Newsletter February 25 - March 1

I'm finally back after being sick all week--that one was a doozy!  It was nice to be back with my class--I missed them very much. 

Here are this week's happenings:

• This week is the PTA "Read Across America" week.  I sent home another reminder flyer today of dress up opportunities and activities during the week.  Especially note "Parents and Pastries" on Wednesday morning from 7:45-8:45 in the cafeteria.  Please note though that teachers are not expected to be in the building until 8:20 so please make sure that you child is accompanied by an adult before sending them to their classrooms. 
• Our spelling test will be this Thursday, your child should have received a new list of words last week.  If you didn't see one let me know or you can always look on the sidebar of this blog (if you are using your phone make sure you are in "web-version" to see all of the blog). 
• We started a new unit in math today.  This will focus on counting and modeling numbers.  Today we worked on counting by ones starting at a given number and tomorrow we will work on counting by tens. We will model numbers using tens and ones to 120 to prepare us to add and subtract two digit numbers without regrouping in our next unit (ex. 53 - 30=23 or 33 + 60 = 93)
• In reading and writing we are still learning about different ways to spell consonant sounds and today we started learning about opinion paragraphs vs. descriptive paragraphs.  Our first opinion paragraph will be "My favorite season".  Students will still follow with basic outline of a paragraph (opening sentence, details or reasons, and closing sentence).  But, instead of describing something they will first state their opinion.  
• Since I was gone last week we reviewed the Animal habitats that we presented--so far we have learned about the Arctic, the Sonoran Desert and the African Savanna.  This has been a favorite unit of my students and is proving the same with this group.  We will use our knowledge and write paragraphs about the many habitats we learn about.  
• Don't forget our Sight word soldier pass off day is Wednesday!  I'm excited about all of those that are reading towards our 100-book challenge.  So far Adam, Avery, HartLee, Kash, Kimberlin, Liam, Rayne and Ryder have returned lists.  I told my students today that I gave all parents information about this challenge and that you could help them with this.  If you have lost your information please let me know and I will send home more.  It's easy to do if you start early, but much harder if you wait until the last minute.  

Happy Reading!!

Mrs. Armstrong

Newsletter February 11- February 15

Happy Valentine's Day Week!

Here are this week's happenings:

• I still haven't had a volunteer to help with the Valentine's Day party which will be this Thursday from 1:00-2:00.  I would love to have a volunteer that could donate unfrosted heart-shaped sugar cookies (you buy them at Lin's) and/or a mom, dad, grandma, just an adult volunteer that can help with the decorating of those cookies.  These volunteers do not need to be the same person.  I could split up the cookie donations also.  I have plenty of icing leftover from the gingerbread houses and sprinkles from last year.  Please let me know if you could help with either of these two items.  If I don't get the donation(s) and volunteer to help we will just play Valentine's Day Bingo and deliver our cards. I sent home a note last week with a list of our class so that we can deliver Valentines that day.  This is an optional activity, but I have known students who feel left out if they don't bring cards to deliver to their classmates.  Let me know if this is an issue for you and I can see how I can help.  Students can deliver cards and/or treats but they need to have one for everyone in the class.  
• New spelling words will be sent home tomorrow.  They emphasize the spellings for the /j/ (sound).  We have learned that you can spell /j/ with 'j', 'g' or 'ge'.  This unit in reading heavily concentrates on alternative spellings for consonant sounds.  Tomorrow we will learn about the /t/ (spellings are 't'. 'tt', 'ed' (like in looked).  We are also concentrating on statements vs. questions and will continue our work on paragraph writing.  We will especially concentrate on descriptive paragraphs, but in this unit we will also learn about opinion paragraphs. 
• We are finishing up our unit in math on addition and subtraction concepts.  We will finish up the lessons this week and review early next week with our test next Thursday.  I think my students for the most part really are understanding the relationship between addition and subtractions after this unit.  
• I will actually be gone a couple of days next week --I have had so many professional development opportunities this year that I have mostly been required to attend.  Next week is no exception, on Tuesday our entire school will be training/learning about behavior protocol and the next day, Wednesday (Feb. 20).  I have been asked to be on a committee to help formulate "common guaranteed standards" for all of the first grades in the district.  So, long story short I will be gone next Tuesday, and Wednesday after President's Day.  I will still plan on the spelling test and math review on those days.  
• Thanks again for visiting with me during SEP week.  I have been excited to see most of our take-home books coming back now daily.  I hope that trend continues.  
• Our 100-book challenge is underway.  We have a few students on the board now--Kash, Rayne, HartLee, Kimberlin and Avery have all started reading books towards the challenge.  Remember if your child reads their take-home book this will be an EASY challenge to complete and you can back track from January 17.  I love the smiles and congratulations as my students read books for this challenge.
• The PTA reading awards will be on Valentine's day at 2:45 in our room.  If your child is going to receive an award I sent home a note yesterday about it (it's on a small piece of white paper and the award they are receiving is marked). 

Have a nice three-day weekend!  I love this class.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Armstrong

Newsletter February 4 - February 8

This will be short and sweet this week.  Thanks to all of those who have made it a priority to visit with me during this SEP week.  Especially those today who trudged out in the snow.

Here are this week's happenings:

• Spelling test will be tomorrow (Wednesday) instead of today as scheduled because I had so many kids absent today from the snow and sicknesses.  
• A new list will come home tomorrow and that test will be next Tuesday, February 12.  
• I hope that you saw the Valentine's day note that came home yesterday.  I told you that we will make Valentine's bags in class and that donations of decorations would be helpful, but I found a cute little thing to do with those bags that just uses things we have at the school already so if you can send the $1.00 for me to buy the bags then we will just use supplies here at school to decorate them.  I hope that his helps by making them at school. We will have a Valentine's day party next Thursday at 1:00--that's when students can deliver Valentine cards and/or treats to all of their classmates.  A list of students was on that note I sent home.
• Most of you have now heard about the 100-book challenge ( if you have been to an SEP conference).  This is an optional activity, but one that is easy to achieve if your child is already reading their take-home book nightly.  I told you in the note that you can back track to January 17.  That would be 12 or 13 school days, depending on when you came to SEP conference that you can already add to your first list.  
• We will have library this week because the PTA chose not to have a book fair during SEP conferences.  Please find and return any over due books.
• In math and reading we are moving through our unit on Addition and subtraction relationships, the History of the Earth and have started a new book called Kate's book and we are learning about when to double the final consonant when adding a suffix to a root word (hop becomes hopped and jump becomes jumped for example).

Thanks for all you do! 

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Armstrong