Newsletter September 24 - September 25

Today I sent home Take-home books (book in a bag)  for the first time.  I included a note about my expectations with those books (it's in the bag on golden paper).  Research shows that reading a text more than once helps a child's fluency (speed or rate and accuracy during reading).  That is why I ask that each book be read 3 times each.  Some students have books that take longer than 10 minutes to read 3 times.  If that is the case for your child then just stop after 10 minutes of reading, but please return the small blue note stating that your child read for 10 minutes.  Honestly, right now I don't think I have many students in that category.  Use these take-home books to your child's advantage!  These books are on their level--they should be able to read them on their own.  They shouldn't be  too hard or too easy.  If you feel that the level sent home is "too hard or too easy" please send me an e-mail and I will adjust the level.  We based the levels on the students Beginning of the Year reading scores. For your information, first grade students "should be" on a Level H by the end of the year.  So you can see where your child is now and where they need to get to by the end of the year.  Reading every night with your child--listening to THEM read will help get them to where they need to be.

Here are this week's happenings and notes:

• Next week is SEP week.  I sent home appointment times last Friday.  Please send those back ASAP so that we can rearrange the time if necessary.  These appointments are just 15 minutes and you can bring your child with you.  The PTA also holds a book fair at that time in the library. 
• On October 3, the PTA is sponsoring a grandparents breakfast in the cafeteria.  I sent a note home with the details last week.  
• Right after I send this I am going to send e-mails to those who I haven't received their Starving Student Card back.  Please send that back if you don't want it or send back payment of $25.00 if you keep it.
• We are still in the middle of our subtraction unit in math.  We will have a review tomorrow on the concepts that we have already learned and then learn about taking away all or zero (8 - 8 = 0 or 8 - 0 = 8) and taking apart numbers (9 - 0 = 9, 9 - 1 = 8, 9 - 2 = 7 etc).
• In reading we will be moving onto Unit 2 in our Skills section.  That unit will focus on long vowel sounds (words like cake, bike, cute or beet).  We will continue to read from a "reader" where those vowel sounds are emphasized.  We call these books "decodeable".  That means that the words that are in the story are all words that students have learned about and can read.  For example in our current reader words with short vowel sounds and the the spellings of /ch/, /sh/, /th/, and double consonants (ll, bb etc.) were emphasized as well as sight or tricky words that we have been learning.  It is also filled with periods, question marks, and exclamation marks as well as apostrophes showing possession and quotation marks.  We teach-- then it's reinforced in their reading. 
• In the Listening and Learning section of our reading we have moved from the Human Body to hearing versions of different stories.  We are starting with versions of Cinderella.  We first heard the original version and today heard a version from Egypt called "The Girl with the Red Slippers".  We talked about the similarities in the two versions and tomorrow we will focus on the differences.  We will also listen to an Irish version called "Billy Beg" and then move onto versions of Tom Thumb. 
• We will continue learning about the human body a bit and how to especially keep it healthy as I have asked a USU extension employee to come and present 7 lessons on "My Plate" (think food pyramid).  She will start tomorrow and will continue every other Tuesday through December. 
• I hope that you are asking to see your child's behavior chart every Friday.  It helps to work together to improve behavior in the classroom.   
• Happy Birthday to Kimberlin (on September 23).  Today we celebrated our first birthday of the year.  If your child has a birthday that falls during the school year you are welcome to send store-bought treats to help celebrate.  We now have 18 students in our class.

 Read with your child tonight and every night using their Take-home book!!!  Return it everyday for a new one!!

Happy Reading,
Mrs. Armstrong