Newsletter August 27 - August 31

I'm just going to get right to it. 

Here are this week's notes and happenings:

• Today I sent home a note about Sight Word Soldiers.  Please take a moment to read that note and get your children excited about the program. The more words students know automatically the better readers they will become.  I won't get stuck on words like "the" as they read.  Adam's mom will be helping the students pass of these sight word lists.  She will come every Wednesday at 9:00.  It would be great if you child's first list was returned by THIS Wednesday and a new list was passed off every week.  
• If you want to order from the Scholastic book club please submit those orders by this Wednesday, August 29.  
• I didn't get a few "student information" sheets back so I sent home another one in your child's folder if you haven't turned it in yet.  These are helpful if I need to contact you and I also use them to update the school e-mail group.  Mr. Moyle, the PTA and other e-mails come home and if you haven't given me an e-mail that I can't add you to the group and you'll be missing important information.
• Remember that Friday is Spirit Friday.  Have your child wear their East elementary t-shirt or any "very blue" t-shirt, just not a spot of blue.
• We are having an issue with shoes being untied and students not being able to tie their own shoes.  I must have been asked 15 times today to "tie my shoes".  It's very distracting during class not only to stop and have to tie shoes, but if students try themselves and they can't do it it becomes distracting as others around them try to assist or they "play" with their untied laces.  Shoes with velcro are great or could you please spend some time teaching your child to tie their shoes and practice with them if they already know how.  Thank you! 👟
• Tomorrow we will take our DIBELS (reading) test.  These results will help us better place students into small reading groups.  These groups will not start for a couple of weeks and I will let you know if you child will be going to a reading intervention group.
• In our learning this week we will continue to work on addition concepts.  Today we talked about numbers being a "whole" number or "part" of a number.  We modeled word problems using a bar model.  We took the parts we knew and combined them to make a "whole" or counted up from the "one part" to the "whole" to find the missing part. We will continue with this modeling tomorrow and then review and then move onto adding zero to a number and adding in any order (3 + 4 = 7 so 4 + 3 = 7).  In reading we just finished our last Fable and will move onto Folktales from around the world tomorrow.  With our first folktale being Medio Pollito from Spain.  Through these fables and folktales students are learning about story elements (characters, plot, setting, problem and solution, cause and effect, morals). We are also focusing on short vowel sounds and writing complete sentences. 
• I sent home one more thing today.  The PTA is running a fundraiser selling Starving Student Cards.  Each student came home with a Starving Student card today.  These are $25.00  It is optional to purchase one.  You either send back $25 dollars and/or the order form back  in the envelope provided and keep the card or just send back the Starving student card back (in the envelope).  Don't keep the card without payment.  Don't send your child around to sell these cards just sell to those you know. 
• I hope you are forming the habit of nightly reading with your child for 10 minutes.  This is the only homework I will require. We have one more week in August and I will send home another reading calendar after Labor Day.  Shortly, our take-home library (book in a bag) program will start and you will have an easier time finding a book every night because one will come home daily.  
• If you are reading this on your phone make sure that you scroll down to the bottom of the page and hit "web version".  That way you will be able to see everything available on this blog.

Have a nice three-day weekend!  and
Happy Reading!! 📕📗📘📙😊

Newsletter August 20 - August 24

We had a nice first week of school.  We are still working on "first grade behavior" and treating others the way you want to be treated and procedures within our classroom and the school. I am excited for this year though and connecting and learning with my 18 delightful students.

Here are this week's happenings:

• Tonight is the PTA Luau from 5:00-7:00.  Most of the games are free, but if you want food or specialty items like balloon items that will cost extra.  I hope to see you there!
• Today I sent home our first reading calendar.  This is the ONLY homework that I will expect for first grade.  That is to read with your child (child does the reading) for 10 minutes each school night.  Those calendars will be due on the first of next month so the day after Labor Day, Tuesday September 4 they will be due for a little treat and certificate.
• I also sent home a scholastic book order.  These of course are optional, but it's a good way to get inexpensive books added to your home library.  Usually there are several books that are only $1.00.  Please order online and use our classroom code.  Those orders will be due next Wednesday, August 29.
• Thanks to those of you that have signed up for "Remind".  I sent home notes to those today that haven't signed up for this.  Please take a few seconds literally and sign up using the directions on the back of the note.  
• Thanks to those that have sent snacks for hungry tummies in the morning.  I really think it helps my first graders transition to a full day of school.  If you didn't sign up and would like to send a snack you can just send one with your child and I will have your child help hand it out on a day that is free.  We have 18 students in our class right now.  I won't do this all year, just for the first few weeks.
• Each Friday the PTA sponsors "Spirit Friday".  🦅 Have your child show their school spirit by wearing an East Elementary t-shirt or anything "blue".  Needs to be intentionally blue, not just "I have a tiny blue spot on this shirt".  The class with the highest percentage of students wearing blue will be able to showcase a trophy all week in their classroom. 
• Thanks for helping your child return their homework folder EVERYDAY!  This is so helpful for you and I to stay on top of notes and work from school, but also for your child as it teaches  valuable organizational skills.  Make a point to check their folder everyday--some days there won't be anything in it, but don't stop looking. 😊This past week nearly 100% have turned in their homework folders daily.
•  As far as curriculum goes we have started both our reading and math units.  In reading we are mostly reviewing vowel and consonant sounds and how to spell them.  We are blending (putting together sounds) and segmenting (taking apart words into specific sounds).  We are also learning about nouns. We have also started our small group reading instruction very early this week with a "reading boot camp".  Today I sent several students out to the reading center for small group reading instruction based on their end-of-the-year kindergarten scores.  This boot camp will continue until September 6. After that date we will continue reading intervention groups, but they will be based on our beginning of the year reading scores on a test called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills).  If your child would benefit from a reading intervention group I will send you a private e-mail and let you know.  In math, we are starting our unit on addition concepts.  Today we used pictures to help us add.  In the next few days we will use hands-on objects such as "linking cubes" and counters to help us show addition.  
• If you signed up to volunteer in our classroom, I will contact you through e-mail when I want you to start.  Thanks for those that have signed up to help.
• If you are not saving "Box Tops" please start now--every little bit adds up.  The PTA usually has some sort of competition for classes who turn in the most box tops.  
  

I think that's about it for the week.  Again, I look forward to this year.  Please don't ever hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Armstrong 😊