Newsletter November 26 - November 30

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.  It was nice to be back though it was difficult to wake up early today. We had a nice time the day before the holiday making Thanksgiving bracelets and Turkey cookies--I hope that you saw the poem and bracelet.  Thanks to Adam's mom for supplying the ingredients for our Turkey cookies! 

Here are this week's happenings and annoucements:

• Tomorrow I will be sending home a packet of information about our next DIBELS test.  I will send home a note telling you where your child is currently reading and where they "should be" by our December 11th reading test (DIBELS).  I will encourage your to continue reading your take-home book every night (more than once), practice sight words and for some of you I will send home some "nonsense words" to practice with your child.  I will also send home in this packet a Power School print out and notes if your child's library or take-home books are overdue.  Please look over these carefully--you don't need to send them back.  If you would like to meet with me personally to discuss what you see I am happy to do so.  It's easiest to contact me through e-mail (tifani.armstrong@ironmail.org).
• Today we had our PTA Glow Dance Party for raising over $10,000 at our Walk-a-Thon!  The kids had a great time in the gym dancing with disco lights and glow sticks.  Thanks to helping make this fundraiser a success.
• In math we have moved from addition concepts to Two-dimensional shapes.  We will be learning about the attributes of these shapes (hexagon, trapezoid, rectangle, triangle, rhombus).  Things like how many sides and vertices (corners) they have.  We will also use these shapes and combine them to make "new" shapes (two trapezoids create a hexagon for example).  We will also "take-apart" these shapes.  We decided to do this unit and the following unit Three-dimensional shapes before the holiday because it's less intense and we can concentrate on Subtraction concepts after the holiday during a less "exciting month". 
• We do not have spelling words this week as we are wrapping up our 3rd unit in reading.  We have learned several vowel combinations in this unit and will review for the next week (/oo/, /ou/, /oi/, and /aw/) We have also learned about verbs and are just touching on past and present tense verbs.  We write in our journals almost everyday.  We will start a new one tomorrow so watch for the Halloween journal to come home and have your child try and share their writing with you. I hope that you can notice improvements. 
• In our read-aloud reading we have moved to Early American Civilizations.  Right now we are learning about the Mayan civilization in fact today we just learned about how the kings did not walk on the land but rather were carried around by noblemen who considered it an honor to carry the kings.  We will also study the Aztec and Inca Civilizations. 
• Since December is almost upon us please look for notes next week about a "secret gift" and Gingerbread houses.  I can't do these types of activities without some help so I will ask for donations for these extra special Christmas items.  Christmastime in First Grade is the best!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Armstrong

Newsletter November 12 - November 16

The cold is definitely in the air.  Please make sure that you send your child with a warm coat on these cold days.  Since it's been so cold and the forecast tells us that it will continue to be cold we have cancelled our walking field trip to SUU tomorrow.  It would have been outside all morning and it's just too cold to be out that long.  I didn't really mention anything to my students about this field trip so I don't think I'll have any disappointed kids.  We will try to reschedule this trip in the spring during a warmer month. 

I won't write a newsletter post next week since it's such a short week--Here are this week's (and next week's happenings):

• We will not have Sight Word Soldiers this Wednesday, but Adam's mom will come next Monday, November 19 instead to pass of Sight word lists.  You can send those lists back anytime before that date.
• Our next spelling test is this Wednesday, November 14.  A list was sent home last week and the list is always posted on the sidebar of this blog (remember to view web version if you are on your phone).
• Some students are taking advantage of the Lexia reading computer program that we do here in school.  I can really tell that this is helping those kids.  I sent home notes with the new login information a couple of weeks ago.  If you need that information again please let me know.  Please don't do this in place of reading your take-home books nightly, but if you child want to get on the computer and do this at home they are more than welcome to exceed their weekly required minutes.
• This week in math we will take our Chapter 3 Test on addition concepts.  We will take that this Thursday.  We need to practice more on adding three numbers together before we are ready for that test.  This Wednesday will be our math intervention groups where we will review the addition concepts that we have learned.  Your child will be placed in a group according to their understanding of the concepts.  Some may be in an "enrichment group" others may be in a group were reviewing the addition concepts would be beneficial.
• In reading we have learned about the two different sounds that 'oo' makes.  Tomorrow we will learn about the /ou/ sound and how to spell it.  In our Fables reader words with these spellings dot the pages.  Today we just read about The Two Mules--ask your child what lesson the "black mule" learned in today's fable or have them retell the story to you.  
• Please continue to read with your child at home every night.  I really have most of you doing this regularly and it's helping.  We will have our next reading test (DIBELS state required) on December 11.  I will send home a note later this week and let you know where your child is now and where they "should be" by that test.  I will also give some hints to help at home, but my main hint as always will be to read those take-home books more than once. 
• We have done some Thanksgiving type writing.  We wrote some facts about turkeys and tomorrow we will write some facts about pilgrims.  Each of those writing activities were combined with  art.  
• For Thanksgiving, next Tuesday we will have a little "party" in the afternoon.  We will make turkey cookies out of oreos and other items.  If you could help by sending something for those cookies I would appreciate it.  It would be things like, double stuff oreos or candy corn.  If you can help please send me an e-mail or a "remind" message and I will give you an assignment.  We will still dismiss at 3:30 that day and during the morning we will have regular reading groups. 

I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Holiday!  One of the things I am truly grateful for all year round is my job at East Elementary and the chance I have to teach your wonderful kids.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Armstrong

Newsletter November 5 - November 9

We are well into November now--I can't believe it!  We wrote about what we are Thankful for today.  Make sure to check out your child's journal when it comes home--it will include this writing. I know I am thankful to teach first grade especially with this wonderful bunch that I have this year.

Here are this week's happenings:

• I was mistaken on the date for our next walking field trip to SUU.  We will be going next Tuesday, November 13, not Monday, November 12.  We will leave here at 9:15 and return before lunch.  I need someone to help walk over there with us.  If you could go with us please send me an e-mail.
• This Wednesday, November 7 we will have our first spelling test.  I sent lists home with your child last week.  If you lost it I always have the list on the sidebar of this blog.  If you are using your phone and can't see the sidebar please scroll down to the bottom and click "web version" and then you'll be able to see the words.  We will also have Sight word soldiers that day and will have a special presentation from the Ogden Nature Center.  Students will be learning about how to classify animals using live animals, pelts and mounts and learn about similarities and differences between mammals, reptiles and birds.  It should be an awesome day!
• Today in math we learned about "making a ten" to add.  Think:  9 + 5 = 14 Students take one away from 5 to "make a ten" so then they can solve the "easier" problem 10 + 4 = 14 which makes 9 + 5 =14 true.  We will continue to work on that strategy tomorrow and then have math intervention groups on Wednesday.  On Thursday and Friday we will be working on adding 3 numbers ( 3 + 4 + 6 = 13 for example).  Students will learn to group two addends together then add the third (4 + 6 = 10 then 10 + 3 = 13).
• In reading, in addition to having our first spelling test we will continue learning about vowel combinations (/oo/) and we have started reading from our new book "Fables".  We have read the fable "King Log and King Crane" and "The Two Dogs".  We had our first partner reading experience last week and I was so pleased to see my students emerging as "readers".  They loved it!  We will be doing some more writing centered around Thanksgiving and especially making sure that our sentences are complete with a capital at the beginning and punctuation at the end.  We also will work on making our sentences more interesting by adding adjectives. For example instead of "My turkey is brown."  Students could say: "My brown, tall, wobbly turkey is running away from the farmers." 
• Today I sent home notices for those students who will be receiving a PTA reading award this Thursday, at 2:45 in our classroom.  Most students will be receiving an award because we have been filling them out in class too (remember I said that I would help by having students fill one out in class for 15 minutes a day).  Your child still needs to read at home to get the top prize, but since 10 minutes is ample time for first grade homework I wanted to help in class.  You are welcome to come to this awards program and you can take your child home afterwards if you would like to. 
• I will send home November Scholastic reading orders on Thursday.  These will be due the following Wednesday, November 14.  The holiday season is upon us and if you want me to save any of these orders for Christmas let me know and we can work out a delivery.  😀

I again can't stress enough the importance of reading with your child every night using the take-home book.  Readers at all levels become better readers using books on their level and continually practicing.

Have a nice Monday--Happy Reading!
Mrs. Armstrong