelled with a 'c' (cap, cut, cop etc.).  I use "usually" because as you know in our language there are always exceptions to the "rules". 
• We will also have our Chapter 10 math test tomorrow on Representing Data (graphing).  We will then move onto Three-Dimensional Geometry (3-dimensional shapes basically). We have two more chapters in math and then will spend our final weeks working on topics that will help prepare my first graders for second grade math.
• We are continuing on with our Astronomy unit.  Today we talked about constellations--specially Orion (Taurus, Scorpio, Canis major and minor in their too) and the Big and Little Dippers.  We discussed why the early Greeks named the stars and that we see basically the same constellations as they saw and use the same names they used to describe them. 
• We just booked several field trips in the coming next couple of months (April and May).  I have them on the calendar portion of this blog (you may need to click out of "mobile version" and go to "web version" so you can see all of this blog).  I will also send home a note about those field trips, the costs involved and the volunteers I will NEED in order for us to go on these field trips. I will let you know when that note is coming home.
• I did want to mention one field trip/activity that is coming up in a couple of weeks.  We will be having a first grade Easter Egg hunt on the east side of the Canyon Park (the entrance as you drive up to the canyon).  Mrs. Rieff's class will join ours at 2:15ish on Friday, April 14 (the Friday before we get out for Easter break).  We need some help with this.  First of all, we are asking for a donation of 12 plastic candy-filled Easter eggs.  You can buy the already pre-filled Easter Eggs or you can fill them yourself.  If you choose the "fill yourself" option, please make sure that the candy inside the eggs are wrapped and that you use a piece of scotch tape to adhere the egg together so that we don't get a lot of "cracked, opened eggs".  I would like to have these eggs by Thursday, April 13.  You can start sending them anytime before that date. Of course, donating 1 dozen eggs for this cause is optional and all children will be able to participate.  The second thing we will need help with is we'll need a few parents to help take the eggs to the park and "hide" them for us.  We would need those parents by 1:30 that day (April 14) for our arrival to the park at 2:15.  We would need you to come to our classrooms and collect the eggs and then take them to the park for hiding. 
• Some of you have not returned your Take-home books for months, weeks, days.  Please continue to read nightly with your child.  We now have four students that have reached the 100- book mark--Khloe, Mary, Logan and Owen!!  Yippee!  

Oh my goodness!  I just turned around and looked out my window and it's totally snowing--definitely not spring like weather.  Don't forget to send your child to school with appropriate clothing for outside play.

Happy Reading!

Newsletter March 20 - March 24

Happy first day of Spring, though I've heard that snow is in the forecast for this week.  We discussed the signs of spring today through two read alouds and will do a writing/art activity this week highlighting the things we learned about that.

Here are this week's happenings:

• Spelling test is tomorrow, March 21.  The words are on the sidebar of this blog if you have lost your list.
• Take-home books were not sent home today.  The take-home librarian was out of town.  They will resume tomorrow.  Please hunt for lost take-home books and keep up with that reading for ten minutes every night.  It only benefits your child.  We still have 40 days left of school a whole quarter and so much growth can happen in that amount of time.  I know  with spring it sometimes feels like we are done, but push through and continue to help your child nightly with reading.
• The March Scholastic book order is due this Wednesday, March 22.  
• We are half-way through our graphing unit in math. We have learned about and created both picture graphs and bar graphs.  We will move to tally charts next.  
• Today we learned about the earth's rotation and revolution around the sun.  We learned that it takes 24 hours for one rotation and one year for the earth to orbit around the earth.  My students loved learning about why it's light on one side of the earth and dark on the other side and why that occurs.  We also learned about the "horizon" and about the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. This is a very interesting subject for my students and I'm amazed at what they soak in and the questions they ask that I sometimes have to look up the answer :)  

Not as much today--but as always Happy Reading!

Newsletter March 13 - March 17

I hope you all had a nice four day break--the weather fully cooperated!  It was nice to see my happy first graders back today!

Here are this week's happenings:

• This Friday, March 17 at 3:00 is our third quarter awards program in the cafeteria.  I just sent e-mails to those that will be receiving awards at that ceremony.  You are welcome to attend, but don't be late as it's a very brief program and I wouldn't want you to miss your child's award.
• I will have third quarter Power School grades printed out by the end of the week.  I still have a few items to put in before I get them ready to send home.  I should have spent the weekend working on it, but that beautiful weather just didn't cooperate and keep me inside :)
• Tomorrow is our spelling test.  Words were sent home last week.  They are also on the sidebar of this blog.  Some students may need a bit of extra studying.  You can count that as your 10 minutes of "reading" if you study the spelling words.
• Speaking of reading--Khloe just reached the 100 book mark!! Yay!! I have a few others that are close behind her.  Remember that your child has until May 17 to read 100 books for our challenge!
• Our Abel returned after spending the winter in Georgia.  It was like he never left--one thing I love about this class this year is how welcoming they are of new students and welcoming back old friends.  They were literally so excited to see Abel.
• Today we started Chapter 10 in math.  This chapter deals with representing data using graphs.  Today we worked with picture graphs.  We will work with bar graphs and tally charts also throughout this chapter.
• Today we also started our new unit on Astronomy.  We learned about the "atmosphere" vs. "outer space" and the meaning of the word astronomy and then concentrated on the sun during our reading.  Ask your child what they remember about the sun. 
• Thanks again for your continued support with our behavior charts.  Last week, as I thought it over and noticed that if a child's card was turned yellow that oftentimes they just didn't care anymore.  I decided to allow my students to change their cards back to green.  In order for their card to be changed back to green (their choices merit the change) then their behavior changes would need to be consistent and significant.  
• This week we will do a little bit of "St. Patrick's Day"/leprechaun activities--well probably just one on Wednesday, and be reading some fun St. Patrick's Day books when we have a few minutes between lessons or right before lunch.   Help your child remember to wear green on Friday--we don't encourage "St. Patrick's Day" pinching, but the kids like to wear green on that day and feel left out if they forget. 
• I will send home March Scholastic book orders this week.  They will be due next Wednesday, March 22.

Happy Reading! 

Newsletter March 6 - March 8

Remember that this is a three-day week.  The end of the third quarter is this Wednesday, March 8.  I will not accept any late work for the quarter after that date and will send home Power school grades early next week.

Here are this short week's happenings:

• We reviewed today in Math (time and measurement) and will review again tomorrow, and will take the test for Chapter 9 this Wednesday.  Encourage your child to look at and tell you the time especially to the hour and half past the hour.  
• New spelling words were sent home today (these concentrate on double consonants in the middle of the word--root word with ending added so final consonant is doubled).  The test will be on Tuesday, March 14.  
• So many of you are working on your sight words--yay!! Mary's mom is now going to come on Wednesday so that she can get all of my kids easier (on Friday some of them are with Mrs. Rieff during her time).  Please send back those sight words by this Wednesday and the following Wednesdays to get them passed off.  Thanks again to Mary's mom for keeping up with that for us!
• We are almost finished with Early American Civilizations.  Today we learned about Hiram Bingham's "accidental" discovery of Machu Picchu. We will wrap up our learning of the Incas tomorrow and then again create a booklet about the Incas.  My students do a great job with this and love sharing their books with the class. Astronomy is next.
•  Thanks for supporting me with our behavior charts.  I forgot to have my students take them out during my prep time last Friday and so again they didn't have comments, but you can tell from the colors if your child was where they needed to be for the day.  We talk a lot about choices and consequences and thinking before we act.  Please reinforce this at home by asking your child to see their chart every Friday.  This week I will send it home on Wednesday.  

Have a nice four day weekend and Happy Reading!!