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!