Newsletter February 22 - February 26

 Here's my mid-week newsletter.  I guess Wednesday is better than never.  

Here's what's happening:

• We have a large accumulation of clothing items in our lost and found.  This Friday those will be donated.  If your child is missing something (coat, jacket, hat etc.) please have them look for them before Friday.  If they ask my I will let them go before school or at a convenient time during the day to look for the missing item.
• On Tuesday, March 2 we (along with the rest of the school) will be having a pajama day for "Read Across America"--Dr. Seuss's birthday celebration.  You child can wear their pajamas all day next Tuesday, March 2.  
• I will send home scholastic book orders this Friday.  Disregard the order deadline--I will extend that to Wednesday March 2.  Please use the classroom code and order online (that's the best way)--I can take a regular order too.  It's nice as you have the choice to either have the books sent here to school or last month if you ordered a specific amount the books could be sent directly to your house (I guess that's one nice thing about COVID).  
• This week I have again had several students say "I forgot my mask".  Please put an extra mask in your child's backpack.  This is especially helpful too if one mask gets misplaced during lunch break.
• Don't forget to return both library and take home books tomorrow--THURSDAY.  I was excited to hear that next week we will be having our library experience back in the library so students will be able to have a greater variety of books to check out each week.  
• In learning we have learned a lot about groundhogs and today we used a graphic organizer (hand print) to begin formulating a descriptive paragraph about groundhogs.  Ask your child to share some things they have learned about groundhogs.  I told them today they could be groundhog scientists! We have starting reading a new book called Kate's book and are concentrating on determining if a sentence is a statement or question. 
• In math we started a new chapter, "Count and model numbers".  This is the chapter where we begin place value.  Students have been counting on by one from any given number using a 120 chart and tomorrow we will count on by 10's from any number using a 120-chart (i.e. 38, 48, 58 etc.). This chapter we will model tens and ones which will help us then be able to add and subtract two digit numbers. 

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Armstrong

Newsletter February 16 - February 19

 Welcome back after a nice three day weekend.  I hope you enjoyed your break.  I'm going to be brief but here are this week's happenings:

• Please put an extra mask in your child's backpack.  We have had several students lose their masks especially during lunch break.  I always remind them to have it when they come in but we've had several get lost.  That causes two issues-- one interrupted instruction time for the student to go back outside and try and find it or if not found they have to go to Eagle support and a parent is called to bring a new one.  I have gone through boxes of masks as well as the office.  An extra one would be very helpful.  
• Governor Cox is visiting ICSD next Monday, February 22 and specifically will be visiting East Elementary before lunch.  I think that is quite an honor to have a visit from the governor.  He will be observing a dual immersion classroom as well as our Eagle Support or Wellness Center. 
• Take home books were sent home today.  This week only two were sent home.  They will as usual be due back on Thursday (Friday at the latest) for new books next Monday.  Library will be this Thursday.  It's been a couple of weeks since we have had library.
• This week we will learn more about groundhogs so that we can begin the process of writing a descriptive paragraph about Groundhogs.  We have also started a new unit in reading and today learned about plural nouns and the rules for doubling consonants when adding endings to a root word (ex. stop, stopping or stopped vs. jump, jumping or jumped).  We are still learning about animal habitats and will finish that unit learning about the freshwater and ocean habitats.  
• In math we are wrapping up our unit on the relationship between addition and subtraction. The last couple of days we have learned about equal or not equal equations (4  + 3 = 9 - 2 or 5 + 5 = 4 + 4. The first being equal of course and the second not equal).  Today we worked on mixed addition and subtraction problems.  I had to remind my students many times to look at the sign before adding or subtracting.  That might be something you emphasize at home working with both addition and subtraction problems. 
• Last Wednesday we had our first WIN groups. We all (first grade teachers) were reminded at what a great thing grouping students with the parameters of WHAT I NEED.  We are excited to again have those groups tomorrow.  We will have those groups every Wednesday after lunch for the remainder of the year.  Those groups are fluid as we look at data and move students around based what they need for each standard.  

Have a nice Tuesday and Happy Reading,

Mrs. Armstrong

Newsletter February 8 - February 12

 It has been nice to be back after my 10 day quarantine.  We are still  working on correcting behavior and I would appreciate your support at home with this.  Please ask your child about how they did on their behavior chart DAILY.  Work with them about respecting those around them, working hard and being kind.  Today there was a sub in PE and several students just left he PE room and I could tell she was frazzled afterwards.  From now on if students are disruptive, not following the rules, leaving the room without permission or being unkind in PE they will go to Eagle Support rather than participate with our class for PE the following week.   

Thanks for making the time to visit with me last week for SEP's.  It really is important to support your child's education and meeting with me shows them that support. 

We celebrated our 100th Day just a bit late after my return.  We have now been in school 104 day.  I consider that a victory especially this year! 

Here is what's happening this week:

• Valentine's NEED to be sent tomorrow.  Remember that we will fill them out here in class, but they need to quarantine for 72 hours before delivery on Friday.  Just send the box with your child's name on it.  Valentine's with a candy treat included are just fine too--just again make sure they come tomorrow and write your child's name on the box.  I have bought a few boxes for those that cannot send them, but honestly can't do that for the whole class.  So far I have only had a handful of students bring them.  Please let me know if this is an issue for you.  
• This Thursday our school nurse will present a Dental Health lesson to our class.  
• Along with the behavior issues I previously mentioned, I have removed supplies from student desks.  So far I think that is helping as much of the issues centered around students playing with and/or breaking supplies.  When I came this weekend to get that ready I noticed several sticky desks as students were squishing their glue sticks on the inside of their desks.  Pencil boxes and optional supplies sent at the beginning of the year will be sent home. 
• We are catching up on our learning--in math we are revisiting related facts or fact families.  We will continue with variations on this concept all week.  Today, for example, we started with a problem like 14 - 8 = where students had  to figure out the missing part (6) and then plug that into other equations (8 + 6 = 14, 6 + 8 = 14 or 14 - 6 = 8).  
• In reading and writing we will be working on paragraph writing for a while--well the remainder of the year actually.  Today we started describing marshmallows using adjectives and our five senses.  We will use those ideas to write great marshmallow sentences (Marshmallows are white and feel sticky., for example).  We will then use those sentences to write a descriptive paragraph about marshmallows. We will then learn more about Groundhogs and write a descriptive paragraph about Groundhogs and then move onto writing descriptive paragraphs about animal habitats.  
• Take-home books were sent home today.  We are getting less and less returning and sending those back.  I know it's not as easy to remember this year since they don't come home daily and return daily, but please try and use these as it's the only "homework" I ask is for nightly reading.  Remember take home books come home every Monday (three books) and need to be returned on Thursday (if you get them back Friday it will work too).  If you miss the Monday fill up then you miss out on a whole week of books essentially.  
• On Wednesday we will start having WIN groups.  These are "What I Need" groups.  We will only have them once a week due to COVID issues, but we have been given the green light to start these.  These groups will be made up from all of the first grade students.  They are essentially groups to give the students "what they need" in language arts (we chose this since we are limited this year).  Students are placed in groups and are given extra support in reading and writing, given more practice on the skills we are learning right now, or given extension.  If you child tells you they went to a different class on Wednesday they did!  We will make sure that when students go to a different classroom that sanitization measures are taken (that's the reason for only once a week).  These groups are very helpful for all students and we are excited to starting implementing them again. 
• Library will resume this Thursday as we did not have library due to SEP's last week.  
• Don't forget we have next Monday, February 15 off due to President's Day.  I was just reminded of that today--so yay for a 3-day weekend! 

Don't forget to send those Valentines TOMORROW and Happy Reading!

Mrs. Armstrong