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