I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. I just have a few items today.
In math, we are finishing our Unit #3 (Addition strategies) this week. Thank you for helping your child with their homework. Today the strategy is "Making a ten". This is where students "make a ten" in order to add. For example: 7 + 5 = 12. Students would "take" three from 5 to "make a ten" and then add 10 + 2 = 12 so 7 + 5 = 12.
The November Scholastic book order is due this Friday, November 14. Remember that I can hide any books that you might like to order for Christmas.
I sent home a field trip permission form for all field trips. It is on coral paper. Please read the note and sign the permission slip about the district's policy for field trips.
I am noticing a decline in the return of take-home books. Please read every night with your child. It's so important!
Since this is "thankful month", I want you all to know how grateful I am for my beautiful class of first graders. I love all of my students, and feel it a privilege to be their teacher. They bring joy into my life and it's so exciting to watch their growth in learning.
Happy Reading!!
Monday, November 10, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
Newsletter November 3 - 7
Welcome to November and snow! It's chilly outside and all students will go outside for break, unless snow or rain is falling from the sky or temperatures get way below freezing. Please send your children with proper warm clothing (coats, hats, gloves, boot etc.). This is especially important for lunch recess as it is longer break time.
We had a great Halloween. The kids and I were so excited, but we remarkably were able to complete a spelling test, and some "Halloween math" that day. I think the tradition of dressing up and having a costume parade will continue at East Elementary (at least I hope it will).
This week in math we are going to continue with Chapter 3. This is a unit where there are many addition strategies that are taught. Right now we are doing "double plus one". That is where there is an addition problem where the numbers are right next to each other on the number line (7 + 8). We are teaching the students to double the smaller number and then just add one (7 + 7 = 14 so one more than 14 is 15 or 7 + 7 +1). My student teacher Andria Williams will start teaching math today and will continue until she is finished with her time with us. She has been a great addition to our classroom!
We are going to start a Close reading unit on Spiders--I know I'm a bit behind (spiders would have fit better in October), but the students love this unit. Close reading is a way where students actually get into a text many times to find out certain focus points (author's point of view, non-fiction text features as examples). We will be reading from Gail Gibbons book Spiders for this unit. We will also be doing some list writing, and letter writing this month, and will specifically focus on what we are grateful for.
October home reading records are now due. I sent home a new November reading record today. That will be due the first day back in December. Please read with your child every night. Many of you are NOT regularly sending back your child's take home book. Please take advantage of this program. It will greatly benefit your child and your child's reading success. Your child should be working on at least Sight Word List #3. I also sent home new spelling words and a new Scholastic book order. That will be due November 14. If you would like me to "hide" and save any of those books for Christmas let me know.
I will post some recent pictures from Red Ribbon week and from Halloween. Scroll down to see them and...
Happy Reading!
We had a great Halloween. The kids and I were so excited, but we remarkably were able to complete a spelling test, and some "Halloween math" that day. I think the tradition of dressing up and having a costume parade will continue at East Elementary (at least I hope it will).
This week in math we are going to continue with Chapter 3. This is a unit where there are many addition strategies that are taught. Right now we are doing "double plus one". That is where there is an addition problem where the numbers are right next to each other on the number line (7 + 8). We are teaching the students to double the smaller number and then just add one (7 + 7 = 14 so one more than 14 is 15 or 7 + 7 +1). My student teacher Andria Williams will start teaching math today and will continue until she is finished with her time with us. She has been a great addition to our classroom!
We are going to start a Close reading unit on Spiders--I know I'm a bit behind (spiders would have fit better in October), but the students love this unit. Close reading is a way where students actually get into a text many times to find out certain focus points (author's point of view, non-fiction text features as examples). We will be reading from Gail Gibbons book Spiders for this unit. We will also be doing some list writing, and letter writing this month, and will specifically focus on what we are grateful for.
October home reading records are now due. I sent home a new November reading record today. That will be due the first day back in December. Please read with your child every night. Many of you are NOT regularly sending back your child's take home book. Please take advantage of this program. It will greatly benefit your child and your child's reading success. Your child should be working on at least Sight Word List #3. I also sent home new spelling words and a new Scholastic book order. That will be due November 14. If you would like me to "hide" and save any of those books for Christmas let me know.
I will post some recent pictures from Red Ribbon week and from Halloween. Scroll down to see them and...
Happy Reading!
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| Thank you PTA for our t-shirts! |
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| Nash and Zoie--dressed up as their heroes--their grandpa and grandma! |
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| Enoch and Kylee--dressed up as heroes for Red Ribbon week. |
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| Dane and Kaden's heroes are their dads! |
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| Sweet Kaitlee dressed up as "me"! |
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| Halloween fun! |
Monday, October 27, 2014
October 27 - 31
Obviously we didn't have spelling words with the two short weeks we just had. I sent home a new list of spelling words today. For the last two spelling tests, the dictation sentence was counted at bonus points. This week it will count as regular points (hopefully that makes sense).
I hope that you saw the note I sent home about Halloween costumes and the costume parade on Halloween afternoon. I will not elaborate more here, but if you have questions please don't hesitate to contact me. We will finish our apple head witches for a little Halloween party. We will do that Halloween morning.
The PTA sent home an information sheet about their new reading program (3,000,000 minutes). They sent home little papers for you to put your child's weekly reading minutes on. Since most of the teachers if not all require reading minutes in their classrooms, we have decided to make it easier on parents and just use our classroom reading calendars and tally up the minutes that way. You do not need to fill out the PTA reading minutes anymore. Just continue to read with your child for 20 minutes each day and color in the icon (ghosts this month) and I will turn in the reading minutes for our class at the end of the month.
We just finished our Math Test #2 a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to remind you that I have a high school helper who helps make corrections on those tests. So if your child has missed some points, but you look over the test and see that everything is correct, then corrections have been made. I do this so that my student's will understand why they missed the problem and have immediate feedback (well, as "immediate" as I can get it).
I can't stress the importance of sight word practice and having those be words that are automatically read. If your child is not working on at least List #3, then they are behind with their sight words. I will test all students on List #3 starting on November 3.
Remember that picture retakes are tomorrow. Only those that send their picture packets back or send money or have requested retakes will be sent down for pictures.
I will have grades for the first quarter by the end of this week. The October Scholastic book order that I sent home last week will be due this Friday, October 31 and the take-home librarian was absent today so your child will not have a take-home book today.
Congratulations to Dane and Brennan. They were our classroom Catch the Vision winners for October. They are both wonderful deserving students.
Happy Reading!
I hope that you saw the note I sent home about Halloween costumes and the costume parade on Halloween afternoon. I will not elaborate more here, but if you have questions please don't hesitate to contact me. We will finish our apple head witches for a little Halloween party. We will do that Halloween morning.
The PTA sent home an information sheet about their new reading program (3,000,000 minutes). They sent home little papers for you to put your child's weekly reading minutes on. Since most of the teachers if not all require reading minutes in their classrooms, we have decided to make it easier on parents and just use our classroom reading calendars and tally up the minutes that way. You do not need to fill out the PTA reading minutes anymore. Just continue to read with your child for 20 minutes each day and color in the icon (ghosts this month) and I will turn in the reading minutes for our class at the end of the month.
We just finished our Math Test #2 a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to remind you that I have a high school helper who helps make corrections on those tests. So if your child has missed some points, but you look over the test and see that everything is correct, then corrections have been made. I do this so that my student's will understand why they missed the problem and have immediate feedback (well, as "immediate" as I can get it).
I can't stress the importance of sight word practice and having those be words that are automatically read. If your child is not working on at least List #3, then they are behind with their sight words. I will test all students on List #3 starting on November 3.
Remember that picture retakes are tomorrow. Only those that send their picture packets back or send money or have requested retakes will be sent down for pictures.
I will have grades for the first quarter by the end of this week. The October Scholastic book order that I sent home last week will be due this Friday, October 31 and the take-home librarian was absent today so your child will not have a take-home book today.
Congratulations to Dane and Brennan. They were our classroom Catch the Vision winners for October. They are both wonderful deserving students.
Happy Reading!
Monday, October 6, 2014
Newsletter October 6 - 10
I am finally on track with my blog. It was so nice to meet with most of you last week during our SEP conferences. I hope you understood through those conferences how much I love YOUR child and that I have an open door for questions, comments or concerns. Please feel free to contact me any time (e-mail is always the best option).
This week we will start our Take-home library program (book in a bag). Please take advantage of this program. Have your child read those books every night and return them regularly. Rereading the same book is such a great way to increase reading fluency so please encourage your child to reread the same text so that their reading flows and they become more confidant.
On Wednesday, we will be going to the Bus garage for a field trip. We will leave the school at 9:15 and return by 10:15. I will not send home a field trip permission slip because you have all checked the registration form allowing your child to attend field trips. As always though, if you would like your child not to participate in a certain field trip let me know and we can make other arrangements here at the school during the field trip time.
Thank you for sending apples with your child for our Halloween witch art project. I was planning on doing that this Wednesday, but with the unexpected field trip I will do it on Thursday instead. Please send an apple with your child by this Wednesday. Speaking of Halloween, I hope all of you got Mr. Moyle's message about allowing Halloween costumes this year. I am so excited about this, as I remember fondly Halloween costume parades as a child. I hope that all goes well with it this year so that we can continue this tradition. I will send home more information about it as I receive it.
I will send home an October Scholastic book order this week. Those orders will be due on Wednesday, October 15 (the day before we leave for our big break). The easiest way to order is to use our classroom online code.
Pictures retakes have been rescheduled for October 28. If you want to have your child's picture retaken you just need to send back the picture packet (which we haven't received yet) and they can have their picture retaken that day.
The PTA is launching a new reading program here at East Elementary. In the past we have participated in the AR (Accelerated Reader) program. The cost has increased dramatically and we weighed the cost vs. the amount of students that actually participate in the program. The PTA will be having a kick-off to explain our new reading incentive program on October 10. They have asked that each classroom have a "room helper" for this program. They did not specify what that would include, but I do not believe it would be a big in class commitment if an in class commitment at all. If that is something you might like to do for our class let me know and I can let the PTA know.
This week we are starting a computer reading program called Waterford. We will participate in that program four times a week for thirty minutes each time. In math, we will finish up our unit on subtraction and start Unit 3. In science, we will start an integrated writing project about their favorite season. We will write an opinion piece about favorite seasons. We will learn about how to open an opinion piece, then give reasons to back up our opinion and then close it properly. Our reading groups are going well. That's my favorite part of the day!! Remember that the September reading records are now due. They are worth 100 points. Please keep up with sight word practice. Your child should at least have passed off Lists #1 and #2 by now. I will test all students on List #2 this week (if they haven't already passed it off).
I hope that you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather.
Happy Reading!!
This week we will start our Take-home library program (book in a bag). Please take advantage of this program. Have your child read those books every night and return them regularly. Rereading the same book is such a great way to increase reading fluency so please encourage your child to reread the same text so that their reading flows and they become more confidant.
On Wednesday, we will be going to the Bus garage for a field trip. We will leave the school at 9:15 and return by 10:15. I will not send home a field trip permission slip because you have all checked the registration form allowing your child to attend field trips. As always though, if you would like your child not to participate in a certain field trip let me know and we can make other arrangements here at the school during the field trip time.
Thank you for sending apples with your child for our Halloween witch art project. I was planning on doing that this Wednesday, but with the unexpected field trip I will do it on Thursday instead. Please send an apple with your child by this Wednesday. Speaking of Halloween, I hope all of you got Mr. Moyle's message about allowing Halloween costumes this year. I am so excited about this, as I remember fondly Halloween costume parades as a child. I hope that all goes well with it this year so that we can continue this tradition. I will send home more information about it as I receive it.
I will send home an October Scholastic book order this week. Those orders will be due on Wednesday, October 15 (the day before we leave for our big break). The easiest way to order is to use our classroom online code.
Pictures retakes have been rescheduled for October 28. If you want to have your child's picture retaken you just need to send back the picture packet (which we haven't received yet) and they can have their picture retaken that day.
The PTA is launching a new reading program here at East Elementary. In the past we have participated in the AR (Accelerated Reader) program. The cost has increased dramatically and we weighed the cost vs. the amount of students that actually participate in the program. The PTA will be having a kick-off to explain our new reading incentive program on October 10. They have asked that each classroom have a "room helper" for this program. They did not specify what that would include, but I do not believe it would be a big in class commitment if an in class commitment at all. If that is something you might like to do for our class let me know and I can let the PTA know.
This week we are starting a computer reading program called Waterford. We will participate in that program four times a week for thirty minutes each time. In math, we will finish up our unit on subtraction and start Unit 3. In science, we will start an integrated writing project about their favorite season. We will write an opinion piece about favorite seasons. We will learn about how to open an opinion piece, then give reasons to back up our opinion and then close it properly. Our reading groups are going well. That's my favorite part of the day!! Remember that the September reading records are now due. They are worth 100 points. Please keep up with sight word practice. Your child should at least have passed off Lists #1 and #2 by now. I will test all students on List #2 this week (if they haven't already passed it off).
I hope that you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather.
Happy Reading!!
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Newsletter September 15 - 19
It's been a little hectic this week as I have been home not feeling well. I think the students were in good hands with the two subs that I had.
I have sent home math homework still--thank you for doing that. Please make sure that you help your child remember to put their name on that homework. It is nearly impossible for me to decifer numbers in handwriting. If there is a no name I just give the grade of 0.
If you child is absent I will send home their morning work, and another other work that they miss. I will write HW on top of it and date so you you will be aware that it is homework. I still hope you are practicing sight words with your child and reading every night. Our new and improved Take home library will start next week. Please send back the portion of the Take home library letter so that I can start your child (coral paper).
Next week our reading groups will start. I will inform you at SEP conferences if you child will be attending a reading intervention group. Some of my students will also have additional help in math, and I will let you know if you child will receive that extra intervention as well. I am going to try a new format with math and would love some volunteers as I get it off the ground or help all year would be great. If you could help starting next Tuesday, Thursday or Friday at 1:00-2:15 I would appreciate it. Send me an e-mail if you would like to. I will let you know about reading volunteer opportunities soon. My guess is that I will start using reading volunteers in October. Remember that time is from 9:00-10:30 every day except for Wednesday.
It is picture day this Friday. If you would like to purchase pictures please send back the picture form.
I have sent home math homework still--thank you for doing that. Please make sure that you help your child remember to put their name on that homework. It is nearly impossible for me to decifer numbers in handwriting. If there is a no name I just give the grade of 0.
If you child is absent I will send home their morning work, and another other work that they miss. I will write HW on top of it and date so you you will be aware that it is homework. I still hope you are practicing sight words with your child and reading every night. Our new and improved Take home library will start next week. Please send back the portion of the Take home library letter so that I can start your child (coral paper).
Next week our reading groups will start. I will inform you at SEP conferences if you child will be attending a reading intervention group. Some of my students will also have additional help in math, and I will let you know if you child will receive that extra intervention as well. I am going to try a new format with math and would love some volunteers as I get it off the ground or help all year would be great. If you could help starting next Tuesday, Thursday or Friday at 1:00-2:15 I would appreciate it. Send me an e-mail if you would like to. I will let you know about reading volunteer opportunities soon. My guess is that I will start using reading volunteers in October. Remember that time is from 9:00-10:30 every day except for Wednesday.
It is picture day this Friday. If you would like to purchase pictures please send back the picture form.
Monday, September 8, 2014
September 8 - 12
We have done two lessons from our Go Math program and I will now be sending home math homework most days. It is nearly impossible to complete it all in class during our allotted time. My hesitation with sending home math homework and the reason that I really didn't want to send it home this year, is that many will only do the math homework and not include reading as part of their nightly routine. I surely don't want your child to have homework bombarding them nightly, I know they are kids and need their "play time". Please try to stick to 30 minutes total homework a night. Include reading practice with their math homework. Have your child help read the instructions. The math homework will be due the next day, but I do understand we have busy lives so if you child turns it in late, I will not deduct any points. Thank you for this help. The one-on-one math help that they will receive with homework will be very beneficial. I have put the lessons that we will be working on on the left sidebar of this blog. That way you can anticipate which math homework will be coming home.
Now that I have returned two spelling tests, I wanted to let you know how I grade them. If I can't read the word, I mark it wrong. I do not mark reversals wrong if I can tell what letter it should be. B and D reversals are different. If your child reverses the B or D I will verbally ask them how to spell the word and if they can spell it orally I will mark it correct as well as pointing out to the child that they have reversed the letter. Letter reversals are still very common in first grade. Do not be overly concerned if you child is reversing some letters or numbers. We start becoming concerned if reversals are still happening regularly in third grade.
The Scholastic book order that I sent home last week is due this Wednesday, Sept. 10. The easiest way to order is online using our classroom code.
Tomorrow all students will be given health screenings. They will have their eyes checked as well as a quick oral screening from a dentist. The hearing screening will be done on a different date. If something was noteworthy from those exams, the school nurse will contact you.
This week we are going to start our unit on punctuation. This is a fun unit where I introduce correct punctuation with "Punctuation People". Our first punctuation person will be "Period Pete". We have been working on an "All About Me" writing and in science we are working on a little weather book especially concentrating on weather words.
I really love my sweet first graders. I am a lucky teacher.
Happy Reading!
Now that I have returned two spelling tests, I wanted to let you know how I grade them. If I can't read the word, I mark it wrong. I do not mark reversals wrong if I can tell what letter it should be. B and D reversals are different. If your child reverses the B or D I will verbally ask them how to spell the word and if they can spell it orally I will mark it correct as well as pointing out to the child that they have reversed the letter. Letter reversals are still very common in first grade. Do not be overly concerned if you child is reversing some letters or numbers. We start becoming concerned if reversals are still happening regularly in third grade.
The Scholastic book order that I sent home last week is due this Wednesday, Sept. 10. The easiest way to order is online using our classroom code.
Tomorrow all students will be given health screenings. They will have their eyes checked as well as a quick oral screening from a dentist. The hearing screening will be done on a different date. If something was noteworthy from those exams, the school nurse will contact you.
This week we are going to start our unit on punctuation. This is a fun unit where I introduce correct punctuation with "Punctuation People". Our first punctuation person will be "Period Pete". We have been working on an "All About Me" writing and in science we are working on a little weather book especially concentrating on weather words.
I really love my sweet first graders. I am a lucky teacher.
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Newsletter September 1 - 5
I hope that you all had a nice Labor Day weekend. We are buckling down again and getting back to work.
If you child has not passed of Sight Word List #1 then please help them with this list at home. Your child should have at least passed off that list by now and be working on List #2. Remember that they can pass these words off as quickly as they can.
The August reading record is due today! I sent home a new September reading record today (paper with apples on it). This is to record the number of times your child has read in the month of September. Color each apple for 20 minutes of reading time (can include sight word, and spelling practice). I also sent home this week's list of spelling words and a Scholastic book order. Just like last week, I will test on the list of spelling words on Friday. The Scholastic book order is due, Wednesday, September 10. The easiest way to order is to use the code and to order online, but you can still send the order back with a check. You only need to write out one check, and make it out to Scholastic. With each order our classroom earns points for free books!
We will start with our Go Math program this week. We will be learning about addition. I really hope that we can do our homework in class. I think that this week will be a good gauge to see if we can accomplish that. I have put the lessons that we will be working on on the left side bar of this blog. Next week I will let you know if I will be sending home a math homework sheet most nights.
We have started talking a little bit about the seasons and weather in science. We will continue with that unit of study throughout September.
This Friday, our class will have a reading test (RLA). This will put your child on a "grade level" for reading. Next week, the students will take the DIBELS test. This is also an indicator to find out about your child's reading abilities right now and where to start instruction. After those tests are complete we will start small reading groups in our classroom. Some students will get the extra privilege of attending another reading intervention group with our qualified reading aides. I will let you know if your child will be attending a reading intervention group. We plan on starting those groups on Monday, September 22.
Happy Reading!
If you child has not passed of Sight Word List #1 then please help them with this list at home. Your child should have at least passed off that list by now and be working on List #2. Remember that they can pass these words off as quickly as they can.
The August reading record is due today! I sent home a new September reading record today (paper with apples on it). This is to record the number of times your child has read in the month of September. Color each apple for 20 minutes of reading time (can include sight word, and spelling practice). I also sent home this week's list of spelling words and a Scholastic book order. Just like last week, I will test on the list of spelling words on Friday. The Scholastic book order is due, Wednesday, September 10. The easiest way to order is to use the code and to order online, but you can still send the order back with a check. You only need to write out one check, and make it out to Scholastic. With each order our classroom earns points for free books!
We will start with our Go Math program this week. We will be learning about addition. I really hope that we can do our homework in class. I think that this week will be a good gauge to see if we can accomplish that. I have put the lessons that we will be working on on the left side bar of this blog. Next week I will let you know if I will be sending home a math homework sheet most nights.
We have started talking a little bit about the seasons and weather in science. We will continue with that unit of study throughout September.
This Friday, our class will have a reading test (RLA). This will put your child on a "grade level" for reading. Next week, the students will take the DIBELS test. This is also an indicator to find out about your child's reading abilities right now and where to start instruction. After those tests are complete we will start small reading groups in our classroom. Some students will get the extra privilege of attending another reading intervention group with our qualified reading aides. I will let you know if your child will be attending a reading intervention group. We plan on starting those groups on Monday, September 22.
Happy Reading!
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