Newsletter August 28 - September 1

We had a wonderful Monday in first grade!  I truly love this little class already and am so excited about their potential!  I hope that you looked over your child's behavior chart last week.  I told my kiddos today that maybe we need to add a "gold" spot because several are making it up to purple and they still could "clip up".  These behavior charts are an excellent way for students to monitor their OWN behavior. 

Here are this week's happenings:

• We are continuing our math unit on addition concepts.  Today we again solved addition word problems using pictures to model and then completing an addition sentence. This week we will learn some addition rules such as; adding zero to a number, adding in any order (Commutative Property of addition) in addition to "different ways to make ten" (6 + 4 = 10 or 2 + 8 = 10 for example).  
• In reading we will take another placement type assessment with our reading aides.  It's called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills).  After all first graders have been tested this week we will meet with our Reading Specialist and organize reading groups.  My best guess is we will start those groups the second week in September.  It's wonderful it get started so early in the year!
• I sent home an order form for pictures which will be taken Friday, September 8.  All students will have their picture taken that day regardless of payment.  
• Sight Word Soldier (sight word lists) will be sent home this week.  Please start working on those lists with your child and send them back regularly so students can earn beads for their Sight Word Soldier necklaces.  They will not only come home with a necklace full of beads at the end of the year, but a brain full of sight words.  Automatically reading these common sight words will greatly increase your child's fluency (rate and accuracy when reading).  Reese's mom has volunteered to come and help pass off these lists on Wednesday so keep that day in mind when you send back the pass off sheet.  If I get other volunteers that are consistent I will let you know.  
• If you haven't sent back the Master Signature sheet that was sent home on the first day of school please do so ASAP.  One of the signatures on that sheet was our district's "computer use policy".  Students will not be allowed on school computers if that is not signed.  We go to computers on Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon so your child will be missing out on that computer time.  If you need me to send home another one let me know and I will put the papers in your child's homework folder.
• Students will be bringing home library books this Wednesday.  In first grade, students can check out two books.  Please keep track of these, read them with your child, and return them every Wednesday (can return earlier if you want to) so that new books can come home every week.  Every year we struggle to get all books back to our library and it costs our school $ to replace those or we don't replace popular titles because they've been lost.  
• Tonight from 5:30-8:30 is our PTA sponsored Luau.  Tickets can be purchased to play games and also food can be purchased.  This is a fun activity and makes a little bit of money for our school.  If you come from 5:30-6:30 I might see you there!  

Happy Reading! 

Newsletter August 21 - August 25

Welcome to our blog!  I will post my weekly newsletter here which will include announcements and what's happening in our classroom.  I will also post pictures occasionally.  I will never include your child's last name, but if you would like your child to be excluded from pictures on this blog please let me know and I will not post their picture.

We have been in first grade for about a week now.  I think my wonderful little "firsties" are getting used to a full day.  I haven't heard as many, "when are we going home?" or "when is it lunchtime?" type of questions today.  Thank you to those that have sent in snacks for our morning break--some of you have signed up multiple times. 😀 I think this helps ease the transition from summer break to a full day of school.

I am really excited about this upcoming year.  We only have 15 students so far in our class this year (seriously unheard of).  I know this will be beneficial for your child.  I will be able to more closely monitor each of my students and give them the help that they need. 

We have dived right into our curriculum.  Today we started our first math unit "Addition concepts".  We learned about using pictures to help us solve addition problems.  In reading (CKLA) we are reviewing concepts from kindergarten.  We are reviewing vowel and consonant sounds and how to "spell those sounds"  and  how to correctly form letters.  We have learned that vowel sounds are important because all words have a vowel sound in them and vowel sounds are those in which our mouth is open as we form them and air is able to escape.  Tomorrow we will start learning about nouns. Also in reading we are learning about Fables and Folktales.  We have heard three Fables (short, fictional stories with a moral) 1.  The Boy Who Cried Wolf, 2.  The Milkmaid and the Spilled Milk, and 3.  The Goose and the Golden Eggs.  With these stories we learn about characters, the setting, plot and the value lesson (moral) that each teaches as well as vocabulary study. 

Here are this week's announcements or happenings or reminders (in a more condensed form):👇👇

• Please send your child's homework folder (blue plastic folder) back with them EVERYDAY!  Make it a habit of checking that folder and returning things that need to be returned in that folder. 
• Today our first reading calendar was sent home. In my "Parent Handbook" I have outlined my homework expectations.  Please start reading with your child (hopefully your child doing most of the reading) for ten minutes each school night.  That calendar will be due September 1. 
• PTA reading bookmarks were sent home last Friday.  Please read over their requirements for awards.  Since I only expect 10 minutes of reading each school night and in order to receive the top award (Gold Eagle) students would need to read 25 minutes a night, I will supplement that in class when our reading groups start.  I will supplement with 15 minutes of reading in class so your child will still need to read at home to progress through the levels.
• Starving Student cards were sent home last Friday.  This is a fundraiser for our school.  If you do not want to purchase the card please send it back in the envelope provided.  If you would like to purchase the card please send the money and order form back in that envelope.  Thanks.  They really do have some good promotions and "pay for themselves" if you use them throughout the year. 
• Next Monday, August 28 our PTA is sponsoring a Back to School Luau (information about this has also been sent home).  It is from 5:30 - 8:30.  You can come anytime during those hours.  I'd love to see you there!
• If you haven't sent back the student registration sheet that I sent home in my back to school letter please do so ASAP.  That is how I get e-mail addresses to Mr. Moyle (for school newsletters and information from the principal) and sometimes honestly that information is more up-to-date than the information in Power School.  
• The next couple of weeks all students will be assessed in reading by our competent reading aides.  After the assessments some students may be placed in a reading intervention group.  I will inform you if you child qualifies for this intervention.  
• If you have been saving Box Tops over the summer please send them in with your child by October 20 (winning class receives a root beer float party).  These can be found on many food products (cereal, fruit snacks, Totinos pizza and sometimes school supplies).  Just cut them off and return them to school with your child.  It really can add up. 😊
• We have started our computers and PE schedule.  We have PE/Computers on Tuesday and Thursday.  Please make sure that your child is wearing proper shoes on those days.  
• If you haven't signed up for REMIND please pick up your phone now and sign-up for that free texting service.  It's a great way to get information back and forth without having to exchange personal information.  It's the best way I've found to communicate quickly with parents.  I'll keep "encouraging"  you until you try it. 😀

Thanks for sharing your child with me this year.  As I stated above I am really excited about this year and can visualize really wonderful things happening in classroom #7!  If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me.  E-mail is the best for that kind of communication.

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!!