Hello and welcome to Mrs. Armstrong's first grade newsletter. Rather than send home written newsletters I post a blog newsletter weekly. It will be your responsibility to read this weekly for announcements, calendar items and to learn about what we are doing in our classroom. Make sure that you check out the sidebar of this blog also if you are using your phone to view this scroll down to view the "web version".
Here's what's happening this week:
- Today I sent home our first reading calendar (September) in your child's homework folder (remember that these come back and forth EVERYDAY). If you watched my BTSN night video you know that the only "homework" I expect in first grade is reading 10 minutes each school night. I prefer that the students read to you but since the take-home library has not started yet any reading together for 10 minutes now is just great. Please mark down how many minutes your child reads on the calendar each night and sign it and return it at the end of the month for a certificate, little treat, and a coupon for a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.
- Don't forget to send water bottles with your child. We were given permission to use the drinking fountains today for those that forget a water bottle, but it's much more sanitary to have water bottles rather than several students drinking one after the other from the fountain. Please wash them and fill them up every day.
- This week we started our behavior charts. Each week students try to stay "green" or above on my behavior clip chart. They will bring home a behavior chart each week showing you how they did. Please talk to your child about how they are doing in school. If your child is green all week then on Friday they get to pick out of the "green treasure box". We are still learning about rules and expectations in first grade. Learning appropriate behavior and social cues is just as important as the academic learning that students will receive in first grade.
- This week our reading aides began testing students using the state mandated test of DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy Skills). After this testing is complete students we will begin having small reading groups. If your child will be receiving reading group services outside of my classroom I will inform of that. I am excited for small reading groups to start--that is my favorite part of teaching first grade and it's where the magic happens.
- School pictures will be Friday, September 11. We are using a different company this year and I will send you information about prices when I receive it.
- Our first week was spent getting to know each other and to establish classroom rules. This week we are diving right into learning. In our reading we are reading letter sounds and blending sounds into words. We are learning the differences between vowel sounds and consonants sounds and were introduced to nouns. We have also been hearing Fables this week--today we read "The Goose and the Golden Egg". We also read "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and "The Maid and the Milkpail". Ask your child what the moral of these fables are.
- In math we are learning about addition concepts. We are using concrete models to show addition this week and learning about what an addition sentence looks like.
- We are doing our best with social distancing and mask wearing. I still have some students who I am constantly reminding to put on their masks. I appreciate those who have reinforced the importance of wearing masks--I know it's not easy, but it keeps us face to face in school!!
- Remember that it's Labor Day next Monday--so have a nice long weekend!
- Please feel free to reach out to me anytime with questions or concerns. Remind is the perfect way to contact me--or I will get back to you over e-mail as soon as I can, but it is not as immediate. Thanks for you support!
Happy Tuesday and Happy Reading!
Mrs. Armstrong
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