Newsletter January 16 - January 19

I hope that you had a nice MLK holiday.  Today we invited two more students in our classroom--Jenna and Lupita.  They both have been at East already and are now attending our classroom.  As always, my class were kind and inviting and helpful to these two new students.  I'm going to be brief and get to the point quickly this week so.....

Here are this week's happenings:

• We took our spelling test today.  I will send those results home shortly.  We will not have a new list of words this week (I think I might have just heard some cheering).
• The 100th day of school is this Friday.  I sent home a packet of notes about this day.  Students can dress up like they are 100 years old and there is a little 100 day project.  Those are due this Friday--it's optional, but students that don't participate usually feel badly that they didn't bring one.  Friday we will also be having a Life skills assembly at 2:00. Watch for a new challenge our 100-book challenge to come home early next week. 
• Box Tops are due for the next incentive also on Friday--if you have any at home please send them with your child for a chance to win a doughnut party.
• I am in need of another parent volunteer that can help out with our Sight Word Soldiers program.  Thank you to Mrs. Harris for helping out consistently every Wednesday morning.  She will be having a baby and will need to discontinue that mid-February.  If you could help with this please let me know.  I prefer Wednesday, but it doesn't have to be on Wednesday morning so we can work around your schedule. 
• SEP conferences are the first week of February.  I will be reviewing your child's recent reading scores then and talk about their progress academically discuss any concerns I may have.  I really want to have 100% attendance.  I will send home appointment times (they will be the same time that I scheduled you in the Fall) the last week in January.  Please send those back when you receive them--I am happy to reschedule times, stay late, come early whatever to meet with you.
• In math we are going to pause and review 10 more (5,15,25, 35 etc.).  My students understand the basic counting by 10, but when you start at a given number many have struggled with that concept.  In reading, we are especially going to concentrate on descriptive writing.  We will describe grapes tomorrow and then move onto writing about animals from our book The Green Fern Zoo.  We will learn about especially using descriptive language using all of our five senses.  We are just started learning about the Incas today.  We learned about their massive empire and how they built many road systems that are still present today throughout that region.  
• Scholastic Book orders came home today.  Those orders will be due next Monday, January 22.  They always have $1.00 books this time one of them is "Snowmen All Year" which seems to be a favorite among many of my students. Order online using our classroom code which is the easiest way! 
• If you didn't receive a "red" PTA bookmark for a free movie ticket please let me know and I will send one home with your child.

Happy Reading!