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!