Newsletter May 19 - 23

It's the last week of school.  I honestly can't believe it!  I've said that before, but this year has gone by so quickly.  I love all of these wonderful students that have become "my kids".  Thank you for sharing them with me, and helping them with their education at home.  I hope that you all have a wonderful summer.

If your child has not returned their library books or Take-home library books yet, please search for those and return them before the end of the school year.  We lose so many books, and with tightened budgets it difficult to replace those lost books.

We will not have spelling words this week, and today we took our final math test.  I will get grade out, along with reading test results, and hopefully 2nd grade classroom placements by this Thursday. 

For the last day of school, I would like to have some ice cream bars or sandwiches after lunch.  If you could help send a box of ice cream sandwiches or your child's favorite ice cream bars please send those by Thursday, May 22.  School dismisses at 2:30 on Friday! I could also use donated Clorox wipes to help in our Friday cleaning efforts.  If you could help by sending clorox wipes that would be greatly appreciated also. 

Our 100-book challenge recipients are: Brendan, Kate, Kean, Angela and Jentri.  I plan on submitting their picture to the Iron County Today newspaper.  I will e-mail you when I get a response on when they will be in the paper.  Congratulations to these wonderful hard-working readers!

I hope that you will continue to read with your child over the summer.  Take advantage of the summer reading program at the library.  Giving your child the head start they need for 2nd grade is invaluable. 

See you next year and Happy Reading!

Newsletter May 12 - 16

What a crazy weather weekend!  When I arrived here this morning, our trusty custodians were busily taking care of the many fallen branches from our large trees.  By the time lunch break rolled around they were cleared up and the kids were safely playing outside.

This is  the last week that I will accept late work.  All work, including the May reading record will be due this Friday, May 16.  I will come in this weekend and work on grades, and also print out our reading test results.  I will send home grades and those test scores next Monday or Tuesday.  This Friday is also our last day to turn in 100-book challenge lists.  So far, I have had four stalwart, wonderful readers reach that mark--Jentri, Angela, Kean, and Brendan.  We will celebrate with them next Monday and I will call the newspaper and let you know next week when they will be featured in the paper!

Our take-home library is now complete.  No more books (in bag) will be sent home.  If your child has lost their book, please send $5.00 to replace that book.  All library books need to returned this week too.  Our library day is Friday, and all students that have both of their books returned on that date will be able to pick out a free book to take home.

I sent home a Field Day permission slip today.  All of the first grade classes will be going up to Canyon Park to walk on the trail, and play on the playground.  We will then return to school that day and have a school-wide BBQ for lunch.  Please sign and return that permission slip before Friday.  It's supposed to be warming up by then, so we of course will have water for the students as they walk up the trail.

Our PTA Walk-A-Thon will be this Thursday, at 9:30 a.m.  I sent home donation information last week.  All students who turn in donations will be given a coupon for a FREE shaved ice from the Tiki Shack. 

Don't forget to turn in all work by this Friday!  I will test on the final Sight Word List #11 this Friday also.

As we only have 9 more days left of school, I wanted to let all of you know how much I've appreciated YOUR CHILD in my class this year.  I have thoroughly enjoyed each child, and have loved this class.  They are delightful students and will forever be imprinted in my heart!

Happy Reading!

This has been a hard week for me, and I neglected updating my blog until today.  I apologize.  I did get the new spelling words and sentences on earlier though so I hope you were able to access those if needed.

We had a great time swimming on Tuesday!  Thanks to all those brave souls that put on a swimming suit and swam with our kids.  It was so fun to see so many smiling faces!

Today we had pancakes before our DIBELS test.  I will get you those results as soon as they are available.  Thanks again to Kayzley and Brendan for supplying apple juice for our pancake breakfast.

The April home reading records are now due!  They are worth 100 points.  They are too late now for a treat and certificate, but if you child read in April (I hope they did) then you can still turn it in for credit.  Remember that next Friday, May 16th will be the last day to turn in work.  The May reading record will be due that day.  Also, our 100 book challenge will end that day also.  I am so happy for those kids that accomplished this challenge.  We will have our 100-book reading celebration on the following Monday for those students that read 100 books since January!!

Speaking of books.  The take-home library will end on May 13th.  Please send back your child's book in a bag.  I will send home notices to those that have not returned their books tomorrow.  If you cannot find the book it is a $5.00 replacement fee.  Thanks for helping us to keep our take-home library books intact.  In library, this will be the last week to check our books (May 9).  The following week, May 16th all library books will be due!!  Those students that turn in their library books by that date will be able to pick out a free book to take home.

On May 15th, the PTA is sponsoring a Walk-a-Thon to raise funds for our precious school.  I will send home donation sheets tomorrow.  Please consider helping your child gather donations.  They love walking and trying to compete for the most laps walked. 

As the year is drawing to an end, I am in need of Clorox wipes to help us clean up during the last days of school.  If you could help by donating some clorox wipes, I would greatly appreciate it.  The last day of school is May 23rd and we will dismiss that day at 2:30!

For field day on May 16th, the first graders will walk up to Canyon trail, and walk up the trail, and then play on the playground.  We will then come back to school and have a school lunch BBQ!  

Mrs. Isom, our wonderful secretary, wanted me to pass along two bits of information.  One, is that there are a lot of coats, and jackets in the lost and found. There are also a couple of pairs of glasses in the office.  The coats will be taken to the DI after the school year.  If your child is missing a coat or jacket please encourage them to look for it.  You are welcome to come and look through the lost and found also.  I will also have my students look at it before we leave for the year.  The second is that Miss Iron County is collecting shoes for charity.  If you have some gently worn or new shoes that you could donate, there is a donation box by the office. 

I will be gone Thursday afternoon, and all day Friday.  Thank you to those that have been so kind as you have found out about my father's passing.  I hope that all of you wonderful mothers have a fabulous Mother's Day on Sunday!

Happy Reading!

Newsletter April 28 - May 2

We're definitely on the downhill with four more weeks of school left.  I will still send home spelling words and math homework for the next three weeks.  All assignments will be due, Friday May 16th.  I will not accept late assignments after that date.

If your child has not passed off of the first grade sight word lists (eleven lists), then I have sent home the lists with your child today.  Please work on those with your child!  I will test on List #10 on this Friday, May 2 and List #11 on Friday, May 16th.

I sent home a permission slip for our swimming field trip today.  Please sign it and return it soon.  I also sent home a note on coral paper outlining the day.  I REALLY need 4-5 volunteers to help that morning and get in the pool with the kids.  We can't do it without volunteers! Please let me know soon if you can help out.

I have several new students and some that haven't had a chance to be "Star of the Week"  I am going to be combining several students for the next two weeks, so that all students have their week of glory.  Please watch for instructions to come home this Friday or next Friday concerning Star of the Week expectations.

We just got our incubator filled with five eggs.  I sent home a flier today about the type of chickens that these eggs will produce.  We are really encouraged by the 4-H to sell any hatched chicks.  If you have the mean to care for some new additions to your family (i.e chicks) please let me know.  The cost per chick is $2.00 and you would need to pick them up by this Friday, May 2.

The April reading record is due this Thursday, May 1.  I will send home one more reading record for May.  It will be due May 16, and since it's  a shorter month it will be worth just 50 points for May.  I have had two more students reach the 100 book milestone.  Kean and Jentri both have read over 100 books now.  Such a great accomplishment!

Next week we will be our testing week.  On Wednesday, May 7th we'll have the DIBELS test in the morning.  As you may recall, I will make pancakes for my students before the test.  Thanks to Kayzley for sending in apple juice.  If you would like to help send in syrup or apple juice you are more than welcome to help out!  On Friday, May 9th we'll take another reading test, called the RLA.  This test puts them on a specific reading level (i.e grade level 1.2 etc.)  I will send the results of both of those tests as soon as I can after I receive them.  

We just finished our last lesson in Unit 11 of our Go Math program.  I will review tomorrow for the test on Wednesday.  We will then work on the last unit of the program for the next two weeks.  I will do as I've done before and list the lesson we'll be working on.   Your child may or may not have homework based on how fast we complete the book portion in class.  Please ask though nightly if you child has homework.

Congratulations to Janelle Milliman who was our classroom's Catch the Vision winner for April.  She is the definition of "sweetness" and such a deserving student. 

Happy Reading!

Newsletter April 21 - 25

Welcome back!  I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter break!  We have five more weeks left of school.  I just signed up for our DIBELS testing.  That will be Wednesday, May 7 in the morning.  I will feed my students pancakes that morning before the test.  If you could donate some apple juice for that morning please let me know.

This Thursday, we are going on another walking field trip to SUU to Bard's birthday bash.  It is always a fun occasion, with cake,  a maypole, jousting, and an improv performance.  We will leave East Elementary at 12:40 p.m. and return right before school lets out.  Please sign and return the permission slip that I sent home in your child's homework folder today. 

On May 6th we have reserved the Aquatic Center in the morning for swimming.  We usually like to have that activity later in the month, but there are restrictions on buses for the month of May and when I called to arrange a date, May 6th was our only possibility.  For that field trip/activity, we need 4 to 5 brave parent volunteers who will get in the water and "swim" with the class.  If you would be willing to help that day please let me know.  The cost for the field trip is $2.00, unless your child has a swimming pass.  I will send home more information about that field trip in the next couple of blog newsletters.

We just started on Unit 11 in math.  It deals with three-dimensional shapes.  Like our last unit, I feel that sometimes we will get through the in class portion of the lesson quickly and then we can do the homework in class as well.  I just put the math homework down as a guide, so again if your child tells you that he or she does not have homework, they are telling you the truth :)

We have four more weeks until our 100-book challenge ends.  Angela just reached the 98 book mark today!  She's getting close! 

I will be taking a "personal day" this Friday.  My oldest child, my daughter is getting married, and I am going to go down to St. George and help her as she is getting her bridal photos taken that day.  We are getting our incubator that day for our chick hatching extravaganza.  The eggs will arrive the following Monday, so hopefully we'll have some chicks hatch next week.  That experience helps to reinforce life cycles.  In science during May, our focus is life cycles as well as plants and seeds. If you would like to buy a chick let me know. 

Happy Reading!

Newsletter April 7 - 11

This Thursday we are going on our field to to SUU to watch the Pirates of Penzance play.  I am so sad because I will not be here that day.  East Elementary will be getting a new first grade teacher next year, and Mr. Burton has asked me to sit in on and help with the interviews.  If your child has not sent their permission slip back (yellow paper), please return it by tomorrow!  I don't want my sub to have to worry about missing permission slips.  Please send the $1.00 donation for the play by tomorrow also for the same reason.

Next Tuesday we are having our first grade Easter Egg Hunt.  Thanks to those that have already sent candy-filled eggs for that activity.  Just a reminder that this will occur at the Canyon Park and we've ask for a donation of one dozen candy-filled eggs.  Again, scroll down and read the previous newsletter posts for more information.  I sent home a permission slip for this field trip/activity today.  It is on pink paper.  Please sign that and return it by next Monday.  We need volunteers to help us take the eggs to the park and "hide" them for us (Mrs. Wininger and I).  If you can help that day please let me know.  We would need you by 1:30.

We are finishing up our graphing unit in math this week.  I will test on this unit next Monday or Tuesday before the spring break.  I have put the lessons that we will be doing on the homework section of this blog, but sometimes we may finish the homework in class like we did yesterday.  If your child tells you that they did the homework in class believe them!

We have 30 days of school left!  Spring fever has definitely set in.  Please continue to be diligent with nightly reading with your child.  We will be having our final DIBELS reading assessment the first week in May.  I'm excited as many of my students are moving towards reading 100 books.  Traysen has now reached 40 books!  Many have not turned in their March home reading record.  I will still give your child credit for their reading if you turn it in, but your child will not receive a certificate treat and pizza coupon.  It needs to be turned in the first week of the month for that "reward".

Have a beautiful day and Happy Reading!!

Newsletter March 31 - April 4

Thanks to those that came and watched us sing our little Water Cycle song during the science/AR assembly last Friday.  We had to change our configuration at the last minute, because our "mad scientist" had so much to show us.  I thought our first graders still did a great job despite the last minute changes.  Abbi shared her essay "I like science because..." for our class and Kate Ison was our Catch the Vision winner for March.  My students loved watching Mr. Burton "kiss a pig" for the PTA reading incentive.  Our March reading records are now due!  Turn those in now so that we can be eligible for next months PTA sponsored reading incentive event.  Which is yet to be announced!

I sent home a permission slip for a field trip next week.  We will be walking to SUU to the Pirates of Penzance play.  We will leave here by 9:30 a.m. and return by lunch.  This cost for this field trip is a $1.00 donation.  The SUU playmakers groups always does a fantastic job!

In my last blog, I announced our Easter Egg Hunt.  I will be brief explaining that again.  If you need more information, scroll down and read last week's newsletter.  In summary, we'll be going to Canyon Park on Tuesday, April 15th at 2:00 p.m.  We are asking each child to donate one dozen candy-filled eggs (use scotch tape to hold them together).  Thanks to Damion who has already donated several dozen eggs!!!

I also sent home a Talent Show information and permission slip.  The Talent Show will be held Friday, April 11th.  If your child would like to participate the permission slip is due April 7th.  The show will be presented twice.  Once at 2:00 for parents of the participants, and another time at 2:00 for the study body.

I was pleased with our last math test results.  Remember that if you child misses any problems on the test, that I have SUU students that help with corrections.  Your child will come home with those corrections made, but the original percentage will stand.  We have started our unit on graphing.  So, far I feel like my students have a handle on the picture graphs.  We still need to work on comparing two items on a graph (i.e.  How many more students like blue paint than red paint?)  Before the test, I will reinforce that concept with my students. 

If your child has not passed off Sight Word List #9.  They should pass that list off this month.  Please practice sight words with you child.  Especially if you child's fluency (number of words they can read in a minute) was not where it needed to be last time we tested.  I was excited to see three more students bring lists of 10 books that they have read.  Jentri has now read 80 books, Kate has read 60 and Anna has read 20! 

Happy Reading!