Newsletter October 29 - November 2

It's Halloween week!! This week for Halloween we will finish our apple head witches with a healthy treat and participate in our school-wide Halloween sing and Halloween Parade. We will also play a Halloween Addition memory game and if time permits will play Halloween bingo and in the afternoon go to the computer lab to get our Lexia minutes in.   Remember the parade will run from 10:45 to 11:00 and no masks (face paint is o.k.), weapons, or gore. 

Last Thursday, I attended a training on DIBELS (our reading test mandated by the state).  Basically we learned how to use that data more effectively to drive our instruction.  I was excited as I looked at the data of all of my kids and could see that most are on the path to make typical progress or above typical progress in reading.  Some though are not on that path and will continue to need intensive specific instruction to help bridge that gap.  Please if you are not regularly reading at night with your child start that NOW!  The students that are making the most progress honestly are getting the help they need at school, but also reading consistently at night and doing what I recommend and that is reading the take-home books more than once.  They are also sending back their sight word lists every Wednesday.  Home and school should be a team in for our students.

This week I don't have much more than what I just noted, but here are this week's happenings anyway:

• The October reading calendar will be due on Thursday, November 1.  Please return that by Monday, November 5 for a certificate, little treat and Pizza Hut coupon.  Those turned in after that date will still receive credit, but won't include the mentioned items.
• On Monday, November 12 we will take another walking field trip to SUU (weather permitting) to visit the new Shakespeare sculpture Garden.  We will leave here shortly after 9:00 and return before lunch.  I need a volunteer to walk over there with us--if you could help please send me an e-mail. 
• We are still in the thick of learning about addition strategies.  We will continue that unit this week.  We will especially concentrate on ten and more (ex. 10 + 4 = 14 or 10 + 7 = 17).  Next week our math intervention time will be devoted to that topic. 
• In reading, we will finish up Unit 2 and head into Unit 3 on Thursday.  With that unit spelling words will start coming home.  I don't have a set day for spelling tests.  I send home the lists and then 5 days later we take the test.  I always send the list home with the date of the test at the top of the sheet and will remind you the day before we take the test.  Some students may need a bit of extra practice on these words at home to feel successful on test day.  If that is the case, use a couple of minutes of your 10 minutes of reading time to work on those spelling words.  If you have a choice though to read or to practice spelling words always choose reading!
• Mr. Moyle sent an e-mail about the lost and found items being donated at the end of the week.  Those items are on the lunchroom stairs right now.  If your child is missing something please remind them to take a look there before the items are donated.  If you are not receiving school e-mails from Mr. Moyle please let me know and provide me with a current e-mail that I can give him. 

I look forward to all of the happy faces and costumes on Wednesday!

Happy Halloween and Happy Reading!

Mrs. Armstrong