Newsletter April 9 - April 13

Welcome back after a nice long spring break.  It was nice to get first grade hugs and notes saying, "I mist (1st grade spelling) you Mrs. Armstrong". Our Easter Egg hunt before we left for break was a huge success.  Thanks for all of the egg donations and those that helped to "hide" the eggs.  Thanks also for the sweet notes and gifts during Teacher Appreciation week.   I know Spring break is a teaser for summer, but hold on tight as we still have several productive weeks of school left.

Here are this week's happenings:

• Our spelling test will be tomorrow, Tuesday April 10.  The list is on this blog if you have lost it.  If you are using your phone, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "view web version" and then you can see the list of words and other calendar items on the right hand sidebar.  A new list of words will come home on Wednesday, with the test being the following Tuesday, April 17.
• Many of you helped your child to remember to turn in their March reading calendar.  Those are now due and I will give until Thursday, April 12 for a certificate and a little treat attached to it.  I'm pleased too as several students brought 100-book challenge lists back after the break.  I have several kids VERY close to the 100-book mark. Keep up the good work!
• On Tuesday, April 24 our class will be walking to SUU for Bard's Birthday Bash.  This is fun celebration in honor of William Shakespeare.  The students get to act out a scene, eat birthday cake, and in the past we have had jousting contests, tug-o-wars, and danced using a maypole. We will leave the school right after lunch and return by 3:00.  I would love to have volunteers walk over with us and enjoy the festivities.  Let me know if you would like to go with us.
• In math we are working on measuring with non-standard measurements.  Today we used cubes and tomorrow we will measure objects with paper clips.  This unit also explores telling time to the hour and half hour. 
• In reading we are still learning alternative spellings for sounds (ex. 'kn' spells /n/ and 'wr' spells /r/).  We are reading about Grace and her family as they have many adventures on their farm. We are finishing up our unit on Animal Habitats.  Today we learned about the Freshwater Habitat and on Wednesday we will move to the Saltwater habitat.  We will eventually write a descriptive paragraph on one of the habitats we have studied (students will choose their favorite). 
• Don't forget to practice sight words with your child and send the lists back by Friday for Sight Word Soldiers.

Easter Egg Hunt

Happy Reading!

Newsletter March 26 - March 30

This is our last week before Spring Break (April 2 - 6).  Today we took our spelling test.  Tomorrow new spelling words will come home, but we will not have a test until we return from Spring break on Tuesday, April 10.

Our field trip to the Tom Sawyer play at SUU was a big success.  It was fun to watch my students experience a stage performance for many possibly the first time they have seen a play.  They laughed, clapped, and even screamed and cheered at one point.  Ask you child about it if you haven't already.

Here are this week's happenings:

• I sent home another reminder today about our Easter egg hunt on Friday, March 30.  Thanks for those of you that have sent eggs already.  We can't do this without your egg donations so THANK YOU!  Please send those plastic, candy-filled eggs (one dozen) by Thursday, March 29.  I have one parent that has volunteered to come and help hide the eggs that day.  I could use another helper--if you could help by coming and getting the eggs from my classroom at 1:30 and help hide them at the park for our arrival at 2:00 I would really appreciate it.  Send me an e-mail if you can help. 
• After spring break we still have several weeks of learning--please continue to read with your child every night and work towards our 100-book challenge.  We have sight word soldier pass-off on every Friday.  If you have lost your list let me know and I can send home another one.  
• Today we took a math test and tomorrow we will begin our unit on measurement and time.  Students really like the change in topic from place value to measurement and time.  We are still learning about animal habitats and our books that accompany our reading program are  getting more difficult as my students are becoming more proficient readers. We are continuing to learn rules of decoding.  Today we learned that 'kn' is a way to spell the /n/ sound (knee, knot etc.). 

Have a marvelous Spring break.  School will resume on Monday, April 9. 

Newsletter March 19 - March 23

It's almost spring and wow! we got some snow!  I guess we need the water though and by the afternoon the snow was pretty much melted off of the playground.

Here are this week's happenings:

• On Wednesday, we are walking to SUU for the Tom Sawyer play.  We will leave the school at 9:15 and return by lunch.  Please have your child here on time that day or they will have to stay back at the school.  I have only had four students send in $1.00 for that play.  That is the cost of the play.  Please send $1.00 by tomorrow!!!
• Spelling words were sent home today.  The test will be next Monday, March 26.
• March Scholastic book orders are due on Wednesday, March 21.
• The PTA reading program (bookmarks for prizes) will conclude the end of April.  If your child wants to earn the prizes they will only have until them to turn in bookmarks.
• I sent home a note about our first grade Easter Egg hunt on Friday, March 30.  Please read over that and help us by donating plastic candy-filled eggs. I need volunteers to help make this activity successful--actually it won't work at all if I don't have any volunteers :)
• Today we started our new book Grace--it is about Grace, her sister Jill and their adventures on their farm. We also started a new Unit on Animal habitats as we finished The history of the Earth last Friday. In math we are still working on two-digit addition and subtraction.  We will test on that material by this Friday. 
• Don't forget we have sight word soldiers on Friday and to read with your child from their take-home books every night! Congratulations to Piper.  She is our second student to reach the 100-book milestone in our 100-book challenge.  That challenge continues until May 16, unlike the PTA reading program which ends the end of April.

Happy Reading!!

Newsletter March 12 - March 16

Sorry about this newsletter being a couple of days late--I've had extra things after school the last couple of days that took my attention.

Here are this week's happenings:

• Tomorrow is another round of PTA reading awards.  I sent home little slips of paper to those that will be receiving an award.  They will be presented in our classroom at 3:00 if you would like to attend.  Congrats to Brinley and A'merrie (Catch the Vision recipients), Lilly (Most improved) and Reese, Riley and Piper for attendance awards!
• Next Wednesday is the Tom Sawyer play at SUU.  Please send your $1.00 by Tuesday, March 20.  We will leave here at 9:15 and return by lunch.  Please have your child here on time that day.
• We have a spelling test this Friday.  A list of words came home with your child on Monday.  All of these words have a "double consonant" in the middle of the word.  They may need to be studied at home so some students don't feel overwhelmed by the test.
• Sight Word soldiers will resume this Friday.  If you have lost your list please let me know and I can send another one home.  Getting these sight words down is one important component of becoming a fluent reader.
• I will send home third quarter Power School grades by the end of the week.  I will also send home a March Scholastic Book order those orders will be due next Wednesday, March 21.  Please order online if possible--that's the easiest and most efficient way.
• In curriculum, we are still learning about the History of the Earth.  We recently learned about three kinds of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and how "heat, pressure, and time" play a role in their formation.  In math, are working on two-digit numbers and adding the tens and ones together (53 + 20 is 7 tens and 3 ones = 73). We just started a new unit in reading.  We are learning about letters that are spellings for two sounds (ex. 'c' like cat, or cent).  We will also learn about writing personal narratives and students will write about a personal experience using words such as first, next, and last.  
• We plan on having a First Grade Easter Egg Hunt (Armstrong and Carter's classes) on Friday, March 30 at 2:00 at the Canyon Park.  I will send home a note about that activity later this week.
• Every Wednesday we have library.  Today we had very few books returned.  Please go on a book hunt and find lost or missing books and take advantage of this opportunity to have books your child would be interested in reading at home!

Happy Reading!!

Newsletter March 5 - March 7

This is a shorter week--we have school Monday - Wednesday and are off this Thursday and Friday.  So this newsletter will reflect a shorter week.

Here are this week's happenings:

• We will not have a new spelling list until we get back next week and since we will not be in school on Friday Sight Word Soldiers will be next Friday.  Thank you to Phoenix's mom for taking that over.  Congratulations to Reese's mom on her new little addition--a baby boy!
• Remember our field trip to SUU to watch Tom Sawyer on Wednesday, March 21.  The cost for this field trip is $1.00.  Please send that with your child by Tuesday, March 20. I would love having a parent volunteer walk over there with us.  If you can help please let me know.
• Wednesday is the last day of third quarter.  The third quarter Student Awards will be Tuesday, March 13 at 3:00 in the cafeteria.  I will send e-mails to those that will be receiving awards that day (attendance, Catch the Vision, and Most improved awards).
• Yay! for Brinley.  She is our first student to achieve the 100 book mark in our 100-book challenge.  I reminded my students that we all read at a different pace and that they still have plenty of time to accomplish this goal.  May 16 is the last day for this goal.

I hope that you all have a nice four day weekend and a rejuvenation to head into the fourth quarter of school--crazy how time flies!

Happy Reading!

Newsletter February 26 - March 2

Last week we had a new addition to our class.  Miss Bagley is our student teacher.  She is very capable and I am happy to have her in my class to learn and to teach.  She will be here until mid-April. 

Here are this week's happenings:

• Friday is now our Sight Word Soldiers day.  Please help your child with their lists and send those back by Friday.
• The spelling test is on Thursday (a list was sent home last Friday).  The list is also on the sidebar of this blog.  As you are studying if you talk about the different ways the sounds are spelled that might help for example;  trucker (/t/ is spelled 't'), kitten (/t/ is spelled 'tt') and parked (/t/ is spelled 'ed'). 
• February Reading Calendars are due this Thursday, March 1.  I will send home new March calendars that day. I will accept those calendars for a little treat and certificate by Tuesday, March 6.  After that, I will still give credit for the work completed but a treat and certificate will not be attached to it.
• On Friday it's "Dr Seuss'" birthday.  Our wonderful PTA is coming to our classrooms to share Dr. Seuss stories and a cupcake.  
• Next week is our final week of quarter three.  Remember that we have a couple of days off before we start back up into our fourth quarter.  We do not have school on Thursday and Friday, March 8 and 9.  
• On Wednesday, March 21 we will be going on a walking field to SUU to watch Tom Sawyer put on by the Playmakers.  It is a production full of children and is usually a great time and something that maybe many first graders haven't attended before (an actual stage play). We will leave the school at approximately 9:15 for the play at 10:00 and return by lunch.  I would love to have, actually I should say I need a parent volunteer come with us and walk to SUU. If you could spend the morning with our class please let me know. The cost for this field trip is $1.00.  Please send that with your child by Tuesday, March 20.  
• We are having issues with toys being brought to school.  I talked to my students today about bringing toys or anything that can get broken, stolen, lost or are a distraction to class.  I asked them to please clean out their backpacks of these toys and to not bring them to school unless it's a special toy day in PE.  I also told them that I would like to see "Show and Teach" items instead of toys being brought to school for Show and Tell (shells, family pictures, book, a rock found on a hike etc.) instead of bringing toys.  Could you please help your child with this and not have them bring toys to school?  I know some kids leave them in their backpacks and I never see them and they aren't a problem, but I would appreciate the help.  If you have any concerns about this please let me know. 
• In our learning we have moved to our unit on the History of the Earth.  We will learn about the different layers of the earth, different types of rocks and how they are formed and learn about geology and what geologists do.  In math we have moved to our unit on adding and subtracting two-digit numbers.  Miss Bagley our student teacher is presenting these lessons.  Tomorrow the students will learn about adding tens (example 30 + 50 = 8 tens = 80. ).  In reading and writing we are starting opinion paragraphs.  We just wrote a class opinion paragraph about our favorite class activity so far (we chose Valentine's day).  Students will then take a stand or choose their favorite animal and write an opinion paragraph about that animal. 
• Our 100-book challenge is well under way.  I am excited as more lists are returning.  I am going to change that due date just slightly because we have two field trips the last week of school (I'll inform you of those when it gets closer to the time) and because of those field trips and field day I wanted to make the due date for the 100 books on Wednesday, May 16.  We will have our reading picnic (pizza, breadsticks etc. in my room) on Thursday May 17. 

I will print off third quarter power school grades next week and send them home with your child the following week after we return from the two day break.  If you child needs to return any missing assignments due to absences please return those by next Wednesday, March 7. 

Don't stop reading with your child!  Try to make it an enjoyable activity with your child. 

Happy Reading!

Newsletter February 12 - February 16

Thanks for those that took some time to come and visit with me during our SEP week.  If you ever have any more questions or concerns please feel free to contact me (e-mail is the best way).

Here is what's happening in our class this week:

• Our spelling test will actually be tomorrow, Tuesday instead of Monday.  I think that I had my students write Monday on their spelling lists.  We will take that test in the morning. The list is words can always be found on this blog (right sidebar) if you've lost your list. A new list will come home tomorrow and that test will be next Wednesday, February 21.
• Today I sent home a Scholastic book order.  It will be due this Friday, February 16.  I also sent home notes if your child will be receiving a PTA reading award on Thursday, February 15 at 3:00 in our classroom.  You are welcome to attend. Check for the note about the PTA Talent Show in March too!
• Wednesday is Valentine's Day.  We will be having our little party (delivering Valentine's and cookie making) right after lunch at 12:35.  Students can bring Valentine cards and/or treats that day to deliver during our party.  Please make sure that everyone in our class receives a Valentine.  I sent home a note a couple of weeks ago with details and a list of our class.  Thanks to the couple of you that have sent in $1.00 for the Valentine's day bags.  If you could help with that I would appreciate it.  We will decorate those bags tomorrow afternoon.  Thank you to those that have sent supplies to help us decorate with.  I hope that makes it easier for you at home as now you don't have to figure out a Valentine's day box on your own :)  I COULD USE A VOLUNTEER OR TWO TO HELP THAT DAY (Valentine's day at 12:35)--if you can help I would have you help the kids frost and decorate their cookies.  Let me know if you can help please.
• Don't forget Sight Word Soldiers is this Wednesday.  After this week, instead of Wednesday our pass-off day will be on Friday.  Thanks so much to Reese's mom, Kim, for helping with that all year and good luck with your new baby!  Thanks to Phoenix's mom for volunteering to help it continue.
• I have had several students that are making progress for the 100-book challenge. Don't leave it until the end or it will be frustrating for all involved.  If your child reads the take-home book every night it's cinch! 
• In reading and writing this week we will work on "tricky spellings".  Today we talked about the letter 'g' and that it's a spelling for two different sounds (/g/ and /j/).  Students learned which sound to try first if the encounter an unknown word with the letter 'g'.  Students will write about their "Love Monsters" that we created today and start the process of writing a descriptive paragraph about "What Fills My Heart". 
• In math we are learning about greater than, less than, and equal to.  We have learned to use the tens place first to determine which number is greater or less than.  We have also learned about the >,< and = signs.  
• In our Astronomy unit we have learned about the sun, stars, and the moon.  Tomorrow we will learn about astronauts and space exploration and then move onto the planets in our solar system. 

Don't forget it's a three-day weekend.  It's President's Day on Monday, February 19.  

Happy Reading!