Newsletter March 26 - March 30

This is our last week before Spring Break (April 2 - 6).  Today we took our spelling test.  Tomorrow new spelling words will come home, but we will not have a test until we return from Spring break on Tuesday, April 10.

Our field trip to the Tom Sawyer play at SUU was a big success.  It was fun to watch my students experience a stage performance for many possibly the first time they have seen a play.  They laughed, clapped, and even screamed and cheered at one point.  Ask you child about it if you haven't already.

Here are this week's happenings:

• I sent home another reminder today about our Easter egg hunt on Friday, March 30.  Thanks for those of you that have sent eggs already.  We can't do this without your egg donations so THANK YOU!  Please send those plastic, candy-filled eggs (one dozen) by Thursday, March 29.  I have one parent that has volunteered to come and help hide the eggs that day.  I could use another helper--if you could help by coming and getting the eggs from my classroom at 1:30 and help hide them at the park for our arrival at 2:00 I would really appreciate it.  Send me an e-mail if you can help. 
• After spring break we still have several weeks of learning--please continue to read with your child every night and work towards our 100-book challenge.  We have sight word soldier pass-off on every Friday.  If you have lost your list let me know and I can send home another one.  
• Today we took a math test and tomorrow we will begin our unit on measurement and time.  Students really like the change in topic from place value to measurement and time.  We are still learning about animal habitats and our books that accompany our reading program are  getting more difficult as my students are becoming more proficient readers. We are continuing to learn rules of decoding.  Today we learned that 'kn' is a way to spell the /n/ sound (knee, knot etc.). 

Have a marvelous Spring break.  School will resume on Monday, April 9. 

Newsletter March 19 - March 23

It's almost spring and wow! we got some snow!  I guess we need the water though and by the afternoon the snow was pretty much melted off of the playground.

Here are this week's happenings:

• On Wednesday, we are walking to SUU for the Tom Sawyer play.  We will leave the school at 9:15 and return by lunch.  Please have your child here on time that day or they will have to stay back at the school.  I have only had four students send in $1.00 for that play.  That is the cost of the play.  Please send $1.00 by tomorrow!!!
• Spelling words were sent home today.  The test will be next Monday, March 26.
• March Scholastic book orders are due on Wednesday, March 21.
• The PTA reading program (bookmarks for prizes) will conclude the end of April.  If your child wants to earn the prizes they will only have until them to turn in bookmarks.
• I sent home a note about our first grade Easter Egg hunt on Friday, March 30.  Please read over that and help us by donating plastic candy-filled eggs. I need volunteers to help make this activity successful--actually it won't work at all if I don't have any volunteers :)
• Today we started our new book Grace--it is about Grace, her sister Jill and their adventures on their farm. We also started a new Unit on Animal habitats as we finished The history of the Earth last Friday. In math we are still working on two-digit addition and subtraction.  We will test on that material by this Friday. 
• Don't forget we have sight word soldiers on Friday and to read with your child from their take-home books every night! Congratulations to Piper.  She is our second student to reach the 100-book milestone in our 100-book challenge.  That challenge continues until May 16, unlike the PTA reading program which ends the end of April.

Happy Reading!!

Newsletter March 12 - March 16

Sorry about this newsletter being a couple of days late--I've had extra things after school the last couple of days that took my attention.

Here are this week's happenings:

• Tomorrow is another round of PTA reading awards.  I sent home little slips of paper to those that will be receiving an award.  They will be presented in our classroom at 3:00 if you would like to attend.  Congrats to Brinley and A'merrie (Catch the Vision recipients), Lilly (Most improved) and Reese, Riley and Piper for attendance awards!
• Next Wednesday is the Tom Sawyer play at SUU.  Please send your $1.00 by Tuesday, March 20.  We will leave here at 9:15 and return by lunch.  Please have your child here on time that day.
• We have a spelling test this Friday.  A list of words came home with your child on Monday.  All of these words have a "double consonant" in the middle of the word.  They may need to be studied at home so some students don't feel overwhelmed by the test.
• Sight Word soldiers will resume this Friday.  If you have lost your list please let me know and I can send another one home.  Getting these sight words down is one important component of becoming a fluent reader.
• I will send home third quarter Power School grades by the end of the week.  I will also send home a March Scholastic Book order those orders will be due next Wednesday, March 21.  Please order online if possible--that's the easiest and most efficient way.
• In curriculum, we are still learning about the History of the Earth.  We recently learned about three kinds of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and how "heat, pressure, and time" play a role in their formation.  In math, are working on two-digit numbers and adding the tens and ones together (53 + 20 is 7 tens and 3 ones = 73). We just started a new unit in reading.  We are learning about letters that are spellings for two sounds (ex. 'c' like cat, or cent).  We will also learn about writing personal narratives and students will write about a personal experience using words such as first, next, and last.  
• We plan on having a First Grade Easter Egg Hunt (Armstrong and Carter's classes) on Friday, March 30 at 2:00 at the Canyon Park.  I will send home a note about that activity later this week.
• Every Wednesday we have library.  Today we had very few books returned.  Please go on a book hunt and find lost or missing books and take advantage of this opportunity to have books your child would be interested in reading at home!

Happy Reading!!

Newsletter March 5 - March 7

This is a shorter week--we have school Monday - Wednesday and are off this Thursday and Friday.  So this newsletter will reflect a shorter week.

Here are this week's happenings:

• We will not have a new spelling list until we get back next week and since we will not be in school on Friday Sight Word Soldiers will be next Friday.  Thank you to Phoenix's mom for taking that over.  Congratulations to Reese's mom on her new little addition--a baby boy!
• Remember our field trip to SUU to watch Tom Sawyer on Wednesday, March 21.  The cost for this field trip is $1.00.  Please send that with your child by Tuesday, March 20. I would love having a parent volunteer walk over there with us.  If you can help please let me know.
• Wednesday is the last day of third quarter.  The third quarter Student Awards will be Tuesday, March 13 at 3:00 in the cafeteria.  I will send e-mails to those that will be receiving awards that day (attendance, Catch the Vision, and Most improved awards).
• Yay! for Brinley.  She is our first student to achieve the 100 book mark in our 100-book challenge.  I reminded my students that we all read at a different pace and that they still have plenty of time to accomplish this goal.  May 16 is the last day for this goal.

I hope that you all have a nice four day weekend and a rejuvenation to head into the fourth quarter of school--crazy how time flies!

Happy Reading!