Welcome back after Labor Day weekend. I hope that you all have an enjoyable break. It's amazing the drop in temperatures from last week. Thanks for sending jackets with your kids. We go outside for fresh air breaks unless it we are experiencing sub freezing temperatures, it's raining or snowing.
Here are this week's happenings:
- Picture day is this Friday--another reminder and payment form was sent home today in your child's homework folder. All students will get their pictures taken regardless is payment is made.
- I placed a Scholastic book order in your child's homework folder last Friday. These orders are optional but a nice way to get some inexpensive books for your home library and it helps to get books for our classroom library each time an order is made. The best way to order these books is using the online code that was attached to the letter on the fliers. The online code is always posted on the side bar of this blog. The orders will be due Tuesday, September 15.
- Also in your child's homework folder is a flier about a PTA fundraiser for "Starving Student card"--these are coupon type books that a percentage of the proceeds comes back to our school. This year rather than a typical coupon book it will be all online. The flier I sent home outlines the details of the fundraiser. Consider purchasing one if you would like to--I know that I use mine and it pays for itself after a few uses.
- Remember that our library day is on Thursday--please help your child to remember to return their books so that they can check out some new ones this Thursday. I will send a REMIND message tomorrow to remind you!
- I hope you are all reading with your child for 10 minutes each night. Some of you have started filling out the PTA reading eagle bookmark in addition to our reading calendar. Those were sent home in the homework folders the first day of school. As your child finishes those bookmarks they can return them here in exchange for a new one. I have not heard about awards ceremonies this year, but will let you know about that as soon as I hear. In the past I have helped in class so that my students can get the highest award possible for the PTA awards since I only require 10 minutes of reading and to get the highest award students would have to read more than 10 minutes a night. When our reading groups start I will start adding ten minutes each day to a PTA bookmark here in class. Those will be added to the bookmarks that you fill out at home. Of course you can read more than 10 minutes at home but I've found and research supports just ten minutes a night for first graders. Right now I want the reading to be enjoyable! If that means you are doing most of the reading to your child because the books you are have too difficult for your child to read right now then do that. When the take-home books start coming home you should switch that up and your student should do most of the reading to you. If the books are too hard it will just be frustrating to your child and reading will not feel enjoyable to them.
- Our SEP conferences (parent teacher conferences) will be held the week of September 28 - October 2. This year along with so many other things those conferences will look very different. My guess is we will schedule those "visits" via ZOOM. After meeting with my first grade team tomorrow, I will get back to you on how we will proceed with those conferences. At those conferences I will let you know how your child performed on the DIBELS reading test and we can discuss how your child is doing in school and progressing in not only reading but math and behavior as well. Of course I am happy to discuss how your child is doing at any time so if you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out. SCHOOL DISMISSES EVERYDAY INCLUDING WEDNESDAY DURING SEP WEEK!
- Ok now for our curriculum.... This week we are continuing to review sounds and letters and blending those sounds into words. We are also taking words and breaking them apart into sounds. We have learned a few "tricky words" (a, I, so, no, to, all, and some) as well as are working on our handwriting. We finished our last fable today "The Fox and the Grapes" and will start some more stories (fiction yes, but not considered fables) this week. We will read "The Little Half Chick" and "All Stories are Anansi's". Ask your students to retell the stories or fables to you. In math we took a quiz on the learning target "using pictures to add". Students had to look at a picture and then come up with the corresponding addition sentence (example; 3 dogs and 2 dogs students would need to write 3 + 2 = 5). We will work on reinforcing, enriching or reteaching this concept to all students. Some will need enrichment others will need more practice or possibly reteaching. Today we learned the rule of adding 0 to a number and we will then move onto the target of "adding in any order" (think; 3 + 2 = 5 and 2 + 3 = 5). We learned today that the "answer" to an addition problem is called the "sum".
- We are still working on classroom expectations. I hope that you saw your child's behavior chart last Friday (smiley faces on it). Those will be sent home every Friday. Students who are green all week or above green get to pick out of the treasure box.
I hope that you have a Happy Tuesday--remember that tomorrow is Wednesday and it's early out!
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Armstrong
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