Here are this week's happenings:
- We had our Spirit Run kickoff assembly last Friday and I just sent the information sheet home about that fundraising event. I didn't want to send it home Friday since the assembly was at the end of the day and I was afraid my students wouldn't get it home in their folders. Please take a minute to read over the information. A few things to note about this: Registration is free and all students who register will receive a lanyard. If our class reaches our goal then we personally receive 10% of the profits. That would help with things like our Gingerbread houses in December. This is optional and we don't encourage students to go door to door.
- I only have about half of the apples we need for our Halloween witch craft that we will be making tomorrow. Please send an apple tomorrow with your child. If this is a problem for any of you please don't hesitate to let me know. I just need to know how many extra I will need so that all of the students will be able to participate.
- We have two field trips coming up in October. One was just scheduled for October 18. We will be walking to SUU (weather permitting) and going to both the SUMA and Frehner museums. I need some volunteers to go with us (walk from East to SUU and back). We will leave here at 9:10 and return around 11:30 (right before lunch). The next field trip is to the Robinson Family Pumpkin Patch on Tuesday, October 22. We will leave by bus from East right after lunch around 12:40 and return by 2:00 just in time for computers and PE. This cost for the Pumpkin Patch is $1.00. If you would like to help with either or both field trips just send me an e-mail. I will send home a regular note about these field trips just to make sure everyone receive the information. The entire first grade will go to the Pumpkin Patch, but just our class and Mrs. Carter's class will be going to SUU on October 18.
- In math we are again working on addition. We are learning different strategies to help with addition. The first one and the one we concentrate on most is "counting on". This strategy is used if you have an addend of 1, 2, or 3 added to the other addend. For example 8 + 3 = 11. Students start on the larger number (8) and count on 3 (9, 10, 11) for the sum. Today we learned about doubles facts ( 3 + 3 = 6 or 5 + 5 = 10 for example). We will use our knowledge of doubles facts for the next strategy of doubles plus 1 and doubles minus 1. Students will take addition facts with numbers right next to each other and first compute the doubles fact and then either add or subtract one from the doubles. (7 + 8 = 15, the doubles facts is 7 + 7 = 14 so students take 14 + 1 =15 because 8 is just one more than 7 or double the 8's for 8 + 8 = 16 and minus 1 from 16 because 7 is one less than 16). This double plus one and doubles minus one strategy is tough for little minds because right now most of the doubles facts are not automatic. That is why we feel that the counting on strategy is the one to spend our time on. Our math intervention on Wednesday will be spent on remediating or enriching with counting on.
- In reading we are now learning about long vowel sounds. We have learned that 'ee' is a way to spell the /e/ sound. We have also learned about a_e and today i_e to spell the long /a/ and long /i/ sounds. We are reading a new book called Gran where we go on adventures with Josh and Jen and their fun Gran. The spelling rules or phonics that we are learning are highlighted in these books. That means students see many words with the 'ee', a_e, or i_e spellings. All of the words in these books the students have been taught how to "sound out" or know the "tricky words" because we have introduced those. These books are called decodeable because nothing is surprising in these books and the students have learned about all of the sounds and spellings.
- This is the last week of the first quarter--I know crazy right?! This week we will have our second PTA reading awards on Thursday, October 10 at 3:00 in my classroom. I sent home notices to those that will be receiving an award that day. You are more than welcome to attend. Next Tuesday, October 15 we will have our first grade awards in the cafeteria. These awards are for perfect attendance and the Catch the Vision award or Most improved award. I will let you know via e-mail if you child will be receiving an award at this ceremony.
- Harvest Holiday is Monday, October 21 (no school). We have a three-day weekend to look forward to.
- I just got an e-mail from the take-home librarian telling me that several of my students have moved up a level in their reading. That's because they have read the whole list on a certain level. This makes me happy because it shows how many students are reading every night! I can't emphasize this enough (and I'll say it a lot during the year) that practicing reading at home helps your child's reading abilities so much!!! Please let me know how you feel about your child's level. If it doesn't feel "just right" it's not. It shouldn't be too easy or too hard. These books should be read by your student to you--not the other way around. Keep up the good work!
Happy Monday and Happy Reading,
Mrs. Armstrong
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