Newsletter September 4 - September 7

I hope that you all had a nice Labor Day weekend.  My remaining family at home ventured up to Bryce Canyon.  We haven't been there in years--we are sure lucky to live in such a beautiful area.

Here are this week's happenings and announcements:

• Sight Word Soldiers pass-off day is tomorrow.  Please send the signed blue note back tomorrow with your child so that they can pass off another list of words.
• The August reading calendars are NOW due.  I had several students bring them back today.  I will give students a certificate and a treat if they turn in the August calendar by this Friday.  September reading calendars were sent home today.  I still haven't heard when the take-home library will start.  I am hoping it's soon since we have all been tested and I can send home books on each child's individual level.
• The PTA does a reading incentive program also.  They sent home "reading bookmarks" and an explanation about the program on the first day of school (all had notes in their homework folders).  This Thursday is when the PTA will pick up our first batch of bookmarks for the awards program.  I believe that our awards program will be the second Tuesday of each month at 3:00. If you need another bookmark please send me e-mail or Remind text and I will put one in your child's homework folder. Since I only require ten minutes of reading a night and to earn the highest award students are asked to read for 20 minutes a night I will supplement those with minutes in class.  I will supplement by giving students 10 minutes of reading time from class.  That way all students can get the top "Gold Eagle Award" if they read at home and get the supplement from class.  
• Starving Student cards came home last week.  This is an optional fundraiser.  I have about half of those back.  If you don't want to buy the card please send it back with your child.  If you want to buy it or order extras send back the $25 and the order form in the envelope provided.  This is not a free card for each family. 
• If your child is absent I will send home the "morning work" that they will have missed.  It will have your child's name on it and the abbreviation "HW" (homework) and the date they missed.  Please help your child return these to school.  I do grade the morning work assignments.  
• Each Friday help your child to remember to wear their East Elementary t-shirt or a blue shirt for our Spirit Friday.  
• School pictures will be on Friday, September 14.  I will send home order forms tomorrow.  You can either send that order form back in with an order and a check or order online.  All students will have their pictures taken even if a picture packet isn't desired. 
• I have given Mr. Moyle most of your e-mail addresses.  Please let me know if you are not receiving periodic messages from Mr. Moyle or the PTA (monthly school newsletters and things like that). In fact, he sent out the September Principals letter home today.
• We are finishing up our Addition Concepts unit in math.  We have learned that the order of the addends doesn't change the sum.  Tomorrow we will put together numbers to 10 (1 + 9 = 10, 2 + 8 = 10 etc.) then on  Friday and Monday we will review addition to ten and then take our first math test next Tuesday (that's my plan). 
• In reading, we have moved from fiction folktales and fables to learning about  the Human Body.  Today we learned about how a pediatrician helps children when they are sick and how they also help them stay healthy.  We will learn about several body systems throughout this unit (digestive, skeletal, muscular and nervous systems) as well as learn about immunizations, staying healthy, and the food pyramid. 
•  We are reviewing the digraphs 'sh', 'ch', and 'th'.  We will start reading our first reader titled "Snap Shots" tomorrow.  We are also learning how to write complete declarative sentences (those that end in a period). Reading intervention groups will start next Tuesday, September 11.  I will inform you through e-mail if you child will be attending one of those reading groups. You will also receive their DIBELS results in the mail as soon as they are all available.  If you have any questions about those results please don't hesitate to ask. 

I think that's it.  Thanks again for helping your child read nightly at home, for sending in snacks and for being a partner in your child's education.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Armstrong